Two national LGBTI youth organisations are to receive a vital funding boost from Minister of Youth, Nikki Kaye. Minister of Youth Nikki Kaye at the Big Gay Out with Prime Minister Bill English and festival goers Kaye has announced that InsideOUT Koaro will receive $30,000 over three years to help it deliver leadership workshops and RainbowYOUTH will receive $20,000 to strengthen the support services it provides, including training, mentoring and educational resources. Both organisations have previously received funding from the Ministry, with $15,000 to InsideOUT Koaro in 2015/2016 and $150,000 over three years to RainbowYOUTH. She says when she became the Minister for Youth there was little in the way of infrastructure to support LGBTI young people. "This new funding is on the back of around half a million dollars I've put into this area over the years to help develop a range of services, from advocacy and education to mentoring and leadership, and there will be more in the future." “We now have a range of trusted partners, including InsideOUT and RainbowYOUTH, who are leading the delivery of services, and we’re also helping smaller local groups provide essential support within their communities.” Asked if there is any link between the funding announcement and a looming general election, Kaye says "No, not at all. Every year I've announced funding and every year we've continued to do more and more so this is business as usual from my perspective and it's crucial that we continue supporting glbti young people to feel secure and included. “We’ve come a long way in New Zealand in terms of embracing diversity. However, LGBTI young people are still more likely than other young people to attempt suicide or self-harm, so there’s still more work to do.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 13th February 2017 - 12:37pm