Fyd Waikato

I love going to work every day knowing that we are changing lives. The stories I hear from young people involved in our programmes are heart warming and incredably rewarding. The people who choose to support our work are the very best kinds of people who want to give back to community and to also make a positive difference.It is a privilege to work with such a great board and staffing team. Sir Edmund Hillary often described himself as a "plodder". and there is no shortage of children like him in our schools today. No shortage of children with untapped potential for excellence. The Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) was founded by Sir Ed's friend and climbing companion, Graeme Dingle and lawyer Jo-anne Wilkinson in 1995 as the Project K Trust. Sir Ed served as one of the first Trustees. They wanted to take a practical step forward to address high levels of negative youth statistics in New Zealand. FYD has grown into a leader in the field of child and youth development and now runs several, proven programmes that lift the skills, self-confidence, motivation and achievements of young New Zealanders aged 5 – 18 years. FYD’s programmes help young people discover possibility – creating a youth population with a positive outlook and eyes open to the future. Here in the Waikato, we currently deliver comprehensive, evidence based programmes in Hamilton, Huntly and Tokoroa.