June has been one of those months that reminds us why we do what we do.
From school visits and rural events to community fundraisers and everyday conversations, we've spent the month meeting people who care deeply about young people and want to see them supported before things reach crisis point.
We've had some incredible conversations along the way. Parents, teachers, farmers, tradies, business owners, students, gym members — all wanting the same thing: for our kids to know it's okay to talk and that help is there when they need it.
🏫 Hope in Schools
Ruby and Noah have barely had time to unpack this month, travelling from Taranaki to Auckland and down to Canterbury, bringing Little People, Big Feelings into classrooms across the motu.
In June they visited Hāwera Primary School and Huirangi School in Taranaki, Macleans Primary School in Auckland, and Highfield School, Twizel Area School, and Fairlie School across Canterbury.
Every school is different, but one thing stays the same — kids are ready to have these conversations. Whether it's talking about big emotions, learning healthy ways to express them, or simply knowing it's okay to ask for help, these visits continue to leave a lasting impression on students and staff alike.
A huge thank you to Ruby and Noah for the energy, care, and heart they pour into every visit. None of this would be possible without the support of our Principal Partner, the Wright Family Foundation.
🎤 Bring I Am Hope to Your School
Our ambassadors are continuing to visit schools across the country, helping young people understand their emotions, build resilience, and learn that asking for help is a strength.
If you'd like Ruby and Noah to visit your Auckland school, we'd love to hear from you. For a free school visit:
In May, Gumboot Friday supported more young people than any other month so far this year.
Every session is free, requires no referral, and is chosen by the young person from our network of registered counsellors.
Behind every number is a young person who decided to reach out and a counsellor who was there to listen.
While government funding helps cover the counselling sessions themselves, it’s your donations that keep the whole thing moving — the platform, the people behind it, the school visits, the resources, and the work happening before young people reach crisis point.
NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO?
We’re here to listen. Free counselling is available now for young people 25 and under.Choose a counsellor who feels right for you.
Now's a great time to start thinking about how you'll get involved this year. Whether it's at work, school, your sports club or in your community, we'd love to help bring your ideas to life.
Let's make this our biggest Gumboot Friday yet 🤗
💬 A Quick Word From Mike
We keep talking about the youth mental health crisis as if it starts in emergency departments, on waiting lists or in our suicide statistics.
It doesn’t.
By the time a young person reaches crisis point, we’ve already missed countless opportunities to help. If we want better outcomes, we need to stop waiting for young people to fall apart before we step in.
Fieldays always gives us a chance to connect with people from every corner of Aotearoa, and this year was no different.
Over the week we spoke with farmers, families, rural business owners, teachers, contractors, and community leaders — all passionate about supporting young people in their communities. A huge thank you to Totalspan and Fieldays for helping us be there, and to CablePrice for getting so enthusiastically behind the kaupapa.
Seeing the Hitachi excavators carrying the I Am Hope message around the competition arena was pretty special. Rural communities continue to show up for our kids in a big way and we're incredibly grateful for that.
Melie Kerr's Treading Water series is now out and we couldn't recommend it highly enough.
These are honest conversations from people who've been through tough times and found their way forward. No scripts and no pretending. Just people sharing their stories in the hope that someone else feels a little less alone.
It takes courage to speak openly about mental health and we're incredibly proud to support a series that helps normalise these conversations.
Looking for a way to support I Am Hope and start a few conversations along the way? From hoodies and tees to caps and more, every piece of I Am Hope merchandise helps back the work happening in schools, communities, and through Gumboot Friday.
Mike recently spent the morning with the lads at Snap Fitness Avondale as part of Men's Mental Health Week. The conversations were honest, open, and exactly the kind of kōrero we need more of.
Sometimes all it takes is creating the space.
🚛 Taking the Message Further
The team at TR Group have been backing I Am Hope since 2019 and continue finding new ways to help spread the message. One of the latest additions to their rental fleet now proudly carries I Am Hope branding, helping keep youth wellbeing visible right across the country.
Huge thanks to the TR team for continuing to stand alongside our young people.
The Gumboot Friday fund helped me see a psychologist in a time where I was in a very dark headspace and was struggling to access any kind of support. She helped save my life.
🚴 Ride for Our Kids at the 2026 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge
Whether you're tackling the full challenge or riding with a team, we'd love to have you join Team I Am Hope at the 2026 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. Our ambassador Cameron Brown will be there on the day too.
If you'd like a bit more structure leading into the event, Cameron also has basic and intermediate training programmes available.
A massive shoutout to the legend behind The People vs The Mullet fundraiser.
What started with a mullet ended up raising $2,940 and getting people talking — and we're SO here for it.
Thank you for backing our kids and proving once again that Kiwis will find a way to turn just about anything into a fundraiser.
☕ A Cup of Tea and a Whole Lot of Heart
Healthpak's Gumboot Friday Tea has now raised more than $76,000.
That's an incredible effort from a business that has consistently found practical ways to support young people.
Huge thanks to everyone who's bought a box, shared the story, or helped spread the word. You’re increTEAble!
🔌 Switching On for Our Kids
A huge thank you to the team at IDEAL Electrical NZ, who recently raised $15,000 for I Am Hope. The support from businesses like IDEAL helps us keep showing up in schools, communities, and counselling rooms across the country.
We're incredibly grateful to have them in our corner.
There’s so much peace in choosing kindness as your comeback to someone’s bitterness. Keep glowing.
— The Chocolate Queen (Megan Fairley – Invercargill)
I Am Hope Foundation, PO BOX 10271, Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1446, New Zealand
