Introducing the one and only Rayner Swartz. ‘The Rain Man’ goes by many titles - titles born from the admiration our attending Youth have for him and the respect he garners from his colleagues. It’s not often you find someone with more than one nickname, but then again Rayner is no ordinary man (as the photograph below may suggest). Some common salutatory exclamations that often reverberate within the walls of The Crib (and some of my personal favourites) are: the cool-kid of Kahu; the shoeless strummer and of course, the fire-throwing maestro. Rayner was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa and was raised there for his first 5 years before he made the move to New Zealand; a place he now calls home. Rayner’s strong passion for the outdoors and a penchant for rock climbing has allowed him to settle in Wanaka and he hasn’t thought about leaving since arriving here in 2016.Rayner Swartz, Youth Worker ExtraordinaireAt The Crib, Rayner’s infallible modus operandi when engaging with Youth is beyond reproach. A kind-hearted, warm and genuine soul, Rayner has the ability to produce life-affirming moments regularly and quite possibly, a life-long change for some. Rayner’s project of the moment is a drawing club he runs at MAC during lunchtimes, every week on a Tuesday afternoon. Some of our regulars at The Crib are avid attendees of these sessions but their interest doesn’t stop at the school gates. You can normally find a group of highly focussed Youths huddled around Rayner in the kitchen, each producing artistic marvels of Salvador Dali-esque drawings. We are truly blessed to have Rayner, and we are sure the community feels the same. If you need to contact Rayner regarding his projects or future plans, you can contact him via email at [email protected]. A HUGE THANK YOU to the following funders for their recent generosity:Sargood Bequest and Scotlands Te Kiteroa Trust for supporting the delivery of youth programmes, activities and events in the Upper CluthaMSD community capability and resilience fund and Alexander McMillan Trust for the purchase of new items for The CribCreative Communities Scheme for delivery of Matariki creative workshops and a Radio Skills programme for young peopleYouth Worker Training Scheme for the training of our fantastic Youth Worker Team

Kahu Youth are excited and privileged to introduce Sam Strong, our newest Youth Worker! Sam, who hails from Ontario, Canada has been in Wanaka just over two years where she has been teaching preschool at Wanaexcel before making the plunge and joining our growing team! Sam’s departure from teaching was fuelled by a desire to return to her roots of youth programming and an eagerness to create stronger and meaningful connections to the community. Sam is excited for the change in pace with her new role.Sam began working with the Ontario Camp Association in 2006 which was her first role as a Youth Worker and since then has gone onto work in British Columbia as a Youth Programmer. Her move to Wanaka was propelled as a means to continue her globe trotting and cultural exploration. She soon found herself feeling at home as the landscape and societal tendencies mimic the lifestyle often found back home in Canada.Apart from her passion for Youth Development and Social Work, Sam is a snowboarding enthusiast, a keen football player and also currently plays for Upper Clutha Women’s Hockey Team. As passions normally do, Sam’s sporting interests developed into youth coaching roles in British Columbia and Ontario.‘I am excited for the change in pace and to be challenged on a daily basis. It is a different challenge to teaching young children and I hope to influence and inspire the youth in Wanaka to develop and lead their own path. I hope to inspire respectful rebellion, to help them push the social norms, to be the change and to try new things. I want to teach them that failure is part of the journey but importantly, to always keep going.’If you would like to contact Sam regarding her work at Kahu Youth, you can contact her on 034435880 or [email protected] or you can visit our website here

As we begin a new year with new adventures and many new faces, we also look back to those who have supported us through what was a tumultuous but positive year! We would like to express our gratitude to The Lion Foundation for keeping us comfortable with a brand new heat pump, and for keeping us entertained with a new pool table! The Lion Foundation also supports our operational costs so we can continue providing quality youth and community services to the Upper Clutha. Thank you for your partnership and support!Some of the youth attendees enjoying the new heat pump!If you would like any further details or have any questions about our plans for 2021, you can contact Kahu Youth at [email protected] or call us on 03 443 5880. Kia Kaha!