Good Neighbour Aotearoa Trust, established in 2011, is dedicated to community support in the Bay of Plenty. The organisation provides practical help, opportunities, and human connection to vulnerable people in the region. Their initiatives include facilitating community projects, managing community gardens and a firewood centre, operating a care team and a food rescue programme, and running the Good Neighbour kitchen.

In 2022, the Wright Family Foundation provided funding to launch Good Neighbour’s pilot of the Skills for Life Toolbox. Initially aimed at teenage boys at risk of disengaging from school, this comprehensive training and mentoring programme offers learning in practical skills, both culinary and beyond. These skills encompass hygiene, food safety, knife skills, cooking, hospitality, work ethic, forklift operation, changing a car tyre, fishing, and teamwork. The programme supports students in becoming positive and contributing members of society while also enabling them to gain NCEA credits.

The Skills for Life team works individually with students, offering dedicated mentoring and access to a Strengths Finders coach. This coaching helps students uncover their natural talents and potential future pathways. This journey of self-discovery and empowerment is a continuous thread throughout the programme, aiming to build greater confidence and self-worth by celebrating their achievements.

The Skills for Life Toolbox Programme has proven highly successful and is now in demand by other schools, with significant growth anticipated within the next three years.

The Wright Family Foundation is proud to continue its funding of Good Neighbour, ensuring access to the resources individuals need to thrive. Our combined focus remains on providing a hand up, not a handout.

https://goodneighbour.co.nz/