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Those of you in NZ!

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  • 13-03-2010 8:07am
    #1
    Crumble Froo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭


    Good chance nobody here cares, but over the last week I've become quite involved with the campaign to keep Youth 198 Health Centre open.

    For those who haven't seen it in the news or that, Youth 198 is a free health centre for everyone from age 10-25. That's free GPs, nurses, social workers, counsellors, sexual health, peer support, alcohol and drug counsellors. It was set up because youth are the demographic that is statistically least likely to use health facilities, with cost and confidentiality as major issues.

    Basically the District Health Board have cut their funding and as a result, they are closing down, after about 15 years of running. Not only that, but this was the first one-stop health centre for youth, and most of the 14 others in the country were modelled on this one.

    It's gotten a wee bit of media attention in the last couple of weeks, but it seems to be gaining momentum a bit.

    There's going to be a rally at Latimer Square on Friday 19th to protest its closure. There will be free food and bands and possibly a couple of businesses etc with their own stalls. Any and all support you can give is hugely appreciated.

    There's multiple reasons why I care so much about this, which I can go into if anyone responds to this thread, but anyway, I'll link ye to some of the media coverage and releases from the last week.

    Here's the facebook "Save 198 Youth Health Centre" page.

    Christchurch's 198 Youth Health Centre to close.

    GP, director and founder of 198 - Sue Bagshaw - on TV3's Sunrise.

    Christchurch youth 'will suffer'.

    Mental Health Foundation Deeply Concerned about Youth Health Centre Closing.

    Teen campaign to save youth health centre.

    Any letters to the Press, MPs, the media in general, would be awesome. If you're in the area, attending the rally would also be awesome. Even just joining the facebook group and showing your support.

    Meh, duno if anyone read that, or cares, but figured it'd be worth throwing out there.


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