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Overview

The Waitakere Council have five strategic platforms, one of which is called First Call for Children. This platform means that with every decision council makes people in the younger age brackets must be considered, this is where we come in.

We are a group of young people just like you drawn from the schools of Waitakere and the local community. By working with council we ensure that the youth of Waitakere are given a voice and fairly represented. All of us have an interest in youth and have been involved with groups and events that involve or focus on youth and are committed to making sure that youth are celebrated and try to bring about change in the city that you’d like to see.

Mission Statement

To provide the youth of Waitakere City with a voice, through positive activities and accurate representation. Waitakere Youth Council provides a voice for the youth of our city and has input to council decisions that will affect youth now and in the future.

Member Profile

 

Andrew Wadsworth - Chairman

 

School:	University of Auckland
What I like to do in my spare time:	Work part time at West Wave Aquatic Centre as lifeguard and on the After School Program, Play the Guitar, Attend Youth Council, Play Waterpolo, Hang out with friends, go to the movies alot.
Music I listen to:	Straight out Seattle '91 I love Grunge, and punk, and old skool rock. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr, Pennywise, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Pink Floyd, Bleeders, NOFX, Sommerset, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins.
Food I like to eat:	I like to try new things Sushi, Indian, Thai all sorts but my all time fave is Mexican food.
Fave movie:	Fight Club, Edward Norton is the man.
An issue that I think is important for youth:	I think the theme for last years youth week summed up one of the most important issues for all youth everywhere and that was 'changing youth stereotypes' we can be involved as we like but as long as we can be dismissed as just another dumb ass youth it won't do any good we really need to be seen in a positive light.

Kit Bushell
 

Educational Provider:	University of Auckland (I didn't like the sound of school)
What I like to do in my spare time:	Anything and everything as long as I'm doing something
Music I listen to:	Anything that isn't country, pop, or hip hop but if I had to choose a genre it'd be rock
Food I like to eat:	Spicy stuff, really spicy stuff
Fave movie:	Fight Club
An issue that I think is important for youth:	To stop seeing the term "youth" being used in a negative fashion

Clara McNiel
 

School:	Community Rep
What I like to do in my spare time:	Hanging out with friends, going to concerts, shopping
Music I listen to:	House, dance, rock, rap, soft " bit of everything
Food I like to eat:	Ice Cream, Diet Coke " it just tastes better
Fave movie:	Forever changing " at the moment: Dunno " too many to many to choose from!
An issue that I think is important for youth:	Being happy & getting heard!!!

Louise Osborne

 

School:	Kelston Girls College
What I like doing in my spare time:	Equestrian, hanging out with my friends, playing hockey and waterpolo, going to parties, and making a big fool of myself! I'm rather good at it!
Music I listen to:	I'm a classic rock chick! love it all!
Food I like to eat:	Ohhh where do I start? I could live off sushi! and carrots!! but I pretty much like everything! except brussel sprouts!! eegghh
Fave movie:	Golly! I don't really have a favourite one...pretty much anything that's entertaining!
An issue I think is most important to youth:	I think that all youth should be able to express who they are and not be judged or discriminated against, for it. For this to happen, better education about the way that everyone should be treated and better family values taught towards discrimination, abuse etc.. would be very important!

Amanda Mitchell - Vice Chairperson

 

School:	Waitakere College
What I like doing in my spare time	Boating, playing netball, shopping, hanging out at mates places.
Music I listen to:	Rock
Food I like to eat:	Fish - Snapper, Pizza, Chocolate, Ice-cream
Fave movie:	Many haha um...Pirates of the Caribbean, The Grudge, 50 First Dates
An issue the I think is important for youth:	Being able to have a voice and a say in your community and to have youth opinions heard.

Alana Wadsworth

 

My name is Alana Wadsworth and I go to Rutherford college. In my spare time I like to go to see movies and hang out with my friends. I also like to paint, play the piano which I have played for 8-9 years and create things. I like all kinds of music including system of a down and nickel back. I am in love with chocolate. I think that there are many issues facing youth today, including getting help when they need it the most. Some youth know that there are places they can go but many don’t. I believe that we need to help them develop an understanding as to what these groups do and where they are based so that if at any point they need to use them they know where to go.

Katherine Kris Torres

 

School:	University of Auckland
What I like doing in my spare time	Nothing out of the norm really " I like to hang out with my friends, watch movies, listen to music, dance, write, cook… the usual.
Music I listen to:	A little bit of everything " I go through phases where I listen to pop, then some R&B… then maybe some rock and heavy metal. It all depends on my mood really.
Food I like to eat:	It’s a three way tie between Italian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines
Fave movie:	Kevin Smith films like Dogma, Clerks II and Mallrats (I thank Mr. Smith for creating the characters of Jay and Silent Bob); Mr. and Mrs. Smith ( It has Brad AND Angelina); Eurotrip and all the Rocky movies except Rocky IV and Rocky V.
An issue the I think is important for youth:	An issue that I think is important for youth is the growing number of adolescents that are suffering from mental health issues, ranging from depression and self harm to eating disorders. There is still a negative stigma attached to suffering from mental health problems which needs to change. People shouldn’t have to feel obliged to suppress their problems and should be able to go out there and get the help they need without fear of being looked down on or thought differently of.

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Jonathan O'Brien

 

Victor Faumui

 

School:	University of Auckland
What I like doing in my spare time	Jamming with the boys in the garage, playing B ball at Starling Park, getting into heaps of media work, Interacting with young men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Music I listen to:	A little bit of everything especially rock
Food I like to eat:	Juicy as steak, Island food " Samoan
Fave movie:	Nacho Libre, Dream Girls, Remember the Titans, Glory Road
An issue the I think is important for youth:	Being financially stable.  Being confident to make decisions on your own and to seek counsel.

Natalie Harrison

 

School:	Saint Dominic’s College
What I like doing in my spare time	Well I love hanging out with my friends and going to concerts. I love going swimming and I really want to learn to surf. Ooo and I love shopping (I just wish I had more money lol).
Music I listen to:	Punk-rock, easy listening, dance. Basically you can catch me listening to anything. Some of my favourite bands are Fallout boy, Sugarcult, Mae, The All American Rejects and at the moment I have been listening to Just so you know by Jesse McCartney. It’s really cute.
Food I like to eat:	I really like smoothies at the moment and royal gala apples. Yeah they are just really yum.
Fave movie:	HAHA okay its called Mosquito Coast and it is sooo random that it’s really funny. Other than that I like most movies and can’t really think of any other favourites.
An issue the I think is important for youth:	Is to realise that we can contribute to change in our communities and that being ourselves is ok and we shouldn’t have to hide our true personalities.

Amy Pollard
 

Karla Rickards

 

Jesse Thomas

 

School:	Homeschooled
What I like doing in my spare time	lol thats a limited commodity, I love making music, I'm a keyboardist and singer in three bands, Infinity, 3days risen, and a church worship team so I spend a lot of time practicing. In the holidays I spend a lot of time up north in a place called whakapauka (you'll be lucky to find it on a map) spear fishing.
Music I listen to:	I listen to a lot of Hillsong united music, and mumsdollar, that type of music being what 3days risen is based in. I also listen to alot of ZM the radio station, but I love the older style music like 'eye of the tiger' and Ray Charles too.
Food I like to eat:	Fish!! I love fish cooked almost any way, or raw. When up north I live on Fish. I also love Curry, my Nana makes a delicious sri-lankan curry.
Fave movie:	The core...but then I watched that to much and got sick of it. I also like castaway.
An issue the I think is important for youth:	Many of today's youth lack encouragement, they are viewed as mischief makers and the older generations dread the school holidays because 'bored youth will cause trouble'. Any trouble that is caused by the few youth who do lack the better judgment is highlighted and it would seem from the stories that go round that there are more 'bad' youth than 'good' youth but this is definitely not the case, Its just that stories about kids being naughty are more entertaining and so they are the ones that spread. This image needs to change, we must start encouraging and publicizing the successes of young people. At the end of the day we all want our little bit of fame, so if we focus on the positive achievements of our youth and publicize the good things they do, they'll make a name for themselves by being outstanding members of their community-not by tagging."""One more thing, the tall poppy syndrome stifles creativity and hinders the development of individuality in people. We need to encourage people to be who they are. We need to build a city where our people are secure to take off their masks and live to their full potential, supported all the way. That's the kind of city I want to be a part of.

Waitakere Council Agendas and Minutes

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