Youth Affairs Minister Nikki Kaye has today announced one-off funding of $21,600 to allow 15 young people from Kawerau to take part in The Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award.

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Award in New Zealand and over that time more than 200,000 young people have registered for the programme.

'The Board of Trustees has told me about the importance of access to the programme for young people from lower socio-economic or disadvantaged backgrounds,” Ms Kaye says. 'So I am delighted to be able to announce this funding.

'Kawerau is an area of focus for the Government and we want to see better outcomes for young people who live there.

'There have been difficulties for young people in this community and it is important to be able to give them positive opportunities to contribute to their community and show leadership.

'The aim of getting young people from the town involved in an internationally recognised programme like The Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award is to see reduced criminal offending, truancy, and alcohol and other drug use. We also want to see an increase in the numbers of young people in Kawerau in education, training or employment.

'The Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) will work with The Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award to support 15 young people from Kawerau to achieve the Bronze Award.

'This is one-off funding specifically targeted towards young people identified by local community leaders such as school principals as needing the kind of positive and developmental opportunities offered by The Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award programme.”

MYD has a three-year High Trust Contract with the Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Awards of $252,291 per year, which contributes to the enrolment of 250 young people from decile 1 to 5 schools. The one-off funding announced today is additional to that and is from MYD's Services for Young People Fund.

Source: Office of Nikki Kaye.