A team of passionate Kiwis, including some of New Zealand's favourite former athletes, are embarking on a strenuous physical and mental challenge to raise funds and awareness for youth mental health in New Zealand.
The "Due Drop Hope Challenge" is an event that the Due Drop Foundation sponsors and will kick off on February 14, 2023.
The event consists of a 16-day relay to swim, bike, or run the length of the North Island, from Cape Reinga to the Beehive in Wellington, in the hope of reaching the goal of raising $2 million for kids' counselling.
It's a journey to raise awareness and let young people know that there is a resource available to help them on their mental health journey.
Founder of I Am Hope, Gumboot Friday and mental health advocate Mike King will complete part of the journey. A former comedian, radio and television personality, and passionate mental health advocate, Mike King is a positive disruptor in the mental health space in New Zealand. Kings advocacy began in 2009 on his radio show, The Nutters Club. He has since founded the Key to Life Charitable Trust, I Am Hope, and New Zealand’s leading free youth counselling service provider, Gumboot Friday.
King says, "We need services that do not wait for our tamariki to get worse before they get better.
"It’s not enough to occasionally treat our most distressed youth after months of waitlists. We need warm, human support that reaches out to our kids on their terms in schools and communities before they become so overwhelmed that they must ask for help."
King will lead a hīkoi to Parliament where he will hand over a custom-designed baton to a government representative, symbolising the vital need for leadership and decisive action on improving youth mental health in New Zealand.
"We want the government to address our children’s needs. The $1.9 billion Access and Wellbeing Budget, the $44 million Counsellors in Schools program, and so many more government initiatives have overpromised and under delivered results to our young people," said King.
In 2021/2022, nearly one in four (23.6%) youth aged 15–24 experienced high mental distress. Every year, 6.36% of Māori access mental health and addiction services, the highest of any group in New Zealand.
In 2021/2022, 176,000 Māori aged 15 and above had a diagnosed anxiety or mood disorder. All funds raised from the Due Drop Hope Challenge will go towards King’s I Am Hope.
“We ask the government for $5 million a year to sustainably provide free counselling to your youth. But more than this, we ask the government to open their eyes and act in favor of all the young people who need help now."