Join us in showing your support by slipping on your gumboots, donating a gold coin, and reminding our rangatahi that with support, they can make it through the mud. Our next nationwide fundraising campaign is on Friday, 7 November 2025 — but all year round, incredible people across New Zealand are making a difference.
While we now receive public funding, the demand for free counselling continues to grow. Your generosity makes it possible for young people in distress to access mental health support when they need it most.
Gumboot Friday, founded by mental health advocate Mike King, is a free counselling service for any young person in New Zealand aged 25 and under.
An overworked, underfunded, and under resourced public mental health service has led to excruciatingly long wait times for young people needing immediate help. Our free counselling platform provides a bridge to rangatahi in need by breaking down the barriers of cost and wait times.
By supporting Gumboot Friday, you're making a real difference, helping us keep up with the rising demand and ensuring every young Kiwi gets the mental health support they deserve.
We're on a mission to make sure young people aged 5-25 in New Zealand get free and timely counselling when they need it most.
Join us today, and let's rewrite the story of young lives together. Your action can create a brighter, healthier future for the next generation.
Join our Gumboot Army Facebook group and connect with other dedicated fundraisers. Our community is a lively hub brimming with inspiration, teamwork, and support for those who share our passion for helping young Kiwis in need.
Ready to join the Gumboot Army? Simply click the button below, complete the form provided, introduce yourself, share your fundraising ideas, and start connecting with your fellow fundraisers.
The funds you raise for Gumboot Friday will go directly towards funding free counselling sessions for young people in Aotearoa.
Every dollar you contribute to Gumboot Friday opens doors for young Kiwis in need. With the average counselling session costing about $140, your support is a lifeline for those facing the toughest battles.
Enter the amount you wish to give to make a secure online donation via Credit Card or a bank account using Account2Account.
Every cent will go to FREE kids counselling!
Scan this QR code or text BOOTS to 469 to donate $3!
Bank:
Kiwibank
Account Name:
I Am Hope Foundation - Gumboot Friday
Account Number:
38-9020-0336055-01
Head over to our Gumboot Friday Givealittle page. Don't forget to share that you've donated on your socials!
GO TO GIVEALITTLE ▸
All profits from the sale of Gumboot Friday products will go into the Gumboot Friday Kiwibank account to help kids access free counselling when they need it.
We've got sizes for adults, youth, and kids.
The next Gumboot Friday nationwide fundraising campaign is on Friday, 7 November 2025.
Gumboot Friday is an initiative by the I Am Hope Foundation, a fundraising and advocacy organisation that supports young people who are struggling with their mental health. We help connect young people with existing counsellors or therapists and provide funding for counselling, so that they get help as soon as they need it.
The Gumboot Friday counselling funding service is designed to take the pressure off current services and give young people facing long wait times an alternative pathway.
Gumboot Friday is not a long-term solution designed to take over from government services, rather, it should be seen as a bridge between current services and immediate need. Everyone is encouraged to seek government funded help while utilising our service.
For people struggling with depression, it can feel like walking through mud every day.
So on nominated Friday's during the year, we're asking you to show your support, put your gumboots on, give a gold coin, and take a walk in their shoes for just one day.
It's a fun way for kiwis to join in the mental health conversation, while raising money to provide free and timely counselling for any young person in need.
Different ways you can get involved:
You can download posters, QR code for donations, social media post tiles, audio clips, and other downloadable resources on our resources page here: Resources page.
We've teamed up with Number One Shoes to bring you a range of Gumboot Friday gumboots. You'll find them right here: Gumboot Friday gumboots.
No gumboots? No worries! You can still show your support by getting a pair of our awesome Gumboot Friday socks: Gumboot Friday socks.
To let us know about your fundraising plans, register your event here. Thank you again for your support, let's #GUMBOOTUPNZ!
There are multiple ways to donate to Gumboot Friday. See the options on our Make a Donation page.
Check out our online shop here.
All profits from the sale of Gumboot Up products will go into the Gumboot Friday Kiwibank account to help kids access free counselling when they need it.
100% of your donation that's deposited directly into the Kiwibank Gumboot Friday account goes to counselling for kiwi kids and young people. Kids (with the support of their adult supporters) can make an appointment directly with a counsellor or therapist that meets our criteria.
Anyone in New Zealand who is 25 years of age or under.
We provide funding for young people aged 05-25 yrs to get counselling.
Counsellors are not employed by the I Am Hope Foundation. We're collecting a database of counsellors qualified to work with young people, so we can share their details on our website (counsellors can sign up here). Young people can get a counsellor from our database to make an appointment.
We have strict guidelines about the types of counsellors and therapists we accept onto our database.
We consider applications from many different boards and associations. Currently, these are:
Counsellors and Therapists on our database are not a recommendation or exhaustive list of available professionals in New Zealand. We encourage everyone to do the necessary research to find a practitioner who suits your personal needs.
We expect all counsellors and therapists on our database to provide I AM HOPE and Gumboot Friday clients with the same quality of service and professionalism as clients who pay directly.
It is not uncommon for suicidal youth to be discharged from the public system as “not acute enough” or to find themselves on a waitlist for the better half of a year. These claims are backed by interviews and subsequent thematic analysis with our counsellors. New Zealand’s system forces children to get worse before they get better and systematically pushes our mental health practitioners to burnout.
Gumboot Friday flips the script by offering counselling as “just a conversation”. In our system, children receive free, timely help unconditionally, regardless of who they are. This allows us to address issues quickly before they escalate, and thus unburdens the health system while giving our children support when they request it. On the other side of this service, practitioners can access funding to hold children in their community and enjoy a higher quality of work with a less acute clientele, as well as a fair wage.
