Christchurch’s New Youth Mental Health Facility Named At Māia Feast

Christchurch’s new youth mental health facility will be called Kahurangi, meaning “blue skies”.

The name was announced at the Māia Health Foundation Feast, along with news that Hann Construction has been appointed the structural contractor for the facility, with work due to begin next month.

More than 330 people filled Te Pae Christchurch last night (3 September) for the Māia Feast, an emotion-filled event that highlighted the realities of the relentless, acute demand for the city’s mental health services. The iconic event is the Foundation’s major annual fundraiser and was back after a three-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions.

More than $300,000 was raised at Feast – the most Māia Health Foundation has ever raised at a single event. The funds will go towards the creation of Kahurangi - a modern, fit-for-purpose mental health outpatient facility for children and young people in Canterbury. Māia Health Foundation has committed to raising $6 million for the new facility, which was gifted its name by Ngāi Tūāhuriri. The name Kahurangi is inspired by hope.

Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Valerie Black told the Feast attendees Māia’s multi-million-dollar funding will take Kahurangi from a beige, boring space to a destination that is light-filled and offers a sense of welcoming, belonging, and hope.

“Thanks to Māia, this facility is going to bring a completely different emotional experience to those who step through its doors and we know that will make an enormous difference to the clinical journey for our children and their whānau.”

Dr Black is the Clinical Director of the Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Service at Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury. At Feast she spoke with MC Mike McRoberts about the realities of her work, describing how they are struggling to keep up with the high level of young people who are really unwell and/or acutely disturbed.

Michael Flatman says hearing about the number and severity of children who desperately need support for their mental health was heart-breaking.

“Hearing from the frontline was intense and, at times, confronting but it reinforced how desperately we need to bring Kahurangi to life. It also gave us a renewed appreciation for those who work in our child, adolescent and family mental health service who, despite being faced with increasing demand and incredible challenges, change lives every day through the exceptional care they provide and the hope they give our young people and their families.

“Thanks to all those who dug deep at Feast we now have $3.5 of the $6 million we need. We’re enormously thankful for the generosity of the Canterbury community, and we know that generosity will help us reach our end goal of creating a modern, welcoming, respectful facility where we can give our tamariki and rangatahi the nurture and support they need,” says Mr Flatman.

Māia Health Foundation has partnered with Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury (previously the Canterbury District Health Board) to develop Kahurangi. The $13.5 million facility is being located in the former Canterbury Linen Services Building, on the outskirts of the Hillmorton site. Māia’s $6 million contribution is enabling upgrades to the facility which otherwise wouldn’t be possible, including a separate space and private entrance for emergency presentations.

Dr Black says in an emergency a young person is often brought into the service by the police and they can be in a very dysregulated and confused state. On average the service receives 57 emergency presentations each month.

“It’s terribly distressing for the young person and their family, who are often in disbelief that they’ve reached this point. When you’re in a really distressed state having to walk past a waiting room filled with other families and children waiting for scheduled appointments can be horrific for those involved and frightening for others using the service.

“Māia’s funding will ensure our emergency care spaces are private and confidential and, most importantly, psychologically safe. It will preserve the mana of the young person and their family at what can be the most difficult time in their lives,” says Dr Black.

Māia’s funding will also provide state-of-the-art, purpose-built rooms at the new facility including sensory rooms, physiotherapy and occupational therapy rooms, play therapy rooms, observation spaces, and dedicated rooms for group therapy, along with specialised equipment and spaces that will enable contemporary treatments that are not possible in the current environment.

Hann Construction Managing Director Jake Hann says his company is proud to be involved in this special project.

“As a local company our team feels privileged to play a part in strengthening health facilities in Canterbury and to be involved in the initial works to create Kahurangi, as we know this facility will make a demonstratable difference to our community and its future,” says Mr Hann.

The Māia Feast was supported by some impressive names. Singer-songwriter Mel Parsons gave an intimate performance, and the event was emceed by Māia’s newest ambassador Mike McRoberts. The Live Auction at the event included a game of backyard cricket with Black Cap Tom Latham; a whisky tasting hosted by Canterbury sporting legend Scott Robertson; a private acoustic performance by Julia Deans; and an artwork by internationally acclaimed artist Max Gimblett.

Mike McRoberts says he’s acutely aware of the challenges youth face today and feels privileged to stand beside Māia Health Foundation to do something about it.

“The young people having mental health troubles today will be the leaders of tomorrow, they just need a bit of a hand. I have first-hand experience of that myself as a dad and the most important thing we can do at this stage of their lives is to be there for them. This new mental health facility that Māia is creating will support our mental health workforce, our families, and our communities and I’m proud to be part of it,” says Mr McRoberts.

Michael Flatman says while savoring the success of Feast, the Māia team has the $6 million target firmly in their sights.

“We need another $2.5 million to take our child and youth mental health outpatient facilities from good to great and we ask everyone in our community to join us on this mission. Every donation, big or small, will make a difference in the lives of our community’s tamariki, rangatahi, and their whānau.”

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