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Intensive Youth Mentoring
Community Link Trust specialises in supporting young people aged 7 to 18 with high and complex needs. Our fee-for-service one-to-one Intensive Youth Mentoring provides tailored, relationship-based support that builds confidence, strengthens emotional regulation, and walks the rangatahi onto better pathways for life. We work with young people navigating disengagement, emotional dysregulation, anger management, learning challenges, trauma, antisocial behaviours, and self-esteem and confidence. Mentoring is adapted to suit the unique needs, interests, abilities, and goals of each young person to foster connection, hope, and meaningful progress. We create individualised case plans for each rangatahi, and track progress based on the desired outcomes. Our Whānau Support service works with the whānau of the youth we mentor to address underlying barriers at home, create Whānau Plans, and provide referrals to external support services. Whānau can also access our own wraparound support services, such as Financial Mentoring and Welfare Support.
Te Tūrama Tūmanako - In-School Mentoring
Te Tūrama Tūmanako is a well-established in-school mentoring service available to primary, intermediate, and high schools across Hamilton, supporting students who have difficulty engaging in the classroom. Designed to support students struggling with low self-confidence, emotional challenges, and disruptive behaviour – our 10‑week programme blends small-group learning and weekly one-to-one mentoring to help students feel safe, listened to, and cared for.
Our well-trained mentors build positive relationships with students through structured activities, games, shared kai, and guided conversations around emotions and behaviour. Our goal is to provide tools, skills, and strategies to improve the students’ emotional regulation and help them engage more positively in class.
Te Huringa Mauri - Fast Track Programme
Te Huringa Mauri supports young offenders aged from 10 to 17 who have been referred by the New Zealand Police and Oranga Tamariki. Delivered in partnership with these referring agencies, the programme focuses on providing each rangatahi with the tailored individual support they need to make healthier life choices and build stronger, more trusting relationships. Each young person receives an average of four hours one‑to‑one mentoring each week, incorporating purposeful activities, shared kai, and consistent engagement. This approach supports attendance and creates safe opportunities for rangatahi to lower their defences and engage in more vulnerable conversations.
Our mentors also develop personalised plans for each rangatahi focused on their goals, hopes, and dreams. This programme includes strong collaboration with schools, health, and community agencies to ensure each rangatahi receives the support they need to reduce offending and move toward safer, more positive futures.
Financial Mentoring
Our financial mentoring service provides support, perspective, and advocacy to individuals and families who want help to manage their finances. Our financial mentors walk alongside people to develop a customised plan that reflects their unique situation, supporting them to get out of debt, learn budgeting skills, and move towards a brighter financial future.
Our focus is to help people regain confidence and control over their financial lives, supporting them to take practical steps towards the future they want. Through this support, families are empowered to secure stable housing, pay down debt, start work, and build a stronger understanding of their own value. Financial mentoring is part of the wraparound support we provide to whānau connected to our youth services.
The Mana Factory
The Mana Factory is our dedicated Tinana (physical wellbeing) service, designed to strengthen the hauora of rangatahi, whānau, and members of our wider community who have limited or no access to physical activities. The Mana Factory is both a wraparound support space for the rangatahi in our youth programmes and a community gym. Through structured kickboxing, fitness sessions, and strength training, The Mana Factory helps facilitate improvements in physical fitness, emotional well-being, and confidence.
Results from a survey carried out in 2025 showed that The Mana Factory supports participants to gain strength, fitness, and technical skills in kickboxing and self-defence, while also developing emotional regulation, motivation, self‑confidence, and self-esteem. Rangatahi in our youth programmes also report increased motivation to make healthier life choices.
Whānau Support
We provide free, confidential support services as part of the wraparound care we make available to whānau connected to our youth services. The services provided include financial mentoring, practical assistance (such as food and clothing), and connections to housing, health, counselling, and other supports, with needs identified collaboratively with each whānau to ensure the most appropriate supports are accessed.
Whānau are offered two face-to-face sessions with our Whānau Support Team. The first to develop a tailored Whānau Plan, and the second to support follow-through and connection to services. This service is underpinned by a strengths-based, whānau-led model that is grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā, acknowledging the interconnected nature of social, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, alongside connections to whānau and whenua.
Welfare Support
Our welfare support service provides essential assistance to whānau connected to our youth services who are experiencing financial hardship. Along with providing food and other immediate needs, we also offer whānau the opportunity to access budgeting guidance with our financial mentor, where appropriate, to help them identify and address underlying pressures and strengthen their long‑term stability. With support from our Op Shop, we can also provide furniture and linen if required to help families move into unfurnished rental accommodation.
In conjunction with Activate Church and local businesses, we also run an annual Christmas Hamper Drive to give hope and joy to families at a time when things can feel especially tough.
PropertyLink
Our social enterprise PropertyLink provides professional building and property services for homes and commercial properties. Their services include building and refreshing decks, fencing, water blasting, painting, renovations, gutter cleaning, yard clean-ups, tree removal and painting. 100% of their profits go towards funding the whānau and youth support services we run. You can help make a difference by choosing PropertyLink for your maintenance services.
To get more info or access any of our services, call us on 07 855 0324 or email us at office@communitylinktrust.nz.
Referral Links:
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For Emergency Food Assistance, please contact Here to Help U – www.heretohelpu.nz 0800 568 273
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Emergency Mental health support. If you need someone to talk to for immediate support – Call Lifeline Aotearoa - 0800 543 354
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For Female support for victims of abuse – Call Waikato Women's Refuge – 07 855 1569
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For Male support for victims of abuse – Call Male Support Services Waikato – 07 858 4112
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For other General info call Citizens Advice Bureau Hamilton – 07 839 0395 or 0800 367 222