Mr Wards said there was a lack of available funding to bring his programme back to town.
He staged a show in Gore at the end of last month — which was well attended — but it was privately funded.
Now based in Invercargill, he has put on more than 300 technology shows around the country since beginning his initiative in 2017.
Last year he did 50 shows around Southland, but none of them were in Gore, as funding was not available.
Mr Wards, who had made the top 100 this year for Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the year, said there was a large group of young people who missed out.
Funding for youth groups and programmes were decided by older people who Mr Wards, 34, said had no idea what young people wanted.
“There is like a complete generation of kids who have been disregarded for too long.
“An entire generation have been ignored.
“The funders, the people making the decisions, will decide what kids need — but how many skateparks do you need?
“Technology hubs are what a lot of these kids need.”
Mr Wards said there was still a huge stigma around technology used by young people and gaming.
“I think they still think we are back in the days of Space Invaders and Pac-Man.
“But that was years ago.
“There now seems to be a generational divide between those making the decisions and those that it affects.
“Technology has evolved at a very fast rate.”
It was hard for another generation to understand how much of a substantial impact these courses and his programmes had on young people, Mr Wards said.
Youth who did not play sport missed out on so much funding, he said.
He felt an obligation to keep young people engaged in his programmes as they had a “profound impact”.
“They are using computers and developing skills which are going to help greatly later in life.
“They are learning some really important transferable skills.”
He said most community funders in other parts of Southland were supportive, which enabled events in places such as Riverton and Bluff.
The event in Gore on November 30 had been an outstanding success thanks to private funding, he said.
An eight-hour event, with $250,000 worth of computer gear being used and paid staff on board, cost about $3000, he said.
He said the feedback he had received was outstanding.
Many people had told him to give up on Gore but he did not want to.
The event last month attracted 40 children aged from 8-15.
He said poor mental health was a big issue for young people, and he had little confidence that it would get any better.
“Unfortunately we have created a society now where a lot of young people feel they do not belong anywhere.”
Mataura Licensing Trust chief executive Mark Paterson said its funding was the responsibility of the community-elected board.
They made the decisions in the best interests of their shareholders and for the benefit of more rather than the few.
Funding had been particularly tight, especially since Covid-19, Mr Paterson said.
stephen.hepburn@alliedpress.co.nz