Sully Paea was in his early 20's when he started working with youth in Otara in the early 1970's. The youth he worked with were youth at risk and in trouble with the system. This was in a time when front-line youth work was in it's infancy and the social problems related to gangs and crime were starting to rise. The East Tamaki Youth Resource Centre was established through the efforts of Sully Paea and the Otara community. Through the centre, many youth were given purpose and learnt various practical skills in things such as woodcarving and woodworking. Having grown fairly quickly as an organisation, in the mid 1980's Sully took a step back. Having lead the way, Sully saw needs in other areas and moved his family to Christchurch.