New Zealand's government allocates $24m over four years to I Am Hope Foundation's 'Gumboot Friday' for free mental health counselling to 15,000+ youth.

New Zealand's Government allocates $24 million over four years to the I Am Hope Foundation for its 'Gumboot Friday' initiative, offering free mental health counselling sessions to 15,000+ young New Zealanders annually. The funding commitment, made in 2020 as part of the NZ First-National coalition agreement, aims to improve access to mental health services, support the workforce, and focus on prevention and early intervention in addressing the nation's mental health crisis among youth.