The Invercargill building worthy of a little more attention
This month youth advocacy organisation Number 10 blew the candles out on its 15th birthday cake. It’s a milestone well worth celebrating given some of the challenges it's faced.
There’s a good chance if you live in Invercargill you’ve passed this building on the corner of Esk st and Deveron St and given little thought about what goes on inside.
The city’s old-school bowlers might reflect on the lawn outside the building in its former glory as a bowling green. The building itself also will prompt some memories as a former RSA home. But the majority of people will simply pass without much pondering.
It’s worth some attention though.
Here’s why.
For 15 years Number 10 - Southland’s ‘one stop shop for youth’ - has operated out of that former RSA.
All up 10,500 youth have tapped into its services, whether it be social services or health services.
Just last year the organisation carried out 3470 medical appointments and 2175 mentoring or advocacy appointments.
Number 10 was set up in response to a Government paper which outlined that young people wanted a youth-friendly place where they could get everything under one roof and is free.
This month Number 10 blew the candles out on its 15th birthday cake.
It’s a milestone well worth celebrating given director Jude Crump, who has been with the organisation for 12 years, concedes there have been some significant challenges along the way.
Crump recalls the days when pens from banks were used to save on stationary costs and when nobody could have cell phones to also reduce expenditure.
“It has been touch and go at times,” Crump says about keeping the organisation operating.
“Where do they go otherwise, if we weren’t here? Where do those young people access services.”
At the moment there are about 4000 young people on their books. They provide free nurse clinics five days a week and put them into a GP clinic if they need to see a doctor.
“That’s massive for young people. They get a youth-friendly nurse, the appointments are 20 minutes long, they can text in, and there’s no cost.
“Lots of young people don’t have a GP, they can’t afford to go to the GP or don’t necessarily want to go to the family GP.
“It does break down some barriers.”
The other arm of Number 10 is its social services. Youth coaches provide one on one mentoring.
At the moment there are five youth coaches who currently work with about 10 to 14 cases each.
The organisation also has a “transitions” contract where it works with youth who have had Orangi Tamariki experience.
Those that have been through the system and previously would have been discharged at 16 and would be on their own.
The transition service takes them from 16 to 22.
“That’s around skills, jobs, housing. It’s more about walking alongside a young person supporting them in adulthood,” Crump says.
Its longest-running programme is the rainbow youth group; called Everyone for Equality (E14E). It was established seven years ago and provides a safe and supportive space for the rainbow youth of Murihiku.
Money was raised and Number 10 was set up 15 years ago.
The Southern District Health Board at the time put funding towards it before two years later withdrawing that funding.
Crump says they’ve tried since to access support from Te Whatu Ora without success.
“We actually spoke to the board when the DHB [District Health Board] met. We came and presented our case.
“But it’s been a struggle to find people to talk to, or people to send any money our way for the health service we run.”
That has been one hurdle for the organisation to navigate in its 15-year history.
“There’s been some ups and downs,” Crump says.
She also recalls the nerves when the Invercargill City Council decided to sell the old RSA building it operates from.
There were fears as to what that might mean for Number 10’s future.
Although a trust came in and bought the building from the council and ensured Number 10 could keep operating there.
The trust also now owns the old indoor bowling club behind it towards Tay St.
Number 10 hopes to do something in the future to utilise that space.
“We’ve got plans and ideas for that, but that requires money as well.”
Number 10 does have Government contracts for some social services, but the rest of the required funding it needs has to be sourced elsewhere.
That comes from philanthropic organisations, as well as the likes of the One New Zealand Foundation, ILT, ILT Foundation, and Community Trust South.
“That’s something we don’t take for granted.”
“We get funding for a set amount of stuff, anything extra we need to find funding for.
“We really want to grow our service. We see the needs for young people. So yep, we need funding.”
Crump acknowledges the demand for youth services is growing. Part of that is on the back of an increased level of anxiety and mental health needs.
“Lots of people ask what is going on with young people. Why is mental health so big?
“I think it’s a combination of lots of things. I don’t think you can pinpoint it and say this is the problem.
“Young people’s resilience is maybe not as great as it could be. Just that ability to cope with tough stuff. I think social media is a fantastic tool in lots of ways, but it also has some negative aspects as well.
“I think sometimes, you have parents who haven’t had any parenting skills to input into the young people. All of those things contribute to an increase in anxiety and mental health.
“Equally young people are happier to talk about their stuff than what we were in our day. In our day you just bottled it up.”
Another growing concern is an increase in youth homelessness.
In the coming weeks, Number 10 is going to add a box to its front lawn - the once bowling green - every time it hears of a young homeless person.
Included will be the hashtag ‘Why don’t we count?’.
“It’s a visual representation of the fact that there are a lot of issues around housing for our young people.”
“It’s not that they are necessarily sleeping under a bridge, or in Queens Park. It’s that they actually don’t have a stable home.
“They may be couch surfing, so they may be able to give you an address. But it’s not necessarily their home, it’s where they are dossing for a wee while and then they move on.”
Homelessness and other matters affecting youth can be a vehicle for other problems, Crump says.
“It’s all very well to talk about youth, ram raids, and crime but can we go backwards and look at the reasons for the crime? What is leading people to crime? Generally, it’s because they are lacking and there is no money to do anything.
“It’s how they get out of the spiral they are in and out of debt? Or how do I eat?”
Number 10’s quest is to ensure more people are aware of the work it does and the services it provides.
Crump acknowledges that could come with a catch, given the more youth who are aware of what is on offer, the more demand on the organisation. And in turn, the more resource and funding that’s required.
It’s a challenge Crump and her team are up for though.