180 Degrees works with neurodiverse young people who have dropped out of school or may have issues with addiction and have been referred by the Ministry of Education, Oranga Tamariki, The Police or Youth Justice. These young people are often from lower socio-economic backgrounds and lack the opportunities that other young people have. For various reasons, they do not have access to outdoor recreation and haven’t been able to experience the Canterbury high country.
In 2023, the Sutherland Self Help Trust gave 180 Degrees a grant of $10,000 to help them run their Southern Alps Traverse expedition, taking at risk young people on the Southern Alps traverse, and mentoring them in preparation and working alongside them.
“One of the four that 180 Degrees took on the expedition was one of New Zealand’s most prolific car thieves and involved in numerous ram raids. She was in fact the star of the group on our expedition, being resilient and also was able to buoy her team members along the way. We continued to work with her after the expedition and we see that she is at a turning point in her life.”
Because the four young people were very inexperienced in the Canterbury high Country and outdoor adventure activities in general, a lot of mentoring was required and also many shorter practice trips in order to ensure that these four at risk youth could successfully complete the Southern Alps traverse.
180 Degrees Trust are hugely grateful to the Southerland Self Help Trust Grant for helping enable the expeditions to go ahead, meaning at risk youth can get the support they need, which in turn, strengthens the community.