Name- Lee-ann O'Brien (RN and Manager)

Favourite food- Pretty much everything, but I do like the odd coke no sugar!

How long have you worked at Whanake Youth and what do you like best- Debbie Hollebon and I founded Whanake Youth 4 short years ago, so I have been here from the start and gosh it is so exciting! I admire the team we have at Whanake Youth and our collective belief in how awesome young people are!

Piece of Health advice- You are OK, even if it doesn't feel like it, believe in your self, respect yourself and thank mum and dad!

Favourite joke- What does a zombie vegetarian eat? “GRRRAAAAAIIIINNNNS!”

Name- Ruth Rogers (RN-Clinical Lead)

Favourite food- Salt & Vinegar chips

How long working for Whanake Youth and what do you like the best- Two years, and I like that we have been able to start new projects and services to support young people that didn’t exist before!

Piece of health advice- Get outside for some fresh air everyday for exercise and a change of scene, if you don’t feel up to it even just to sit outside in the sun on your front doorstep for 10 minutes will be good for your mind and body!

Favourite joke- One from my six year old daughter- Why do Spiders weave webs? They don’t know how to knit! 

Name-Tania Wright (RN)

Favourite food- I used to be a chef, so I kinda love all of the food. But I especially enjoy ANY food that I don't have to cook myself.  Heads up-  You'll definitely get in my good books if it's Thai or Indian 🙂

How long working for Whanake Youth and what do you like the best- I have been officially working for Whanake Youth(WY) since October 2019 in the Alternative Youth sector. But I did a placement with WY for 5 weeks in April 2019 and decided that I didn't want to leave and told the boss as much.  I LOVE everything about working with WY. The team are amazing and there is so much to learn to from my colleagues. But the BEST thing; by far, is the young people. I get the privilege of working with a dynamic group of young people who teach me every day. I get to draw on my own life experiences to help young people make sense of the world and their own experiences. I also get to give out free stuff. Who wouldn't love that?! It's winning all around 
Piece of health advice- Hmmmm.....The advice I'm giving to myself every day at the moment is simply - Be kind to yourself and BREATHE. Without our mental health in tact...everything else can feel sooo much bigger. 
Favourite joke- Ummm...OK...here's one I got from a xmas cracker 100 years ago. What did the oyster do at the seafood disco? Pulled a Mussel. ( funny on sooo many levels)

Name- Gwyneth or Gwyn (RN)

How long have you been working for Whanake Youth & what do you like the best- I started in March 2020! So not that long! This job is so exciting since I get to work with youth, nurse and hopefully do some outdoor adventures.

What’s your favourite food? Hmm well I do love roast kumara but I don’t get to eat it much since I have no oven ☹ but I also love dark chocolate or a good curry.

Piece of health advice- Wash your hands 😊 And look after yourself – be that going for a walk/bike/run, eating some more chocolate, watching a movie, having a bath, sleeping in, taking some space, asking for help…look after yourself the way you need it. 

Favourite joke- Honestly I’m not that good at remembering jokes but my husband is great at them. One of his favourite (or that he re-tells all the time) is: What do you call a man with no arms and no legs floating in the ocean?? Bob… 

Name- Jess van Arendonk On maternity leave...back late 2021

How long have you been working for Whanake Youth & what do you like the best? -I started working at Whanake Youth September 2019. We had recently moved back to Nelson after living in Melbourne for 10 years and I actually wasn’t going to return to work yet because I had a baby, but then I saw the role at Whanake Youth and knew I just needed to be a part of that awesome team! I support young people to attend their free dental appointments, support youth to do community projects and also get to hang out on the youth program every now and then.

What’s your favourite food? Well at the moment I’m pregnant (yes again!), so it’s more of a question of what won’t I eat? But my favourite foods are definitely Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese or Indian.

Piece of advice you’d give young people? Trust yourself, you’ve got this! Don’t let other people encourage you down their paths. You know who you are and where you want to be, so go do that.

Favourite joke? I always remember Billy T James telling this joke and as a kid it made me laugh so hard.

A piece of string walks into a bar and walks up to the counter. The bartender says, "Sorry mate, we don't serve pieces of string in here."Upset, the piece of string walks out the door. He ties himself in a knot and messes his hair up. He walks back into the bar and approaches the counter. The bartender says, "Oi, aren't you that piece of string from before...?" "No," says the piece of string, "I'm a frayed knot."

Name- Robyn Fenselau (Social worker)

How long have you been working for Whanake Youth & what do you like best- 8 months and role is Youth Social Worker. Favourite part is the cool crew we get to meet and learn from every day.

What’s your favourite food?-Anything with chocolate in the title.

Piece of health advice- Get outside. Going outside into sunshine and greenery is a proven pick me up.

Favourite joke-How did the tap dancer break their leg? They fell in the sink.