The Graeme Dingle Foundation is set to expand its Project K youth development programme with new government funding announced by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.

The investment will allow 36 more young people aged 13-15 in the Western Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Christchurch to access the strengths-based 12-month programme, which builds confidence, resilience and wellbeing via a three-week wilderness adventure followed by mentoring and community service.

Western Bay of Plenty site manager Neil Alton said the funding will enable a new local intake of 12 students, with each placement costing about $10,000.

“The programme has been independently evaluated for more than two decades, consistently showing improved resilience, self-belief and goal setting among participants,” Alton said.

The expansion also strengthens the foundation’s connection with local communities, partnering with schools and trained volunteer mentors who play a vital role in each young person’s journey.

Dan Allen-Gordon, who stepped down from helming the foundation’s WBOP organisation after 25 years but was still involved with Project K, said the true reward lies in the individual transformations.

“I still have strong connections with Project K kids from 17 years ago who are now in their 30s – some are in the police, engineering, law or doing their master’s degrees. They’ve gone on to do amazing things,” Allen-Gordon said.

Research shows for every $1 invested in the foundation’s youth development programmes, there was a $10.50 return to New Zealand’s economy.

Former participant Foa Samuelu, now a solicitor at Oranga Tamariki, said Project K changed her life.

“My time in Project K helped me develop a deep sense of resilience and discipline through the three-week wilderness adventure,” Samuelu said.

“The mentoring phase, arguably the best part of the programme, gave me the most important gift of all: a safe space where I felt truly heard. Inevitably, this internal transition afforded me with plenty of opportunities.”

Dooey said mental health was one of the biggest challenges facing Kiwi youth. “Every young New Zealander deserves access to support when and where they need it. By expanding the help available, we can ensure that no one is left waiting on a waitlist.”

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said the investment would make “a real difference” for the region’s young people.

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said by backing trusted local organisations, “we’re ensuring young people and families across the BOP can access timely, effective mental health support when and where it’s needed”.

Alton said the funding would be an exciting addition to the school where the programme would be delivered: “While we can’t confirm the school currently, we look forward to announcing it in the coming weeks.”