New look, more action

Wakatipu Youth Trust workers Nathan Baxter and Jacqui Moir in the middle of the nearly finished...
Wakatipu Youth Trust workers Nathan Baxter and Jacqui Moir in the middle of the nearly finished and open Youth Booth on Monday. Photos by James Beech.
The biggest refurbishment of the Youth Booth in the centre's 10-year history will be completed with an official opening tomorrow.

More than 60 invited supporters, contributors, trustees, youth workers, representatives of the Peter Wilding estate and youths will celebrate the newly refurbished facility on Stanley St, made possible through the generosity of the estate and Wakatipu businesses.

The Youth Booth now boasts a new fully equipped kitchen, a flat-screen television, a games console, a computers area and fresh white paint, carpeting and improved lighting, along with the return of the pool and air hockey tables and table tennis.

Administration has been moved upstairs.

Wakatipu Youth Trust worker Fi Sawers stands with painter Blair Routhan, of John Cameron Building...
Wakatipu Youth Trust worker Fi Sawers stands with painter Blair Routhan, of John Cameron Building, inside the Youth Booth at the start of its extensive renovation in early April.
Youth worker Fi Sawers said new opportunities for young people opened with the new-look booth and it would continue to be the base for Youth Week, the 40 Hour Famine appeal, the ASB Leadership Summit, fishing and climbing programmes, the Ultimate Battle of the Musos, Dare and open-house sessions every weekday at 3pm to 6pm.

Ms Sawers said staff hoped to introduce "Friday Night Feeds" using the kitchen "to bring back the art of the long meal" where young people talk to each other over a meal.

There would also be a special launch of the Youth Booth for young people soon, she said.

The booth usually welcomed at least 20 teenagers at any one time in its after-school open-house session.

Harry Dale-Emberton (13), of Dalefield, said the booth "looked pretty cool, lots of new things and we'll be able to do more things.

"I'm doing a cooking class at school, so I might be able to do more of that here."

Kered Waikere (12), of Glenorchy, said the booth was "good and it's going to be really good when the murals go up.

"We've got a new Xbox and the pool's pretty popular."

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