Comedian Mike King's I Am Hope Foundation, which runs Gumboot Friday, will receive $24 million over four years in the 2024 Budget.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey made the announcement today at Parliament, alongside King.
Peters said the funding would contract the I Am Hope Foundation to provide young people aged between 5 and 25 years with free mental health counselling through the Gumboot Friday initiative.
The announcement is part of the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.
He said it would enable Gumboot Friday to give more than 15,000 young New Zealanders access to free mental health counselling services each year.
Doocey said prevention and early intervention were a critical part of dealing with mental health, and Gumboot Friday played a vital role in enabling youth with mild to moderate mental health needs to access counselling services earlier.
It would also support young people waiting to access specialist services, he said.
“This investment delivers on our commitment to improve access to mental health services, support the workforce, and focus on prevention and early intervention.
“We know that Government alone cannot address the mental health challenges faced across the country alone, and that is why we are proud to be partnering with a long-standing and proven organisation that addresses the needs of our communities on the ground.”
The Government claimed that every $1 invested in I Am Hope resulted in a social return to New Zealand of $5.70.
King said as a Government contractor the organisation would be "the most transparent" and "every cent" would go towards counselling services, not himself or the foundation itself.
"This is for the kids," he said.
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