Māia Health Foundation is currently on a mission to support the mental health journey for young people and their whānau in Canterbury. Māia has committed to raise $6m for a modern, fit-for-purpose child and youth outpatient facility.
Recent years have been tough on young people in Canterbury. The earthquakes, Port Hills fires, mosque attack and subsequent school lockdowns and now COVID-19 have all played a major part in the fact that more young people than ever before need Māia Health Foundation’s help and support.
There has been a 140% increase in demand for child, adolescent and family mental health services since January 2018. That's an average of 398 young people reaching out for help every month, on top of the service’s existing caseload. The youngest child referred to the service was just two years old.
Over the last five years Māia Health Foundation has helped to deliver a range of projects within the Canterbury health system that have benefitted services for patients, families, and staff. An example is funding an enhanced, future-proofed rooftop helipad for Waipapa Christchurch Hospital. This world-class asset provides emergency care on touchdown for people flown in by rescue helicopter, saving 13 minutes compared to landing in Hagley Park and transferring by ambulance to hospital.
Māia‘s current project is a modern fit-for-purpose child, adolescent and family outpatient facility.
There is a critical need to support child and youth mental health in the Canterbury region – particularly given the events of the past decade. The work that Māia is doing in this space resonates with all of us as a worthy cause.Nick Letham, Māia Health Foundation relationship partner
We are honoured to support Māia Health Foundation through a combination of financial and pro-bono legal support.
Māia will also continue to raise funds for a wide variety of health projects that will provide significant benefit to the community now and into the future.
