Kawatiri Youth Collaboration – Rising Rangatahi, presented by Homebuilders West Coast Trust and Buller REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme)
Rising Rangatahi is a youth inclusion project located in Kawatiri (Westport), running since late 2021. It is a collaboration between Buller REAP, Homebuilders, Te Ha o Kawatiri, Explore, Whenua Iti Outdoors, Anyone Can Read, and Oranga Tamariki Youth Justice. The aim is to help provide our rangatahi with all the foundations and services to promote a positive life, receiving referrals from caregivers, professional and services to provide and promote the Whānau Ora approach.
Tessa Spillane
Tessa is the youth services co-ordinator for Rising Rangatahi.
She has been working for Buller REAP since January 2021, firstly in a youth services youth worker role then moving into the co-ordinator role in July 2022.
Her passion lies with prevention work in the youth justice space so this role has always sat perfectly with her. Her role includes coordinating programmes under Youth Justice like boxing and yoga as well as coordinating contract programmes like Whenua Iti and Anyone Can Read. A lot of her working week also involves one on one youth work and coordinating the Kawatiri Youth Voice Council. She has really enjoyed being a part of this initiative and hopes for the continuation of its benefits for our youth.
Lorraine Scanlon
Lorraine is the chief executive at Homebuilders West Coast Trust.
She represents Homebuilders on the governance group for Rising Rangatahi. Homebuilders is one part of a collaboration with a range of services to work together and with our young people to support their wellbeing and offer opportunities in a preventive manner.
Homebuilders is an NGO offering social work support, social workers in schools, counselling, family violence prevention across the West Coast. Their office is based in Westport with an outreach office in Greymouth. Lorraine has been managing Homebuilders for nearly 31 years and her passion is working in the community and supervising and supporting social workers and counsellors in their journey to work with heart, passion and best practice.
Maegan Bird
Maegan is the Practice Manager at Homebuilders West Coast Trust for nearly two years and thoroughly enjoys supporting their teams across the West Coast. She is also the clinical lead for Rising Rangatahi programme. Maegan has been part of the collaboration since its inception and worked with the service leads to support the community, support clients and best practice. She believes they have strong relationships between the organisations and their plans incorporate the strengths of each organisation to make sure they offer holistic plans to encourage growth, learning, good health, independence, safety and wellbeing with our clients.
Maegan finds it exciting to be part of a collaboration where they can make a difference for our young people.