Photo: I Am Hope youth ambassadors. Source: Facebook, I Am Hope.
The funds donated to Gumboot Friday earlier this year is making $395,880 available for counselling to help New Zealand children manage their way through Christmas and New Year.
In April this year, New Zealanders donated $1.3 million to the Gumboot Friday event, go towards providing free counselling to young people.
“To 23 September, more than 2,000 kids accessed over 7,600 counselling sessions through the Gumboot Fund,” says Mike King and The Key to Life team.
Among them, over 900 children were aged 8 to 11 years old, 600 were aged between 12 and 15 and more than 500 were aged 16 to 19.
“Demand was spread across the country with the highest levels in Otago, Canterbury, Auckland, Wellington, Bay of Plenty and Waikato.”
The $395,880 in funds are available because, unused sessions that had been approved earlier, in the year have now come back, into the pool for re-allocation.
“At an average cost of $120 per consultation, more than 3200 sessions will be accessible. To ensure we reach as many young people as possible funding approval will be given for four sessions per person over six weeks. Any unused sessions after this period will again go back into the pool for reallocation.”
Figures released last year by the Ministry of Justice, showed New Zealand’s suicide rates had increased for four consecutive years and are one of the leading countries in the world for youth suicide. Last year in New Zealand 137 young people died by suicide and it is estimated another 3,500 attempted to take their own lives.
The Key to Life says, “While Christmas is a joyous occasion for most kids, for others it is anything but. For a lot of young people, particularly those who have lost a loved one during the year, Christmas is a very triggering period and we are wanting to do everything thing we can to ensure help is there if and when they need it.”
Planning for next year’s Gumboot Friday on April 3 is well under-way and details will be shared in the New Year.
“We’re aiming high, at a stretch target of $5 million, because of the overwhelming demand for help. A lot of activity is planned across the country and we can’t wait to get into it.”
Meanwhile, The Key to Life encourages those who find themselves in need to take the step of making an appointment by seeing who is available here.
If urgent medical care is needed dial 111 immediately. If people need to talk to a trained counsellor, please text or call 1737 any time, 24 hours a day.