The Depot Nelson Trust runs and has run many successful initiatives, services and programmes for young people and children in the Nelson area of New Zealand. Details about some of our past and present projects are listed below...
Te Ora Ake
Te Ora Ake is both a holiday & after school programme designed to ignite young people with the passion needed to fulfil their highest potential. Te Ora Ake is literally translated into the English language as: “The Healthy Being” and its our aim to promote holistically good health for children’s and young people's lives. Through an exciting after school programme and an action packed holiday programme, we offer an empowering package that assists parents with providing their children a rich and full after school and holiday experience. Te Ora Ake is funded by the Ministry of Social Development throught the O.S.C.A.R programme. For more information about the Te Ora Ake programme please visit the Te Ora Ake website www.teoraake.org.nz
Bliss Girls Group
Bliss is a new project run by the Depot Trust that will be running events for teenage girls. Bliss will influence, encourage and empower girls to make sustainable choices to promote positive growth in their lives. Events include beach holidays, pamper evenings and much, much more! As part of The Depot Nelson Trust, which is a charitable trust, Bliss will aim to provide these special events at no cost to the girls. This will be possible with our team of fundraisers and support from local sponsoring businesses. Please click here to read more about what Bliss is doing for Nelson's young people.
Wahine Tu - Women's Aerobics
Wahine Tu is a programme providing Women's Aerobics classes to women who cannot access regular gyms or exercise programmes due to the expense. Having negotiated with professionally qualified aerobics instructors to allow access to their services for only $2 per session, per person... This has opened up professional aerobics classes to those who otherwise could not afford the added weekly expense. As many of the women who have utilised this programme from its inception are either solo mothers or are unable to find alternative care for their children, we also provide a creche service for under 5 year olds.
The Wahine Tu programme has been popular within the local community and the classes usually fill resaonably quickly. Classes are run on Mondays & Fridays at 9am from the same premises as our Te Ora Ake childcare programme at 75 Pascoe St, before the Te Ora Ake Childcare programme gets underway.
Atomic Youth Centre
The Atomic Youth Centre was an initiative we ran for several years in the inner Nelson city and then for another 3 years in the suburb of Stoke. The youth centre proved to be highly popular with young people and provided a non-confrontational access point for young people to access youth worker services, youth health information and advice. The Atomic Youth Centre operated an Alcohol & Drug Free Youth Niteclub for the first 2 - 3 years of its operation and was well frequented by sometimes as many as 200-300 youths per night. The Niteclub included live youth bands, dance floor and mosh pit, pool tables, outdoor basketball court, skate ramp etc. The Atomic Youth Centre also ran an initiative called the College Cafe which was open to all college aged youths from 3:30pm - 5:30pm on weekdays. This also was frequented by many young people who came to socialise, use the indoor skateramp, to play on the pool tables or just to hang out listening to music. Unfortunately after much success the Atomic Youth Centre was closed in 2005 due to a lack of funding.
Atomic Child & Youth Mentoring Services
We ran the Atomic Child & Youth Mentoring Service as a support service to C.Y.F.S (Child Youth & Families Service) while their case load was high. This involved assigning a fully vetted (via the Police Vetting Service) mentor with each young person assigned to us by the department. Many young people benefitted from this project and formed some fantastic bonds with their mentors, giving the mentors the ability to speak into their lives to encourage positive change.
R.E.A.L Youth & Fusion Youth Programmes
The Fusion Youth Programme and later the R.E.A.L Youth Programme were pilot programmes run by the Trust in conjunction with C.Y.F.S (Child Youth & Families Service). The programmes were designed for behavioural stabilisation and to rehabilitate young people who had been expelled from the local high schools and for whom no other education or employment options existed. Each pilot programme had an intake of six young people over the six week programme and incorporated two facilitators/youth workers who worked closely with the young people to help rehabilitate them. At the conclusion of the programmes we saw an average of 4 out of 6 of the young people moving on in a positive direction. Some being re-incorporated back into the education system and others taking on employment opportunities. This strike rate of 4 out of 6 was more than could be expected when the previous offending and behaviour of the young people involved was considered.
What We Do 
Te Ora Ake is both a holiday & after school programme designed to ignite young people with the passion needed to fulfil their highest potential. Te Ora Ake is literally translated into the English language as: “The Healthy Being” and its our aim to promote holistically good health for children’s and young people's lives. Through an exciting after school programme and an action packed holiday programme, we offer an empowering package that assists parents with providing their children a rich and full after school and holiday experience. Te Ora Ake is funded by the Ministry of Social Development throught the O.S.C.A.R programme. For more information about the Te Ora Ake programme please visit the Te Ora Ake website 
Wahine Tu is a programme providing Women's Aerobics classes to women who cannot access regular gyms or exercise programmes due to the expense. Having negotiated with professionally qualified aerobics instructors to allow access to their services for only $2 per session, per person... This has opened up professional aerobics classes to those who otherwise could not afford the added weekly expense. As many of the women who have utilised this programme from its inception are either solo mothers or are unable to find alternative care for their children, we also provide a creche service for under 5 year olds. 
The Atomic Youth Centre was an initiative we ran for several years in the inner Nelson city and then for another 3 years in the suburb of Stoke. The youth centre proved to be highly popular with young people and provided a non-confrontational access point for young people to access youth worker services, youth health information and advice. The Atomic Youth Centre operated an Alcohol & Drug Free Youth Niteclub for the first 2 - 3 years of its operation and was well frequented by sometimes as many as 200-300 youths per night. The Niteclub included live youth bands, dance floor and mosh pit, pool tables, outdoor basketball court, skate ramp etc. The Atomic Youth Centre also ran an initiative called the College Cafe which was open to all college aged youths from 3:30pm - 5:30pm on weekdays. This also was frequented by many young people who came to socialise, use the indoor skateramp, to play on the pool tables or just to hang out listening to music. Unfortunately after much success the Atomic Youth Centre was closed in 2005 due to a lack of funding.
