Source: Radio New Zealand
Philanthropist Sir Graham Dingle. (File photo) Sir Graham Dingle
Philanthropist Sir Graham Dingle says wealthy Kiwis need to invest in young people to help them reach their goals.
Through his organisation, the Graham Dingle Foundation, he’s launching a nationwide fundraising initiative Move Mountains for Youth, calling on New Zealanders to help close the gap between young people’s ambition and the support they needed to achieve it.
Speaking to Morning Report, Dingle said the effort was two-fold.
“One is to highlight the issues facing young people. They seem like impossible mountains at times, and kids need the chance to figure out how to move the mountain.
“The second thing is that we need money to put young people through programmes, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Dingle, who had been working with youth to achieve their goals for decades, said the issue was now more important than ever.
“Kids are facing all kinds of issues that previous generations have never confronted, and we need to get on with it.
“We’re losing too many kids. We have by far the highest youth suicide rate in the world, and that’s not acceptable to me, and it shouldn’t be acceptable to New Zealanders.
“But it’s not just that, it’s losing kids to opportunity.”
The Graeme Dingle Foundation had supported over 400,000 tamariki and rangatahi over more than 30 years, through programmes including Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K.
The foundation said research had shown for every $1 invested, the Graeme Dingle Foundation generated $10.50 of social value.
While the cost of living was hitting New Zealand hard, Dingle said the money was still out there, and needed to be put to good use.
“We need to understand that we have more wealthy people in this country now than ever before. Most New Zealanders are doing okay, but there is an underbelly which is not looking good.
“I think there is a place to get young people alongside older people. Wisdom comes with years and if we can help transfer that wisdom between older people and younger people, it’s fantastic.”
Dingle was recognised as one of New Zealand’s most accomplished explorers, completing more than 200 expeditions across the Himalaya, Andes, Antarctica and New Zealand.
He was awarded a knighthood in 2017 and appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001 for his services to youth. He had also been awarded the Order of Magellan and an MBE for services to outdoor pursuits.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/sir-graham-dingle-urges-wealthy-kiwis-to-invest-in-young-peoples-goals/