door to mental health services

to support the organisation’s work and provided YIT with a lease. The 1.6ha property has five buildings as well as native bush and gardens.

YIT director and co-founder, Tina Jones, says Duke House, which is set to have its official opening this year, has already enabled the expansion of YIT’s catchment, with referrals coming in from Helensville, Kumeu and Millwater.

As well as regular peer support groups and one-on-one counselling, 10 young people and their parents have been hosted there for a weekend retreat. A young person on the programme was also able to spend a weekend at the retreat with her family who travelled there for respite after being severely affected by the floods.

As well as counselling and holistic services, Duke House enables young people to connect with others through gardening and being outdoors.

Duke House will include space for fitness programmes, bush walks, growing edible plants, cooking classes, yoga, meditation classes and more.

YIT chair, Andrew Hoggard, says monthly counselling hours have risen over the past year by nearly 60 percent.

“The demand for our services is always high, but never higher than now,” Hoggard says. “Sadly lack of physical space and resources means we have had to turn young people away, which is heart breaking. That is why Duke House is so important.”

A formal opening ceremony for Duke House, including a thank-you to the charity’s supporters, will be held later this year. Anyone can become a Friend of Duke House to assist the organisation, which receives no Government funding.

Info: www.youthintransition.org.nz/thejourney-back-to-awesome w Backstories www.localmatters.co.nz

Estuary Arts Centre in Ōrewa is about to launch a fundraising campaign to make its long-held plans to expand a reality. The plan to expand its Studio 3 (part of its original, former KFC, building) has been on the drawing board for at least two years. Representatives of the arts centre recently presented a concept for the expansion to the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board, asking for a letter of support so that fundraising can begin in earnest. At the meeting, chair Michael Irwin estimated the project could cost around $500,000. The proposal has come about, Irwin told the board, because Studio 3 is too small for full classes, and therefore underutilized. Increasing its capacity could also increase the income that the arts centre derives from classes and renting its spaces, helping make it more financially sustainable. The concept includes putting down a wooden floor and extending the centre’s leased area by around 30sqm onto the surrounding reserve. Doing so would also provide potential for an outdoor performance space. The concept drawings and initial profile plans are on display at the gallery in Western Reserve, Ōrewa.

July 1, 2021