We are going from strength to strength. There were 110,000 visits paid to our Central Auckland premises in 2007. That compares with 87,000 in 1999.

We welcomed young people from every part of the Auckland region and from all of New Zealand's ethnic groups.

We're also spreading out from our city centre hub, with well-established programmes
in the Eastern Suburbs and new involvements on the North Shore as well as Wellington.

We believe we could make a substantial contribution to your brand, by strengthening its association with the themes of youth, children, families and exciting sport and leisure activities.

Congratulations Youthtown on reaching the milestone of your 75th anniversary.

From modest beginnings it is a credit to Youthtown and its people that it has not only been successful in adapting to meet the changing social demands for young people and the greater choices they now have, but has gone from strength to strength to a point now where Youthtown is expanding beyond Auckland. Where other organizations have fallen by the wayside, Youthtown has continued to develop, promote and implement activities and programmes that have remained contemporary so as to attract and encourage young people to take up the opportunities and experiences on offer.

Shieff Angland is proud of its two year association with Youthtown. Our involvement started as part of our Shieff Angland Community Partnership Programme when Youthtown was identified in a selection process as one of four preferred charities. To be one of four, the charity had to have a focus on learning/education and problem solving for people in need; have a "hands up" not a "hand out" mentality; and be a charity that Shieff Angland people could get involved with so that our community partnership was more than just a "write a cheque" relationship. After a staff vote Youthtown became our charity choice.

We have not been disappointed with our association. Youthtown and its people have continually demonstrated and reinforced the sort of community partnership values that we wanted to be involved in. It has been a pleasure to be associated with such a dedicated group of people who are able to conceive, implement and work on activities and programmes that provide young people with opportunities through physical, social and creative experiences that enable them to build their self esteem and confidence.

Youthtown, keep up the good work and all the best for the future.
John Kearns
CEO Shieff Angland

Over the past eighteen months, Converse has been associated with Youthtown as part of our Sponsorship programme around Basketball.

We could see Youthtown was an organisation that genuinely had the interest of youth at heart and that would always be close to what Youth were into.

We believe Youthtown provide a positive environment to allow the Youth of today the opportunity to become better people a focus and attitude that sits well with our own Brand's philosophies.

Our Basketball campaigns have largely fallen around USA NBA Player, Dwayne Wade, of the Miami Heat. Wade is an outstanding athlete but more importantly an outstanding individual and role model that Converse are proud to have as their Marquis endorsee.

Wade's two poster campaigns, I believe reflect both his values as a person and a player which I believe Youth can relate to... Fall Down Seven Times …. Stand up eight times All in …

There are the two Wade campaign's that have been used in Youthtown

This positive re- enforcement has been carried through into the Youthtown Stars with Youth town providing the "Excellence is a habit" poster campaign.

Converse again were proud to be a co- sponsor of this campaign.

We believed in these messages there was a common thread and that the values of our Brand and Wade, mirrored those of Youthtown and so we have entered into what I believe will be a long lasting relationship.

Imagine if doing good was the baseline, if everybody did it, if all businesses thought about giving back to the community they draw their revenue from and did it habitually - what a powerful force that would be!
That could transform a nation!

Jane Sweeney

From the Ministry of Social Development,
The social report

Social Connectedness

Social connectedness is integral to wellbeing. People are defined by their social roles, whether as partners, parents, children, friends, caregivers, teammates, staff or employers, or a myriad of other roles. Relationships give people support, happiness, contentment and a sense they belong and have a role to play in society. They also mean people have support networks in place they can call on for help during hard times.

Social connectedness also refers to people joining together to achieve shared goals that benefit each other and society as a whole – this may range from working together as part of a business to contributing to their communities through voluntary groups.

So lets get Connected

Youthtown is about making a difference in all of these areas, and in doing so is contributing to building solid foundations for future generations. If you want to help, then lets get connected.

Camp Scholarships

Every year, we are approached by families with enquiries as to whether there are subsidised places at our camps. We hate having to say no, not least because the children of these families are often the ones who can benefit most from the experience.

Camps help kids develop a sense of confidence and control over their lives. It gives them a chance to have fun. Camp is a place where a positive perspective can finally be discovered – an experience they'll carry with them long after the last bush hike, sing along or marshmallow roast

As with all Youthtown programmes, our camps aim to build the self-esteem of young Aucklanders. It's also a great way for city kids to experience the grandeur and beauty of our New Zealand countryside. For some of them this is a totally new experience.

Our send a kid to camp campaign is a campaign of Youthtown. Youthtown Incorporated will absorb all administration costs, so 100% of your donation goes directly to fund camp scholarships.