YEAST project rises for Motueka youth

A youth action group is being assembled to help make Motueka a better place for young people to ‘‘live, learn and grow’’.

The Vision Motueka Development Trust has appointed outdoor educator and teacher Anna Hughes to lead the Youth Employment and Skills Training (YEAST) initiative.

Based in Tasman village, Hughes has long connections to the Motueka area. She has worked at the Outward Bound School and Whenua Iti Outdoors, as well as Otago Polytechnic and the Enviroschools programme, while based in Dunedin.

Her first key task is to bring together a youth action group of people aged mainly from 17 to their mid-20s who are keen to be part of a youth-led community development team.

‘‘It’s about really listening to youth needs and wants, and working alongside them to make Motu- eka a better place for youth to live, learn and grow,’’ she said.

‘‘So often, older people are making decisions that affect the future for young people. I want to build a pathway for young people to look ahead, say, ‘That’s what I want’, and support them in the process of making it happen.’’

Vision Motueka has been working for about two years on a strategy to build the initiative, which arose out of the giant Motueka 2030 community consultation project that was run in 2015.

Organisations already working on youth training and job development, including Motueka High School, Abel Tasman Educational Trust (ATET) and Whenua Iti, have been included in preparatory research, which Hughes said she would use as a starting point to assemble the young team.

The YEAST project has been supported to the tune of $10,000 by Tasman District Council through the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs scheme, as well as by grants and donations from Network Tasman and Motueka Community Store. Further funding is being sought.

Anyone interested in being part of the project can email annajoanhughes@gmail.com to contact Hughes.

‘‘I want to build a pathway for young people.’’

YEAST leader Anna Hughes