“Rainbow’s End is the ‘best day ever,’ according one of the 120 youth who attended Blue Light’s Rainbow’s End Fundays last weekend on 7 and 8 September with North Harbour Blue Light.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to engage with the youth, be approachable, and show NZ Police in a positive light,” says Sarah Gormly, North Harbour Blue Light Branch Coordinator, for whom Rainbow’s End Fundays are a highlight of their annual programmes calendar.
“Each year, North Harbour Blue Light selects three local intermediates to offer tickets to their Year 7 and 8 students. This year, we invited students from Wairau Intermediate, Northcross Intermediate, and Albany Junior High School to join in the fun” Sarah adds.
Photo Above: Wairau Intermediate School students and NZ Police at Blue Light’s Rainbow’s End Fundays, 7 and 8 September 2024.
Rainbow’s End Fundays sees Police, who volunteer their time with Blue Light through a unique MOU, not only support and interact with young people, but also join them on the rides such as ‘Stratosfear’, ‘Fearfall’ and ‘Invader’.
“It’s about being able to provide Police with an opportunity to engage with young people in a relaxed and enjoyable setting so they can build positive connections” says Blue Light CEO Brendon Crompton.
“It’s an important event for us because it allows us to connect with youth in a fun environment, which helps break down barriers and build relationships that carry through to our other community work,” says Sarah.
North Harbour Blue Light’s participation in the event was made possible thanks to the support of local sponsors. “A huge thanks to Grassroots Trust for sponsoring our bus transport this year and Waitemata Local Board for sponsoring some tickets for our young people to attend.”
Fundays sees young people selected by Blue Light branches as far away as Kaikohe in the North, and Taranaki and Turangi Blue Light in the South. The annual Rainbow’s End Fundays, which have been run by Blue Light for over 30 years, also rewards young people for their school attendance, behaviour and service roles to such as road patrollers and peer mentors to attend.
While the young people were racing around on rides, Blue Light staff and Green by Nature volunteers kept the food flowing with a non-stop BBQ cooking a total of over 3,000 sausages over the Fundays event.
Blue Light would like to thank its partner Green by Nature, local community sponsors and supporters that enabled so many young people to attend Rainbow’s End Fundays this year.
Photo Above L to R: Green by Nature volunteers with Green by Nature Director Cameron Parr and Blue Light CEO Brendon Crompton with Police and young people attending Rainbow’s End Fundays 7 and 8 September 2024.
About Green by Nature
Green by Nature designs breathtaking landscapes and open spaces, transforming blank blocks into stunning destinations. We craft vibrant environments that imbue developments with a sense of place. Drawing on our 120-year heritage as green space nurturers, we are powered by Green Options, Recreational Services, Skyline Landscape Services and Super Gardens. Green by Nature exists to drive positive change to green spaces, communities, and our environments across Australasia.
