Foundation for Youth Development - growing confident Kiwi kids

The Foundation for Youth Development, founded by Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson, is a leading organisation managing proven youth development programmes aimed to inspire school aged children to reach their full potential. Through the Foundation for Youth Development's current programmes Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K help 17,000 young people each year to be confident, healthy individuals who contribute positively to society.

Stars supports Year 9 students as they make the often overwhelming and daunting transition into secondary school. The programme is integrated into the school year and encourages the growth of strong school communities by bringing junior and senior students together through weekly peer mentoring, activities and community projects, with guidance and support from teachers. The programme begins with a week long Adventure Camp.

Kiwi Can is the life skills and values programme targeted at 5 to 12 year olds. Students throughout a whole school attend weekly Kiwi Can lessons, every week of the school year and study themes such as how to handle bullying and to be responsible for their own actions. Lessons help increase their physical fitness, mental awareness and creative abilities.

Project K works with smaller groups of Year 10 (14-15 year olds) students, who are selected through a survey which identifies a lack of self-confidence and other factors which are holding their development back. The students complete a three week Wilderness Adventure aimed at providing challenges and fostering the growth of self-confidence, a ten day Community Challenge to develop life skills and a knowledge of community resources, and a year-long mentoring partnership with a adult volunteer which provides support and encouragement toward the achievement of goals.

      

    

The James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor is proud to be a sponsor to The Mary Potter Hospice located in Wellington. Our staff are involved in street collections, luncheons, and assisting with events such as the strawberries & ice ¨Ccream day to raise funds.

The first Hospice in New Zealand - the Mary Potter - was established in 1979 at Calvary Hospital in Wellington. In February 1988, the Little Company of Mary gifted the Hospice to the people of Wellington.

Other fundraising activities and charities that the Hotel are involved with in the local Wellington community include Ronald McDonald House for cancer patients, Daffodil Day for cancer research and Loud Shirt Day for deaf children

Shirts shout for charity
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor General Manager, Nigel Harper and executive housekeeper, Denise Thornton bypassed corporate style in favour of their loudest shirts to raise $1,400 for deaf and hearing-impaired children on Loud Shirt Day in September. The marble walkway through the hotel¡¯s busy reception area was festooned with overly-colourful shirts belonging to staff members, encouraging corporate Wellington to discard their business shirts for their loudest shirts and support a worthy cause.

Harper says he had no problem convincing the 180-strong staff to swap their hotel uniforms for their loudest shirts and a donation.
Loud Shirt Day is the annual appeal of The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme, two charities dedicated to enabling deaf children with a cochlear implant to listen and speak like their hearing peers. Last year, more than 500 organisations participated in Loud Shirt Day raising $70,000 for deaf children.

As reported in Meeting Newz November/December 2008 edition

Salvation Army
Sleeping Out for the Salvos, proudly supported by the Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, will see Hobart's elite business leaders, politicians and famous faces sleeping out in the cold for an evening to highlight the growing issue of homelessness in Tasmania. Our committed participants, including General Manager Ralph Freckelton, will be under the stars on Thursday 18th June in the forecourt of the Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart having just a sample of the challenges faced by 'the last, the lost and the least' whom society often forgets, but The Salvos never will.
For more information, visit www.salvationarmy.org.au/sleepingout

Festival of Voices

Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart is a proud partner and major supporter of Festival of Voices, Australia's festival of choirs held annually in July. This inclusive festival presents a rich programme of youth, gospel, classical, sacred, popular and world music and is filled with performances, vibrant social gatherings, a nightly Festival Club and the camaraderie of singers.
For more information, visit www.festivalofvoices.com

In support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Hotel Grand Chancellor Melbourne held a ‘Pink Ribbon Breakfast' on the 27th of October 2008.

Encore Café was decorated in all shades of pink, with table runners and napkins plus pink floral centre pieces and pink balloons hanging from the ceiling. The event was a great success and through the generosity of guests on the morning, the hotel raised $400 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Throughout the month of October the hotel sold merchandise to staff and guests. At the end of the month they were able to donate a total of $750.00 to this worthy cause.