Question 1

What do y’all actually do?

Accepted Answer

The most visible thing we do are our events. We hold around two dozen events yearly for the over 20,000 young people (12-24 year olds) who live within the Howick Local Board’s subdivisions.
 
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From our election forums to jump jam to tree planting to visual art displays, the scope of our projects are wide ranging in order to cater for the wide ranging needs of young people in east Auckland.
 
The key underlying vision behind all our projects are three core goals: Opportunity, Represent, Empower
1. That the Howick Youth Council creates local valuable opportunities derived from our needs as youth.
2. That the Howick Youth Council represents youth voices to facilitate the recognition of our interests as youth.
3. That the Howick Youth Council empowers members to reach their potential as young leaders
We aim to connect youth with their peers and help them develop as individuals — as well as creating a connection between the young people of east Auckland and the wider community.
 
The flipside of that is our youth representation and work in youth advocacy. Using our unique ability to connect to young people, we hold events like the Howick Youth Summit where we explore wider societal issues and how they connect to young people. 
 
An example of our advocacy work can be seen in our consultation of east Auckland's views about the AMETI transport project which we presented to the Auckland Council’s Governing Body and Auckland Transport.
 
Learn more about what we do through a copy of our Annual Review, available to read at the link here: howickyouthcouncil.org.nz/resources(javascript:void(0))

Question 2

How are you able to do all of this stuff?

Accepted Answer

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We are conditionally funded in an arrangement with the Howick Local Board, and with oversight and assistance from the Auckland Council's Community Empowerment unit.
 
Within the group, the HYC structure is unique and comprised of several semi-autonomous teams, supported by a leadership and communications team.
 
We've found that this semi-autonomous structure creates an environment where our members feel empowered and supported to take ownership in organising initiatives and projects for our communities.
 
We create a yearly work programme with projects chosen by the teams themselves. This programme is then signed off by the Howick Local Board.

Question 3

I'm a journalist. Who do I talk to?

Accepted Answer

The Howick Youth Council's Communications Team addresses all media enquiries on behalf of the youth council. We can address questions about our projects and events, as well as provide youth perspectives on issues. Contact us through our contact form at howickyouthcouncil.org.nz/contact.(javascript:void(0))

Question 4

I want to work with you on a project. Where do I start?

Accepted Answer

Great, we'd love to recieve support from other groups or specialists who believe they can contribute to our work programme.
 
You can get in contact with us by using the contact form here: howickyouthcouncil.org.nz/contact(javascript:void(0))

Question 5

Why is it worth funding youth councils?

Accepted Answer

Up and down the motu, HYC is one of the largest and most successful youth councils in Aotearoa.
 
In 2019, we ran 21 projects and events with well over 2000 engagements with young people in the Howick Local Board area. 
 
Youth bring new energy and ideas to issues and concerns, often with a unique perspective. Organisations like youth councils help bring light to these concerns while creating a way to reach out and connect with a demographic that can often be under catered for in communities. 
 
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For example in 2019, our inaugural East Auckland Youth Awards celebrated youth achievements in a localised nature, that had never been done before in the east Auckland area.
 
Or in the same year, our local election candidate forums were the only held in the Howick Local Board area, and allowed young voters to compare and contrast candidates in a youth-friendly way. 
 
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Question 6

Are you a lobby group?

Accepted Answer

Our advocacy priority is to ensure there are clear lines of communication and consultation between youth and decisionmakers, which have been so often forgone in the past.
 
We don’t like debating terms to describe ourselves, but we don't actively lobby on issues, paticularly those with significant political overtones.
 
This is because we believe we can more effectively advocate on behalf of youth through collecting the views of our peers and working internally with our connections in the local community.

Question 7

How do I become a member of the youth council?

Accepted Answer

We hold open seat and school seat recruitment towards the end of the school year for young people who live in one of the Howick Local Board's subdivisions.
 
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In the unusual circumstance of a midterm vacancy on the council, we may possibly announce applications on our social media channels.

Question 8

When did the youth council start?

Accepted Answer

The inaugural meeting of what was initially termed the "Howick Local Board Youth Council" was held on August 4th 2011. We are the second oldest youth council in Auckland, following the supercity amalgamation with the Manurewa Youth Council being the oldest. 
 
If you're alumni of the youth council, join our Facebook group here: facebook.com/groups/3349178911821858/(https://www.facebook.com/groups/3349178911821858/)

Frequently Asked Questions

The organisations and schools
we work with

Frequently Asked Questions

The organisations and schools we work with

The organisations and schools
we work with