About us - Our Project
Involving youth in our communities develops and nurtures a culture of civic engagement and active citizenship. Young people develop a sense of social responsibility by participating in their communities, volunteering and advocating for important causes.
Acts of kindness have been shown to boost positivity, improve self esteem and enhance overall emotional wellbeing. By promoting kindness, we can create a supportive and compassionate environment that nurtures the mental health of young individuals, helping them flourish and thrive.
Our complete programme has enormous flexibility to fit in with the school curriculum. We are happy for you to participate in all or part of our programme to suit your school. The programme is completely free of charge.
If you would like your school or young person to be part of our exciting project please contact us. We are always available to discuss any aspect of our programme.
About Us - Our Team
Ann Montier - Trustee
A belief in the power of young people to connect with their community for the good of all has influenced my actions over the last decade or so. I have been involved in volunteering since a teenager and appreciated the benefits to both physical and mental health that this brings.
I owned a successful Florist business for 20 years in the United Kingdom and from there went on to manage and serve as a Trustee of a Volunteer Centre. It was there that I developed a particular interest in promoting and encouraging youth volunteering. This led to an Award from the High Sheriff (the Queen's representative) “For encouraging young people to engage with their community in a voluntary capacity”
We purchased our first property in NZ in 2012 and with the onset of Covid decided that this was the Country in which we wanted to live permanently.
In 2021 I joined a Charitable Trust on the Pohutukawa Coast as a Trustee responsible for looking after their volunteers and starting a Youth Project. As the programme was so successful and their Deed limited us to working on the Coast, Claire and I decided to form Youth Project NZ to enable us to spread our ideas to a wider community.
I have a son and daughter and four grandchildren.
Claire Edmondson, Project Manager
I have known I wanted to work with children from an early age, starting with volunteering at a residential home for children with disabilities. I trained in early childhood at the Norland College in England before starting my career with a live-in nanny position. Following this I worked at Guys hospital in London joining the nursing team as a nursery nurse. This led me to train as a Hospital Play Specialist, specialising in children’s oncology and bereavement care.
I moved to New Zealand in 2004 after meeting my Kiwi husband in the UK. I have continued my work with children working as a learning assistant at a local Primary School and volunteering at Stand Children's Service. In 2019 I completed a beginners course in New Zealand Sign Language.
I was employed in 2022 by a Charitable Trust on the Pohutukawa Coast to set up and run a Kindness Programme in local Primary Schools. The whole youth programme was so successful and because their Deed limited us to working on the Pohutukawa Coast, Ann and I decided to form Youth Project NZ. This has enabled us to offer this exciting programme to a wider area.
I am a proud Mum of two teenage boys.
