$280k Local Government Youth Partnership Fund open

The $280,000 Local Government Youth Partnership Fund is open for applications, Youth Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

“This fund is about encouraging and supporting city, district and regional councils to partner with the Government, businesses and philanthropic and iwi partners to grow youth development opportunities,” says Ms Kaye.

The fund will be overseen by the Partnership Fund Board, set up in 2016 as part of a new direction for youth development in New Zealand.

“A focus of this new direction is working more collaboratively to deliver and grow youth development opportunities such as mentoring, volunteering and leadership opportunities,” says Ms Kaye.

“Funding of between $10,000 and $30,000 will be provided to individual councils to support collaborative initiatives, with the councils also contributing monetary or in-kind support towards the initiatives.

“I expect this funding will support the creation of more than 2,500 new youth development opportunities.

“The new fund recognises that councils have far-reaching local networks with young people, local businesses, iwi and community partners. We want to facilitate young people to access and benefit from these connections to grow their capabilities and resilience, and contribute to their communities at the same time.

“A single youth development opportunity can help turn lives around and kick-start young people along new pathways that set them up for future success.

“The Partnership Fund Board has achieved fantastic results in its first year, and this new fund provides another avenue for it to support the creation of new mentoring, volunteering and leadership opportunities.

“This month I announced that the Board has so far approved investment of over $1.2 million of Government funding, alongside partner contributions of over $3 million, and this has created around 7,000 new youth development opportunities.

“We have so many young people with tremendous potential, as well as councils across New Zealand who recognise this potential and the important role young people can play in their communities.

“It’s great to be able to support councils to reach out to local youth and build opportunities for them to become more involved, and develop their own potential at the same time.”

More information about the Local Government Youth Partnership Fund is available at www.myd.govt.nz/funding/partnership-fund.html