Source: Auckland.Scoop
Press Release – Graeme Dingle Foundation
As Youth Week begins today, legendary adventurer and youth advocate Sir Graeme Dingle is making a plea to New Zealanders to come together and help move mountains for young people in Aotearoa.
The Graeme Dingle Foundation is launching Move Mountains for Youth – a nationwide fundraising initiative calling on New Zealanders to help close the gap between young people’s ambition and the support they need to achieve it.
Research shows that young people in Aotearoa are highly aspirational, but many lack the support and connection required to turn that aspiration into reality. Mental health remains the most significant issue facing young people, alongside cost-of-living pressures, uncertainty about the future and social pressures.
Says Sir Graeme, – “Today, our young people face appalling uncertainty. We have to work much harder to take care of people. Negative youth statistics are not improving and I believe we have a responsibility to help change that. I made a promise over 30 years ago, in launching the foundation, that I would dedicate my life to improving outcomes for youth – and I’m still as dedicated as ever to that promise.”
For more than 30 years, the Foundation has supported over 400,000 tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa through programmes including Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K – helping build confidence, resilience and a sense of direction for the future.
Independent research shows that for every $1 invested, the Graeme Dingle Foundation generates $10.50 of social value.
Jo-anne Wilkinson CNZM, Co-Founder, says the need to support young people has never been greater.
“Young people in Aotearoa are not lacking ambition – in fact, they are highly aspirational,” she says. “But not all have the support they need to turn that aspiration into reality. That’s where we come in.”
Recent research, including from the Helen Clark Foundation, highlights that while young people report high levels of aspiration, many experience lower levels of connection – a gap that can impact confidence, wellbeing and future outcomes.
“Our role is to help bridge that gap,” says Wilkinson. “When young people are given the right support, they thrive – and that has a ripple effect across families, communities and the future of Aotearoa.”
CEO Vicki Nuttall says the Foundation is focused on long-term impact.
“We are building a future where every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential. This campaign is about making that support accessible to more young people across the country.”
Self-described as a painfully shy child, Sir Graeme was born in Gisborne in 1945 and developed an early connection to the outdoors that became the foundation for a lifetime of exploration, endurance and youth development work.
He is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most accomplished explorers and adventurers, completing more than 200 mountaineering and expedition firsts across the Himalaya, Andes, Antarctica and New Zealand. In recognition of his contribution, he was knighted in 2017 for services to youth, previously awarded an MBE for services to outdoor pursuits, and appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001 for services to youth. In 2025, he was awarded the Order of Magellan.
“Adventure teaches you what you’re capable of,” he says. “We see it every day – when young people are given the opportunity, they rise to the challenge.”
The Move Mountains initiative reflects a simple idea – while not all challenges are visible, they can be overcome with the right support.
The Graeme Dingle Foundation is asking New Zealanders to support Move Mountains for Youth, helping more young people access programmes proven to change lives. Through a range of programmes designed to support young people at key stages of development, the Foundation helps build confidence, resilience and pathways for the future.
Supporters can simply donate – or take part in the Move Mountains Challenge – setting their own goals and raising funds to support the Foundation’s work with young people across Aotearoa.
Having marked 30 years in 2025, the Foundation remains focused on helping young people build confidence, resilience and a future they can be proud of.
Sir Graeme says: “Adventure has always been my way of understanding the world, but my greatest satisfaction has come from helping young people discover their own sense of adventure and possibility.”
Find out more about the Graeme Dingle Foundation or donate at movemountains.co.nz.
Move Mountains for Youth launches on 18 May, marking the start of Youth Week.
Notes:
About the Graeme Dingle Foundation
The vision of the Graeme Dingle Foundation is simple: That Aotearoa will be the best place in the world to be young.
The best place in the world to be young is one where every young person has the opportunity to realise potential.
The Foundation supports young New Zealanders through structured and interconnected programmes that address important developmental milestones and recognise different needs at different ages. Programmes Kiwi Can, Stars, Project K and Career Navigator are offered in schools throughout New Zealand and run by Graeme Dingle Foundation leaders.
- Kiwi Can foundations. Kiwi Can runs throughout the school year and in 2025 reached over 18,500 children with approximately 30,000 participating annually across all programmes. This programme focuses on building foundations for children aged 5-12 years old.
- Stars belonging & transition. Stars is the next step of a student’s journey as they move on into secondary school. It’s a 12-month mentoring programme that supports, motivates and positively reinforces Year 9 students during their first year at secondary school. Through this programme older students support our younger students through a Tuakana-Teina model proving growth opportunities for both.
- Project K re-engagement. Project K is a 14 month programme for Year 10 students with three core components; Wilderness Adventure, Community Challenge and Mentoring. Project K is proven to change lives for our young people – with high profile alumni having been through the programme crediting Project K with helping them to become confident and successful, vibrant contributors in New Zealand.
- Career Navigator purpose & future. Career Navigator is the last step before students leave school, enter the world and embark on their career journey. This programme helps students navigate their way through the changing landscape of career opportunities with direct mentoring and real life experience.
About Sir Graeme Dingle
The Graeme Dingle Foundation is grounded in the lived experience, philosophy, and lifelong work of its co-founder, Sir Graeme Dingle KNZM, MBE, ONZM. Sir Graeme founded the Graeme Dingle Foundation in 1995 with Lady Jo-anne Wilkinson CNZM – a pioneering adventurer in her own right and lifelong advocate for youth development. Over the last 20 years, more than 400,000 children have benefited through programmes offered by the foundation.
A painfully shy boy, Sir Graeme was born in Gisborne in 1945 and developed an early connection to the outdoors that became the foundation for a lifetime of exploration, endurance, and youth development work.
He is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most accomplished explorers and adventurers, with more than 200 mountaineering and expedition “firsts” across the Himalaya, Andes, Antarctica, and New Zealand. In recognition of his contribution he was knighted in 2017 for services to youth, awarded an MBE for services to outdoor pursuits, made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001 for services to youth and awarded the Order of Magellan in 2025 alongside global figures including Sir Edmund Hillary, Jacques Cousteau and John Glenn.
Sir Graeme says – “Adventure has always been my way of understanding the world, but my greatest satisfaction has come from helping young people discover their own sense of adventure and possibility.”
This philosophy and a commitment to the positive future of New Zealand and our young people is behind the work of Sir Graeme and Lady Jo-anne today – as reflected through the Graeme Dingle Foundation.
About Move Mountains for Youth
Move Mountains for Youth is a nationwide fundraising initiative from the Graeme Dingle Foundation, helping young people in Aotearoa overcome the unseen challenges that can stand in the way of their potential.
Its goal is to raise vital funds to support proven programmes offered by the Graeme Dingle Foundation through schools across Aotearoa that build confidence, resilience and connection for young people across the country.
Alongside donations, individuals, schools and workplaces can take part in the Move Mountains Challenge – setting goals and raising funds to support youth development across Aotearoa.
Funds raised go towards the Graeme Dingle Foundation where independent research shows that for every $1 invested, the Graeme Dingle Foundation generates $10.50 of social value.
Supporting Research
The work of the Graeme Dingle Foundation is backed by robust research. In addition to studies measuring the impact of its own programmes, recent New Zealand research highlights the broader challenges and needs facing young people today, including:
Helen Clark Foundation – Social Cohesion in New Zealand (2026)
Key Insight: Young people are hopeful, but under-supported
- Young people show the highest levels of aspiration, despite experiencing lower levels of connection, opportunity, and cohesion.
- In 2025, aspiration (69.5%) remained higher than lived experience (67.3%), reinforcing a gap between expectation and reality.
- This reflects both life-stage pressures (early career, income insecurity) and broader challenges such as higher rates of loneliness and isolation.
- Young people feel #isolated. Nearly 2 in 3 under-30s say they feel isolated at least sometimes. Nationally, the share who feel isolated often has risen from 1% in 2010 to 14% in 2025.
Generational Divide
- Aspiration declines with age, while lived experience improves.
- Older New Zealanders (65+) report the highest levels of cohesion, while young people report the lowest.
- This creates two interpretations:
- A structural gap driven by changing economic and social conditions
- Or a generational opportunity — young people’s optimism can be activated for future change
Key Youth Pressures
- Isolation: 62% of under-30s report feeling isolated at least some of the time (vs 32% of those 60+)
- Food insecurity: 40% of under-30s report going without food at times
- Opportunity: Only ~45% of young people believe New Zealand is a land of opportunity
- Fairness: Just 27% believe everyone has a fair chance at jobs
- Unemployment concern: 75% of young people are worried about job security
National Context (Broader Findings)
- 84% of New Zealanders feel a sense of belonging to the country
- Only half feel strong connection to their local community
- Trust in institutions is declining significantly
- Perceived opportunity is falling nationally
- Inequality in safety, wellbeing, and access remains pronounced
Core Insight
Young people in Aotearoa are not disengaged – they are aspirational but under-served.
The gap between what young people believe is possible and what they experience is where the greatest opportunity for impact exists.
https://www.helenclark.foundation/research/social-cohesion-in-new-zealand-2026
Koi Tū — The University of Auckland (2023)
https://informedfutures.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Koi-Tu-Addressing-Youth-Mental-Distress-Report-Oct-2025.pdf
Youth wellbeing is shaped by:
- socio-political systems
- schools and communities
- whānau relationships
- identity and culture
- digital environments
Key systemic drivers:
1. Bleak Futures
- climate anxiety
- economic uncertainty
- financial insecurity
2. Digital environments
- very high screen exposure in NZ
- comparison pressure
- both connection and harm
3. Racism & discrimination
- structural inequities
- disproportionate impact on Māori & Pasifika youth
4. Intergenerational connection
- cultural identity as protective
- belonging improves resilience
Core insight:
Youth wellbeing requires preventative, system-wide intervention.
Youthline ASB State of the Generation 2026
The latest Youthline ASB State of the Generation report reveals a generation of young New Zealanders grappling with today’s rising living costs, job concerns, limited access to mental health support and constant societal pressure in an always-on digital world.
The four most important issues young people identified were:
59% Mental Health Issues
52% Lack of Job Opportunities
40% Bullying (and not being able to escape it – in a digital world)
38% Money Worries (driven by rising cost of living)