Te Hurihanga ō Rangatahi | The Youth Hub

The Hub will bring together 12 organisations to create a wrap around service together to assist young people aged 10 to 25 to develop healthily.

The facility will have accommodation of two sorts: a hostel type space with 23 ensuite rooms, with shared kitchen, lounge and laundry and 24/7 supervision and coaching from a team of youth workers; and another 16 beds in town houses with less supervision. The residents will stay from 3-18 months while they are assisted to find employment and their own accommodation. In keeping with the purpose of the whole facility ie healthy development which of course means ensuring mental health as well as physical health and development, there will be indoor recreation and an activities courtyard for basketball etc.

There will be a space for events – concerts, dance, drama, film nights and alongside this two band practice rooms. There will be an arts centre for the development of many different visual arts and a workshop gallery space for exhibitions accompanied by a quiet spiritual area for contemplation and discussion with a garden space.

The drop in area will provide a welcoming space to just hang out, gain information and sorting out needs. The whole facility is topped off by a roof garden where young people can learn to grow veggies to be used in the café in the events area and maybe even sold to others, all assisted by older people as an intergenerational project.

This is Youth Hub CHCH as we hope it will be a pilot for a Youth Hub in all the cities of Aotearoa.