The Cromwell Youth Trust was one of many community organisations to recently receive a grant from the Central Lakes Trust in the trust’s first round of funding for the financial year. 

The youth trust received an operational grant of $208,868 as part of a multi-year grant for January 2022 - December 2024.

Cromwell Youth Trust manager Geoff Owen is new in the role, about to head into week six helming the trust, but he brings both professional and personal skills to the job.

Geoff became a police officer when he first left studying and worked for the police for almost 20 years, before moving into more administrative roles. He has always been actively involved in his own childrens’ activities, both coaching and mentoring.

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He is passionate about the need for the youth trust in the community.

“It’s filling a role. It’s there to support our school and support our college and help transition our youths to be in the best space they can be.

“We aim to be a community where young people are vibrant and optimistic through being encouraged and supported to take up challenges.”

The team at Cromwell Youth Trust is made up of a professional counsellor, a social worker in schools, three youth coach/mentors, and of course, Geoff.

The Hangout Youth Centre provides an after-school drop-in safe space for young people

He said the counsellor helps youths through tough times and gives them coping strategies, the social worker in schools is another listening ear and specifically helps in the transition from school to college, and youth coaches/mentors are more involved in practical activities, while also offering a safe space for young people to talk.

“It’s another adult who engages at an activity level to engage local youth.”

In addition to holiday programmes, youth mentors also run Te Toki o te Ara Tutuki - a group-based mentoring and adventure-based programme.

“The youth mentor spends time with a small group of young people helping them navigate who they are, who they want to be, and how to get there.”

Supporting mental health is a primary focus for the youth trust, particularly for those that identify as Pride kids, Geoff said.

“We are here to provide a safe adult environment where young people can come and feel safe. It’s about them being able to have conversations they might not be able to have in other places.”

Another programme - Level Up - teaches such skills as physical fitness, wellbeing, and budgeting, “to give them an insight of what it might look like when they have to fend for themselves”.

Ultimately, the aim is to help young people transition to become good adults, “in whatever guise that might be”.

The youth trust also runs the Hangout Youth Centre - a space for young people that opens from 3-5pm, Tuesdays through Thursdays.

“It’s a space that kids can drop into after college and hang out with their friends in a safe space,” Geoff said. 

“It’s that one space for kids who aren’t chasing sports or other things where they can gather on their way home.”

Geoff acknowledged the support of organisations such as the Central Lakes Trust, who he called a cornerstone of the community, and collaboration the youth trust has with the schools in the area.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and we’re part of that village,” he said.