Who we are

Raise Up is YMCA's youth development programme

Raise Up is YMCA's youth development programme for young people aged 12 - 18. It is run by youth for youth and operates from locations across New Zealand. Established at YMCA Massey, West Auckland in 2002, Raise Up has been built on the long and successful history YMCA has had working with youth in local communities. Raise Up activities include a mixture of regular weekly activities, events, workshops and personal development options. These are tailored to the interests of youth in each region and could include sports, music, dance, fashion, leadership training, art and much more.

Raise Up has been designed to offer youth a safe and positive environment in which to relax, socialise and achieve their goals.  

The programme is run by Raise Up crews who are a group of selected young people representing youth in the community. They are the organising committee and driving force behind many of the events and activities operated for youth throughout YMCA. 

The Raise Up crew consists of 15-20 members selected from local high schools. Young people can apply to join the crew and go through an easy selection process. Volunteering their time for approximately two hours per week, they meet, plan and implement events, weekly activities, outdoor days and educational workshops for their peers. They learn skills such as leadership and event management.