Dream team's aim to inspire the next generation

Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae tells pupils at Wesley Primary School in Mt Roskill to be the best they can. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Governor-General was part of a "dream team" that set out yesterday to inspire young New Zealanders in the name of adventurer Sir Peter Blake.

Sir Jerry Mateparae joined more than 200 other leaders, including sporting great Beatrice Faumuina, actress Miriama Smith and businessman Sir Stephen Tindall, to visit schools around the country for the Sir Peter Blake Trust's leadership week.

Yesterday at 11am the "dream team" made up of kiwi entrepreneurs, adventurers, scientists, politicians and community leaders, spoke at 251 different classrooms, inspiring students to dream big.

Sir Jerry visited Wesley Primary School in Mt Roskill where he told students about his career and urged them to be the best they can be. He told them he never imagined he would become the Governor-General.

After his talk, Sir Jerry gave the children a pair of red socks each to wear on Friday, Red Socks Day. Sir Peter wore red socks for good luck and they were adopted by Kiwis during the 1995 America's Cup campaign.

Two former Blake emerging leaders, ex-Olympian and former NZX chief executive Mark Weldon and Iron Maori founder Heather Te Au-Skipworth, championed the project.

Mrs Te Au-Skipworth said the idea of the project was to spark inspirational conversation, and create leaders like Sir Peter.

The speakers gave out "dream cards" for the students to write on and the trust is developing an online plan so older students can put their dreams into action.

"It's all about encouraging our kids to have dreams and aspirations, and to have the courage to pursue them," said Mr Weldon.

The speakers in the dream team ranged in age from 16 to 60. Many went to their old schools to speak while others were matched to high-needs schools.

The Sir Peter Blake Trust was developed in the memory of Sir Peter, who was killed by pirates on the Amazon River in 2001, and it is dedicated to inspiring adventure, environmental awareness and leadership.