Mount Maunganui local Krista Davis is a dreamer – but one who is turning her dreams into reality.

The alcohol and drug clinician is the founder of the Live for More Charitable Trust which officially launching at Classic Flyers in Mount Maunganui this month.

Established in August, the trust's vision is to empower young people aged 17-25 to find freedom from alcohol, drugs and crime, and to help them to discover their own dreams and true potential.

'In my experience working in this sector and with young people there's a huge gap in the system when it comes to support for that age group,” explains Krista.

'There's a lot of support for young people up to the age of 16, but soon as they turn 17 they fall through the cracks. The irony is that's the age when they genuinely want to start making changes.”

The trust provides one-on-one clinical support for young people, which includes a full assessment, goal setting and treatment plan.

It also runs a Surf Therapy Programme which gets young people out onto the waves to experience the natural high of surfing.

'It's a mix of physical activity and group work which aims to show young people a healthy way of having fun,” says Krista.

'I operate in a holistic sense, it's not solely about the drugs or alcohol, it's about the bigger picture and what they need support with to move forward.”

The past six months has been a juggling act for Krista. She works part-time in order to pay her mortgage, while the rest of her days are spent working unpaid and tirelessly to launch the trust.

But that's the power of dreams because when you chase them they make all the blood, sweat and tears 'totally worth it”.

'I was able to pursue my dream with my previous employer but it could only grow so much there. I wanted to chase my dream fulltime so created Live for More instead of trying to fit my dreams in the confines of another place,” says Krista.

For more information visit: www.liveformore.org.nz