A Shirley-Papanui Community Board scheme to help young people attain their goals is having a positive effect on the community.

A Board committee meets four times a year to consider applications from young people living in its area. It has about $12,000 a year to allocate and gets up to four applications a quarter. The scheme is for people aged from 12 to 25 who live in the Papanui or Shirley wards. Their projects should have an obvious benefit for the applicant and, if possible, for the wider community.

Among those who have been helped recently are:

St Albans woman Olivia Bannerman, 18, got help last year to attend Southern Ballet School in Christchurch.

Marshlands swimmer Ben Pickersgill-Brown, 15, has received funding in 2001 and 2002 to help him pay to go to competitions in New Zealand and overseas. Ben holds numerous records and is ranked top in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, and 50m and 100m butterfly.

Lisa Graham’s sport is judo. The Redwood 16-yearold yearold got Board help in 2000 and 2001 to attend a NZ Team development tour to Australia. Lisa too is a topranked competitor. She wants to represent NZ at an Olympic Games.

St Albans yachting brothers Philip and Stephen Keen are in their early 20s. They got Board help last year to compete at the 470 regatta in Australia.The brothers are now racing in Europe and aim to win gold at the 2004 Olympics.

Ara Tai Rakena got Board help in 2000 to go on a youth exchange to France last year. The St Albans 17-year-old had an “unforgettable year”, learned French, philosophy and essay techniques.

Young Shirley sportsmen Phillip Elisara and Daniel Bain, 14, got help this year to go on the NZ Junior International Rugby League Tour to Australia in September.

Bowen Annandale, 15, of Belfast has been helped to attend the NZ Boys under-16 softball team to compete in Australia in July.

Amanda Hamilton got help to do a certificate in youth work in Christchurch.