New Zealand's first purpose-built Youth Hub opens in Christchurch

New Zealand's first purpose-built Youth Hub has finally opened its doors, after more than a decade of planning, fundraising, and construction.

The $21 million, 1830sq metre first stage was officially opened on Thursday by the governor-general.

Youth Hub Trust chair Dame Sue Bagshaw has spent her career fighting for young people, including as a primary care youth specialist, opening the city's first free youth health centre, a stint in academia, and dedicating herself to bringing the Youth Hub Te Hurihanga ō Rangatahi to fruition.

The kernel for the co-location approach came after 198 Youth Health Centre, which Bagshaw founded in 1995, became 298 Youth after the Canterbury earthquakes, when a group of more than a dozen providers moved to a site on Barbadoes Street.

Bagshaw described that as "proof of concept" that bringing organisations together helped both providers and young people.

Determined to develop the concept further, the search for land began, and after numerous knock backs from city leaders, funders and government, the trust settled on the site of the former Canterbury Bowling Club site. In 2018, Anglican Care purchased the Salisbury Street site in order to lease it to the trust at a peppercorn rent.

But inner city neighbours pushed back, with the Victoria Neighbourhood Association appealing the council's decision to grant resource consents, citing "disturbance, safety issues and noise", and claiming the hub could affect their property values.

The parties eventually reached agreement through an Environment Court mediation process.

At Thursday's opening, Dame Sue said the community had come around, with warm feedback from neighbours who had come on a preview tour of the eco-friendly complex the night before.

"It's come out much better than they thought."

The facility will provide wrap-around care for the city's youth, including mental health, medical and educational services, employment and training, recreation, creativity and social entrepreneurship.

It will also provide accommodation for up to 22 young people (ages 16 - 24) for three to 18 months, as long as they are actively looking for education, training or work.

Dame Sue said she hoped the hub would provide young people a place to call their own.

"We have deteriorating rates of youth mental health and well-being and we need to try different things if we want to turn this around."

The first stage includes a "one stop shop" of more than a dozen youth providers including Te Tahi Youth, Voyce Whakarongo Mai and Youthline, as well as an outdoor activity courtyard.

The 22 bed supported housing wing, which will be managed by the Methodist Mission, will open early in the New Year, while stage two, a recreation and events centre, will be built in 2025.

The 128m2 events centre will host a range of activities, including music, sport, drama, talks and creative arts.

Last month, Christchurch City Council approved a $2 million grant to support stage two of development.

The Youth Hub Trust continues to fund-raise to build another wing of housing, along with communal spaces including a café, creative arts spaces, carving workshop and garden areas.

"It's all really about healing," Dame Sue said.

"Rangitahi in Ōtautahi especially been through a lot - the earthquakes, the mosque shootings, Covid, the fires. People don't really realise what impact the earthquakes had on the brain development of children and young people, and we're living through that impact right now in Ōtautahi.

"Our young people need extra help, and that's why this is here - because they need that healing, and need that place where they can come to create and maintain their mental health."

Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, who opened the first stage by unveiling a plaque and planting a kahikatea, said the centre would elevate the way care was provided to young people, and she hoped it would become the first of many hubs around the country.

She acknowledged the determination of Dame Sue "to give young people the best possible shot at life. I can do nothing but admire your efforts and perseverance at achieving that dream".

Christchurch City councillor Yani Johanson welcomed the hub, which was "an important step forward for the city".

It was frustrating it had taken so long to get the hub up and running, especially when it should have been prioritised in the wake of the earthquakes.

"The sadness for me is that after the earthquakes we knew that some of the poorest, most marginalised people would be the ones with the biggest impacts. The fact a youth hub wasn't one of the biggest priorities for the city and government was a real shame and a lost opportunity."

Johanson said he admired the work so many had done over years to advocate, get funding, and make the hub a reality.

"These investments are really important as a city - they pay extraordinary dividends that are often immeasurable in their outcomes, but make a huge difference."

Collectively, "we should be judged by how we treat our most vulnerable, so investment into places like this is absolutely critical across health, philanthropy, and local government," Johanson said.

The Bagshaws were personal role models when he was younger, and he said he was one of many in the city who had benefited from the support and encouragement of Dame Sue and her husband, Dr Phil Bagshaw, who founded the Canterbury Charity Hospital.

"They're incredible people, we're so lucky to have them in our city."