Source: I Am Hope
29 September 2026
August was another strong month for Gumboot Friday, with 3,505 free counselling sessions delivered to young New Zealanders aged 5–25.
Sessions are free, no referral is required, and young people choose who they want to talk to from Gumboot Friday’s network of registered counsellors.
Breakdown by age group:
- 657 young people aged 5–11 (29%)
- 697 young people aged 12–17 (31%)
- 910 young people aged 18–25 (40%)
Each of those 3,505 sessions represents a young person having time with a counsellor to talk through whatever was happening in their world at the time.
Since 2019, Gumboot Friday has funded 171,334 free counselling sessions for young New Zealanders as at August 2026.
“August was another busy month for us. Thousands of counselling sessions, thousands of conversations, and young people getting someone in their corner when they needed to be heard,” says I Am Hope founder Mike King.
“Gumboot Friday makes it simple for our rangatahi to say, ‘I need someone to talk to’ and actually get someone to talk to. We’ve built a service that gets our kids through the door without cost or a GP referral standing in the way.”
“With all the negative mental health trends, it is also important to take note of all the good that is getting done every single month, and we want to keep it going,” King says.
“With Gumboot Friday coming up in November, we’re asking New Zealanders to get behind it again. Every fundraiser, every business that gets involved, every community that gets together and every person who puts on a pair of gumboots helps us keep this kaupapa moving and make sure young people know there is somewhere they can turn.”
Government support helps pay for counselling sessions, while community support helps fund the platform, the people who keep it running, counsellor support, compliance, awareness, school programmes, community outreach and prevention work.
Gumboot Friday returns on Friday 6 November, with communities, businesses, schools, sports teams and whānau across Aotearoa encouraged to get involved and raise funds for I Am Hope.
Every donation, fundraiser, shared post and gumboot sold helps keep Gumboot Friday moving and helps young people connect with free counselling when they need it.
If you or someone you know is 25 or under and needs someone to talk to, visit Gumboot Friday to book a free counsellor today — no referral needed.
To donate, fundraise, or get involved with I Am Hope, head to I Am Hope or text HOPE to 469 for a $3 donation.