Future Development
With more than $25 million already raised, Youth Hub Christchurch is paving a new model for youth mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.
However, critical parts of our vision remain unfinished. We are seeking funding partners to complete the next
stages of the Hub which are outlined below.
These spaces are essential to creating a place where young people naturally gather, build connections, and access support early.
Prevention, not crisis response. Connection, not isolation.
Your support can help finish what we’ve started. This is a rare opportunity to be part of a legacy project that will support generations of young people in Christchurch.
With your help, we can complete Youth Hub Christchurch and ensure every young person has access to the support, connection, and opportunities they need to thrive.
*Shaded in green in the sitemap above is what has already been built.
Creative arts and training cafe
This purpose-built facility will enable the delivery of structured programmes that build practical skills,
confidence, and pathways into education, training
and employment.
At its core is a supervised ‘makerspace’ - providing hands-on learning opportunities including sewing, fabrication, digital and design. These programmes are critical for re-engaging young people who are disconnected from traditional education. The space will also include dedicated band practice rooms, workshop and training rooms, and informal breakout areas - ensuring capacity to deliver a wide range of youth development programmes onsite. Integrated storage and bike parking will also support daily use and accessibility.
Complementing this, a training café will provide real-world work experience, supporting employment pathways for rangatahi and a great place for young people and youth-focussed organisations to gather. It will also include a dedicated whānau room to support parents and caregivers, recognising the wider network required to support positive youth outcomes.
Manaaki Welcome Drop-in area
One of the Hub’s values is Manaakitanga and ensuring all visitors are treated with kindness, generosity, support and respect.
The Manaaki welcome area is the primary entry point to Youth Hub Christchurch and is critical to ensuring young people can safely access support. Designed as a low-barrier drop-in space, it provides immediate access to essential facilities including showers, laundry, kitchen, and bathrooms – removing practical barriers that often prevent young people from seeking help.
This space enables early intervention by creating a
safe, supervised environment where young people
can present without an appointment and be
connected to the support they need onsite.
Spiritual space and quiet courtyard
This space provides a dedicated, low-stimulation environment that supports mental wellbeing, emotional regulation and cultural and spiritual connection, especially for those experiencing anxiety and distress. This area enables de-escalation and provides an alternative to high-energy environments within the Hub.
The flexible indoor space is designed to accommodate a wide range of cultural and faith-based practices, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for diverse communities.
The adjoining courtyard provides access to nature - supporting wellbeing and offering a calm outdoor environment for reflection.
Rooftop garden areas
As the Youth Hub is an intensely developed urban site, the rooftop garden areas help to achieve the required 30% permeable area for stormwater mitigation while maximising usable outdoor space.
The rooftop gardens will support delivery of practical, hands-on programmes focused on essential life skills and employment pathways. These spaces will enable young people to learn how to grow and prepare food - building independence and addressing real-world barriers faced by those experiencing financial hardship.
The gardens will also support structured training opportunities, creating pathways into horticulture related industries.
To complete Stage One
Rooftop garden areas on the Wraparound Youth Services Building and Events Centre
This investment enables full utilisation of the existing youth services building and Events Centre rooftop to deliver outdoor programmes that support wellbeing, life skills, and engagement for young people accessing onsite services.
Mezzanine fitout of the Youth Services Building
We also have plans to complete fitout of the mezanine of the Youth Services Building. This fitout is critical to increasing capacity for youth service providers onsite and will deliver additional meeting rooms and training spaces, enabling more organisations to operate from the Hub.
Other items
Art Gallery and Courtyard
This space will provide a dedicated platform for young people to develop, exhibit, and sell creative work – supporting pathways into creative industries and social enterprise.
Located on Salisbury Street, it will also act as a public-facing connection point between the Hub and the wider community, increasing visibility, engagement and opportunities for young people.
The inclusion of carving and traditional art forms within the galley will also support cultural identity and expression.
Youth Apartments
We are working with government and major philanthropic organisations to fund a new wing of ten 1.5 bedroom apartments along Gracefield Ave. These homes will support young people, including those who are parents with a child in the first year of life, who can benefit from the wraparound youth services offered at the Hub. The apartments will also provide an appropriate housing option for young people who are not well suited to shared living in our existing 22-bedroom supported housing wing.
Rainwater Harvesting
This system will reduce operational costs and improve long-term sustainability by capturing and reusing rainwater for activities such as toilet flushing, irrigation, cleaning and emergency supply.