A special visit to see our rangatahi shine
A message from Liz Kelly, Te Tumu Whakarae | CEO
Tēnā koutou katoa,
It was a real privilege recently to welcome Hon Paul Goldsmith, newly appointed Minister for Pacific Peoples and Minister of Justice, alongside Ōtaki MP Tim Costley, to the Porirua Whānau Centre.
To be honest, visits like this can sometimes feel a bit formal, but this one was different.
It gave us a genuine chance to show what everyday life looks like here at the Whānau Centre, and more importantly, to let our rangatahi speak for themselves just by being who they are.
When they arrived, our Breakaway holiday programme was in full swing. Around 50 young people were here, filling the space with noise, energy and a lot of laughter.
It didn’t take long for our visitors to see what this programme is all about.
Breakaway runs during the school holidays for young people aged 11 to 18. For many of our whānau, holidays can be a stressful time trying to juggle work, costs, and keeping young people occupied.
What we offer is something steady and positive; a place where rangatahi can show up, be active, connect with others, and feel like they belong.
And I think the two MPs could see that straight away.
There were conversations happening, games going, a bit of friendly chaos, but underneath it all, there was something really important: young people feeling safe, seen and part of something good.
How our rangatahi respond to what we’re doing and then step up, that’s what stood out for me during the visit.
Minister Goldsmith and Mr Costley took the time to look around, ask questions and talk with our team. But I think the real impact came from simply being in the space and seeing it in action. You can’t always capture that in a report.
I felt proud of our staff, who show up every day for our young people, and of our rangatahi, who bring so much life into this place.
We often talk about investing in young people. What I saw that day was a reminder that it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Give them a safe space, good people around them, and something positive to be part of, and they thrive.
At the same time, we’ve been thinking about those across the wider Wellington region dealing with the recent heavy rain.
Around 40 families have been displaced, which is a lot for any community to carry.
What I’ve noticed though is how people and organisations have just got on with supporting each other.
The teams at Wellington City Mission and DCM have been right in the middle of that, doing the hard, practical work to make sure people have somewhere to go and someone to turn to.
It’s a good reminder that none of this work happens in isolation.
Strong partnerships across our region mean whānau can access the support they need, when they need it.