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City’s newest gang declares war
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 • Louise Hegarty
CRIME, addiction and poverty are all on the hit-list of Gisborne’s newest gang.

There’s a Better Way is a non-profit national charitable trust created to help build positive communities, and create happier and safer places to live.

“Gangs provide role models, a sense of identity and something to do. We do the same thing but in a positive way,” says founder and chief executive Glen Green.

“This is a new gang of positivity, strong in your own mana, strong through community,” he says.

It was established more than two years ago in suburban Auckland.

Mr Green has seen both sides of the law.

“I was a troubled teenager myself. I used to hang out in rubbish dumps in broken cars. Then I started talking to people in the community about why there was a rubbish dump and not a basketball court.”

He wrote a letter to the council and three months later a concreting truck arrived and the rubbish dump was replaced.

“It gave everyone such a positive feeling, we formed a community group and went on from there,” he says.

He went on to become a community constable in the Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill, and quickly noticed a ‘them and us’ mentality between youth and police.

“I changed my shifts so I had time for community interaction, and went and shot baskets with the local youth. Many of them were constantly in and out of police cells. I wanted to work out how they could break the cycle.”

He organised public meetings to involve the community, working with everyone from knitting groups to patched gangs.

“Involving people makes all the difference. It gives them a positive feeling when someone listens and they realise they can make a difference.”

There’s a Better Way has been hugely successful. Mr Green left the police force to work full time on the trust’s growth and new projects, including the touring 3-on-3 basketball tournaments. The pacy new format was played inside the high- security Child Youth and Family (CYF) youth and family justice residence in Rolleston.

“That was pretty cool. The judge who had sentenced some of the offenders was down there playing.”

The organisation is affiliated with FIBA, the international basketball association, and will run a tournament in Gisborne next month.

There’s a Better Way Gisborne area manager is former international and Rising Suns basketballer Travis McIroy, who is committed to the project.

“It’s about community, helping people across the board, making a difference. It’s a really cool thing to be involved in.”

For more information contact theresabetterwaygisborne@gmail.com or the YMCA on 867 9259.
POSITIVE CHANGE: There’s a Better Way founder and chief executive Glen Green (rear left), Travis McIlroy (front centre) and Community Constable Willis Tamatea (rear right) with Elgin School students. The children wear some of the 250 basketball shirts donated to the community by There’s a Better Way. Picture Dave Thomas
Comments
Talitha
05:39 p.m. Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012
Great initiative!
Glen Henry
10:03 p.m. Thursday, Nov 29, 2012
We have recently moved from Kaikohe, Northland where unemployment is rife. Kaikohe has problems with bored youth and wayward parents. Our district mayor, Wayne Brown, has openly declared his hatred of Kaikohe and would like to see all the services removed from the town, known as the Hub of The North.
What Kaikohe and any town or city in New Zealand needs is a sense of pride/mana, a strong sense of leadership and a business sector willing to work for the future of their town/city.
Both my wife and I have found employment in Gisborne and there seems to be a bit about for those willing to look for it.
The biggest problem facing our towns and youth is boredom. We should be catering for our youth first before thinking of tourists.
Let's face it, tourists are here for a brief time only - our children are here for life. Let's think of them and talk to them first. They are our future.
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