Ashburton Youth Festival Competition Results

9 Dec 05

Three Ashburton young people won prizes for their correct entries in the What’s Up problem-solving competition, run at last Saturday’s Youth Council’s X-posure Youth Event 05 in Ashburton.

David Gosney, won the main prize of an Apple iPod Shuffle, while Rebecca McGee and Lisa Kenny won the consolation prizes of biscuits and snacks donated by Griffin’s Foods Limited, a key sponsor of What’s Up. Their names were drawn at random from 39 correct entries (out of 92 in total).

“We were really pleased to see how many entrants had correct answers to the competition questions,” says Grant Taylor, the Executive Director of What’s Up, the national telephone counselling service for children and young people.

What’s Up designed the competition to raise awareness of the issues children and young people face in their everyday lives and highlight the skills used to address those problems.

“The results show that a great many young people are able to deal with their problems very well,” says Grant. “Nearly all the entrants recognised that when something bad happens, the best thing to do is think carefully about what the problem actually is, what they are good at and who can help, and then come up with a plan that will make things at least a bit better.”

The What’s Up stand was staffed by volunteers from What’s Up sponsor White Pages®.

Anyone aged between five and 18 can speak free of charge to one of What’s Up’s professional counsellors between noon and midnight, seven days a week including holidays on 0800 WHATSUP (0800 9428787).