Waikato Youth INtact Celebrates 10 years of Supporting Rangatahi

For 10 years, Waikato Youth INtact has been meeting young people where they are and walking alongside them when they need support.

The service recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary with partners including Taumarunui Community Kokiri Trust and Care NZ, supporters and people who have been part of its story since 2016, supporting rangatahi and their whānau across the Waikato.

For young people, support can happen wherever they feel comfortable and safe, including schools, the community, the central Hamilton office, and through walk-in services.

That focus on accessibility has been central to Waikato Youth INtact from the beginning.

As one young person shared:

“Thank you for helping me become a better version of me.”

And whānau have also recognised the difference the service can make:

“Thank you for not only supporting my child but for supporting me as their parent too.”

The 10-year celebration was an opportunity to acknowledge the many people and organisations who have supported the service over the years, including schools, community organisations, health services, whānau and partner agencies.

It was also a chance to recognise the Waikato Youth INtact kaimahi, whose compassion, creativity and commitment have been at the heart of the service for the past decade.

Ten years on, the purpose remains the same: to make support accessible, responsive and youth-centred, and to be there for young people when they need it.

Here’s to 10 years of Waikato Youth INtact, and to the next chapter.