👋 Kia Ora

This month, we wanted to do things a little differently. Rather than simply tell you what we’ve been up to, we want to show you what your support is actually making possible.

Thousands of counselling sessions. Thousands of kids reached in schools. Young people getting help without having to pay for it, wait for a referral or convince someone they need it badly enough.

And with Gumboot Friday coming up on November 6, we need New Zealand behind us again.

What August Looked Like

In August, Gumboot Friday delivered 3,504 free counselling sessions nationwide, supporting 2,264 young people aged 5–25.

That’s 2,264 young Kiwis who reached out and had someone there to talk to.

Sessions are free, no referral is required, and young people choose who they want to talk to from Gumboot Friday’s network of registered counsellors.

Of the young people supported in August:

29%

were aged 5–11

31%

were aged 12–17

40%

were aged 18–25

Hope in Schools: 8,870 Kids and Counting

Counselling is one part of what we do. Another big part is getting to young people earlier.

Our ambassadors Ruby and Noah have been covering huge ground with Little People, Big Feelings, taking the programme into schools right across the motu — from the upper North Island through regional and rural communities, and all the way down into the South Island.

In July & August, they reached another 3,124 kids across 13 schools, bringing the total number of young people reached through the programme in 2026 so far to 8,870.

That’s thousands of kids learning how to recognise big emotions, talk about what’s going on and understand that asking for help is okay.

None of this would be possible without the support of our Principal Partner, the Wright Family Foundation. Their backing helps us start these conversations early, where they can make a real difference.

Now We Need a Hand. Or Maybe a Foot

Gumboot Friday provides free counselling for anyone in New Zealand aged 5 to 25. If they need help, they can get it — when they need it, where they need it.

It costs $9 million to provide the services we do.

The government gives us $6 million.

To get some of the rest, we were kind of hoping you’d give us a hand.

Or maybe a foot.
Gumboot Friday.
Gumboot up and get into it.
November 6 2026.

Kiwis are great at getting behind a cause we’re hoping you’ll join us.

There are heaps of fun ways groups or individuals can get involved.

Businesses can do it, sports teams can do it, whanau, neighbourhoods, even just a bunch of friends that want to make a tangible difference for the young people of New Zealand.

• Get friends to sponsor something you’re doing like, say a 10k run.

• Wear your gumboots somewhere outrageous for a fee.

• Have a Gumboot fashion show.

• Decorate the gumboots you wear for work.

• The good old sausage sizzle.

• Hold a gumboot ball.

• Start growing your mullet for a year starting on this November 6.

• Donate a portion of sales for November.

• Do a physical challenge like 50 press ups.

• Do a non physical challenge like reading 3 books.

• Make an awesome Gumboot Friday Song and have a hit single.

• Make some other kind of Gumboot Friday art.

• See how long you can stand on one leg. In gumboots.

There’s nothing that can’t be turned into a fundraiser for Gumboot Friday.

Let us know what’s going on.

Don’t forget to take heaps of pictures to send us and tag #gumbootfriday in your social posts so we can share the love.