The appeal aims to provide beds and bedding for 553 kids who are sleeping on the floor or bed-sharing this winter. Photo / Supplied
The appeal aims to provide beds and bedding for 553 kids who are sleeping on the floor or bed-sharing this winter. Photo / Supplied
The Chiefs Rugby Club, through donations from its fans, members, sponsors and stakeholders, has raised $15,000 to buy 45 beds, including bedding, for Kiwi kids sleeping on the floor, or bed-sharing this winter.
The fundraising effort, which included donations via the club's online store and several Gallagher Chiefs Trade Me auctions, is to help the Chiefs' community partner Variety – The Children's Charity - and its Warm Hearts Winter Appeal.
The appeal, which runs until the end of July, aims to provide vital beds and bedding for more than 500 Kiwi kids living in our poorest communities whose health is impacted because they don't have a bed of their own.
In Waikato, more than 200 children in the Whare Ora Healthy Homes programme were identified as having one or more respiratory infections.
Nationally, about 30,000 children are hospitalised every year from poor-quality-housing-related diseases like asthma, pneumonia and bronchiolitis, with hospitalisation rates peaking in winter.
Variety chief executive Susan Glasgow said: "The nights are getting colder, and this winter is particularly hard for one in five tamariki living in low-income households without access to basic necessities.
"Many of these kids don't have their own bed or access to warm bedding – having to share beds due to overcrowding, or sleep on mouldy mattresses or even couches. And with the pandemic placing additional financial strain on families, these children need help more than ever to get through this winter."
Variety's Warm Hearts Appeal is aiming to raise $190,000 to provide beds and warm bedding for 553 children this year for its Beds for Kids programme run in partnership with the Government's Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI).
"This is a worthwhile cause that caring Kiwis should consider supporting, so that our most poverty-stricken children can sleep through the night and keep warm like every other Kiwi kid," said Glasgow.
Variety T-shirts were worn by the Gallagher Chiefs ahead of their fixture against the Melbourne Rebels in Sydney, which were signed and auctioned off. Liam Messam's 2020 Māori All Blacks jersey and a signed 2016 Gallagher Chiefs jersey were also auctioned off. The Trade Me auctions collectively raised close to $7250.
Chiefs Rugby Club chief executive officer Michael Collins thanked everyone who contributed to the cause.
Glasgow also thanked the Chiefs for their efforts.
"The team and their incredible fans have raised enough money to provide beds and bedding packs to almost 50 tamariki across New Zealand," she said.
More than 1 in 3 (37 per cent) hospital admissions in zero to 14 year olds are due to illnesses related to poor-quality housing, like asthma, pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Photo / Supplied
"These beds will help prevent children being admitted to hospital with preventable respiratory illnesses linked to poor sleeping environments. What an amazing effort, we are humbled by your generosity, thank you to everyone who supported us."
William is 5 years old and lives in Waikato with three other siblings. William has asthma and uses a daily preventer inhaler. During winter he is more prone to chest infections and has increased GP attendance.
He sleeps on the sofa or occasionally shares his mother's bed. He desperately needs new bedding to help keep him warm at night and reduce the likelihood of getting sick or exacerbating his asthma.
William also needs winter clothing for school, which he only started in March. In addition, he requires a backpack, regulation shoes and socks and school stationery. These have been supplied by the school but are yet to be paid for due to his family's financial hardship.
By accessing warm clothing and shoes, William will have the option of playing outside with his friends at school. A new bed and bedding will to help ensure he has a good sleep at night and can make the most of his learning opportunities.
If you can help, donate here to Variety's Warm Hearts Winter Appeal until July 31.
