Our crew doesn’t just support our community and visitors while on the edge of the bungy platform, they also like to lend a hand with local organisations doing good. Having a safe and comfortable place to turn to in the good and bad moments of life is key for anyone; the Whakatipu Youth Trust is making that possible for young Kiwis in Queenstown with the help of AJ Hackett Bungy crew and a network of other organisations.
The Whakatipu Youth Trust is a non-profit organisation that supports young people to have the skills, self-worth, well-being, resilience and support they need to reach their full potential, often providing mild to moderate mental health services like counselling and social work.
Alongside their other programmes, the trust operates a free drop-in space called ‘The Loft’ for young people to hang out with activities, food, and more. The space has a lovely open plan filled with comfy chairs to decompress from the day and chat with friends, heaps of board games to choose from, and even ping pong and pool tables!
To ensure the space can be open when young people want to drop in and disconnect for a while, volunteers are always needed in The Loft to prepare kai and supervise the fun – that’s where a few of our team members come in.
Our crew have begun to volunteer at The Loft on Wednesdays to welcome any young people that drop-in, make sure they’re fed and comfortable, facilitate games and generally make the space a place where our young Kiwis can leave their worries at the door for a few hours.
Volunteers prepare sandwiches and snacks with food donated by KiwiHarvest, an organisation saving good food from waste and landfill and redistributing it to those who need a meal. With over 12 million kilos of food rescued from waste since 2012, KiwiHarvest knows what it takes to nourish communities while simultaneously reducing the environmental harm of food waste. As is so often the case in communities and neighbourhoods, the partnership between the Whakatipu Youth Trust, KiwiHarvest, and volunteers is crucial to rally around the cause.
“Volunteering at Wakatipu youth trust is an absolute blast! Every moment spent there is an opportunity to make a positive impact. From the staff who run it, to the people who attend are awesome to be around, they’ve even got a wicked drum kit!” – Bungy Crew
If you would like to volunteer your time for the Whakatipu Youth Trust alongside our crew, find out more here.
AJ Hackett Bungy has been operating in the Queenstown community since 1988 and we value the importance of giving back with time, mahi, and intention. Volunteering with the Whakatpiu Youth Trust is just one of the ways we give back, find out more about our social purpose and other community support initiatives here.
