Our Story

The Lions Den was created by Central and South Taranaki Youth Development Trust in partnership with the Stratford Police and with support from Toko, Stratford, and Kaponga Lions at the end of 2009 to reduce youth offending. The project achieved great outcomes with young people and significantly reduced offending. Central and South Taranaki Youth Development Trust amalgamated with other organisations to create Tūtaki Youth Inc. in 2012. The new multi-purpose youth facility was opened in mid-2013 which provides youth, social and health services as well as a community gym.

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  Tūtaki Youth Inc. continues work in partnership with Police Youth Development to provide projects that prevent and reduce youth offending. A very successful element of the Lions Den is the one-on-one sessions between a young person and a mentor. This provides the young person with the opportunity to build confidence, develop discipline, identify their strengths, introduce them to living a healthy lifestyle and spend time with a positive role model. Group work is also undertaken with children and young people in a structured environment.

While the Lions Den continues to give young people opportunities to change their path, it has now been developed into a place that the whole community can benefit from and enjoy.