7BDE paint gumboots for charity and get behind an important cause - mental health support for the youth of NZ
A couple of weeks ago, Megan Fairley from 'Project Hope and Beyond' approached JMC Drama to see if they wanted to collaborate and raise funds for Gumboot Friday - a charity dedicated to raising funds for FREE and timely counselling to the young people of NZ. More than happy to get behind this cause, 7BDE spent their last Friday drama class painting 10 pairs of gumboots to be auctioned off, all proceeds going directly to Gumboot Friday.
Gumboot Friday was set up by mental health advocate and former comedian, Mike King, through his foundation 'I AM HOPE'. NZ has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the OECD, with Māori the most significantly affected. With these stats in mind, Mike's foundation has been hard at work for many years in schools, trying to help the tamariki of our country talk about their feelings and normalise the mental health conversation so that they are armed to cope with life and its challenges. However, this work hasn't been easy. In a recent interview with The Rock FM, Mike broke down talking about the hard and brutal reality of being in his line of work with an insufficient, poor mental health care system in place, and little real support behind him. Sufficiently addressing this issue requires mass awareness and collective action. But in the meantime, there are immediate things we can do to help – donate at www.gumbootfriday.com. Or even better, bid on a pair of our students' gumboots here: https://forms.gle/6bEa7TFGS3P2v1dA8
A special pair of boots were bought on the spot by our awesome sports coordinator Tony Gomez for $100! We made sure to give them some classic McGlashan flair.
We were very lucky to have the boys' gumboot painting process documented by Tony and our awesome wood tech teacher, Simon White. They captured some gorgeous shots!
The ODT also came in to cover us for their Gumboot Friday article, make sure to check out the video coverage here: shorturl.at/ghmqv
A huge thanks to Megan Fairley, Bata Industries, and Resene Paints for all the supplies and for letting us participate in this meaningful event. The boys had an awesome time and we are excited to be backing this important cause!
If you or a loved one need any immediate support or help, below are the available mental health helplines at your disposal.
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP).
Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).
Healthline – 0800 611 116
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