Get in2life Youth Development Trust
It’s a great life on the Shore - so get “in2it”!
Remember the good old days of backyard cricket? Well it doesn’t have to be a distant memory anymore, for you or your children!
Get in2life is a Youth Development Trust, formed after the amalgamation of North Shore City Council (NSCC) into Auckland Council, and is now a fully fledged trust operating with the support of many North Shore based organisations and businesses.
Scott Mackenzie is the General Manager of the trust and was originally a part of the project when it was under the guidance of the NSCC. He says that while it was a little nerve-wracking at first, they are enjoying all the benefits that come with standing on your own two feet.
“We definitely haven’t strayed from our core purpose which is about encouraging children and young people to use our parks, but it has allowed us to really be in touch with our destiny and plans.
“We live in a fast society these days and in2it is about offering a point in time to stop and enjoy each other’s company, helping us all to reconnect.”
The original philosophy was to target those who weren’t actively involved in organised sport. It was about securing youth destinations – like parks, beaches, reserves – and providing activities to use those places to their full advantage. At the moment they are right into bringing back the great kiwi tradition of backyard cricket using rubbish bins for wickets and recycled fence palings for bats.
The individual, charitable trust is coming up for its first birthday in November and Scott is amazed by how much growth in2it has seen in the North Shore community, as well as extending out West and up to Orewa. Their main activity is currently street games, something all children and young people can get involved in.
“The in2it street games are about playing. The environment could be a park, beach, reserve, car park, town centre - we just promote the fact that any space is a play space. This particular project is mainly about getting kids out of their house and realising there is a whole other world outside,” says Scott.
So on a weekly basis at selected parks across the Shore, same place and same time every week, rain, hail wind or shine, the very cool black in2it van and trailer turn up to deliver different themes to our communities. One week it could be all about wheels; BMX bikes, peddle cars, scooters and skateboards. Come summer time and out rolls the slides and garden hoses.
“We provide these activity sessions specifically because there are no hard and fast rules. We give kids an environment and let them manipulate it however they want by organising their own games,” says Scott. “We try to let it be as unstructured as possible so that all the activity is intrinsically motivated, which hopefully means everyone ends up having a great time!”
The main message behind in2it is that it doesn’t matter where you live, whether the city centre or surrounded by a green space, you should utilise it as much as possible. But it isn’t about educating people and telling them what to do, more-so promoting the benefits of an open space in any community.
“We are just one engagement tool of getting people into parks, reserves or where-ever. It is about children, young people and also their family. We love everyone to come along! And because everyone has so much fun, they don’t realise they are having a physical workout! But they are being active, which is obviously a positive outcome.”
The in2it team are always so happy to hear how much young people enjoy coming to the street games and often kids are waiting patiently at each location for the van to arrive! But Scott also likes to know what they could improve on so encourages people to speak up.
“We work hard to make sure that what we do is local to the people we are going too, and getting feedback from kids is the perfect way to identify the needs and then help them achieve what they want too. We have helped refugee and migrant children learn to ride scooters and skateboards because that is what one particular community was interested in.”
Beyond their first year, Scott wants to expand the in2it delivery into new communities as well as investigating potential unexplored partnerships. At the moment he feels they are just knocking the top off the iceberg and that support will come in different shapes and sizes over the next few years.
“We have a bit of rope at the moment and are stretching it as far as we can. But we are always keen to talk to new people about new opportunities. When you work with children and young people it is an extremely dynamic field where what may not be a connector now, may be in a year’s time.”
There are so many activities planned for the summer of 2011/2012 so go to the website www.in2it.org.nz to see what’s on near you. At the moment the team is very excited about a giant inflatable soccer pitch making its way to New Zealand shores, on the shore, very soon.
And don’t worry parents, Scott knows you want to join in and he says you are most welcome.
– By Erin Boyle.
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Get in2life is a Youth Development Trust Phone: 09 484 8712 or
visit: www.in2it.org.nz
The Poynton: People
