Nights of glitz and glamour for Hurunui students

Nights of glitz and glamour in Hanmer Springs provided Hurunui students with an opportunity to express themselves to the full.

Hurunui Youth Councillor Laura Cundy said the respective Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 formal themes of ‘Starry Night’ and ‘Hollywood!’ were chosen to give full scope to students’ creativity.

“We wanted everyone to be able to dress up and express themselves in the way they wanted – and we felt everyone really got on board and did that very well.

“It’s easy for small, rural communities to miss out. There are lots of opportunities in the city for young people to get together and we really wanted to let our youth be able to express themselves and to dress up,” Laura said.

A year of planning and work went into creating the magic that unfolded in the Hanmer Springs Hall on 15 and 16 September, with youth councillors Laura, Brad Devine and Tamzyn Murdoch getting an immersive experience in project planning.

“It was a bit intimidating at first and I got really nervous just before the first event – there were so many last-minute things to see to – but once everyone was here, I felt everything was going to be all right,” Laura said.

Feedback from the almost 200 students who attended the formals was overwhelming.

“People told us they had a great night – it exceeded our expectations,” Laura said.

Brad said it was gratifying to see everyone going all out and getting involved.

Hurunui District Council Youth Development Officer Jo Sherwood said the organisation of the event by the Hurunui Youth Council was a valuable opportunity for learning new skills and she commended the youth councillors on a job superbly done.

“There are so many considerations in planning an event like this, from health and safety to logistics such as organising music, drivers for the transport and photographers. Not only have these youth councillors learnt some amazing new skills and experience they can put onto their resumes, but they gave our young people a magical night out.”

Youth Councillor Tamzyn Murdoch was not able to see the fruits of all the planning as she was in Denmark representing New Zealand at the Children’s General Assembly.