Media Release

December 17, 2008

New youth information service has it sussed

A new facility in Henderson promises to be a mine of information for Waitakere youth.

Located adjacent to the Global Café youth facility in Alderman Drive, SUSS-IT is a space where young people can go seek information on a wide range of issues such as housing, budgeting, teenage parenting and health.

SUSS-IT is partnership between the youth services sector in Waitakere, the Waitakere City Council and the Ministry of Youth Development. Earlier this year the ministry awarded the Waitakere City Council a $70,000 grant from its Youth Development Partnership Fund to advance of the project.

The grant provides funding for a 12 month salary for a peer-friendly youth development worker to coordinate information and access to services.

Adelle Levi has been appointed as the new youth development worker and has been working to establish networks in the community.

The name of the facility was decided by the young people who have been working with Adelle to establish the space, and refers to it being a place somewhere, that if they have a question, they can ‘suss it’ out.

The council’s role has been as facilitator and providing a space for the service. Any future funding after year one will be sourced externally.

“This is the culmination of more than two years of hard work by youth sector, young people and the council,” says Waitakere Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, who officially opened the centre on Monday.

“Young people have been telling us for a long time that they want somewhere where they can get information on a range of things in a way that works for them, not for the agencies or the funders. They wanted a place where they can talk to someone about things that they don’t want to talk to you and me about,” she says.

“This space holds the dreams and hopes of the young people in our city. A place where young people are affirmed for who they are no matter what life is dealing them at the moment.”

While run independently of the Global Café, which opened in September this year, Cr Hulse says the two services will complement each other.

“It creates the hub for youth information and support that many in the community have always wanted.”

Regional team manager for the Ministry of Youth Development, Sarah McGhee says the new space is critical to ensure young people have access to the information they need.

“Research tells us that young people will go out and seek the answers they need, the challenge for us as a community is to make sure there is a place where they can find it and this facility will do that.”

SUSS-IT will be open Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.

Photo caption: Waitakere Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, SUSS-IT youth development worker Adelle Levi and Ministry of Youth Development regional team manager Sarah McGhee.

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