The Bay of Plenty's first hostel for girls. The afternoon then saw 31 students and their whānau welcomed into the building.

Three weeks have since passed and the girls have settled in, adjusted to living with their new “sisters and mothers”, overcome the anxiety related to starting a new school, dealt with being hundreds of kilometres away from home, learnt new life skills, worried about their family during the cyclone and continued to grow as strong young wāhine by taking the opportunities being offered to them.

Many of the girls stay in during the weekend, this means they might not see their whānau for a number of weeks. A challenging situation they are learning to cope with, and it does make the times they do get to go home so much more special.

The hostel is looking for sponsorship to buy big ticket items - picnic tables, indoor/outdoor bean bags, barbecue, etc. if you would like to sponsor please feel free to get in touch with Tanya Lee-Parker, Director of Boarding.