For the past eight years, Take 10 an initiative run by Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust (VSCT), has been operating within Wellington’s entertainment precinct, on Courtenay Place, offering a late-night safe zone for the community. Now, with the support of Auckland Council, this volunteer-run initiative is launching a 10-week pilot in Auckland’s city centre, in time for Universities Semester 2.
The initiative is part of the City Centre Safety Plan and is backed by the city centre targeted rate (CCTR), a special rate paid by city centre commercial and residential property owners to fund initiatives to enhance and revitalise Auckland’s city centre.
“The Auckland Council is proud to support initiatives like Take 10 that offer practical, community-led solutions. This pilot reflects our ongoing investment in city centre safety and wellbeing.” says Rachel Kelleher, Director Community at Auckland Council.
“Working with experienced partners like VSCT allows us to build on what already works and tailor it to our local context, helping everyone feel safer in the city centre.” Kelleher adds.
Operations Manager for VSCT, Leigh Keown says she is excited to bring Take 10 to Auckland to offer people a safe, supportive space in the heart of the nightlife district.
“We act as a preventative measure, to reduce harm, promote well-being, and create a more positive late-night experience for all. People can hang out, have some water, charge their phones, get medical help or simply chat to our friendly trained Take 10 volunteers in between venues.”
“If someone is feeling out of sorts or if they’ve lost their friends, they can be quite upset, knowing we are there to help brings a level of comfort and peace of mind,” Keown adds.
The Take 10 pilot will launch on July 18 and will run till September 20, set up outside Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place, operating every Friday and Saturday night between 10:00pm and 3:00am.
On an average weekend, Take 10 can see up to 5000 people in Wellington’s party district.
“Expanding into Auckland is a great opportunity for us, our goal is to support as many people as possible on a night out even if it’s something small, like offering a glass of water or having a friendly chat. We know this can make a huge difference to someone’s night” says Keown.
“We are engaging with the universities, polytechnics and well-known community organisations to spread the word about the Take 10 pilot” she adds.
“Our role is to enable and empower” says Kelleher, “We want our young people to feel safe and supported when they’re out in the city. This pilot delivers a safe place to pause, connect and reset."
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