Welcome to the Papatoetoe Raise Up Crew
Want to get involved in your community? Raise Up is a group of up to 20 young people who are passionate about doing good in their community and creating awesome ways for young people to come together and have some fun.
Thinking of joining the crew? Apply now!
Crew meetings
Mondays 4:30-6:30pm
Kolmar sports centre, Opposite Hunter Plaza
Weekly activity
TBC
Words from your Coordinator
Hello!
My name is Alana, and I am one of the new Youth Development Coordinators for Raise Up. My accent has become a bit of a strange hybrid as I was born in Scotland, spent my childhood living in Vancouver, Canada, and moved to Auckland when I was 11 years old. I spent my teen years living in the beautiful Hibiscus Coast, enjoying the beaches and natural beauty on offer. Now I am based in Mt. Roskill, and I love it!
Before joining Raise Up, I was working as a Sexuality and Health Educator specialising in teaching Tamariki about puberty. I am super well versed in the challenges of going through big transitional life stages during adolescence and all the new experiences and emotions that come along with it, from my professional but also personal experience! I loved working with younger kids, but now I have moved into the youth development space, and I am excited for the new opportunities ahead.
In addition to my passion for health education and mental wellbeing, I also am a big fitness freak and love working out, which inspired me to study Personal Training alongside my own fitness journey. It’s awesome to gain a newfound love of exercise and find something that works for you, whether that be pumping iron at the gym, shooting hoops with friends, or aqua aerobics. My hobbies include frenzied op-shopping, spending time with cats, cooking, and listening to sad music in my car, as well as sauna sessions at the pool.
Raise Up is such an amazing programme for young people. It’s a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone, plan unique events in the community, meet different types of people, and gain valuable experience for future adventures and opportunities. There’s so many possibilities with Raise Up, it’s all led by you! Don’t hesitate to reach out and get in touch, I’m really keen to meet new people and see some amazing things happen. My email is alana.mcconnell@ymcanorth.org.nz.