All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan has partnered with Land Rover on a  landmark drive across Aotearoa in a Defender 90 to raise awareness for mental health. 

Kirwan wants to raise enough money to roll out ‘Mitey’ to 40 more schools, benefitting 11,000 New Zealand kids. Mitey is a fresh approach to teaching mental health as part of the New Zealand curriculum.

Mitey was developed over two years by the Sir John Kirwan Foundation with input from specialists from the University of Auckland as well as New Zealand educators, teachers, and clinicians. 

Provided free to New Zealand primary and intermediate schools, Mitey has already positively impacted more than 12,000 New Zealand children. 

The milestone drive and ambitious fundraising target have been launched in response to new research that highlights 60 percent don’t believe we’re doing enough to improve our children’s mental wellbeing. 

Sir John Kirwan commented: “We have some of the worst mental health statistics in the OECD, with particularly high youth suicide rates, and we believe it will take a generation to change this.  Research shows us that if we can teach the ‘ABC of mental health’, consistently, to children when  they’re young – they will understand how to manage life’s ups and downs, and they’ll have better  empathy for others who may be having a tough time.” 

“We have a hugely ambitious goal to raise $1 million for the future wellbeing of our tamariki. This money will allow us to expand the Mitey initiative to 40 schools, positively impacting the lives of more than 11,000 New Zealand kids. This is an investment in your children, your whanau, and your  grandchildren; and together I know we can make a huge difference.” 

To help educate the New Zealand public on a collective mental health approach that starts with our children, Sir John will hold eight community events across July, open to members of the public, school community, and mental health advocates to attend. 

Land Rover has partnered with Sir John Kirwan on his endeavour, providing him with a Land Rover Defender 90 to complete the estimated 2100km drive across the country. 

Land Rover New Zealand CEO, Steve Kenchington, added: “We want to create an environment that  future generations not only survive in, but thrive in, and are proud to support our brand ambassador  and good friend Sir John Kirwan with this historic initiative.”

To find out more about Kirwan’s project go to www.themiteydrive.org or text ‘MITEY’ to 2449 for an instant $3 donation, and check out the video below.