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Dairy rubberware supplier Skellerup is giving its support to I Am Hope, a community group.
It will donate $20,000 to the group and for every pair of Red Band gumboots it sells between March 25 and Gumboot Friday on April 5, it will donate $2.
Gumboot Friday is a new project of I Am Hope, run by The Key to Life Charitable Trust founded by Mike King.
For the past three years, Key to Life has campaigned to change the language about and attitudes to mental problems while raising funds for Kiwi children who need mental health counselling.
“For generations, New Zealanders have trusted our company and products. As a Kiwi icon, it’s important for Skellerup to support Kiwis enduring tough times,” says David Mair, Skellerup’s chief executive.
Skellerup, a NZX-listed company, employs 800 people, about half of them in NZ. Its Red Bands have been part of the farming scene for 60 years.
“Many of us have family, friends or colleagues who have battled or continue to battle mental health issues.
“To start the conversation that ‘it’s OK to not be OK’ and to seek help about it is an excellent initiative by I Am Hope and one we are proud to support,” says Mair.
Mike King applauded so many businesses mucking in to support Gumboot Friday.
Rural Women New Zealand this month submitted on the Draft Mental Health and a Wellbeing Strategy 2026-2036, because a person's postcode should not determine the quality of their mental health support.
The Government has announced its support for 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund.
Hawke's Bay deer farmer Harry Gaddum organised the inaugural Gumboot Cup. It was a cricket tournament for 12 rural Hawke's Bay teams, their families, and the community. Gaddum says it was a chance for locals to get off farm, have some fun and connect, all for a good cause.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
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Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
The Government has announced $60,000 to provide one-off grants of $1,000 to each of the 60 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) clubs across the country.
New Zealand’s rural sector has once again demonstrated its generosity, with the second Rural Industry Leaders Dinner, Debate and Auction raising an impressive $400,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
There has been another twist to the Federated Farmers annual election fiasco.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.
Yesterday the Government used the opening of Fieldays to announce a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.
