Gumboot Friday Raises $3 Million For Youth Counselling In Aotearoa

Volunteers and communities across New Zealand have raised a whopping $3,073,864 (and counting) to fund free children’s counselling in New Zealand.

The record-breaking figure comes after the annual Gumboot Friday event held on November 4th.

100% of the donations will go to Gumboot Friday, which is New Zealand’s leading counselling service provider for youth under 25 years old.

Mike King says he is not surprised, but absolutely blown away, by New Zealander’s generosity.

“It’s mind blowing that in one day Kiwis have rallied together and raised more than $3 million for our kids.

“Now, more young people, can get the help they desperately need, without having to languish on our abominably long waiting lists, or harrowing visits to the doctor to be diagnosed as mentally ill, before they can gain access to a mental health professional.

“The response this year has been overwhelming. Kiwis are finally realising that if their kids are struggling with their mental health, no one from the government is going to come riding in on white horses to save them, so they’ve decided to do something about it themselves.

“Kiwis care about our kids. They want our kids to live. They’re digging deep into their own pockets and funding Gumboot Friday to stop our tragic suicide statistics. When will our officials match our people and our communities in caring about our kids too?”

Despite its success, and the obvious need in our communities, Gumboot Friday receives no government funding.

Earlier this month, Gumboot Friday recorded its highest week of counselling sessions funded in its history at $103,000.

Over the past year, Gumboot Friday sessions increased by more than 200% and demand for the service is expected to grow.

“If this trend continues, we could see an average of well over $200,000 per week in counselling fees by the end of next year.”

Prior to this year’s mammoth total, Kiwis have donated more than $3.5 million to Gumboot Friday, which has seen more than 28,000 counselling sessions funded.

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