As we move through March, we’re already seeing the momentum pick up — communities showing up, young people reaching out, and support offered to our kids when it’s needed most and we’d love to tell you all about it!
🏫 Hope in Schools
Our amazing ambassadors Ruby and Noah have been flat-out on the ground, bringing Little People, Big Feelings into classrooms across Aotearoa. They’ve been helping tamariki understand their emotions, talk about what they’re feeling, and learn that it’s okay to feel whatever they feel. These are real conversations, happening early — building confidence, connection, and emotional awareness from the start.
In March alone, they visited schools across the motu — from Waikato and Auckland through to Whanganui, Palmerston North, Dannevirke, and Feilding — connecting with tamariki, whānau, and school communities along the way.
It’s been a month full of meaningful conversations and new connections.
Across these visits, we’ve seen young people open up with honesty and courage, and created space for important kōrero not just with students, but with the adults around them too — helping support more open, understanding conversations about mental wellbeing at home and in the classroom.
None of this would be possible without the support of our Principal Partner, the Wright Family Foundation. 😌
Gumboot Friday: February in Action
In February 2026, 1,754 young people aged 5–25 accessed free counselling through Gumboot Friday, delivering a total of 2,721 sessions nationwide.
Every session is free, requires no GP referral, and is chosen by the young person from our network of registered counsellors on the Gumboot Friday platform.
Here’s the February breakdown:
490
young people
aged 5–11
(28%)
510
young people
aged 12–17
(29%)
754
young people
aged 18–25
(43%)
While government funding pays our counsellors — and we are so grateful for that support — none of this happens without the incredible generosity of Kiwis like you who donate to I Am Hope.
Your support keeps everything moving — matching young people to counsellors, supporting the platform, and allowing us to reach more rangatahi every month.
We are deeply grateful. Thank you for standing with our kids and making sure help is there when they need it. 🫂
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.No referral needed. No cost.
With another election coming up, a few people have asked what it might mean for I Am Hope.
The truth is, we’re apolitical. Mental health isn’t a left or right issue. It’s a human one. Our focus has always been on young people, and we’ll work with any government that wants to help make sure they can access the support they need.
Elections can bring change, and change can bring different priorities. That’s just part of the process. Our job is to stay focused on the young people we serve and keep pushing for solutions that work.
What I’m really excited about is the future.
We’ve built something pretty special with I Am Hope and Gumboot Friday, and we’re only just getting started. No matter who’s in government, our mission stays the same: making sure young people know they matter and that help is there when they need it. 👊🏼
— Mike King
In the News
More Help Needed
📰 Pasifika Youth & Access to Support
More kōrero is emerging around the growing gap in mental health support for Pasifika youth — and it’s something we’re seeing reflected in our own work too.
In this piece by RNZ, Mike shares how cultural barriers, stigma, and access challenges are still preventing many young people from reaching out — even when the need is there.
We know our young people want to talk. The key is making sure there are safe, accessible options when they do.
We’re excited to introduce Paul Lynch, who’s helping grow and strengthen our connections across the South Island.
Paul has been out meeting with communities, including catching up with Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon — a long-time supporter of I Am Hope — as we look to connect more deeply into local events, business networks, and community initiatives.
This is all about building real, grassroots relationships and making sure support is visible and accessible right across the South.
If you’re based in the South Island and want to get involved, support the kaupapa, or connect us into your community, Paul would love to hear from you. 📧 paul@iamhope.org.nz
Community Heroes
Nurses of Auckland University Student Association
👩🏾⚕️👨🏼 Running for Hope
Huge thanks to the nursing students from the University of Auckland who took on Round the Bays to raise funds for I Am Hope. As future nurses, they understand just how important early mental health support is — and showed up not just in their studies, but in their actions. 💙
Jack is currently walking the Te Araroa Trail — 3,000km from Cape Reinga to Bluff — to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health. His latest update says it all: it’s been a privilege to walk, meet incredible people, and support a cause close to his heart. Well, we are privileged to have Jack support us in our mission to help Kiwi kids! 🙌🏽
We’re constantly telling our kids ‘You need to tell us when there’s a problem, you need to talk more’ but we don’t role model that behaviour at all.
– Mike King, I Am Hope Founder
Cloud Nine Jewellery
💍 Mood Rings That Give Back
Massive thanks to Cloud Nine Jewellery — their gorgeous Mood Rings are back, and they’re doing more than just looking good. Each ring is a reminder to check in with how you’re feeling — and $20 from every sale goes directly towards supporting youth mental health in Aotearoa.
Huge thanks to Bidfood and their partners for an incredible Golf Day fundraiser in support of our kids. A great day on the course, bringing people together and backing our kids in such a meaningful way. Absolute legends. 🙏🏻
Huge thanks to Fowler Homes and all the incredible trades putting in the mahi on the Hope Home 2.0 project. From electricians to landscapers, suppliers to builders — it’s a massive collective effort, all coming together for one purpose.
Every dollar from the sale of the home goes back into supporting young people through I Am Hope. We are truly blown away by the effort and generosity! 🤯
Last week we spent time with Megan Fairley and her team in Dunedin — long-time supporters who continue to show up for our tamariki in a big way. Their fundraising has now passed $100,000 — an incredible effort built over years of consistency, relentlessness, and community.
If you’re in Dunedin, stop by, say hi, and show them some love.
Follow: @megan.fairley for updates or support their Givealittle if you can.
We’ve kicked off a new partnership with Totalspan New Zealand — and it’s one that’s going to make a real difference.
Gumboot Friday QR codes will be placed in bus shelters across rural communities, helping young people access free counselling in places where support can be harder to reach.
Simple. Practical. Impactful. Thank you Totalspan!
Children leave more empowered and feeling seen and heard.
– Gumboot Friday Counsellor
I Am Hope Foundation, PO BOX 10271, Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1446, New Zealand
