Spearhead Leaders hit the ground running in Upper Hutt
With an ambitious vision, ‘To empower youth voice and leadership in Upper Hutt’ the newly appointed Spearhead Leaders
are off to a strong start.
UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 19 APRIL 2018— Spearhead Leaders is a collaborative initiative between Upper Hutt City
Council and Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust. It aims to develop the leadership skills, voice, and potential of Upper
Hutt’s young people. The 2018 programme builds on the success of the 2017 pilot and has been co-designed by young
people.
The 16-strong group, aged between 13 and 17, were selected through an application and interview process. They began
their leadership journey, meeting for the first time as they boarded a bus bound for a three-day leadership and
adventure camp in Raurimu.
“The Spearhead Leaders come from diverse backgrounds; some attend traditional educational institutions while others are
home schooled or attending tertiary study. Some work, some play sport while others have a passion for the arts. What
they all have in common is a passion for empowering youth voice and leadership in Upper Hutt” says Council’s Community
Development Advisor, Denise Johnson. “The camp is a vital element of the programme, allowing the group to get to know
each other, understand what leadership is, and discover how they can work together to achieve their vision.”
The group has hit the ground running during their weekly sessions. The first session focussed on discovering a personal
leadership style. For the second session, representatives from Council were invited to speak about Upper Hutt’s Long
Term Plan consultation. The Spearhead Leaders were able to provide immediate feedback on proposed projects and
activities as well as write formal submissions and encourage other young people to get involved too.
“To see a group of young people who knew nothing about what the Long Term Plan is, go to finding out about it, writing
and actually making a submission on issues that are meaningful to them— all in a two hour session is amazing,” says
Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust’s Director of Youth Services, Paul Thompson. “The camaraderie and discussions about
what could be the future for our city, from a group of young people who a month ago had never met each other is
inspirational, and something that we could all learn from.”
The Spearhead Leaders are supported by three youth workers—a programme mentor and two youth mentors (who were themselves
Spearhead Leaders in 2017). The programme runs from March until December with regular sessions focusing on leadership
and voice. The young leaders will have the opportunity to apply everything that they learn by designing and running a
community project later in the year. The Spearhead Leaders will also use their collective voice as guest speakers at the
annual Young Achievers Awards in June.
Council’s continued support of this successful project is a commitment to youth development and community wellbeing as
key elements contributing to Upper Hutt’s city vision. As well as helping to facilitate the Spearhead Leaders programme,
Upper Hutt City Council is contributing funding and resources alongside the Ministry of Youth Development and Upper Hutt
Community Youth Trust.
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