Sir Graeme rallies social workers to make a difference

Sir Graeme Dingle took to the stage in Hamilton for the annual Thriving in the 21st Century conference, inspiring others to take action in helping the youth of New Zealand.

Dingle is the founder of the Graeme Dingle Foundation which aims to inspire youth to reach their full potential, 

Its flagship programmes such as Kiwi Can, Stars, and Career Navigator, work with youth aged 5-18, teaching them basic morals and how to communicate with each other. 

The conference, hosted by Community Waikato, was held at the Distinction Hotel in Te Rapa, and was a chance for professionals in the social service industry to come together and develop new ideas for improving their services.

Conference coordinator, Anne Douglas, said Dingle was a perfect choice to speak to the region’s social workers.

“It just felt like a really nice fit for Sir Graeme to speak. His aspirations for youth as well as the opportunities he can provide for them make him a valuable person to learn from.”

Dingle was the first keynote speaker of the day as he looked to help those in the audience learn how to further help kiwi youth.

“This is a huge opportunity to get people in the Waikato working together, take a look at what we are doing, and ask whether we are really making a difference,” Dingle said

The Graeme Dingle Foundation currently has the Kiwi Can, Stars and Career Navigator programmes set up in the Waikato but there are plans to grow it further.

“It’s highly likely that the Siblings of Offenders programme will come to Hamilton,” Dingle said.

“I think it will prove to be a huge asset and if it can steer kids away from the paths of their brothers and sisters, then that’s a great achievement.”

One hole that the foundation is trying to fill is extending its programmes to rural communities across the country.

“We found it really difficult to sustain Kiwi Can in places like Te Kuiti because of the lack of funding. So we are developing an online Kiwi Can programme for teachers to download and teach to their students,” Dingle said.

The online programme is currently in development but is set to be trialed in 2018.