John Martin Motivates Young People

MEDIA RELEASE 19 AUGUST 2008

John Martin Motivates Young People
at ZESPRI™ YouthBank 2008

Over 200 students, teachers and community group representatives were left in awe following an inspiring presentation by plane crash survivor, John Martin, who spoke at last week's ZESPRI™ YouthBank awards ceremony.

ZESPRI™ YouthBank is a community sponsorship scheme where 12 Bay of Plenty secondary schools receive $2,000 each to allocate to non-profit youth-related projects in their community. With a maximum grant allowable of $500 per recipient, the students take responsibility for promoting the scheme, assessing each application against criteria they’ve developed and selecting the successful recipients. The awards ceremonies, held in Tauranga and Whakatane, provide the students with the opportunity to present funding to their chosen recipients.

John Martin is a wonderful example of someone who lives life to the max, adopting a personal motto of "Just get on with it!”. John was 27 years old when he became a crash and burn plane victim - given a 25 percent chance of living. He received third degree burns to most of his face, hands and body and spent three months in an induced coma. This led to ongoing, unpleasant hospital treatments for the next four years. John was old enough that the experience could have sent him to the depths of depression.

John stated that: “The ZESPRI™ YouthBank programme is an excellent idea and an experience that the students will take with them for the rest of their lives. If other people started doing more of this kind of thing, the world could be a much better place.”

Merv Dallas, Chief Financial Officer at ZESPRI International, stated: “There are many key functions to ZESPRI™ YouthBank. Firstly it teaches the students about the groups in their community that are in need. It shows them the wide range of issues that are out there and it makes them look further into the value that these community groups provide. The students then gain the satisfaction of giving and supporting those community groups. One of the best things about ZESPRI™ YouthBank is that many smaller, deserving community groups that often fall below the corporate donations radar, get access to funding.”

This year over 60 students were involved in ZESPRI™ YouthBank, investing in their communities by donating funds to 52 non-profit organisations. The secondary schools involved were: Edgecumbe College, Trident High School, Whakatane High School, Opotiki College, Te Puke High School, Aquinas College, Bethlehem College, Mount Maunganui College, Otumoetai College, Tauranga Boys College, Tauranga Girls College and Katikati College.

The schools worked closely throughout the year with programme administrators, New Zeal Foundation, who developed the YouthBank concept in 2003. New Zeal provides skilled mentors to guide the students through the process, assisting with selection criteria and ensuring that all recipients are registered charitable trusts.

For further information about ZESPRI YouthBank, please contact:
Anwen Hall, ZESPRI Communications Coordinator
P. 07 572 7681
M. 027 4486 433
E. anwen.hall@zespri.com

The recipients of the ZESPRI™ YouthBank 2008 programme are:

Mount Maunganui College
• Child Cancer Foundation, Tauranga Branch - $450
Funding used to purchase a mobile connection card so children in hospital can email family and friends.
• Family Education Network, Tauranga - $400
The funding is to go towards the running costs of the PSI (Postponing Sexual Involvement) programme for Year 9 and 10 students in local high schools.
• Homes of Hope Charitable Trust - $450
The funding will be used to purchase art and craft materials for workshops with the children at the three houses.
• Tauranga District Group Riding for the Disabled - $450
Funding used to pay for riding lessons for teenagers who are not able to afford this opportunity.
• Growing Through Grief - $250
Funding to go towards the cost of manuals for training volunteers to work with young people who have experienced tragedy.

Tauranga Boys College
• Open Home Foundation - $500
Funding for activities and holiday programmes for fostered youth.
• Salvation Army Community Recovery Project - $500
To provide youth oriented equipment for families attending the abuse recovery unit.
• CanTeen - $500
The funding is to go towards a youth winter camp.
• Western Bay of Plenty Family and Foster Care Association - $500
Noho marae programme for youth within the service.

Opotiki College
• Waiotahe ki Opotiki Taekwondo Club - $400
This grant will be used to hold classes once a week for 10 weeks to offer free classes to youth (both boys and girls) so they will learn about Taekwondo as well as gain confidence, self respect, self esteem and improved fitness.
• KFC (Kai For Children) - $300
This grant will be used to support the KFC programme in Opotiki College providing toast and milo breakfast during the cold months of the year.
• Kite Rapu I Te Ora Trust - $450
A community group working with youth who have difficulties with whanau and community social skills. This grant will be used to gather resources to assist the Rangatahi programme to develop team building and positive self esteem.
• Opotiki College Sports Council - $200
The grant will be used to provide a high profile guest speaker for the sports celebration evening held for teams, coaches and community each year.
• Ngai Tai Afterschool Programme - $300
This grant will be used for literacy and numeracy resources for students transitioning from Kura Kaupapa to mainstream schooling.
• Opotiki Scouts - $350
Developing leadership and skills in the outdoors. This grant will be used to purchase learning resources for camping and learning in the outdoors.

Te Puke High School
• Kahu Rangitahi Maori Youth Council - $500
The funding will be used to purchase resources for the school wharenui, such as mattresses. This would enable all groups in the school and community to hire the whare for a wider usage by youth groups so they would be able to stay overnight at school and run youth education and cultural youth events appreciated by Maori youth to all youth.
• Maketu Health and Social Services - $500
Funding to develop an after school programme, for example, to help fund a self defence programme for local young women/girls.
• Te Puke Sports Summer High Performance Training Squad - $500
To support a training session with TKO Boxing Academy as part of fitness for youth training schedule.
• Pukehina Surf Rescue - $500
To cater for youth and develop surf safety and awareness. After this level then to support these youth to qualify as surf life savers at level one, two and three.

Bethlehem College
• Avalon - $500
For a new youth support project.
• Bethlehem - $500
English as Second Language, Merivale project.
• Tauranga Community Health Trust - $500
For a Youth Media resource.
• CCS Disability Action - $500
Equipment for operating disabled youth swimming programme.

Tauranga Girls College
• Blue Light - $500
The funding will help support: The Driver Education Programme. The programme educates youth to become licensed in the appropriate law abiding manner, be better informed about defensive driving skills, more aware of their own mortality and that of others on the roads. And the Wahine Toa Programme, which introduces speakers and role models to girls regarding educating themselves and raising their self-esteem and confidence.
• Tauranga Girls College Youth Academy - $500
Impact Tauranga has applied for funding to assist with the running of the Tauranga Youth Academy which is an alternative education programme giving young people a second chance at education. The funding will contribute towards running a three day life skills programme at Tui Ridge.
• Oropi School - $200
This small rural school has applied for funding to assist in replacing outdated netball uniforms.
• Omokoroa School - $200
Omokora school has applied for funding to help with the costs of a student-written and produced opera.
• Merivale Community Centre - $400
The Merivale Community Centre has applied for funding to help with renovations to a youth space called The Shed.
• Empire Youth - $200
Empire Youth have applied for funding to assist with the running of a youth mentoring programme that aims to change the culture of young people in the city.

Whakatane High School
• Jezreel Women's Support Home - $500
Respite weekend assisting youth at Awakeri Hotsprings.
• S.A.D.D. (Students Against Drunk Driving) - $500
S.A.D.D. will use the money to increase awareness about the consequences of drunk driving through educational talks and staging’s of crashes.
• A2J Youth - $500
A2J will use the money to invest in discussion resources based around topics such as shame, sex, interdependence, community, money and priorities.
• Growing through Grief, Whakatane - $500
Growing through Grief would use the money to provide resources and run a course for chidren aged between 6 and 16 who are undergoing some sort of trauma.

Trident College
• Child Cancer Eastern Bay of Plenty - $500
To provide a laptop for cancer sufferers.
• Eastern Bay of Plenty Riding for the disabled - $500
Funding used for equipment to facilitate the ‘Youth Riders’ project.
• Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass Band - $500
Funding to go towards 20 youth travelling to Christchurch in July for the Brass Band Championships.
• Tu Tangata breakfasts at Trident High School - $500
Supplying breakfasts for students at Trident High School.

Katikati College
• Katikati Resource Centre - $500
Funding to go towards the holiday programme.
• Katikati Primary school - $500
Funding to go towards books for their reading programme.
• Every Boy & Girl Rally - $500
A first aid training course.
• Katikati Christian Centre - $500
Christian youth programme.

Edgecumbe College
• Lighthouse Youth - $500
To support a weekly programme for youth covering Te Teko, Mapou, Waiohou and Edgecumbe.
• Raketoitoi Charitable Trust - $500
For assisting in the establishment of the PRIDE programme, working with at-risk youth.
• Oranga Te Teko - $500
A transport project for youth unable to attend the youth group programme.
• Edgecumbe Senior Badminton - $500
For the purchase of rackets to cater for the recent influx of young players aged 10 to 16.

Otumoetai College
• Otumoetai College Special Needs Unit - $500
For gardening and painting equipment for special needs students.
• Kiwican - $500
For funding for five students to get involved in the programme.
• Toughlove - $500
For a day trip or outing for 12 individuals in the teen support group.
• YMCA - $500
‘Up and Represent Programme’, run on Friday nights in partnership with Tauranga City Council.

Aquinas College
• Coolbananas Youthwork Trust - $500
To assist with training of youth volunteers and programme delivery.
• Majella Trust - $500
For an advertising project to reach young pregnant mothers with counselling and support.
• Aquinas College Social Action Committee - $500
A youth-operated social action project to develop funding and support initiatives to further youth-focused enterprises.
• Fullstop Charitable Organisation - $500
For training of youth volunteers and youth lunchtime advice project.

Edgecumbe College
• Te Teko Community Centre - $500
For youth development in Te Teko.
• Matata Resource Centre - $500
For a youth careers options day for the community.
• Matata Maori Trust - $500
For an arts workshop at Rangitahi Marae and paint for a mural at the local bus stop.
• Edgecumbe College Fundraising Fund $500
To revamp the exterior of the school canteen.

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