Friday night basketball at the Nash

Joy Stephens from Hutt City Council

Every Friday night between 9.30 pm and midnight, upwards of 70 teenagers and adults gather at the Walter Nash Centre in Taita for Twilight Basketball.

It began in February to give rangatahi/teenagers something fun and free to do on a Friday night. After the first nine weeks, 666 people had attended, with an average of 74 teenagers, parents, police, Council staff and volunteers turning up each time for some fierce competition and BBQed sauasages.

And not that anybody was eavesdropping, but from the overheard conversation file: one young guy to his mate: "I like coming here cos there’s always visitors like police, those guys in yellow (Safe City Ambassadors) and some other guys who don’t know how to play but they have fun." His mate replied: “yeah, we beat them nearly every time cos we know how to play, but it’s cool cos they want to play with us.’

Pop in and see what it's all about and you might find yourself on a court or cooking up some sausages for the hungry players. Pictured: some teenagers wearing playing bibs donated by Crest Clean, who also donate the sausages, bread and sauces every week.