Youth Service Awards - Spreydon/Heathcote  

Charlie has been part of a team of St Thomas of Canterbury College students volunteering their time to produce a Youth in Custody Index. The document focuses on a body of research around the voiceless young people in care and protection and juvenile offending custodial units.

This has involved engaging in Official Information Act applications to Government agencies, gathering and collating information, as well as producing and launching the index which will be produced annually. It has involved a considerable number of volunteer hours per week and intensive work in the school holidays.

Charlie's volunteer work is done out of school hours and applies to youth across the country. Judge Andrew Becroft (Chief Youth Court Judge) has disseminated the index to all youth court judges. University academics and government agencies have expressed interest along with major NGOs. Primarily, the major benefit is for the many young people in custody who have no voice

In the same vein we congratulate Adrian Els, Charlie Devine and Hamish Dale, who this week received Christchurch City Council Youth Volunteer Awards, Adrian and Charlie received their awards for the many hours of work producing the Youth in Custody Index, focused on researching the conditions in our youth custody and care and protection facilities. The Index is designed to give New Zealanders an insight into life in custody for youth in New Zealand and highlights some disturbing statistics. This is a piece of superb advocacy work from a group of students who aim to provide a voice for some of our most marginalised youth.

Hamish received his award for exemplary contribution to Hope Youth, Youth Committee, Rotary Club, Community Development Network, community youth events, and mentoring and coaching young basketball referees. He recently received a Youth Development Fund grant for a Basketball New Zealand Accredited Development Tournament in Australia. Hamish has given over 400 voluntary hours to the community in the last year. An outstanding effort!