Vodafone Foundation funds more community salaries

Vodafone Foundation funds more community salaries

Being paid a full time salary to help young New Zealanders achieve NCEA level credits was just a dream for musician Marcus Powell. Today, he joins three other community leaders who have been given the chance to turn a passion into paid employment as recipients of the 11th annual Vodafone New Zealand Foundation World of Difference Awards.

Announced yesterday, the awards will pay the salary and expenses for all four recipients for a year while they work on a youth project dedicated to engaging young people in meaningful learning.

Marcus is Chief Executive Officer of the Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa. Vodafone’s funding will allow him to expand his music mentoring programme across Auckland’s low decile schools, channelling youth into higher education and helping them find incomes that are sustainable. He joins recipients delivering a range of diverse programmes, including a national plan for emerging rangatahi leaders, expanding a Boxing and Life Skills Academy in Flaxmere, and developing an agricultural training programme in Dunedin.

Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Chair, Antony Welton, says World of Difference is passionate about encouraging young people into meaningful learning.

“We’re really proud to be supporting these outstanding community leaders as we work together to encourage young people back into positive pathways. From day one, the programme has been about empowering passionate and inspiring people, and this year we have refined our focus even further to specifically target programmes for youth who are not in employment, education or training.”

Instead of giving money directly to charities, World of Difference funds individuals to use their skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to make a difference working with their chosen charity. Founded in 2002, the scheme has now invested over $6 million and supported 73 New Zealanders, with flow-on effects to thousands of young people across the country.

Antony says this year several recipients have shown a strong desire to use Vodafone’s technology to deliver positive outcomes for young people, including Haimona Waititi who will be working with TUIA to improve the way it communicates and coordinates rangatahi through electronic channels.

The 2014 World of Difference participants are:

· Annika Korsten, Project Manager, Malcam Charitable Trust (Dunedin)

· Craig McDougall, Project Manager and Head Coach, U-Turn Trust (Hastings)

· Marcus Powell, Chief Executive and Lead Mentor, Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa (Auckland)

· Haimona Waititi, Rangatahi Development and Wellbeing Director, TUIA Charitable Trust (Hamilton)

Today, Vodafone also announced the recipient of its Vodafone World of Difference Fellowship for 2014 – Dr. Pat Bullen, a University of Auckland lecturer in youth mentoring. The Fellowship will give Pat the opportunity to further develop her expertise by examining youth mentoring models overseas, and developing strategies and resources to advance the establishment of more community-tertiary partnerships throughout New Zealand. To achieve this, she will also be working closely with the New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network.

The Vodafone New Zealand Foundation has invested over $16.8 million in the not-for-profit sector in New Zealand over the past 11 years, through initiatives such as World of Difference.

The programme provides financial support and an environment where recipients are encouraged to share ideas and network with current and former recipients throughout the year.

For more information see www.vodafonenzfoundation.org.nz.

ENDS

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