Maniototo Community Youth Inc has applied to the New Zealand Lotteries Commission for funding to employ a youth worker for 20 hours a week.
The group runs the Maniototo Youth Centre in Ranfurly and hopes to expand to include employing a youth worker, youth group committee member and Project Maniototo co-ordinator Amie Pont said.
"The area has never had a youth worker but it's something we see as important. So if we don't get funding this time, we won't be giving up; we're going to make it happen," she said.
The group planned to work with representatives of all youth services in the Maniototo and the wider Central Otago area.
"We want to work more closely together and have a link between those youth services, schools, parents, police youth-aid workers and the youth workers so there's some consistency in our approach."
The committee welcomed new members Mrs Pont, David Hunter, Geraldine Duncan, Jane Hazlett and Sam Stevens.
Existing members Glenis Crutchley, Alice Summers, Kath Thomas, Mike Summers, Jane Harris, Lorraine Whaanga and Renee Munro were all willing to carry on, but many no longer had school-aged children and wanted to "gently step aside" over the next year or so, Mrs Pont said.
