Cool Bananas Youthwork Trust

Thanks to Hikitia! For Our Future we joined alongside Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support on Sunday to celebrate children in true Cool Bananas fashion. Children’s Day in the City Centre, delivered by Tauranga City Council, gave us the perfect opportunity to test a fresh expression of our vision that strengthens adult-child connections through play.

We flipped the script and invited tamariki to give their parents a makeover with face paint, coloured hairspray, and hair accessories. It was a hit, with many laughs along the way. Families left asking if we would be back next year, and kids shared that it was one of the best things they had ever done with their adult.

It was a privilege to witness families connecting and strengthening their bonds, and to see children respond to the silliness and fun that nurtured their sense of belonging and self-worth.

It’s Childrens Day!!
If you’re in Tauranga today come find us and give your adult a makeover!!
Look for for the results

After almost 11 years of dedication, creativity, and passion, Kyle Keogh is stepping down as Executive Co-ordinator to take on a new role as Communications and Engagement Lead at Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support within the primary prevention team. This new chapter allows him to continue his passion for supporting children, teens, and young people, developing multi-generational communication strategies that strengthen communities and create safer, more connected spaces for tamariki to thrive. While this is a shift, it’s also a natural extension of the work Kyle has always been committed to—and we know his new insights will only add to the depth of impact Cool Bananas can make in the future.

As Cool Bananas moves into a new season, we are focusing on developing fresh initiatives that connect with youth in under-engaged spaces. This means redirecting our resources to explore and establish what effective youth work looks like today. While we don’t currently have staff delivering programmes, this is a deliberate and strategic shift—not a step back, but a step toward something new and exciting.

Kyle isn’t going far—he will continue to be a key part of Cool Bananas as Volunteer Strategic Lead, ensuring the vision remains strong. He has also joined the Trust Board, where his experience and leadership will help shape the next steps for the trust. The trustees remain committed to carrying this momentum forward, engaging with key stakeholders, and positioning Cool Bananas for long-term impact.

Kyle has poured his heart and energy into Cool Bananas over the past decade, shaping its direction and inspiring countless young lives along the way. While his role is shifting, his commitment to the trust remains unwavering, and we’re excited to continue this journey together in a new way.

It's the season for giving, so naturally we have chosen generosity to be our value of the season. 🎁

Cool Bananas will be on break from 23rd December to 13th January.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe holidays. We're excited for 2025 - see you all there.

Download the Generosity value topic resources for free: https://thrivevalues.org.nz/resources

Pro Tip: Hunt through our old social content for something of value, then share it.
When you Share, Like, and Comment on old content it reintroduces it to the algorithm.

Communities don't just happen in-person anymore—they're being built in group chats, forums, and even gaming servers. 🧑‍💻🎮�

Have you seen online communities make an impact on young people?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

The difference in reach between our recent 'Beat the Algorithm' post and previous ones shows the impact that engagement makes.

Let's keep it going.

Like, share, comment to show Facebook our content is worth seeing.

Help us break the algorithm!
If you don’t share, like, comment, or engage with our posts, Facebook doesn’t push out our content, and doesn’t think it is of value.

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Our theme for kids this week is about keeping life interesting. 🤩

When you are feeling like life is boring and repetitive it can be helpful to become eager to find and learn new things. 🕵️

Download the Curiosity value topic resources for free: https://thrivevalues.org.nz/resources

Weekly we receive messages and comments from our viewers. It is always cool to hear that classrooms are making The Jam a part of their regular schedule.

Here is one message we wanted to share:

⭐️ 'hey kyle and your team im staraliac wow i love theses because all the fun my class has we all do your wordle and puzzles and i hope to see more videos of you. your a great role model to us all hope you read this.i appreciate all the effort you put in all your videos for us. your so funny and you make you laugh' - Staraliac ⭐️

Our theme for kids this week is about celebrating differences. 🥳

When you are unsure how to respond to those who are different from you, it is helpful to recognise that we're all different and that is a good thing. 🙌

Download the Diversity value topic resources for free: https://thrivevalues.org.nz