Central Otago Youth are getting moving to raise funds for Youthline during the month of May. 

Central Otago Youth Council chair Tabitha Hildyard (18) together with Vincent community board member and team leader of Youth Base Sharleen Stirling Lindsay are encouraging rangatahi and locals to commit to 31 minutes of exercise a day as a part of Youthline’s fundraiser ‘Walk the Talk’.

It’s easy to get involved; you need to go to walkthetalk.nz, sign up, and then join the Central Otago Youth Council team. 

Participants can choose different forms of exercise; walking, biking, swimming, yoga or dancing, whatever activity works for them for 31 minutes per day.

Youthline counsellors spend an average 31 minutes talking to each young person who contacts the helpline that is open 24 hours a day, evert day of the week.

Tabitha said the youth council wanted to raise awareness of mental health for youth and that the campaign also linked in with Youth Week, running this week, which has a theme of ‘Your Voice Matters.’

Sharleen said she was walking and it was loving it.

 Sharleen Stirling Lindsay encouraged people to think more about youth mental health while out walking. PHOTO: Supplied

“It’s cool to log [the minutes] and know it is part of something else that creates a focus on mental health support.

“Even if you aren’t able to donate, we’d encourage you to join us with 31 mins over the month, it just might change your thinking and mean you are…checking in with our rangatahi.”

Sharleen said because many Central youth lived rurally and were isolated, for them to get mental health services or appointments there were often waiting lists.

"We know our young people are using [Youthline]."

The Central Otago Youth Council team has logged 3,446 minutes of exercise and raise $361.00 already towards their target of $500.00.

According to Youthline’s website NZ has one of the highest rates of youth suicide. One in 5 of the hundreds of text messages the service receives each day is related to suicide.  Last year, our Helpline service managed more than 240,000 contacts from young people across New Zealand.

All of the money from the Walk the Talk challenge will support young people in need.