FRIENDS OF YOUTHLINEMaking Change Happen

SUPPORTERS NEWSLETTERAutumn 2012

Helpline: 0800 37 66 33 Free TXT: 234 Email: talk@youthline.co.nz

www.youthline.co.nz

A note from the National Spokesperson

Some of the most challenging moments in my work at Youthline over the last quarter of a century, have been supporting families who have lost someone who has killed themselves. It’s a tragic fact that approximately 500 people die by suicide in New Zealand each year. Of those, over 100 are youth.

At the end of 2011 there were serious concerns about youth suicides in Manukau. Youthline, along with the Counties Manukau District Health board and other service providers stepped up post-vention work in the region.

Some of the preventative measures put in place have included promoting our 1st point of contact youth development services, both in the media and at community events. We also supplied relevant resources and information with a particular focus on reaching the Pacific community. This family information was translated into Tongan and Samoan to support adults to understand the needs of their young people and their role in supporting them. Youthline provides training for those who are in crisis as well as providing emotional first aid training for groups in the community.

Alongside this community education work, Youthline have been looking into ways of reaching young people via social media. This includes linking with Facebook in Australasia who are looking at initiatives where users who have expressed suicidal thoughts are given the option to connect directly with a crisis counsellor. They have Youthline’s details to connect young people to if they reach out for help.

The message throughout all of this is that YOU can help, YOU can make a difference in somebody’s day, YOU can have the knowledge to understand the warning signs and act on them. Ultimately YOU can save someone’s life.

In this newsletter see how you can also help us be there for young people in distress, in their time of need.

Sincerely

Stephen Bell Youthline Auckland CEO

SUICIDE PREVENTION – A COMMUNITY EFFORT

Find us on:

Happy 30th Birthday The Warehouse Thanks for supporting Kiwi families and their communities.

A wrap around youth and family community hub.

Youthline looks forward to

working with Monty Betham

WE HAVE MOVED IN!

YOUTHLINE AMBASSADORMONTY BETHAM

For the previous 15 years, Youthline has operated in Manukau from rented premises.

Now together with the Auckland Council (formerly Manukau City Council) and the local community Youthline has developed a critically needed, innovative new facility.

We have been given a 30 year lease of the once iconic Papatoetoe Fire Station. In a prime location on St George Street, it is easily accessible to young people, their families and the wider community.

This project will improve the local area by enabling community involvement through volunteering, personal development, support services, training and leadership opportunities.

We have had tremendous support from our community networks, corporate partners and donors. Without this support, this project would not be possible.

We also want to acknowledge the Firemen and locals who lent a hand on many occasions as we worked to get the centre looking as great as it does! Your DIY skills are greatly appreciated!

Youthline Manukau is now the home for the following organisations:

Te Kura, CMDHB - Kidz First, Workforce Development, St John’s

Papatoetoe Youth Division, Project K, New Zealand Aids Foundation.

Monty Betham was a professional league player for the Vodafone Warriors, then turned boxer.

His talents also extend to the dance floor where he was runner-up on Season 4 of NZ Dancing with the Stars in 2008.

Monty has a passion for supporting young people. Youthline are lucky enough to have him as one of our loyal Ambassadors.

We are excited to be launching our Ambassador Campaign this year, so watch this space for more of our other amazing Ambassadors.

STAYING CONNECTEDBecause of our supporters, we are now able to stay connected.

Nationally, Youthline’s Helpline and the Specialty Call Centres receive 15,000 calls per month.

People call for a wide variety of issues ranging from depression, abuse, family issues, suicide and everything in between.

To keep up with the volume of calls we were in desperate need of a new phone system. The phone system we were using was so old that we were no longer able to get replacement parts or technical support for the outdated software.

Because of your generosity, on the 1st of November 2011 we were able to launch our new phone system which is now up and running nationwide, so we can continue helping people in need.

A visit from Social Development

Minister Paula Bennett & National List

MP Kanwaljit S. Bakshi

WWW.YOUTHLINE.CO.NZ

PAULA BENNETT TAKES A TOUR OF YOUTHLINE MANUKAULast month Youthline Manukau had a very important guest.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and her team visited the centre and sampled goodies from the café, Thyme Out at The Station.

To visit:145 St George Street, Papatoetoe.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Perfoming at Onehunga High School

Drama Toolkit is a youth development programme which is run by trained facilitators in schools.

In a nutshell, different ‘roles’ or characters have been developed from direct experience of behaviour patterns of young people in a school context.

The Action Education team have various scenarios which they act out, engaging students throughout the performance by asking their opinions about situations that the characters are embroiled in.

Action Ed Manager, Ramon Narayan says “drama is an amazing way to engage young people safely and open up conversations”.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: ACTION EDUCATION DRAMA - A POWERFUL TOOL

Charles Santana is the recipient of the 2011 Volunteer of The Year Award. Volunteering since 2008, Charles has gone through the training pathway to become a solo counsellor and a mentor to other volunteers.

Of the accolade he says “I was completely and utterly speechless when I won - that is really odd for me! I felt like there were so many other people that deserved it just as much, if not more than me, but without a doubt it was an awesome feeling!”

This year, Charles is taking some well-deserved time out and is heading to the South of France to begin his O.E.

“I feel like it’s time for an adventure, I’d like to say I’ll be back, but who really knows!”

In the future Charles has aspirations of become a Child and Adolescent Psychologist.

“Young people are the future, so I’d love to be able to work with them and build them up to be the best they can be”.

Interested in volunteering? email: volunteer@youthline.co.nz

As the story unfolds participants reflect on attitudes and behaviours and they draw upon their and their peers, ability to make good decisions and choices.

We’re really excited about introducing drama toolkit into several schools throughout 2012!

For more information about Youthline’s partnerships, read our best practice paper Here

For more information about Action Ed Click Here

Canterbury Earthquake

Support Booklet

YOUTHLINE CHRISTCHURCH: AFTER THE QUAKEWhat a year it has been! It has been an unusual year, both for us as an organisation, and for our clients.

Despite the major earthquakes and subsequent disruptions, we have retained an enthusiastic base of volunteer staff who are all excited about continuing to serve the Christchurch community. They have shown commitment to Youthline and to those young people we support, and are truly an inspiration.

Relocating to new premises was especially challenging given we had no access to our old building.

Prior to February 22, we were based in the heart of the Christchurch CBD, in the Christchurch Community House. The building, which was severely damaged in the February earthquake, was deemed to be too

dangerous for anyone to re-enter, and has now been demolished, with all tenant’s belongings inside!

Along with important files and documents, computers, equipment and personal belongings, we had a lot of sentimental information and visual history which we have now lost.

Thanks to our complex IT systems and the dedicated Youthliner’s at other centres, all young people from the Canterbury region calling or texting have been able to continue to be supported during the time that the Christchurch centre was not able to provide services.

We have been fortunate to have secured new premises in Sydenham and have now re-established the office and counselling rooms and service provision from this new site. It is a

wonderful new home for us and we are very thankful to those funders who have supported us to purchase new furniture and IT equipment. It is exciting to have the phone and text services now being provided from the Christchurch site!

It has been an extremely challenging time for the community which we support.

It has been a privilege to have met with and talked with a number of Christchurch’s young people and to be inspired by their strength and resilience.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES TO SUPPORT THEIR YOUNG PEOPLEAlthough it is well known in the community how Youthline supports and develops young people, it is less well known that we also provide support for the family and caregivers of these young people.

There are a variety of formats that Youthline offers in its work with families. This allows family members the flexibility to choose the type of support that works best for them. These range from informal approaches to more intensive support.

Youthline provides the 0800 Helpline and the Parent Talk email service for parents and caregivers who simply want to talk through concerns regarding the young people in their lives. These services provide parents and caregivers with information regarding available support

for them and their young people that will assist them best in their current situation. The services also offer a caring and non-judgmental ear that understands and provides emotional support during times of stress – this is often the most pressing need for caregivers.

To reach Youthline’s range of confidential, flexible and accessible support services that includes phone support, individual counselling and family counselling please get in touch:

Helpline ph: 0800 376633

Email: parenttalk@youthline.co.nz For assessment and ongoing phone support, face to face counselling and family therapy - Auckland wide: Ph: 09 361 4168.

WWW.YOUTHLINE.CO.NZ

In each edition we will feature some of our awesome supporters. Thanks to everyone who contributes to making Youthline what it is!

GOING THE EXTRA MILE!

PASSRITE WENT THE EXTRA MILE BY:

MURRAYS BAY INTERMEDIATE ALSO WENT THE EXTRA MILE BY:

BAXTER HEALTH-CARE IS ALWAYS WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE:

Offering four positions to gain forklift licenses and credits towards their final end of year assessment, to our Alternative Education students.

The value of this donation to both the students and the Alternative Education School is immeasurable as these students have gained yet another skill that will equip them for possible future employment.

Organising a fundraising concert on 9th September 2011, Murrays Bay Intermediate held a variety concert with proceeds from the event going to support the work of Youthline.

The concert was the vision of two year 8 students, Lois and Monica who planned and executed the event with support from family, friends and teachers. The concert featured over 12 acts that incorporated singers, dancers, musicians and performance artists.

The money raised was used to fund the 24 hour 0800 phone and free txt helplines that are utilised by more than 15,000 people per month.

It’s great to see two young people, going the extra mile for other young people!

Baxter Healthcare is a global medical services company. Their FAB (Fun At Baxter) committee organises team building activities for staff including voluntary work in the community.

Robyn Hardman, Baxter’s Office Services Manager and FAB Committee member says Youthline Manukau has provided them with fantastic opportunities to get involved.

“Over the past year we’ve auctioned off IT gear to staff and all the proceeds went to Youthline. Today half of us are here doing gardening and painting, and back at the office we’re having a sewing bee making lots of new beanbags for the meeting rooms! It’s been really special to have been involved in this project right from the start. I remember coming through here when it was rundown and derelict, the change is incredible.”

Youthline Manukau Manager, Hannah Sellars, says without volunteers like Baxter Healthcare Youthline Manukau would not be where it is today.

•Do you want to volunteer at events?•Do you want to donate goods?•Organise your own fundraising event for Youthline?•Or perhaps you have special skills or knowledge that you would like to contribute?

Youthline has many other opportunities for you to get involved and go the extra mile.

HOW CAN YOU GO THE EXTRA MILE?

FOR A LIST OF OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS

CLICK HERE

Well guess what? We would love to hear from you! Please contact amanda@youthline.co.nz or

call (09) 361 4816

Any support you can offer us would be greatly appreciated.

The Ship, Fuji Maru

NZ Representatives for

Ship for World Youth

24th Ship for

World Youth

SHIP FOR WORLD YOUTHOn January 18th three Youthline people – Ramon Narayan, Julian Barnett and Kruger Schaumkel set off on what can only be described as an EPIC ADVENTURE….

Selected to take part in the ‘Ship for World Youth’, a programme operated by the Government of Japan, Ramon, Julian and Kruger joined 260 other young people from 13 different countries.

Throughout the expedition which lasted 7 weeks, participants lived together, visited several countries, studied and discussed common issues from a global perspective and participated in various activities that involved multi-cultural and multi-national exchange opportunities.

Arriving fresh faced in Tokyo, Ramon, who was chosen to be the National Leader for the New Zealand delegation led an icebreaker game for the entire programme – imagine 260 VERY excited young people meeting for the first time and triple it!

For the first two weeks participants stayed on land at the National Youth Centre in Tokyo – this was essentially time for them to ‘find their feet.’ During this time they had several course discussions ranging from leadership and media to sustainability and international relations.

Once on board the ship they travelled to Singapore, where they docked for a day and enjoyed the sites, they then made their way to India where they stayed for 3 days, visiting various institutions and attending meetings with Government officials. Following this they went to Sri Lanka for 4 days, again leading discussions with influential figures.

They then headed back to Tokyo (with a stop at a nice tropical island, called Okinawa on the way back!).

Ramon and Julian have three words that sum up their experience: intense, challenging and awesome! To read about some of Julian’s journey please click here

New Zealand has been lucky enough to be selected to go next year.

If you are between the ages of 18-30 and would

like to participate in the Ship for World Youth keep

an eye out on the Ministry of Youth Development

website.

YOUTHLINE CENTRES

AUCKLAND

PALMERSTON NORTH

WELLINGTON

CHRISTCHURCH

OTAGO

SOUTHLAND

WWW.YOUTHLINE.CO.NZ

YOUTHLINE MERCHANDISETo Purchase Illicit Tees or

Entertainment Books:

Illicit Clothing

Illicit clothing have designed a Youthline T-Shirt to raise us valuable funds. Available to be purchased in an array of colours and sizes.

Entertainment Book

Buy an Entertainment Book from Youthline and for every book sold $13 is automatically donated to Youthline!

Only $65.00Only $35.00

We could list all of our generous donors and supporters here, but it would take up far too much space! So we want to acknowledge ALL OF YOU who are reading this. Without your support we could not provide essential services to young people and their families. We look forward to continuing working with you throughout 2012.

Want to support Youthline? Win prizes and have your say on hot topics? It’s easy! You can make a difference today by signing up to buzzthepeople. Each survey you complete will earn money for Youthline and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Click on the button to sign up today.

Thanks to buzzthepeople for their support!

CLICK HERE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

YOUTHLINE CENTRES

WELLINGTON

CHRISTCHURCH DONATE ONLINE

NOW

COMING UPFor the Month of June: Buy a Youthline pen at any Warehouse counter for $2 and change a life.

Seminar:

14 June - Ponsonby Suicidality & Risk Assessment

$10 for members of the public

Email: volunteer@youthline.co.nz to register

Volunteer Week:

17-23 June

Launch of Heyday:

Youthline’s new online youth magazine ‘Heyday’ will be coming to your inbox!

HOW TO DONATE A BRICK

A donor brick pathway is being created at the

entrance of our new youth and community

centre in Manukau. For a donation of $200

per brick your name will be engraved on your

brick(s) so you can be a part of completing

this much needed facility, enabling Youthline

to operate at full capacity in the area. Please

help us change lives and create a strong

future for our young people. For more

information: changinglives@youthline.co.nz

100% of the donation we recieve from our amazing supporters goes towards service delivery.

Thanks for believing in the work that we do in the community!

A big thankyou to: