Community Feed

United Nations recognises Sovereign NZ CEO

It is an incredibly proud day for everyone at Sovereign as their CEO Symon Brewis-Weston has been recognised by the United Nations for his progressive approach to workplace diversity and community engagement. He received his award in New York this morning.

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Youth participation key to good decision making

Youth development organisation Youthline says it is a priority for communities to facilitate meaningful youth participation.

This was one of the driving forces behind a meeting of Youthline’s National Youth Advisory Group, recently renamed the National Youth Collective, (NYC) late last month. A Youth Advisory Group (YAG) is a group of young people who are supported with good training and equipped to provide input and undertake tasks, or who lead projects and campaigns for organisations, services, or initiatives related to youth. It is about giving young people an opportunity to participate meaningfully in things that affect them and helping organisations and services to get it right when working with youth.

Click on the photo for more.

#Fun stuff#Events#Volunteering #Education

#HappyNZ

We're Making It More Legit - Join the Core Team!
Become a HappyNZ Samurai!
With a team we believe we can grow this campaign and movement to a whole new level - creating/hosting events, spreading and reminding people to smile with the hashtag ‪#‎HappyNZ‬!
We'll meet once every 2 weeks (online/offline) - where we can talk about your ideas and put them to action! Come onboard and volunteer with us!

#Fun stuff#Events#Volunteering #Technology

Community Development Conference

The Community Development Conference is coming up on 18 - 20 February. This conference is bringing together practitioners, academics and students to share their knowledge, research and stories about community development. Volunteering is a key component of community development and we hope to see developments in this discussed at the conference. We are very excited to be working alongside Unitec Department of Social Practice to offer this opportunity!

#Events#Volunteering #Education

Christine Taylor Foundation for Mental Health

We were pleased to meet Barbara Staniforth from Christine Taylor Foundation for Mental Health when she visited our Auckland Central Centre to present a cheque for funding. This support will go towards the pilot of a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills (DBT) programme. DBT skills training will help young people change patterns of behaviour that are not effective, helping them to increase their emotional and cognitive regulation by learning skills to counteract the triggers that lead to reactive states.
This programme fills a gap in community services so we are thrilled to have confirmation of this funding.

#Education#General

Gods and Monsters Pride Parade 2015

Youthline is taking to the streets on Feb 21 to celebrate the Pride Parade.
If you're interested in volunteering with us on the day please get in touch at donate@youthline.co.nz

#General #Events#Volunteering

Sovereign Christmas Appeal helps homeless youth

Youthline was overwhelmed to be the recipient organisation of Sovereign's staff Christmas Appeal. We received hundreds of generously donated personal care items to support the many homeless young people that come into our Auckland Centres every week.

#General #Volunteering #Events

Youthline Auckland Volunteer Of The Year : Julie

We caught up with Julie Spray to have a chat about being named Volunteer of the Year. In short she says the work at Youthline is really rewarding.
"It's lovely. I always feel like for everything I put in, I get even more out, whether it's personally, professionally or socially.

#Volunteering

YouthLaw Launch New App

You can now access quick legal tips on the go with the new YouthLaw Aotearoa mobile app. Know your rights!

#General #Technology#Education

Understanding and Working with Men and Male Youth

A Youthline seminar series event:

Our culture calls on men to be strong – providers, protectors and achievers. Yet at the same time men are now also expected to be loving and emotionally available to their families and partners.

• What are the main issues for men?
• How are these any different to those of women?
• What do males need when reaching out for help?
• How do we counsel men?
• Who are Essentially Men and how can you use them as a resource?

Facilitator: Mark Bradman from Essentially Men

Mark Bradman is the Programme and Marketing Coordinator for Essentially Men Education Trust. He first started working with men over 10 years ago after he experienced his own personal crisis as a man, father and partner. He has also worked as a volunteer:

• Telephone Counsellor for Mensline (previously part of Lifeline)
• Living Without Violence Facilitator with Man Alive
• Service Team Coordinator for Essentially Men / Men Being Real weekend course.

Day: Thursday, 2nd October
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Venue: Youthline Auckland Central – 13 Maidstone Street, Ponsonby. Pohutakawa Room – bottom floor (Entry is from the street)

Admission is on Koha / gold coin donation basis.

Please register your attendance prior to the seminar by phoning 09 361 4168 or email supportcentre@youthline.co.nz.

#General #Events#Education

GGD AKL

Auckland Girl Geek Dinner

15 October 2014

Join us to hear speakers Victoria Crone (Xero), Jodi Mitchell (Simpl Group), Katrina Clokie (Assurity) and Kelly Ann McKercher (OptimalExperience).

Proudly sponsored by Microsoft and Catalyst.

#Fun stuff#Events#Technology

Manawa Ora

Manawa Ora Stories from the Street. 12 South Aucklanders perform in collaboration with cutting edge New Zealand talent including Ladi6, Chip Matthews (Opensouls and Eru Dangerspiel), and Oscar Kightley.

15 -18 October, 7pm
Live at Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre.
Tickets* $15 - $20
Ticketmaster.co.nz | 09 970 9700

#General #Events#Music

I’ll Wear Your Granddad’s Clothes

My job is awesome, I talk to teenagers full-time about the stuff other adults don’t want to talk to them about.

Because I spend so much time in high schools, a couple of things that are impossible for me to escape are: being recognised in public places as ‘the sex guy” and being surrounded by the music students’ play on their cell phones.

The song on repeat in most hallways is the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis single Thrift Shop. I love how Macklemore can make wearing your granddad’s mothball sweater sound so cool.
The song makes me ask the question, “Does what we wear make us who we are?”
If I busted my dad wearing a snap back, basketball singlet with rolled up chinos I wouldn’t think my dad had “mad swag”, I’d vomit in my mouth a little bit. The idea of trying really hard to be cool is really not cool.

Don’t get me wrong, it feels good to look good, and we should put some effort into choosing what we wear – the question is how much effort?

My biggest try-hard fail was one mufti day when I was at school (during my white-boy break-dancing hip hop phase, think LMFAO meets Jersey Shore). I tried on way too many outfits before settling on what I thought was the perfect/most outrageous mufti day combo. My get-up contained a good selection of sweat bands; I rolled up one leg of my pants and rocked a gold chain. I thought I looked amazing.

When I rolled up to school I quickly realised how stupid I actually looked. It was so obvious that I had tried too hard to look cool that day, and it was just unnatural. My friend thought that I was trying to be funny and complimented me on my hilarious costume, I just went along with it… ha ha I am so funny in my ridiculous clothes. I felt like a total idiot. There is something so cringey about trying too hard.

Sometimes we get so stressed about looking cool that it controls our lives. We often worry too much about not having the right clothes, haircut or headphones and think that we’re not good enough without them. We end up believing that if only we had those “Beats by Dre” then we would be happier.

If you want to be happy I think you should start with yourself, not your wardrobe.
Life is not a fashion show. If you are surrounded by people who only like you because of how you look you are going to find life stressful. If you hang out with people who don’t think you’re cool when you pull out your mums old Nokia brick phone then you will always struggle to be happy.

At Attitude we teach that the happiest people are the ones who have found something they are passionate about. Athletes for example, stroll around in skins. Skins aren’t cool. They look like you’re wearing a rash top for your legs. But athletes don’t care because they are doing something they love. Maybe you love fashion and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for so many young people clothes and style define who they are. Honestly, there is nothing cooler than confidence. Wear that hand-me-down outfit with the self assurance that you are OK no matter what anyone else thinks. That, my friend, is cool. You can totally do it too. Remind yourself that it’s more important how you feel about yourself than how others feel about you. Trust me on this, people don’t actually think about you nearly as much as you think they think about you. I guess this is what Macklemore is getting at when he says people who spend $50 on a T-shirt are getting tricked by a business. Because the ironic thing is the people who don’t need to try to be cool are usually the coolest.

My challenge to you is next time you have an opportunity to wear mufti, don’t wear your best gears. Put together the most ridiculous get-up you can and rock that outfit like a boss.

#Columns

Gypsy Pirate: Jamie McDell

She’s been touted as New Zealand’s answer to Taylor Swift, but there’s no chance self-confessed tree-climber, Jamie McDell will let that go to her head.
I meet the 19 year old songstress on a Thursday morning – she’s dressed in plain jeans and a t-shirt. Token woven bracelets adorn her arms and there’s not a trace of makeup to be seen - it all seems a bit at odds with the swanky record company offices.
“This is me, this is how I’m most comfortable” she explains, “I’d live in bare feet at the beach if I could!”
Jamie’s love for all things beachy stemmed from her upbringing, which was aboard a sailing boat in the Mediterranean. This lifestyle also provided the inspiration for her early song writing.
“The first song I wrote was when I was 7 – it was about a dolphin!”
Since then Jamie’s song writing has come a long way.
“As I grew up, I experienced a lot of different issues and song writing became my outlet, it’s 100% therapeutic. The main themes I sing about are missing the ocean and wanting to get back to simpler things.”
At 16, with about 100 songs written, Jamie realised that this was her ‘thing’ and that she wanted to pursue it as more than a hobby. She recorded a demo CD of 3 of her best songs which she sent into EMI records.
“Luckily someone listened to it and put me on a development deal, so I was basically coming up here every week and playing them new songs I had written.”
Over this time Jamie began putting her music on YouTube.
“At first I wasn’t very outgoing with my music, so it was a real leap of faith to put it out there for everyone to have an opinion on.”
It didn’t take long for Jamie to build up a large contingent of ‘gypsy pirates’, her affectionate name for her fans.
With a strong following, Jamie and EMI decided to release her first single ‘You’ll never take that away” , which was certified gold in New Zealand and spent ten weeks on the charts.
“The song was really about appreciating the things I have in my life and the things I love to do. It's about not caring what other people think and not letting anyone bring you down.”
Jamie admits everyone was surprised by its success.
“It was such an organic process – my friend filmed the video, but people seemed to really like the grass roots approach.”
Following on from single, Jamie released an acoustic ep and then her second single ‘Rewind’ which again proved very popular.
Over the past few months Jamie has been working on her debut album ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’ which is due out on the 16th of November.
The album took Jamie and the York Street Session Band about a month in the studio to pull together.
“I don’t like to overthink things, I just went into the studio with the band and went with the vibe, you can’t force anything and there’s nothing I would change about the album – I’m really happy with it!”
So what can her gypsy pirates expect?
“Variety – each song has its own story, and some of them are quite sad, but there’s still a lot of influence from the ocean in it.”
Jamie’s favourite song on the album is called ‘Lie’ which was written for he best friend who thought she wasn’t very attractive.
“It’s definitely my most selfless song and I hope other people will take the message away that they are beautiful and really believe it!”
Getting messages across to her fans about the things she cares about is the most rewarding part of the job says Jamie.
“I’m really interested in the ocean and one thing I’m quite passionate about is building awareness around shark finning, so if I can use my little bit of influence to get people to take a stand on these sorts of things, then I’m happy!”
Jamie is also an ambassador for Surf Life Saving New Zealand and is looking forward to getting involved in more projects in 2013.
“I have a lot to look forward to – I’m in my second year of graphic design at AUT so I’ll be continuing with that, I’m performing at Christmas in the Park this year and am opening for Owl City, so it’s all go!”

Tangaroa College Slam Team

Check out the team repping Tangaroa College at the FIRST inter-high school spoken word poetry slam on Saturday July 26th. Word - The Front Line.Tickets on sale now from Ticket Direct.

#Events