Blog

The Hui E! annual general meeting will be held October 15th, 12-1pm online. Invitation and board nominations to follow.

We are very proud to announce the launch of the Community Constellation webpage. Check out the Constellation kaupapa and membership.

Hui E! submitted in opposition to the Regulatory Standards Bill on behalf of the Community Constellation. Click the image to access.

We are working on an interactive map of the Community Constellation. Soon you’ll be able to see how we work together to support the sector, and our roles and resources, all in one accessible place. We can’t wait to bring it to you.

• Fundsorter is a game-changer for finding and applying for grant funding opportunities matched to you. Note this is a subscription service.
• CommunityNet  (part of the NZ Navigator Trust) is your go to for bang up-to-date and free community resources. Check out their new article on the 3G network shutdown and digital equity
• Tūhono Impact is a new free resource made by community, for community, for measuring and sharing social impact!
• IRD has released it’s summary report on the submissions for the proposed tax on charities. You can read the document here.
• The Aotearoa History Show from RNZ – Katie and her kids have been enjoying this web-series that travels all the way through from 100 million years ago to the modern day.
• Check out the NZCCSS Guide to Government to support your engagement and advocacy.
• The art of scaling deep is about how real transformation is slow, relational, and culturally grounded. Thanks to the SASS group for hosting recent sessions.
• 2024 data now available for the distribution of 2024 pokie grants via this interactive tool
• Hautū Waka is a navigational framework rooted in mātauranga Māori supporting teams and organisations, especially with collaborative and complex work.

Community Constellation Member Feature: Ara Taiohi

The young people of Aotearoa are remarkable. They are creative, engaged, driven and care deeply about their communities.

I spoke with Jane Zintl, CEO of Ara Taiohi, for this panui and she spoke so beautifully of the role youth work organisation play in young people’s lives. Success for a youth organisation is when they can fade into the background and the many strengths of young people take centre stage. The youth organisations provide support, guidance and resources to give the space for young people to shine.  

This strengths-based worldview is what Jane envisions for the youth of Aotearoa. Ara Taiohi is the peak body for youth development in Aotearoa and their primary role is advocacy, and capacity and capability development for the youth sector. They are the kaitiaki for the youth work code of ethics and also provide additional training and development for youth workers.  Ara Taiohi also coordinate a range of initiatives such as the Youth Week activities and the Involve conference being held in August this year. 

Folks who work in youth development can be anything from zoo staff, to pastors and police officers. Ara Taiohi is an ever-expanding community that supports all forms of youth development and youth work. However, like many organisations, the flax roots approach to youth work is under financial strain. The potential consequence of tightening budgets is resulting in the loss of the relationship building and a move away from a strengths-based approach to one that fits funding criteria. This shift is concerning for Jane and many others in the sector, who know firsthand that an uplifting and relational interaction can mean a lot to young people.  

Jane illustrated this beautifully with a story about a young person who expressed admiration for a violent dictator to a youth worker – a comment which is bound to give anyone pause. The response to this interaction could have gone any number of ways – one that sent them further down the rabbit hole of alt right propaganda or one that opened up a conversation. 

The youth worker chose the latter, inviting them out for some kai and a kōrero. The youth worker became genuinely curious about how this perspective had formed and it was through this curiosity that there was an opportunity to build trust, fill in knowledge gaps and offer another perspective. The young person was not treated as a problem to be fixed but rather, someone to engage with. It is these types of interactions’ youth workers have that can quietly but powerfully change the course of a young person’s life.  

When there is a genuine and relentless belief in the many strengths of the youth of Aotearoa, we see rangatahi stepping into leadership opportunities and engaging with their communities. Ara Taiohi is providing the platform, tools, resources, and networks to support youth workers to do just that. 

Whakamanawa 2025 – The National Social Services Conference

Whakamanawa is a conference that inspires, encourages, and connects us, bringing kotahitanga across the social sector. It’s about uniting our collective knowledge, skills, and passion so we can all return to our communities and hapori refreshed, ready to continue making a real difference.

INVOLVE 2025

It’s not too late to register for INVOLVE happening 7-8 August!

INVOLVE is the national conference for youth development in Aotearoa. It is the biggest event in the youth sector’s calendar! INVOLVE acts as a meeting place for the entire sector – anyone who works with or for young people – to gather, share and learn.