Two young adults making a difference in Marlborough!
For Student Volunteer Week we're shining the spotlight on a few local young volunteers. Today we'd like you to meet Justin and Taylah who volunteer with Marlborough Youth Trust...
How old are you?
Taylah: 18
Justin: 20
What do you do when you volunteer?
We are both part of the Marlborough Youth Trust Advisory Group (MYTAG). At MYTAG meetings, we do development courses and plan youth-focussed events like Spring Fest and Beach Fest. Planning events involves arranging a venue, entertainers, food vendors, transport, parking, advertising, and making sure it all fits within a budget. We also volunteer at the events, helping with set-up (e.g. staging) and pack-down, manning the front gate, and other miscellaneous tasks that make sure the event runs smoothly. Justin often runs the sausage sizzle.
What is your favourite part?
Taylah: Getting to see what happens behind the scenes and seeing everyone working together.
Justin: Seeing the event finally fall into place after months of planning and watching the youth attending the event having heaps of fun.
Why did you start volunteering?
Taylah: I have a passion for helping people and I was already involved with Marlborough Youth Trust so it felt natural to take the next step.
Justin: I joined the Youth in Emergency Services program in 2018 and, near the end of the course, Bex (Youth Worker at MYT) asked if wanted to continue my involvement with MYTAG and other MYT things. I’d really enjoyed the YES program so it was an easy yes!
How do you feel your volunteer work impacts the Marlborough community?
Taylah: Running youth-focussed events provides an opportunity for Marlborough’s young people to find and develop their passions.
Justin: Our youth-friendly events give young people an opportunity to hang out with people they might not meet otherwise, and it’s all in a safe environment.
Has volunteering given you an opportunity to learn anything or gain new skills?
Both: We have both been able to complete the Psychological First Aid course (taught us how to provide emotional and practical support to someone who has experienced a traumatic event) and the Strength Finders course (helped us discover our top five strengths so that we can work better in a team and pursue some personal development).
What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting volunteering?
Justin: “The skills you can learn while volunteering are definitely worth it; they look great on a CV. You also don’t know where these volunteer roles will lead to; you might find an industry you thought you’d never work in”
Taylah: “Volunteering can make you feel better in yourself, but it can also make other people feel better when they know you are putting all this time in for them.”
Lest we forget...
On this ANZAC Day, let's take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Tell us who are you honouring today. Whether it's a story from the battlefield or a memory of a family member who fought in the war, we'd love you to share your stories below.
Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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91.5% Yes
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8.1% No
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0.3% Other - I'll share below!
Food and product recalls
These items have been recalled during the last month. If you have any of these items at home, click on the title to see the details:
Product recalls
Avanti, Malvern Star & Raleigh bicycles
Yoto Kids Speaker
Anko Kids Pyjamas
Battery drill chainsaw attachment
Industrial pedestal misting fan
Yamaha adaptor
Zero Tower safety harness
Naturacoco moisturising cream
Thule child bike seat
Food recalls:
Maketū pies mussel pie
The Catering Studio cottage pie
Matakana Smokehouse gravlax/salmon
Our Fruit Box fruit juices
ProLife Foods value packs - nuts, raisins.
YY Dumplings & Fu Yuan ready-to-eat meat products
Waiheke Herbs italian herb spread
We hope this message was helpful in keeping your household safe.