This week, Year 13 students Stefan Marasinghe Arachchige Don and Ryan Wilson attended the public launch of the Maia Health Foundation’s Better Space appeal, where a sculpture by Fayne Robinson was unveiled. This sculpture will eventually find its home on the grounds of Kahurangi, a better space dedicated to child and youth mental health. 

Following the launch, they attended a lunch where mental health advocate Jazz Thornton shared some of her insights. A key message from Jazz was that it is wise, not weak, for young people to seek support for their mental wellbeing. 

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, the Student Wellbeing Committee are running a non-uniform day next Thursday (21 September), with funds raised being donated to the Better Space appeal. The Rata Foundation are matching every dollar donated up to $500,000.

The demand for Child, Adolescent, and Family (CAF) mental health services in Canterbury has risen alarmingly by 121% over the last decade. Every month, an average of 433 young people seek help through referrals, adding to the existing caseload. Additionally, the service receives an average of 57 emergency presentations per month, with the youngest referred child being just two years old. The service received a 36% increase in CAF emergency assessments from 2020 to 2023 and, as the severity and complexity of mental health needs have increased, CAF has needed to see people more often in order to help them recover - over the last 10 years there has been a 157% increase in clinical interactions by the CAF service.

These statistics paint a clear and troubling picture of the challenges our youth face in accessing the critical care they urgently require.

That’s why Māia’s current major project is to help create a modern child, adolescent and family outpatient facility - Kahurangi. Kahurangi will be a state-of-the-art, purpose-designed sanctuary for our young people to receive mental health outpatient treatment. It will be light, bright, and welcoming. Together, we can make a profound difference in their lives.