Hiking the Length of New Zealand for Youth Hub CHCH - Te Hurihanga ō Rangatahi

Hi, I'm Sam Allen and I will be walking the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail beginning October 18th, 2023 for Youth Hub Christchurch. The track is roughly 3,000km long and will be a test of physical and mental strength. I am aiming to have the walk completed in 3 and a half to 4 months.

The Youth Hub creates a safe haven for young people needing support between 10 and 25 years of age. New Zealand’s largest survey of young people, found that one in five high school students could not see a health professional when needed and that depression and suicide ideation had increased.

The Hub will connect socially supportive organisations under one roof to deliver a holistic model of wrap-around services including mental health, medical, education, employment and training, transitional housing, recreation, creativity, and social entrepreneurship. Importantly, it will do this in a youth-centric and accessible environment that gives opportunity for young people to grow in an environment of encouragement and positive social engagement.

It will act as a communal place of growth and wellbeing and will give opportunities to those who need a chance. They will ultimately put a massive dent for Cantabrians in the mental health epidemic of New Zealand.

I want to support and represent this as I believe strongly in supporting our younger generation during these fundamental and important years.

I am thoroughly looking forward to the challenge all while doing it for such an amazing cause!