Kindling project builds careers for rangatahi

Bags of bagged kindling are appearing on the shelves at Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby this winter. Each one was cut, split, bundled and tied by rangatahi who, not long ago, were out of work.

The kindling is the product of Ignite Mana, a social enterprise run by Waipuna Youth Services and supported by a coalition of community partners that includes the Halswell Menzshed, John Brooks Ltd, and Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby.

Every bag is a CV being built

The programme supports young people who have been disconnected from employment to gain real workplace skills through structured, mentored shifts. Participants work alongside job coaches, learning health and safety, correct use of PPE, teamwork, time management, and what it means to turn up and finish what you start.

The raw material is untreated pallet timber. The process is physical, tangible, and requires attention. The end product goes to retail. The whole chain is intentional.

“Every pallet that leaves here is also a CV being built. These bags were cut, bundled and tied by young people who, in some cases, hadn’t been in steady work for a long while. The end goal isn’t kindling. It’s paid work elsewhere.”

Closing the gap between school and work

Peter Mueller, who leads the programme, describes a particular challenge facing many young people today: school ends and there is no clear pathway forward.

“There’s anxiety in the mix, some of it from the pandemic, some from years of social media and so much being thrown at them. School ends and, for a lot of them, there isn’t a clear pathway after that. Dropping someone straight into a full-time role can be too big a jump. Our job is to close that gap.”

One recent moment captured the shift he is looking for. A participant told Peter he had put his phone away because the morning had flown by. He wasn’t watching the clock. “That’s an employee in the making,” Peter says.

A community-built machine

The kindling splitting machine at the heart of the enterprise was built by the Halswell Menzshed, informed by a visit to Timaru Menzshed’s established operation.

Over six weeks, Menzshed members Des Thomson and Bill Stephenson carried out the mechanical construction. John Brooks Ltd provided a generous discount on the electric motor and drive train components. Local electrical inspector Alastair Kelso completed the wiring and safety controls. The machine was built at the Menzshed’s own cost and loaned to Waipuna for as long as they need it.

One participant, on his first shift, spotted an inefficiency in the bag closure and engineered a solution on the spot, folding the top and securing it with a wire tie so the closure also becomes a carry handle. He took offcuts home as firewood for his mother.

On the shelves at Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby

The kindling is available now at Mitre 10 MEGA Hornby, Christchurch. Retail Manager Paul Austin says the partnership was straightforward.

“When we heard what Peter and the team at Waipuna Youth Services were doing, giving young people real skills, a real product, and a real reason to turn up, it was a straightforward yes from us. We’re really pleased to support community initiatives like this. Should demand and capacity grow, the Smiths Mitre 10 group is keen to explore stocking options at the Brougham Street and Papanui MEGA stores.”

Steady demand means more shifts, more skills built, and more rangatahi moving towards independence. Buying a bag of Ignite Mana kindling supports the programme directly.