Springboard, North Harbour Rugby and Kennards Hire unite to inspire New Zealand's youth

On Saturday 9 August, 15 young people had the unique opportunity to spend a memorable day out at North Harbour Rugby Stadium. Courtesy of an initiative developed between Kennards Hire, the Kennards Hire Foundation and Springboard, and with the goal of guiding and inspiring them towards a brighter future, these rangatahi heard first-hand accounts of leadership, teamwork and learned about the 'Harbour Way' which centres around community, connection and integrity.

For this special event, the young group from Springboard, a non-profit charity dedicated to uplifting disadvantaged youth, visited North Harbour Rugby Stadium in Albany, Auckland to meet the team, tour the stadium - exploring areas usually reserved for the players and team staff, and enjoy an exciting Bunnings NPC battle from VIP seats in a corporate suite, between North Harbour and Taranaki.

NPC Manager, Brad Boult, shared some of the lessons and values he had learnt and implemented with the players from the rugby field into their lives, and vice versa – skills like resilience, teamwork, and leading by example.

Having taken a non-traditional education and career path, Richard White, Kennards Hire New Zealand General Manager, also took the opportunity to speak with the youth attending.

Passionate about inspiring rangatahi to stay optimistic and forge their own way in life, Richard said, "Not having taken the typical 'suit and tie' career route to get to where I am today, I wanted to help kids see that there's more than one path to success.

"As a business, we can't be prouder of the work we do alongside the Kennards Hire Foundation and their respective partners. Whenever we can, we leverage our resources to help the Foundation achieve its vision of empowering disadvantaged young people across Aotearoa, and lifting up whole communities as a result," Richard explained.

The aim of the game was to show the young people a good time, create an accepting environment, and provide an engaging experience which would hopefully leave a lasting impact.

Adrian Donald, Chief Executive, North Harbour Rugby Union, said, "We were excited to host the Springboard team in conjunction with Kennards Hire during our match against Taranaki. The work that Kennards Hire does supporting initiatives and charities like Springboard is second-to-none and makes us proud to be a partner of theirs – supporting their goal of uplifting the greater community."

Opportunities like these, and wider programmes offered by organisations such as Springboard, are crucial in addressing the harsh reality facing many youths in New Zealand, who are exposed to a range of interconnected challenges which put them at risk, including unemployment, poverty, domestic violence, and mental health issues.

Dan Gray, General Manager at Springboard, said, "Our young people are rarely exposed to opportunities that existed beyond their normal activity. New experiences like these show them different ways that they can engage with the world around them. We want to open up a world of possibilities for our kids to see. While for the most part, rugby might not have been the main attraction for our young people, it was an opportunity to get away from their day-to-day, do something different and fun, and be with their tutors and around people who believed in them.

"It was also a wonderful opportunity for our team to engage with the young people under their wing in a positive experience, and to feel the reward of working in this space through engaging in such an event."

The Kennards Hire Foundation has been proud to partner with Springboard since 2018. Kennards Hire Foundation CEO Mei Ling Ho added, "This experience with North Harbour Rugby wasn't just about the game, it was about inspiring young people to see themselves as capable leaders, just like the players they looked up to.

"Many of these players have also faced significant challenges in their lives and have learnt the skills and tools to overcome these and achieve amazing things. In addition to a fun day out, this was an opportunity to provide young people with positive role models and remind them what is possible."

If you would like to read more about how Kennards Hire contributes to lifting up communities, visit: kennards.com.au/community-support