About Us
Highbury Whānau Centre Organisational Profile
The Highbury Whānau Centre was established in the early 80’s, by a group of concerned parents as a reaction to negative youth behaviours that the communities of Highbury, Takaro and Westbrook, Palmerston North, were experiencing at this time.
Since then, the organisation has played an integral part within the provision of youth and community development activities, services and programmes to the communities of Highbury, Takaro & Westbrook and the wider city.
The organisation has continued to grow, and currently provides youth, Whānau and community services that encompass the realms of education, recreation, community development and social services. The Highbury Whānau Centre has a solid and robust reputation, locally, nationally & internationally of working with children, Rangatahi and their whānau to support and progress youth, health, education, recreation, community and social development.
The Centre has developed a positive working relationship with Crown and non-government sector organisations to provide youth, whānau & community-orientated services, with a specific expertise with Rangatahi Māori, within a urban Māori paradigm.
The Highbury Whānau Centre developed a strong and supportive working relationship within the youth and community development sectors locally and nationally. Some of these relationships have been formalised within MoU between organisations, where a collective ethos and skill sets can ensure we service our communities of need. This has developed to include frequent consultation processes on best practice and organisational growth, development and sustainability.
Through these closer working relationships a collaborative framework has been developed that supports the capacity to provide services that would complement the existing array that were being provided from collective agencies, as well as provide an avenue to scope future developments within youth development and would assist in the education of new staff, complete the advancement of young people and assist in the progression of service provision to young people and their Whānau within the enhancement of youth health, education, transition, development and justice services.
We believe this relationship is unique and highly valuable within our sector and organisational working environment.
