Saturday will mark the end of an era for YouthGrow, as it will be its last appearance at the Otago Farmers Market.
It has not been a happy 21st birthday for YouthGrow, as its garden centre in Norwood St will close on November 15, affecting four staff.
On the positive side, the YouthGrow Development Programme will continue to give young people aged 18-24 a horticultural experience leading to level 1 and 2 NCEA qualifications.
YouthGrow is part of Presbyterian Support Otago’s Family Works programme.
Family Works director Carmen Batchelor said: "We simply don’t have the resources to continue the garden centre, [which] runs at quite a significant loss.’’
The staffing crisis in aged residential care – which has resulted in the decision to close Ross Home’s dementia unit – has had a detrimental effect on PSO’s financial position.
"In the past, PSO Enliven care homes have produced a small surplus each year, which has been invested in its Family Works services, such as YouthGrow," Ms Batchelor said.
"However, due to government underfunding in aged care and the rising costs of providing that care, PSO has less available surplus income to invest internally in this way."
In some respects, concentrating on the development programme will be a return to where the organisation started, with an emphasis in teaching young people to be "life ready, work ready", YouthGrow manager David Pirie said.
"Youth work with a horticultural flavour is our essence," he said.
Mr Pirie believes that teaching students basic growing techniques will help their life skills, even if they don’t make careers in horticulture.
"We reckon if we can produce food, it’s another way to help overcome food insecurity," he said.
Already, tomatoes and potatoes are being grown so students will be able to harvest them and if there is any surplus, that could go to foodbanks.
With 10 students in each intake, each gets lots of individual attention to help develop confidence to be "life ready, work ready".
PSO has been working with the garden centre staff to help them find work, either within or outside the organisation.
Garden Centre manager Lucy Parsons, a native plant specialist, is delighted to have found a position at the Sinclair Wetlands and Ms Batchelor is confident the three other staff will soon have new jobs.
She noted that the buddy programme run by Family Works would not be affected by the cutbacks, as it had outside financial support.
YouthGrow started 21 years ago as a joint venture between PSO, Knox and Leith Valley Presbyterian churches. Initial funding came from the sale of a Hong Kong church, which supported several outreach programmes in different countries, including YouthGrow.
