Community Action
Waipuna Youth Services is one of 20 CAYAD sites working alongside Canterbury communities to reduce the harm young people experience from alcohol and other drugs.
About CAYAD Canterbury
Community Action on Youth and Drugs (CAYAD) is funded by Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand to reduce the harm young people experience from alcohol and other drugs. The programme is guided by the National Drug Policy and operates in 20 locations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Waipuna Youth Services coordinates the CAYAD programme in Canterbury. Our CAYAD coordinator works alongside community leaders, organisations, schools and young people to collaborate and create lasting changes in the environments where rangatahi live, learn and grow.
This work is grounded in local, cultural and academic evidence. It includes improving policies and practices, community action to reduce the supply of alcohol and other drugs, and increasing opportunities for young people to be healthy and reach their full potential.
What we do
CAYAD takes a whole-of-community approach to reducing harm, working across four interconnected areas.
Community leadership
Supporting community leaders, organisations and young people to work together on the issues that matter most.
Policy and systems change
Working to improve the policies, systems and practices that shape the environments young people are in every day.
Reducing alcohol harm
Taking practical community action to reduce the supply and availability of alcohol and other drugs to young people.
Youth opportunity
Increasing access to positive alternatives, activities and pathways for rangatahi to thrive.
CAYAD team support community to reduce harm
The recent closure of a bottle shop in an area of high deprivation, will help reduce alcohol harm in deprived communities in Ōtautahi.
Community Action on Youth and Drugs Otautahi (CAYAD) is one of seven programme areas delivered by Waipuna Youth Services. The advocacy described by The Press has been led by the Waipuna community action team in Otautahi over many years, alongside local residents, public health voices, and partner agencies.
Get involved
Sign up to hear about our Community Action and CAYAD programmes, or get in touch with our team directly.
