YMCA Christchurch Honoured At Outdoors NZ Awards

Sunday, 26 September 2010, 2:15 pm
Press Release: YMCA

YMCA Christchurch Honoured At Outdoors New Zealand Awards

Outdoors New Zealand recognised the YMCA Christchurch this weekend as being a leader in the outdoor sector, particularly in terms of how they strive to provide quality outdoor experiences for children and young people.

The Education Outdoors New Zealand Programme Award was won for YMCA Christchurch's high quality and enduring holiday camp and leadership training programme that is run from their camp, Wainui Park. Wainui Park has been a central and significant feature of YMCA Christchurch's activities for 80 years. At the awards dinner on Friday night (24th Sept), it was explained by Liz Thevenard, Education Outdoors NZ Chairperson, that this award is for an 'outdoor programme that has demonstrated quality and innovation and has enabled a greater cognisance of outdoor recreation as a significant dimension of the NZ way of life.'

Thousands of school students from hundreds of schools from around Canterbury have an outdoor camp at Wainui every year. During school holidays Wainui provides a wide range of camping programmes for children from age 7 to age 17 – providing different activities and challenges for participants depending on their age, their interests, and the number of times they had already attended the programme.

“This is a real honour for the YMCA of Christchurch when there are so many other fantastic outdoor programmes in New Zealand, who also provide amazing outdoor education opportunities for young people, ” said Josie Ogden Schroeder, Chief Executive of the YMCA.

Thevenard said nominations for this award were numerous and of such high calibre that it was a very difficult decision to decide the winner – all were very worthy of acknowledgement. YMCA Christchurch (Wainui Park) and Ohoka School were jointly granted the EONZ Award. This in itself was good for the practicalities of sharing the large trophy – both organisations being Canterbury based.

Also at the Awards the NZ Outdoor Instruction Association Award for Best Emerging Instructor was given to a YMCA Christchurch staff member. John Hannam took out this prestigious honour after working for the Christchurch YMCA as an outdoor leader, educator and youth worker for 12 years. Ogden Schroeder was delighted that this award was given to John after so many years of dedicated service to young people in Christchurch. “There will be many many young people who will be very pleased to know that John has won this. He is selflessly dedicated to others and this is a great acknowledgement of his passion and professionalism in the field of outdoor education. The YMCA is fortunate to have him on the staff.”

Also over the weekend Outdoors New Zealand held their AGM at which Josie Ogden Schroeder was re-elected to the ONZ Executive Board for a second term.

“The outdoor sector is grappling with some fundamental issues at the moment. The future is not entirely clear for many organisations as we wait to see what will develop in terms of regulations and compliance for outdoor groups and organisations in the wake of the Commercial Adventure Tourism Review. The YMCA of Christchurch is determined to embrace and advocate whatever necessary to ensure safety is paramount, while we also help the children and young people that we work with grow up to be the best that they can be.” Josie said.

ENDS

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