Farmlands Co-operative Have Rolled Into Christmas Giving With I Am Hope And Local Charities

Farmlands have donated $37,500 to I Am Hope's Gumboot Friday fund — providing 150 counselling sessions to rural youth in New Zealand.

And it's just the start.

The announcement kick-started Farmlands’ 2021 charitable Christmas campaign, uniting some of New Zealand's biggest rural names with a pledge to support both local and national charities. Farmlands CEO Tanya Houghton is thrilled that Farmlands’ Partners Allflex/ MSD Animal Health Intelligence, Summit Steel & Wire and Z Energy have also jumped on board to support the campaign.

“Our hope is that our whānau of shareholders and customers will join in the Christmas giving as well!” Tanya says.

From 15th November, customers purchasing across the 82 Farmlands stores will have the opportunity to “Tag your Charity” by either donating to a local charity chosen by the store or to I Am Hope’s Gumboot Friday fund. In return, customers will be able to hang an Allflex/ MSD Animal Health Intelligence eartag on the Summit Steel & Wire designed Christmas tree in-store.

Z Energy have also pledged more than $32,000, split between each nominated local charity and I Am Hope to start the fundraising.

I Am Hope was founded to fund counselling services for young people struggling with their mental health.

A staggering 20% of young people in New Zealand are likely to experience mental health issues. One in five young New Zealanders will be affected by depression by the age of 18 and almost one in five meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder by age 19.

In rural areas, the cost per hour for a couselling session can range from $150-$250 and for many, this is simply unaffordable. As Farmlands’ chosen national charity, I Am Hope and the Gumboot Friday initiative will take on a new spin – each Farmlands donation will go directly to funding counselling sessions for rural rangatahi (youth).

Local charities are also doing huge amounts within rural communities and Farmlands stores have nominated a charity to receive donations over the campaign period. Tanya Houghton has been inspired by work being done by charities across New Zealand.

“I Am Hope is doing incredible work, we know that funds donated are going directly to our rural kids. While purchasing products in-store, I encourage customers to give generously to either their local charity or I Am Hope – your donation will be gratefully received,” Tanya says.

“Christmas is a tough time for a lot of people and it’s great to give back to those who are doing their best to help others.”

To find out more about the campaign and the charity your local store is supporting, pop in to your local Farmlands branch or check online www.farmlands.co.nz.

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