For some people, a job represents a step in their career path, a way to pay the bills, or simply something to fill in time. The lucky ones might find work doing something they enjoy. The really lucky ones (and those willing to be patient and resilient and dream big) may one day find themselves […]

Over the past few weeks our Raise Up crew has been involved in two planting days hosted by Environment Canterbury. The group met bright and early on two Saturday mornings at the City Y and caught up over hot chocolates before hopping the vans and heading out to the Waimakariri. Donned with gumboots, warm clothes, […]

This week, our CEO Josie Ogden Schroeder and Youth Coordinator Brittany Mackie attended INVOLVE 2023, a 3-day nationwide conference for youth development in Aotearoa hosted by Ara Taiohi. This year’s theme was The Stars That Guide Us, based on the whakataukī that reads Tukua kia tū takitahi ngā whetū o te rangi: let each star […]

Over the past two weeks, our newest intake of Wainui intern instructors have been busy exploring the camp in a series of team-building activities and training. The group of twelve recently arrived in Aotearoa from all over the world including Britain, Germany and the United States.    

Last Saturday the Bishopdale Y presented an incredible 2-hour endurance Super Spin class to members. 45 bikes, 4 spin instructors, 41 participants, 2 hours of intense spin and 45 coffees to top it all off! Our Recreation and Wellbeing Manager Lydia Kennedy wrote this about the event:  

There is no guarantee what you will find as you step through the doors of the 4C Centre on any given day. A coding session might be in progress, the tables littered with Macbooks and hard drives. Or all 3D printers might be on the go, busy bringing someone’s design to life. Or a robot […]

The Challenge The year is 2038 and a brave group of pioneers from Aotearoa New Zealand have become the first humans to settle Mars. They are met by a variety of space-specific challenges including sustainable water supplies, soil quality, health impacts of lessened gravity, high levels of radiation and dust inhalation, and an incredibly harsh […]

Despite the chilly temperatures, we have had lots of tamariki come along to our July camps to have heaps of fun around Canterbury. From Arthur’s Pass to Methven to Wainui, we are feeling very grateful that there are so many adventures to be had right in our own backyard. Getting to explore our beautiful surroundings […]

There are many ways to inspire someone. Motivational quotes, encouraging words, sharing success stories. But sometimes the best way to inspire others is simply by doing it yourself. You never know whose horizons you might be broadening just by doing your thing. Liz Blair and Clint Vaile are excellent examples of this theory.  

This week a group of staff from Hotel Give travelled up to Auckland to be a part of the Lion Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence 2023. The group were representing Hotel Give as finalists for the Hospitality Awards for Excellence under the category “Best Mid-Scale Accommodation”. While we didn’t win the final prize, we […]

If you happen to pass by the Bishopdale stadium at 9am on a Thursday you might wonder what game is being played on the courts! In some ways it looks like tennis, but the paddles are larger and the pace is slightly slower. This is Pickleball and it has been taking the world by storm! […]

It’s the season of morning frosts and hot drinks and layers, lots of layers! And like any other season, all of our departments across the Y are continuing to do impactful work for the communities of Christchurch. We thought our readers might like to hear a bit about what is happening this season at the […]

Google ‘how to stick to a workout’ or ‘what makes exercise habits last’ and almost every advice article that comes up will have one piece of advice in common… do it with others! For so many people working out with friends or gym buddies is the thing that shows them consistent exercise is do-able and […]

Last Saturday, 37 young business owners between the ages of 12-24 gathered at our Ōtautahi Youth Market in a celebration of local creativity and youth enterprise. Over 300 people came through the market throughout the day, and we were delighted to see visitors leaving with lots of crafts, baking, new jewellery and other goodies! The […]

New equipment means new adventures out at Wainui Park Camp! We recently bought a bunch of new stand-up paddle boards (both single and tandem) to use around the Akaroa Harbour and beyond. The hugely popular sport of paddle boarding will soon be on offer at the camp, and campers will have another way to experience […]

Great smile. Kind heart. Genuine. These are the words those around him would use to describe Max Silva, our resident Cafe Barista at Bean at the Y. Max has been working for the Y for about half a year and has already earned himself a reputation as being incredibly hard-working and resourceful. However, his story […]

ANZAC Day means many different things to many different people. For some, it is a time to remember loved ones lost in the war. For others, it is a celebration of bravery and camaraderie across generations and countries.      

Last week the Bishopdale Y Fitness team held another amazing quiz night to raise money for gym equipment. We had an incredible turn out and the teams filled the room with energy (and some healthy competition!). It was great to see everyone come together for such a worthy cause. Couldn’t make it to the Bishopdale […]

Last year we held a New Zealand first event – two full weeks of maker camps aka a residential intensive competition that brought together the best young minds Aotearoa has to offer.

Thank you! Last Friday night we got together to celebrate the efforts of our wonderful volunteers. Hosted at the 4C Centre, we had around 20 young people attend who are involved with the Y in different ways.    

Many hours and thousands of kilometres of travel brought friends Leo and Janno to the shores of New Zealand. Hailing from different parts of Germany and never having met before in person, their journey shared a final destination – becoming intern instructors at the Y Wainui Park Camp.

The Y Adventure Centre was proud to host the La Sportiva National Lead and Para Climbing Championships, a joint youth and adult competition organized by Climbing New Zealand and hosted by the Flying Geckos Climbing Club. Over two exciting days, climbers from across the country gathered to showcase their skills and compete for the top […]

Those stepping into the Y Christchurch’s 4C Youth Centre this week would be met with creative chaos. A3 pieces of paper scrawled with felt tip pens, cups of tea, open laptops, plates of snacks, chargers and cables on every surface – all the signs of innovation at work. For two days a week over the […]

Last Sunday a group of young people from our leadership development programme headed along to the St Alban’s Community Centre garden to volunteer at their working bee. The task? Transform an outdoor area from a vacant space into levelled and weeded ground ready for more planter boxes. Needless to say, our rangatahi were up for […]

White water rafting, mountaineering, rock climbing, kayaking. Whatever exhilarating outdoor activity you might be keen to try out, Alex Gillespie is your man. With many years of outdoor experience and a contagious passion for adventure, Alex fits perfectly into his role as Chief Instructor at the Y Arthur’s Pass Outdoor Education Centre. “Our camps are […]

Over the last two weeks we have had a bunch of awesome kids join our team in Wainui for summer Y camps. Each week has been jam-packed with outdoor activities, team building, games, themed meal times and performance nights.      

It’s our first Y Vibe of 2023 and we are starting off the year as we mean to go on – full of ideas and little encouragements to empower and inspire our readers! This week we are talking about the importance of moving our bodies in new and challenging ways. No matter your age or […]