Police and Te Aranui Youth Trust Sign Up to 'Safer Communities Together'

A memorandum of understanding will be signed between the Western Bay of Plenty Police and the Te Aranui Youth Trust at a launch in Tauranga next week.

On Monday 11th October, Te Aranui Youth Trust will formally launch at the Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club. The formulation of the new Trust will see the merging of Bluelight WBOP, DARE and The Great Pathways Youth Development Programme (formerly the Te Aranui Trust), consolidate under one umbrella governance board.

The key partnership that linked all three together was with the Western Bay of Plenty Police.

‘We see the Trust as an opportunity to bring together a shared vision of community safety for young people and their families in the Western Bay of Plenty,’ said Inspector Michael Clement, Western Bay of Plenty Area Commander.

All three organisations have common objectives in terms of working within the community with young people and their families, and the merger will enhance the Trust’s focus of empowering young people along a positive pathway to success, providing opportunities that challenge young people, whanau and communities to make great choices together.

The Te Aranui Youth Trust chairman, Michael Sharp, is excited about the ability of the new Trust to promote a variety of activities that will enhance the wellbeing of the community

“The opportunity to combine three well known police supported youth programmes into one organisation will allow us to efficiently co-ordinate the combined efforts of the programmes towards achieving the ultimate goal of helping young people contribute in a positive way to the local community.”

Example of programmes being delivered by the umbrella of the Trust include events such as Bluelight BOP Steamers Take a Kid to Rugby, Bluelight Anti Drink & Drug Driving Expo, Bluelight Carters Gone Fishing, community based DARE to Be You program delivery and facilitation training and a case management programme for ‘at risk’ children.

Although Te Aranui Youth Trust are supported by Police, most of the events and programmes undertaken are largely funded through donations, sponsorship and community funding.