SOS Outreach NZ Established as Incorporated Trust

SOS OUTREACH NZ FORMALLY ESTABLISHED AS CHARITABLE TRUST

Trustees Announce Appointment of Ross Palmer as Executive Director

WANAKA, New Zealand –  28 March 2011 – The trustees of SOS Outreach New Zealand today announced the appointment of former Snow Sports New Zealand Chief Executive Ross Palmer as the organisation’s first Executive Director.

SOS Outreach New Zealand is affiliated with the successful, long-running youth charity, SOS Outreach International, that debuted in the United States in 1993, and annually works with more than 5,000 at-risk youth. Palmer and a group of dedicated volunteers successfully piloted the programme in New Zealand during 2009 and 2010, prior to incorporating as a trust in New Zealand in late 2010.

SOS Outreach NZ’s mission is to build character in under-served youth, utilising winter and summer adventure sports as a medium to instill five core values -- Courage, Discipline, Integrity, Wisdom and Compassion -- that underpin all of the organisation’s activities and serve as a foundation for a multi-year curriculum.

Palmer said SOS Outreach NZ offers a proven, innovative approach to working with youth. “Through our pilot programmes we’ve already demonstrated that we can be a valuable resource for schools and existing youth organisations,” said Palmer. “We’re achieving great results, and we’re addressing potential issues up front.” 

Hawea Flat Primary School Principal Sue Heath likens SOS Outreach to an early investment in the future of some of her students.

“We saw immediate results in those who participated in the introductory SOS Outreach programme,” said Heath. “What impressed me the most, though, is the long-term approach. I’m convinced SOS Outreach will make a huge difference in the lives of some of our students.”

SOS Outreach programmes and methods deliver measurable results via a long-term curriculum that builds confidence and self-esteem in youth to help ensure they make healthy and prudent choices throughout their lives.

The organisation and its programmes have received both national and international recognition for their long-term efficacy. Survey results in the U.S. demonstrate that SOS Outreach participants:

• Have a 25% lifetime conversion rate into winter sports (twice the industry rate).
• Engage in significantly more aerobic exercise than their peers.
• Test higher than their peers in measures of positive behavior and self-esteem.
• Are more likely to graduate college and have household incomes 75% greater than a non-degree holder.

Adult mentor relationships are central to the programmes and have resulted in SOS Outreach participants building strong morals, self-esteem and interpersonal skills.

“We believe development of these skills through SOS Outreach programmes is an investment in the future of New Zealand,” said Palmer. “What’s more, they’re an effective way to directly deliver on Central Government’s stated social policy outcomes.” 

SOS Outreach NZ, headquartered in Wanaka, will operate on a national basis, utilising teams of volunteers in locations on both the North and South Islands. SOS Outreach was originally launched in New Zealand via a partnership between Snow Sports New Zealand and the Wellington Boys’ & Girls’ Institute (BGI).

Palmer, who was a founding Board member of SOS Outreach International, has been assisted by the BGI’s David Clegg, who through BGI and other past professional affiliations, has worked directly with a wide range of at-risk and under-served youth for the past 25 years in New Zealand and abroad. Clegg has also trained over two seasons with SOS Outreach International preparing to launch the organisation in New Zealand.

A dozen youths, representing Alexandra Primary, Clyde Primary, The Terrace, and Dunstan High School, were the first to be introduced to SOS Outreach NZ. Partnering with Dunstan High School Outdoor Adventure Education instructor Eric Schusser, and Alexandra youth worker Roger Williams, the initial group responded positively to the introductory two-day SnowCore programme, held at Cardrona Alpine Resort.

“I was particularly impressed with the programme’s focus on core values and how they translate into each of the kids’ lives,” said Williams. “Feedback from parents has been very positive and we’re looking forward to graduating this group into the five-day programme this winter season.”

SOS Outreach pilot programmes were also organised in cooperation with Mount Aspiring College (Wanaka); Hawea Flat School (Lake Hawea); and Kokiri Marae (Wainuiomata), with significant in-kind donations extended by Snow Park, Cardrona and Turoa, each of whom have hosted groups.

Palmer acknowledged that there are hundreds of youth development agencies in New Zealand, but he stressed that SOS Outreach NZ is not in business to compete with these agencies.  Instead, he said the organisation is uniquely positioned to offer agencies and schools a proven, innovative resource consistent with and in support of their own policy objectives.

“Adventure sports are an integral part of Kiwi culture, making SOS Outreach a natural fit for New Zealand,” he said.

SOS Outreach International Executive Director Arn Menconi expressed confidence that the programme will be successful in New Zealand. “We’re fortunate to have Ross and David spearheading our programmes in New Zealand,” said Menconi. “They bring decades of experience, connections, and above all, the enthusiasm it takes to make this all possible.”