Zodie Bonnett, Gateway programme coordinator at Ellesmere College, said about 10 senior students from her programme had put their hands up to help out flood-stricken locals. “The kids just wanted to help. We put a call-out to farmers to see who needed help and one just got back to us to say he really needed some support, so we re going out on Tuesday.” The students would help clear a farm in Sheffield near the Waimakariri River, which had sustained significant damage to fences and had debris strewn across it. Bonnett said she was very proud of the students who had taken it upon themselves to help locals in need.