From the Frontline: Wai McClutchie-Bennett

Published: July 8, 2026

In this week's From the Frontline video, we profile Wai McClutchie-Bennett, a youth worker from Rotorua.

Transcript

From the Frontline: Wai McClutchie-Bennett video transcript

Wai McClutchie-Bennett:
You ready Zeus? You ready? Go! Oh that wasn’t a great throw.

Kia ora. Whetumatarau is my mountain. Awatere is my river. Horouta is my waka. Ngati Porou is my Iwi. I am a descendant of Hunaara. Hinerupe is my marae. Te Araroa is my home. My name is Wai. So I grew up in a little town called Te Araroa on the East Coast I was raised.

We were adopted by our grandparents with my two older sisters and myself. My husband and I moved to Rotorua in 1995.
When my kids were younger, we opened our doors to rangatahi who may have needed a place to stay. We were there to support them help them to go back home to their family. And that’s when I knew that youth working was for me.  

So I’m a youth worker here at Te Kohanga Bail Home. Some of our rangatahi that come to us they might have had a lot of trauma in their lives. So to bring a bit of fun into their lives through programming through day to day.

We make sure rangatahi when they come here that they feel supported they feel safe. They have fun. They call me Aunty Wai. I could really talk to them like an Aunty and they really respected me.

One thing we try to avoid is our boys getting bored because we know what happens when they get bored. So it’s just trying to keep them busy keep them occupied and again have some fun.

It’s not an easy job. It’s not for everyone.

It can be really tough. Whether you’re on the floor with rangatahi or helping behind the scenes.

So I just thought I wanted to bring some fun into our office and build that team morale.

So I thought I’d try bingo. And yes it was a hit. Everyone loves it. I love the banter. I love the laughs, the cheekiness with each other, and of course the competitiveness with everyone.

If anyone is considering being a youth worker I would say to them to definitely bring your heart into this job. Just give it your all. Build rapport is the most important. You build rapport with those rangatahi you will just love coming to work so much.

From the Frontline is a video series that celebrates our frontline workers across the motu who go above and beyond every day for tamariki and rangatahi.

From the East Coast to Rotorua

Wai McClutchie-Bennett’s story begins in Te Araroa on the East Coast, where she was raised with her 2 older sisters by their grandparents.

After starting a family of her own, Wai and her husband moved to Rotorua in 1995. When their children were younger, they opened their home to rangatahi who needed a safe place to stay.

Especially when they were going through a rough time with their whanau. We were there to support them to go back to their family

Wai McClutchie-Bennett , Youth Worker, Rotorua

After years of helping young people informally, Wai became a youth worker in 2019.

Bringing heart to youth work in Rotorua

When Wai became a youth worker, she quickly found she could bring her authentic self to the role.

Rangatahi affectionately call her “Aunty Wai”, a nickname she says reflects the trusted relationships she builds.

“I could really talk to them like an Aunty, and they really respected that and respected me.”

Building connection through laughter

While supporting rangatahi is at the centre of her work, Wai also believes strong staff relationships are essential.

She introduced workplace bingo to help build connections and boost morale among colleagues working in a demanding environment.

“It’s not an easy job. It’s not for everyone,” she says.

The initiative has become a popular fixture, creating plenty of laughter and friendly competition among staff.

“Everyone loves it. I love the banter. I love the laughs, the cheekiness with each other and of course the competitiveness with everyone.”

Advice for future youth workers

For anyone considering a career in youth work, Wai says empathy and positive relationships are the foundation of success.

“Bring your heart into this job. If you build rapport with those rangatahi you will just love coming to work so much.”

For Wai, it is those relationships that continue to make the role rewarding every day.

Become a youth worker

Find opportunities to become a youth worker at Oranga Tamariki on our Careers site

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