Mission

‘Next Door’ is a community-based initiative supported by the Young Neighbours Charitable Trust. Recognising that there are isolated communities throughout Aotearoa that have limited access options for secondary school education, we have established relationships that prioritise the educational needs of their rangatahi built in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. Specifically, Next Door funds secondary education opportunities and provides ongoing mentorship to young individuals from isolated communties.

Through fostering genuine relationships with community leaders and youth, Next Door strives to be responsive to the unique needs of these communities and to mitigate educational barriers in a manner that is culturally appropriate and sustainable.

History

Next Door began in 2016. It grew out of the initiative of a small number of young people who have had significant and prolonged contact with some of the more isolated, rural communities in the central and far north of the North Island. This contact has involved frequent visits, living, and working among the local people, learning from them in an almost totally cross-cultural environment, and forming relationships of mutual trust and respect. Next Door began with an invitation from Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi, a school in Te Urewera, to capitalise on the relationships forged over the last ten years. Through this, Next Door began to fund secondary education opportunities for young people from our partner communities. 

Philosophy

Next Door is about forming, building, maintaining and enhancing relationships with isolated, rural communities, we call our ‘neighbours’. These neighbours live in communities that have been radically affected by the social consequences of changes almost totally beyond their control. High unemployment, health concerns, limited educational opportunities, have all contributed to an isolation that is not only geographical, but also psychological and social.

Next Door is not driven by any political theory or ideology. It simply sets out to form strong relationships that will last, and that will help to lessen the various types of isolation suffered by these communities. Next Door connects young people to young people, creating positive connectedness and promoting interdependence.