12 June, 2026
Urgent call to action! Community advocate John Bothwell, pictured, is on a mission. He’s calling on Katikati to act quickly and support a campaign he’s heading to keep a vital youth programme running locally. The Poutama - Pathway Into Employment programme will end on
June 30 after the Ministry of Social Development decided not to award Katikati Community Centre a new contract. Since commencing in 2022, Poutama had supported 209 rangatahi (youth) from Katikati, Waihī, Waihī Beach, Ōmokoroa
and surrounding communities. The programme had also helped 158 young people successfully transition into employment, further education, or training. “Losing Poutama would be a significant loss for our community, and we can’t let
that happen,” Bothwell said. He’s creating a ‘Friends of Poutama’ group to fundraise to help save Poutama. “If central government cannot continue funding this programme, then we as a community have a duty of care to help.” Find out more on pages 4-5. Photo / Merle Cave