For most people, a beach or coastline clean-up is about removing rubbish.

For Outflow Trust Founder Ash Morgan, it is about restoring the Western Bay of Plenty through people and place, helping whenua, awa and moana heal while creating opportunities for people to build confidence and take their next step towards employment.

Based in Tauranga, Outflow Trust was founded after Morgan saw the growing impact pollution, erosion and environmental degradation were having on ecosystems and wanted to do something practical to help reverse the damage.

Since its beginnings in 2023, Outflow Trust has cleaned up beaches, rivers and waterways, collected native seeds, restored dunes and planted native species, while also identifying pollution hotspots before waste and contaminants reach the ocean.

“We were seeing damage to the environment and wanted to do something about it,” says Morgan. “But through that work, we also started to see people in our community facing challenges and struggling to find opportunities.”

“We realised there was a chance to help both the place we live and the people who live here as well.”

That wider purpose has led to Outflow Trust’s Head Start programme, a new work experience programme still in its early pilot stages.

It supported young people and others facing barriers to employment by giving them practical, hands-on experience through real environmental projects across the Western Bay of Plenty.

The Outflow Trust worked on local conservation projects. Photo / Supplied

Participants worked alongside the Outflow Trust team on beach and waterway clean-ups, dune restoration, seed collection and native planting, gaining practical workplace experience while contributing to conservation efforts.

The programme helped participants from 16 years of age build confidence, work as part of a team, communicate effectively, take responsibility and understand workplace expectations.

Head Start is being piloted one day a week for four hours, with small groups of four young people each term.

That small scale allows Outflow Trust to provide more personalised support, while the effects were felt through participants, their whānau, local employers and the community.

Outflow Trust worked with Recreate NZ to connect people from within its services into the Head Start programme.

This means participants had already received support from Recreate NZ and were ready for the next stage of their journey towards employment or education.

“The environmental work needs doing, but it also creates an opportunity for people to build confidence, learn practical skills and gain work experience,” Morgan said.

“The more people we can support, the more they can support themselves, their whānau and the wider community.

“We have a goal to partner with more community organisations and have more programme groups running as time goes on.”

Although Head Start was still in its infancy, David Allum of Outflow Trust said the programme was already showing encouraging results.

“We’ve seen confidence grow, motivation improve and people become more willing to take on new challenges week by week,” Allum said in the statement.

“Some participants have chosen to return for an additional term because they want more support and experience before moving into employment. That’s exactly what we’re here for.”

Outflow Trust hoped to continue growing its impact across Tauranga Moana, creating healthier coastlines while supporting more people into their next pathway.

TECT Community Trust trustee Rachael Gemming said the TECT’s support of Outflow Trust demonstrated how community impact could take many forms.

“What Outflow Trust is achieving goes well beyond environmental restoration. They are helping care for our coastlines while also creating opportunities for people who may need extra support to get to the next stage in their life,” Gemming said.

“When people gain confidence, purpose and work-ready skills like contributing ideas, accountability, taking on task responsibility, the benefits are felt not only by those individuals, but also by those around them. Healthy environments and thriving communities go hand in hand. By investing in both, Outflow Trust is creating positive impacts that will continue to be felt across our region for years to come.”

To learn more about Outflow Trust’s environmental restoration work and the Head Start programme, visit its website or follow it on social media.