CACTUS EMPOWERED WITH NEW SPONSOR
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- Marlborough youth programme gets boost
Marlborough Lines chief executive Tim Cosgrove says the company is to sponsor the Marlborough Youth Trust $30,000 a year for three years to deliver the CACTUS programme in Marlborough.
CACTUS has programmes in Blenheim and Picton, with more than 650 youth people going through courses in Blenheim alone since 2008. Young people take part in the course for eight weeks, three mornings a week between 6am and 7am, building up to “The Longest Day”, when all their skills are put together in a series of exercises.
Tim says the CACTUS programme is aligned with Marlborough Lines’ sponsorship policy, as it supports Marlborough youth and is a well-established programme.
“It has a good spread across the region, and is really youth-focused… the programme is already in place, it’s well-run and has clearly demonstrated results.
“It’s the sort of thing proud to support and commit to.” Marlborough Youth Trust trustee and police officer Dean Buckley says the proof of CACTUS’ success is its longevity. “If it wasn’t as successful, it wouldn’t be going still.” He says the course helps youth in all aspects, improving their resilience and teamwork among other things.
“It’s quite powerful on the CV as well. Often young people don’t have much to put on their CV, but this is great. Employers see this young person has a bit of go, a bit of commitment.”
CACTUS alumni Tyrin Aberhart and Ashleigh McElhinney encouraged other youth people to give the programme a go. Tyrin says he 100 per cent recommended it. “It motivated me to go out and do stuff, to meet more people.”
Ashleigh says it helped her push herself harder mentally. She says she found it more challenging mentally than physically, especially having to get out of bed early and push herself.
“They really push you. "Youth mentor Reuben Molnar says CACTUS is an “awesome” programme.
“From day one, to the finish of the programme, huge improvements in self-confidence, fitness levels, and building a connection, building a tribe, and able to connect into other things we do, events and other activities.”
Marlborough Youth Trust chair Russell Smith says the course really has a long-lasting effect.
“This sponsorship will give certainty to a programme that we know has results. It means our staff time can be put into things we want to be doing like youth development rather than chasing their tails to find finance to make things work,” he says.
“We’re very very happy that Marlborough Lines have come on board.”
Jared's Story
Jared, another Blenheim CACTUS participant said before the course that he wanted to improve fitness and gain team-skills and develop teamwork.
He said that he really enjoyed the teamwork aspect of the CACTUS course and felt he'd developed the skills he was seeking, allowing him to work confidently in a team environment. Jared was also impressed with how fit he became and said it was easy becoming fit because of the fact that there was a time-table to which they were all working and the training was structured. He found training with others enjoyable.
Jared says he is still involved in sport but feels less motivated now that he is not in the CACTUS training environment. He is keen to be selected for any advanced course that Blenheim CACTUS may run in the future.
He said that he really enjoyed the teamwork aspect of the CACTUS course and felt he'd developed the skills he was seeking, allowing him to work confidently in a team environment. Jared was also impressed with how fit he became and said it was easy becoming fit because of the fact that there was a time-table to which they were all working and the training was structured. He found training with others enjoyable.
Jared says he is still involved in sport but feels less motivated now that he is not in the CACTUS training environment. He is keen to be selected for any advanced course that Blenheim CACTUS may run in the future.
Libby's Story
Libby took part in the Blenheim CACTUS programme in the first term of 2009. She was fairly fit physically before starting the programme, but listed her aims as wanting to increase fitness and to develop some leadership skills.
When I spoke to her some months after her course had finished she said that she had definitely become more fit as a result of the training. She said that the discipline side of CACTUS had assisted her in developing structure in the way in which she approached her school work, and this had improved her results.
Libby said that she felt more confident and capable as a result of the things she achieved during the course and that had helped her to feel less intimidated by leadership type roles.
She said 'The Longest Day' was the most difficult part of the course and potentially the part where anyone taking part would want to give up, but she said when you are working as a part of a team, you don't want to let the team down so you find the strength to carry on.
When I spoke to her some months after her course had finished she said that she had definitely become more fit as a result of the training. She said that the discipline side of CACTUS had assisted her in developing structure in the way in which she approached her school work, and this had improved her results.
Libby said that she felt more confident and capable as a result of the things she achieved during the course and that had helped her to feel less intimidated by leadership type roles.
She said 'The Longest Day' was the most difficult part of the course and potentially the part where anyone taking part would want to give up, but she said when you are working as a part of a team, you don't want to let the team down so you find the strength to carry on.
