SYC Trust & Our Vision

The Spreydon Youth Community Trust (SYCT) was established in 1997. We operate as the youth arm of South West Baptist Church and the ‘management group’ for 24-7 Youth Work Canterbury. Through our work, we aim to assist rangatahi (young people) to develop a sense of identity and belonging through being part of a community that fosters healthy lifestyles, helps rangatahi reach their potential, develops their spiritual growth and positively influences the wider community. We want to encourage them to enjoy their teenage years, achieve all they can, explore faith and avoid some of life’s pitfalls.

In 2020 SYCT was gifted the management rights of Hibburt Park from the Churches for Christ Property Board. We are now the kaitiaki (caretakers) of this wonderful facility.

We are excited to have the opportunity to offer groups a place to create lifelong memories that grow their identity, confidence and relationships with their peers, teachers and leaders. The outdoors, camping, team activities, cooking and eating together, offer a chance for relationships to be formed in a unique way. Outdoor activities also offer rangatahi the opportunity to build confidence in their physical, mental, emotional and social capabilities. We see Hibburt Park as a great opportunity to offer affordable camps to youth groups, schools and other community groups, where rangatahi would get the chance to enjoy and learn from being in the outdoors. While our focus is to accommodate those who work with children and youth, we welcome all groups to enquire with us.

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More about SYCT

Hibburt Park Staff

Hibburt Park Manager

James Haylock

Diploma in Outdoor Leadership and Sustainability James is our on-site Manager at Hibburt Park and brings a range of skills and experience to his role. He has been an outdoor instructor, cafe manager/barista, tiler and volunteer youth worker - he really is a ‘jack of all trades’! His love of the outdoors and passion to see rangatahi thrive serves the vision of Hibburt Park and we see the daily outworking of that through his mahi. The variety of his role is what excites James to persevere through the journey of re-establishing Hibburt Park as an affordable and desirable campsite for whanau and their communities - but what really motivates him is seeing people enjoying the campsite and connecting with each other and the environment. James handles all the day-to-day runnings of the camp, making sure the camp is maintained at a presentable standard for our guests.

Hibburt Park Administrator

Beccy Haylock

Diploma in Photographic Imaging, Certificate in Youth Work Beccy is our on-site administrator, with a diverse background spanning youth work, photography, design and administration, she brings a unique blend of creativity and organisation to her role. It’s the inner workings and behind the scenes at Hibburt Park that excites Beccy - making sure our communications, procedures and systems are all clear and easy to follow for our guests - while making it all aesthetically pleasing! It’s Beccy’s own fond memories of school/youth group camps that motivates her to be immersed in Hibburt Park, making sure those experiences remain on offer for all rangatahi and whanau, without cost being a barrier. Beyond her role at Hibburt Park, Beccy serves on the SYC Trust and 24-7 Youth Work Board.

Management Team

We are privileged to be able to lean on the skills and expertise of our volunteer management team. This incredible group of individuals share our heart and passion to provide affordable camping, they guide us in our decision making and future planning

Jason Chee

Certificate in Youth Work

Jason works for the Christchurch City Council as a Community Developer Advisor, but before this he was the manager of our very own SYC Trust! Jason has worked in the youth work sector for 16 years being a 24-7 youth worker, youth pastor and youth trust manager. He brings his breadth of knowledge and experience of management to our team, as well as his relational skills working with funders and other community organisations and agencies. Jason has organised and run numerous camps in his time, so he knows and understands what makes a great camp facility and has seen first hand the impact camps can have on a young person's life. We are so thankful Jason has chosen to continue with the journey of Hibburt Park, he knows our history and kaupapa and understands the operating and inner-workings of SYC Trust - he whole-heartedly believes in the vision of Hibburt Park and has great hopes of it being a real asset to Ōtautahi and seeing the place thrive to the fullest!

Michael Down

Bachelor of Commerce, LLB, Chartered Accountant, Enrolled Barrister and Solicitor

Michael brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his current role as Commercial Manager at PGG Wrightson. Having held various financial positions both locally in Aotearoa and internationally in the United Kingdom, he has honed a diverse skill set that combines financial judgement with legal knowledge. This unique blend of talents equips him to provide invaluable guidance and insight to our team. He is passionate about their being spaces for whanau to connect with each other and the outdoors, he thinks Hibburt Park is a truly special place for groups to come together, deepen relationships and have fun that is affordable! Mike says he feels privileged to play a small part in the vision of Hibburt Park - we feel equally privileged to have someone of Mike’s calibre on our management team!

Paul Ferguson

Bachelor of Teaching & Learning, Masters in Educational Leadership (1st Class Honours)

Paul is currently on staff at Hillmorton High School teaching PE/Health and Outdoor Education. He has worked in many different roles across the education sector in Ōtautahi, including being a Deputy Principal, Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour and on school BOT. He has chosen to be part of our team because he is passionate about ākonga having affordable access to a diverse range of experiences in the outdoors, that help to strengthen whanaungatanga, make connections to their tūrangawaewae whilst creating lifelong memories in the stunning playground on our doorstep. Being in the world of outdoor education, Paul has a sound knowledge of Health and Safety requirements to ensure our guests can enjoy their time at Hibburt Park, resting in the knowledge that risk management has been considered and implemented.

Kate McClelland

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Theology,

Arrow Leadership Programme

Kate is part of the TSCF (Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship) Staff at Lincoln University and National Team and has been involved with their ministry for 10 years. Her work has led her to be a part of running and organising camps for their students, as well as being a part of the organising team for their world conference. Along with her experience and skills in event planning, she holds a wealth of knowledge in landscaping, helping us to create a cohesive and beautiful campsite at Hibburt Park. She has experienced the hospitality of Hibburt Park personally and is keen to help us fulfil our vision to see people and place flourish. Kate has dedicated much of her working life to good causes and we are stoked she has chosen to add Hibburt Park to that list!

Aaron Stewart

Aaron is the owner and operator of Aaron Stewart Builders. He has extensive experience in both residential and commercial construction, and he enjoys project managing a wide range of projects, from new builds & renovations. He also has many years of experience in co-ordinating event set up, with the likes of Southern Eastercamp and Electric Avenue. Aaron tackles everything he does with passion, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude - characteristics that make challenges at Hibburt Park seem like no problem at all!

History

In 1958, 5 acres of crown land, near Spencer Park, was obtained by the

St Albans Church of Christ, Christchurch, for youth camp purposes. This was

one of the several crown land sites that was made available by the NZ

governments 'Lands and Survey Department' to various youth organisations,

on long-term leases. The campsite was given the name 'Hibburt Park' to

honour the work of Will R Hibburt, Director of Christian Education of the

Associated Churches of Christ (now Christian Churches New Zealand).

On May 8 1960, Hibburt Park hosted its first camp.

Camp fees were always kept to a minimum which enabled wide-spread use

of the camp facilities by many youth groups including Scouts, Girl Guides,

Boys and Girls Brigades, schools, churches and numerous other community

groups. Over the years Hibburt Park has been a popular campsite and

countless young people have been impacted positively by their experiences

there, the relationships they formed during camps and working bees, and

the opportunity they had to grow in skills, thinking and faith, in a safe setting.

However the time came when the Associated Churches of Christ needed to

retire from the responsibilities of maintaining the facilities and in 2020 they

handed over the management of Hibburt Park to Spreydon Youth Community

Trust. 60 years later, the vision of Hibburt Park remains the same, to provide

affordable camping so that young people may experience the benefits of

camping and the outdoors.