Hotting up in Manukau

Youthline has just received the go ahead from Manukau City Council and Papatoetoe Community Board to renovate the rundown Papatoetoe fire station into a community centre in Manukau offering support and development services to young people and their families.

Following two years of negotiation and planning Youthline has been given approval to occupy the council owned building on a long term lease.

But that was the easy part, says Youthline, who now need $1.3 million and hours of labour to renovate the run down space. 
“Money, paint, time; whatever people can offer, we need it,” says Youthline’s Social Enterprise Manager Toni Hadlee.

The group has plans to be operating on the site within six months, a tight timeframe, given the amount of work that is required.
“We really want to make a friendly and inviting space for the whole community and it is going to take a lot of work but the results will be worth it.”

Youthline currently offers their 24/7  youth helpline, free text support,  face to face counselling, family therapy, pregnancy counselling and youth leadership groups with plans to increase these services once the new space is up and running.

“With this new building we can work so much more closely with the community and develop a space that the community can really own and share,” says Toni.

To donate to or help with the project contact Toni Hadlee on 09 0376 6645