Guest speaker Mr English was invited to cut the ribbon to officially open the new centre in Frankton yesterday.
"I remember my parents talking a lot about how we're all going to hell in a handcart and nothing's the way it used to be and civilisation is breaking down, and I can say it now that they've both passed away, they were wrong," he told the audience of more than 100 people.
"We see so many families who are tight-knit, supportive, dealing with holding down jobs and paying bills and raising these wonderful young New Zealanders.
"I go to public meetings and it's generally older people who turn up and it only takes about five minutes before someone says young people aren't what they used to be.
"And I agree with them," Mr English said.
"I say no they're not, they're actually better.
"These kids you see here today, as they get older, you'll see them get more confident, more competent in a lot of things and better-rounded individuals than we were ourselves, and that gives me a lot of hope for where our country's going to go."
