Leading from the front issuu

chapter nine
Napier YMCA
transformed and the
Downtown Y is born
The first article in this chapter is an overview of the YMCA Napier during Pat’s time as president
for nine years through the 70s, coinciding with several terms as national YMCA president.
The Napier YMCA was established in 1890 and
focused pretty much on young Christian men,
gymnastics and values. Following the 1931 earthquake
the association didn’t operate for nearly 25 years.
Then in the mid ‘50s, Hal Lucas and Peter Tait (Napier’s
mayor at the time), started discussions about reviving it.
When Pat became involved about this time, the YMCA
was primarily still a recreational organisation.
At the time the YMCA was considered an evangelical
arm of the church and there wasn’t much of a bold plan at
the Napier association until Colin Coates was employed
as executive director in the 60s. At the national office
at the time, George Briggs and Peter Darracott were
inspired thinkers who became pivotal to encouraging
more modern thinking at the national board level. They’d
both studied overseas and had seen first-hand the latest
effective community development programmes, and
brought this knowledge back to New Zealand with them.
In 1968 Colin commissioned a survey called the Social
and Recreation Survey and the idea for developing
a youth centre was born in response to the feedback
received. The board could see that needs were growing
in the community for youth to have something to do,
somewhere to go and somewhere to belong, especially
Māori youth, as the Tangata Whenua were making the
migration to the cities from the countryside, all around
New Zealand.
To meet these needs several board members wanted
to offer services and outreach to a wider base of kids,
not just the ones who already had opportunities. These
board members could see some families really struggling;
whole communities struggling. So the transition
began, supported by a cultural shift that was occurring
at the national YMCA office too. The new youth centre,
the “Downtown Y” was opened for business in late 1971.
It proudly occupied the former Napier Library premises
on the first floor corner site on Hastings and Tennyson
Streets, with a juke box supplying the sound. No alcohol
was allowed.
A liberal principal at Sacred Heart College at the time
brought her boarders along once a month, which was a
highlight for the girls but when their parents found out
about the visits, these were stopped immediately. Not
long after the principal was moved on and the girls were
apparently in tears.
Then the Downtown Y School was set up as an alter-
Legacy maker: ”Pat was an enthusiastic and inspiring leader and a great role model for other YMCAs around the country.
He also started alternative education in Napier with the Downtown Y School”. Leigh Gibson CEO YMCA Gisborne.
(Most photos in this chapter are kindly supplied by YMCA Hawke’s Bay.)
Napier YMCA transformed and the Downtown Y is born 77