Source: New Zealand Government
The Government continues to make more mental health and wellbeing supports available to young people to ensure services are there when and where they need them, Health Minister Andrew Little says.
“More than twenty community-led projects have now received a funding boost through The Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund to keep doing the important work they do.
“I’m very pleased that the fund, which was brought forward due to the Delta outbreak, has also been increased from $1-million to $1.4-million because of the number of quality applications received,” Andrew Little said.
“We learned from previous lockdowns that they are particularly challenging for young people, so we moved quickly to make sure these supports could keep being there in their time of need.
“Supporting mental wellbeing is an important part of the Government’s response to COVID-19 and vital in laying the foundations for a better future for New Zealand, Andrew Little said.
“’Take time to kōrero’ is this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme and by boosting these programmes it ensures young people can do just that. You never know when someone, who is feeling vulnerable, stops to talk, just how much of a difference that can make.”
Youth mental health is part of the Cooperation Agreement between Labour and The Green Party.
“Everybody deserves access to mental health support when they need it. We know there’s still a lot of mahi to do, but this urgent expansion of some already existing programmes is welcome. It increases the size of the safety net we know young people may already be familiar with and are likely to reach out to,” Green Party mental health spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said.
The Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund was for existing on-the-ground the ground initiatives and priority was given to programmes with a focus on young people in Auckland and Northland.
The Youth Mental Wellbeing Funding follows the release of Kia Manawanui – the Long term pathway, the first 10-year plan of its kind that targets the cause of mental distress and sets out how to achieve pae ora – healthy futures. It also follows the first report of the Government’s Implementation Unit that found strong progress has been made since the Mental Health and Addictions Package was announced in 2019.
ENDS
List of programmes funded:
- Whangarei Youth Space
- YES Disability Resource Centre / Shore Junction
- Gender Minorities Aotearoa
- Te Karanga Charitable Trust
- Family Life Education Pasefika Services Trust
- Auckland Tongan Community Incorporated
- E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services
- Mapu Maia Limited in partnership with Dioscuri Limited
- Vaka Pasifika Charitable Trust – Ngati Hine FM
- Parafed Auckland – Greenhithe Community Trust
- Greenhithe Community Trust
- Great Families Charitable Trust
- E Tu Te Tai Tokerau Trust – ETU TTT
- Mā Te Huruhuru – Mā Te Huruhuru Charitable Trust
- Te Roopū Tautoko ki Te Tonga
- Naenae Boxing Academy
- Te Kura-a-Wao Charitable trust
- Partners Porirua Trust
- Moko Tūrongo Charitable Trust
- Youthline Central North Island Incorporated
- Otautahi Creative Spaces Trust
