Community Development

Community Development – The Foundation of Youthline’s work.

Youthline’s vision is to create communities, which relate to the needs of young people, respond to them, and support them to achieve their potential.  Involving the community in this process is fundamental to realising this vision.

The seven elements central to Youthline’s Community Development Model are:

Promote active participation of people in the community.

Engage the community to solve community issues and problems.

Assist the community to understand society’s impact on young people.

Actively working to increase leadership capabilities of community members.

Address and take into account the needs of young people in our community.

Strengthen links with other community agencies.

Use of evidence-based, up-to-date research.

Youthline is an organisation that relies extensively on the involvement of volunteers.  This not only assists the services that Youthline offers, but also benefits the volunteers and community as well.

Studies have shown that when voluntary participation rates in communities increase, so do levels of confidence and personal effectiveness (McClenaghan, 2000; Chinman & Wandersman, 1999; McClenehan & Shanahan, 1996).  Furthermore, research has shown that increasing levels of participation reduces social exclusion and increases the protective factors that increase the quality of individual and community life.

Youthline’s approach is to both develop the capacity of young people to participate in their communities, as well as extending the wider community’s acceptance of the role young people have to play.

A training and development focus, coupled with a community development approach, differentiates Youthline from other agencies.  This approach allows young people to move beyond struggle and focus on realisation of their potential.

For more information relating to Community Development, please call Youthline on (09) 376 6645.