Local Tauranga Boys College student, 15-year-old Zachary Murray was awarded a top prize of ‘Overall Excellence' at the recent Blue Light Life Skills Camp held at the Whenuapai Defence Force base in Auckland held from July 22-26.

He beat a strong group of young people from the North Island to take the prize on the weeklong residential course.

'Zachary was presented the award of ‘Overall Excellence' as camp staff felt that he had showed maturity, intuition, excelled as a team member, displayed positive qualities of leadership and was respectful towards staff and fellow course members,” says Blue Light Life Skills coordinator Shannon Benterman.

'Most of all Zachary really exemplified the qualities and attitudes the course aims to instil.”

The Life Skills programme is run by New Zealand Blue Light in partnership with the NZ Police and NZ Defence Force. The programme provides 14-17 year-olds with a residential based course delivering quality life-skills and leadership training.

The programme specialises in building self-respect, respect for others, and working within boundaries, self-care, team work and problem solving. Up to 12 courses are held each year in Auckland, Central North Island and Burnham locations.

Blue Light has a strong vision of empowering youth. All Blue Light programmes and activities are designed to; reduce the incidence of young people being an offender or victim of crime and to encourage better relations between young people, their parents, the police and communities we live in.

Blue Light is grateful for the support of corporate sponsor AA Insurance and the Lion Foundation.