Christchurch's new youth hub reducing violence by fostering connection

Tuesday, 6 August 2024

Red Ngaia says the antisocial behaviour is due to youths who are bored as there are no free activities or spaces for them to go in the city.

A new youth hub at Christchurch’s bus interchange is proving that support and connection can help reduce youth violence.

The hub, called The Igloo, is the product of a $2 million, three-year package from the city council to tackle safety and anti-social behaviour.

As part of this, Youth and Cultural Development (YCD) received $750,000 to fund full-time outreach staff members and events.

Each weekday during the school term, The Igloo opens from 3pm to 6pm for youth of all ages while they wait for their buses.

Over the six weeks it has been running, the team sees about 50 to 100 youths each day.

The new youth hub space at the Christchurch bus interchange is helping reduce violence by building relationships.

They have seen a reduction in violence.

Red Ngaia, team leader and events coordinator for Fresh Outreach (YCD’s event brand), said the hub had “taken off”, attracting youths from various walks of life.

He saw students from Hagley College, Ao Tawhiti and Cathedral Grammar, youth who were nerdy, sporty or into heavy metal, and ages ranging from 8 to 16.

“It’s about creating safe inclusive spaces for young people in general, where they can come without feeling bullied or judged.

“[Violence] can really break a young person, it only takes one time. We don’t want those experiences for young people. They shouldn’t have to go through that.”

There had been seen several incidents of violence at the bus interchange over the past few years.

About 50 to 100 youth come through The Igloo every day.

In December 2022, two women were beaten by five youths as they waited for a bus. In February The Press spoke with a concerned father whose daughter saw four fights in the space of two weeks.

That same month, students were warned to avoid the bus interchange due to “gang fight” rumours circulating online.

Ngaia said the The Igloo had been running for only six weeks, but there had been a huge change in behaviour already.

“They haven’t been held accountable for their behaviours out here before this started.

The space offers free haircuts by youth workers who find young people open up to them during the session.

“They want to come in here and we’ve built those relationships with them, that respect is there so they do listen.”

Ngaia said young people committing violence were from both rich and struggling families; the common factor was that they were all bored due to a lack of free activities for youth to do or spaces to hang out in the city.

But now, youth could visit to The Igloo, get a free haircut, have a go at DJing, play games and hang out.

“It’s all about getting to know the young person and getting to know the root cause of why they are behaving the way they are,” Jared Keil, one of the leaders at The Igloo, said.

YCD’s next steps were to set up a similar space in the Riccarton bus lounge and mall, which Ngaia and Keil said had seen a lot of “under the radar” violence this year.

They hoped to get more funding, start reaching out into more areas and help stop the antisocial behaviour happening around the city by getting to know young people.

“It’s not an easy fix, it’s going to take time. You’ve gotta peel those onions back and let those eyes water up,” Ngaia said.