Attending Mental Health Innovation Fund announcement in Rotorua are (from left) Red Stag Timber commercial manager Paul Laing, Red Stag Timber general manager Tim Rigter, Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust chairman John McRae, youth centre trust chief executive Jen Murray, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rotorua Trust trustee Mike Keefe. Photo / Supplied
Attending Mental Health Innovation Fund announcement in Rotorua are (from left) Red Stag Timber commercial manager Paul Laing, Red Stag Timber general manager Tim Rigter, Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust chairman John McRae, youth centre trust chief executive Jen Murray, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rotorua Trust trustee Mike Keefe. Photo / Supplied
Young Rotorua people struggling with mental health issues have just been given a $1 million funding boost.
An extra 560 young people are predicted to benefit after Taiohi Tūrama – Rotorua Centre For Youth successfully applied to the Government’s Mental Health Innovation Fund.
The Government will put in $500,000 and that money has been matched by key local funders, mainly Red Stag Timber and Rotorua Trust.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the funding today during a special visit to the youth centre.
The Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust, which trades as Taiohi Tūrama – Rotorua Centre for Youth, provides free primary health, mental health, and social services to young people.
Trust chief executive Jen Murray said there was an increased need for mental health and wellbeing services.
“Young people are struggling all over the place.”
She said they were dealing with more than ever today, including poverty, social media issues, trauma, intergenerational issues, disconnection, and peer pressure – all contributing to increased anxiety.
But she was quick to say mental health issues didn’t mean all struggling young people had a mental illness.
“Everyone’s mental health goes up and down.”
Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust chief executive Jen Murray. Photo / Andrew Warner
She said the funding allowed help to be there when needed.
The money will be used to employ another fulltime mental health practitioner and two more youth workers. The centre currently has 32 staff, including nurses, doctors, mental health practitioners, youth workers, employment navigators, and mental health and wellbeing coaches.
The funds will also go towards programmes to upskill others to help young people. One is a mental health first aid course that will be offered to 120 Rotorua people working with young people.
Murray said the programme would give people the skills to be an early intervention on the “front line” if they were dealing with young people who might be distressed or in crisis.
Doocey said mental health and wellbeing was a prominent issue for many young people across the country and he was pleased the funding would help the youth centre expand their team and work.
Rotorua Trust and Red Stag Timber each contributed $200,000 towards the fund to help match the Government’s $500,000 contribution. The remaining $100,000 came from other smaller funders.
Red Stag Timber general manager Tim Rigter said Red Stag Timber looked to contribute back to the Rotorua community.
“We want to support the youth in Rotorua, as they are the future. Organisations like the Rotorua youth centre offer numerous avenues of support to the youth of Rotorua with resources that can assist young people over a large breadth of issues.
“They are local, have been around a long time and have the structure to deliver results in supporting the youth. This is why we support them.”
Rotorua Trust trustee Mike Keefe said helping to fund this initiative had been a “game changer” for youth mental health in Rotorua.
“As a trust, we find significant advantage in partnering with like-minded organisations like Red Stag. Their overall contribution to the Rotorua community is also significant.”
Keefe said the trust was grateful to the Government for supporting this kaupapa.
About the fund
The trust is the sixth successful recipient of the first round of the fund, with Youthline, the Sir John Kirwan Foundation, Mates in Construction, the Mental Health Foundation and Wellington City Mission already announced.
Other successful providers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Mental Health Innovation Fund was set up to provide $10 million over two years to support non-government organisations and community providers with extra funding.
“This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in grassroots initiatives through non-governmental and community organisations that deliver mental health and addiction support,” Doocey said.
The next round of funding will open mid-year.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
