Diverse cafe wins awards

Diverse, a Christchurch City Council - supported cafe run for and by young people in Linwood, is the supreme award winner at this year’s Youth in Local Government conference.

The conference is held every second year. Its aim is to encourage greater involvement of young people in their local communities. The Christchurch café was a finalist in all four awards categories. It won the Youth Participation category and was also picked from the four winners as the supreme Sprit of Youth Pu Maia Rangatahi award.

Diverse, opposite Eastgate Mall at 5 Buckleys Road, opened in April 2003. It was an idea developed by young people in the area after research for the Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board suggested the community was concerned about its younger members.

The Youth Initiatives Trust (Ka Whakaaro o ka Rakatahi) was formed as the governing body and a committee of 14 to 20-year-olds manages the venture under the guidance of the youth worker, the cafe manager and the trust.

From the beginning the young people have had a part in making decisions and putting them into practice.

Today, Diverse is a safe place to go, with food and drink at affordable prices. It gives people work and organisational experience, and has space for people to display art and to perform. In the last year the committee has organised classes in activities like creative writing and Latin dancing.

Also based at the venue is youth worker Tania Smith (a position supported by the community board and 198 Youth Health Centre).

"It's an excellent scheme," says Paul Findlay, a trust member who started on the management committee. “It’s because everything’s come from young people. The committee gets to make the decisions and that’s quite unique.”

Diverse has been sponsored by the CCC Social Initiatives Fund, the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board, various charitable trusts and several businesses in the community.

The awards success is gratifying for Clarie Milne, the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Development Adviser.

An original member of the Youth Initiatives Trust, and as the Community Development Worker in Phillipstown, Ms Milne was employed by the Council in February this year.

Taking over the work done by her predecessor Lynnette Ebborn, Ms Milne’s experience and support in the area has been key to the success of this venture.

ldquo;The team presenting the workshop at the conference in Dunedin did an awesome job and enforced even more the benefits of youth involvement and collaboration in addressing issues in our communities,” she says. “This has been a project steeped in community development processes and community collaboration. As someone involved in this since initial concerns and consultation in the community, I believe that the development of the cafe has only been possible through the support of the Community Advocate and the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board. Continued trust of, and faith in, the process and vision of this project has allowed it to flourish as it continues to evolve,” she says.