The Kahu Youth charity began organising Māori New Year celebration events in 2010, long before New Zealand’s newest public holiday began in 2022.
What began as a small group of young people telling stories and connecting with the Māori culture around a pot luck meal in the Dinosaur Park has grown to a major date on the community calendar, with a large hangi feeding at least 750 people.
Wānaka’s Matariki celebrations and entertainment were expected to have drawn hundreds to the lakefront on Friday afternoon and early evening.
Kahu Youth operations manager Anna Sutherland said the event was being created on a budget of less than $20,000 and supported by about 60 volunteers.
Any surplus from koha and the $5 hangi tickets would be used for next year’s event and the fitout of Kahu Youth’s premises at Paetara Aspiring Centre, due to start on July 8.
"Matariki was not really celebrated much in New Zealand until the first public holiday, and I think what makes the Wānaka Matariki so special is it is very unique, very grassroots, and focuses on the local stories," Ms Sutherland said.
Meanwhile, Kahu Youth’s 2023 annual report reveals significant strides in the charity’s work to achieve social services accreditation, move to the new premises and complete its first three-year business plan.
Trust chairman Randal Dobbs said in the annual report that last year was a big year for Kahu Youth, as it developed more programmes, employed more staff, and moved into new premises.
It was also the first full year of operating under benchmarks established by the social services accreditation.
This was helping the trust maintain standards, deliver relevant programmes and measure outcomes as much as possible, he said.
The trust’s achievements had also been made possible by great teamwork.
"It was great to see more programmes, more staff, more youth attending — all around a unified working culture," Mr Dobbs said.
Ms Sutherland said recent achievements had been incredible.
"We have now got 10 youth workers, not all full time. Full time would be amazing but we are getting there. They include qualified social workers and counsellors, and are a really strong team," she said.
However, the trust chose to "live a little bit spartan" for the first six to eight months so it could consult and plan with youth about the fitout.
Those concepts have now been drawn up but Ms Sutherland said it was not possible to include everything.
There would be meeting spaces and an all-important kitchen, she said.
After-school baking sessions and Friday dinners together had not been possible since shifting from Kahu Youth’s former premises and the youth were keen to get back in the kitchen, Ms Sutherland said.
When fitout construction begins in July, Kahu Youth’s premises will be closed for about 10 weeks. Members can meet elsewhere, including at Lake Hawea. Kahu Youth’s various operations and activities are primarily supported through grants, fundraising, donations and sponsorship.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council, Creative Communities Scheme, the Connecting Communities Fund, Central Lakes Arts Support Scheme and Te Puni Kokiri were among those making grants last year.
In 2023, Kahu Youth delivered 460 hours of after school programmes, 400 hours of youth mentoring, 1280 hours of drop-in services, 51 days of holiday programmes, 16 youth-development programmes and five community events.
