Young people from Central Otago celebrating the New Year in Queenstown or Wānaka will find a safe haven in the Red Frogs’ chillout zone should they need one.

Red Frogs – named after an Australian lolly the group dispenses – is a not-for-profit organisation staffed by volunteers who feed, water and generally look after young revellers to ensure they make it home safely after a night out.

“We want young people to have a fun but safe time,” Shannon Thomson said.

Shannon works alongside her husband Ray, the national coordinator for Red Frogs. 

“Our ideal outcome is that no harm comes to anyone.”

The Red Frogs’ chill out zone will be a place of respite where youths can grab a pancake or a bottle of water, charge their phones, and have a chat. Roaming teams will also move through the event zone handing out the namesake lollies and bottled water, plus keeping an eye out for anyone who needs help – even if that’s just reuniting separated friends.

All the volunteers are trained to recognise the effects of substance abuse and they work alongside paramedics to reduce harm. 

Ambulances are called if deemed necessary, but a Red Frogs volunteer may end up sitting with an inebriated young person for hours while the effects wear off, if that’s what is required. 

“The volunteers all have great vomit stories to share,” Shannon said.

Volunteers pass police checks and are drawn from various church groups around NZ, but there is no agenda and they are not party poopers.

“There’s no judgement. We are there to look after everyone,” Shannon said. “We’re not anti-alcohol; we are anti ending up in hospital.”

Red Frogs began in Australia 25 years ago. Ray and Shannon had been offering a similar youth support service in Invercargill, but after seeing the impact of the Australian programme first hand they decided to formally come under the Red Frogs umbrella.

“We’ve been doing it ever since and are passionate about it,” Shannon said.

Ray and Shannon Thomson lead Red Frogs volunteers in New Zealand 

Under the couple’s guidance, Red Frogs teams have mushroomed around the country. 

Red Frogs are typically invited in to provide support where large numbers of young people congregate: music festivals, street events, parties after school balls. In Central, they attend Blossom Festival and are often found at home games for the Highlanders. 

With no New Year’s Eve events for young people in Central towns, many of them gravitate to Queenstown and Wānaka. Red Frogs collaborates with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), the police and St John staff to reduce harm to partying youths.

“QLDC is very proactive around harm minimisation,” Shannon said. 

They put up extra lighting, put on extra security and invite Red Frogs along. For New Year, 60 volunteers will come to Otago from around the South Island, the North Island and even Australia. 

Shannon and Ray have seen changes in youth behaviour over the 12 years they have been involved. 

Event attendees have been getting younger, for one thing. There has also been a shift towards drug use, thanks to drugs being more accessible and often cheaper than alcohol. But the end goal remains the same – reduce harm.

Tell your young friends and family to keep an eye out for Red Frogs branded volunteers 

As a not-for-profit, Red Frogs relies on donations to keep going. If you want to support the group, make a donation. 

You can also share the Red Frogs’ tips for saying safe (below) with young friends and family. 

 Red Frogs Top 10 Tips for New Year:

• Never leave a mate behind. Always stay in groups of two or more and stay in well-lit areas
• Respect accommodation providers and their rules
• Never leave your drink unattended and never accept drinks from others
• Ask 'R U Okay' every day. While New Year’s represents the excitement of new beginnings, it can be an emotional and stressful time, so make sure you are checking in with your friends every day
• Charge your phone. If you get separated from your friends, head to the Red Frogs Chillout Zone in the centre of Queenstown and Wānaka 
• Drink plenty of water and eat healthy meals
• Check-in with your parents throughout the week
• Be careful what you post on social media. Once a photo is out there, it’s out there forever
• Know your boundaries and stick to them
• Save key numbers and addresses in your phone – your accommodation, local taxi service, your friend’s parents - but call 111 in an emergency.

For young people planning to head to New Year celebrations in Queenstown and Wānaka, find the Red Frogs Chillout zone at the Village Green in Queenstown on December 29-31, and the Wānaka skate park on December 29-30, moving to the Wānaka lakefront on December 31.