Youthtown Oamaru staff are putting their feet up, following a busy Youth Week, which finished on Sunday.

Youthtown team leader Pip Sutton and programme lead Kale Sandri took a different approach to help celebrate Waitaki’s youth, by calling on the region’s young people to help decorate and build a giant chair. 

“One thing that youth like is a place or space to call their own and hang out,” Pip says. 

“Unfortunately we aren’t in a position to give them that, but instead we thought they could put their mark on a giant chair and use this as a place to hang out with their friends and take photos etc. If they had input then they would feel more ownership of it.”

Joiner Grant Robinson from Raw Woodworx helped design and manufacture the chair pieces, and every day after school last week (except Tuesday, when it was raining), Pip and Kale had wood and paint at Ōamaru’s Orana Park for young people to come and contribute to the decorating.

“On Thursday, I also went to Waitaki Girls’ High School, so they could add their mark because I understand after school lots of kids are busy,” Pip says.

The finished product. Photo: supplied

Waitaki Girls’ wellbeing prefect Poppy Wraight was a “key influencer for the project”, Pip says, taking the lead to apply for funding from Otago Community Trust, with the support from Youthtown. 

The project was supported by the youth development organisation behind Youth Week, Ara Taiohi, Ōamaru’s Pheonix Complex, and Resene. 

“On Friday, Kale and myself put [the chair] together and we had some pizza and photos and a hangout at the park in the afternoon.”

The colourful end product is currently brightening up Orana Park for anyone to take a load off, until a more permanent home is found for it, Pip says.

Youth Week is a nationwide festival of events organised by young New Zealanders to celebrate the talents, passion and success of local young people. It ran from May 20-26.

Waitaki Girls High School wellbeing prefect Poppy Wraight contributes to the Youth Week chair. Photo: supplied