Latest news with #Lifewise
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Rob Campbell on sleeping rough
Last night a group of senior business leaders traded their comfy mattresses for cardboard to sleep rough for one night. It's all in aid of "The Big Sleep out". An initiative by the charity Lifewise to raise money for its homelessness initiatives. One of the participants, Rob Campbell spoke to Jesse. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Lifewise Big Sleepout returns after five-year hiatus
Lawyer Mai Chen. Photo: RNZ / Bridget Tunnicliffe The Lifewise Big Sleepout made a return last night after a five year hiatus, to highlight homelessness . The Sleepout was a regular event before Covid, with people spending a night out in the elements to get a glimpse of life on the streets. Lawyer Mai Chen was among those taking part in Auckland and made it through the night. She told Morning Report the experience was "awful", but helped her understand how people survived on the streets. Chen said the rain, lights and noise made it extremely difficult to sleep. "It's very difficult to sleep when there is rain falling in your mouth. "But most importantly, we had security guards policing the area and I think as a women, if I didn't have security, I wouldn't have got any sleep at all because your whole body is alert to the fact you are outside," she said. "But I know straight after this I get to go home and brush my teeth and find a coffee, get an uber and head home and have a shower." Chen said the experience reminded her of her experience as a migrant in New Zealand. "We were very different, the first 10 years were touch and go, look we didn't always have enough food but we always had somewhere to sleep. "I mean it's not a nice experience but I'm so pleased I had it because I don't think you could understand it if you didn't do it." It was for a good cause, Chen said when explaining why she participated in the Big Sleepout. "For me, I did it because I thought, look you are never going to understand this very uncomfortable issue until you try it." Chen said it was clear from talking to the homeless funded services made difference. The donation line for the Lifewise Big Sleepout can be found here . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- RNZ News
The Big Sleepout is back after a five-year pause
life and society Auckland 22 minutes ago After a pause for five years the Big Sleepout - an event aimed at raising awareness and funds to tackle homelessness - is back. Tonight, leaders from the business and community sector will be spending a night sleeping rough to highlight the cause and get a first hand understanding of homeless. The event is run by Lifewise, an Auckland based social development organisation, and is being reinvigorated as the number of homeless people on the city's downtown streets is on the rise. This year, Auckland Council, working with service providers, counted 653 people sleeping rough in the city, up from 498 noted in the census in 2018. Similar increases in homelessness have been reported from other parts of the country. Lifewise chair Pam Elgar joins Kathryn to discuss why Lifewise is bringing back the Big Sleepout.
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The Big Sleepout Returns: Lifewise Calls On Kiwis To Help Raise $500,000 To Tackle Homelessness
Sir Bob Harvey, Antonia Watson and Rob Campbell are among those backing The Big Sleepout's return to spotlight housing hardship. AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 7 July 2025 – After a six-year hiatus, Lifewise's largest fundraiser - The Big Sleepout - is back. With an ambitious goal of raising $500,000, the event will bring together high-profile business and community leaders for one cold, unforgettable night spent sleeping rough to support people experiencing homelessness across Aotearoa. The event will take place on 10 July, at AUT Campus in the CBD. First launched in 2010, The Big Sleepout invites participants to step outside of their comfort zone - swapping warm beds for cardboard and cold concrete - to raise awareness and funds to support the over 4,000 whānau who experience homelessness every night. This year, the Big Sleepout will raise funds for Merge Cafe - a non-profit cafe that often acts as the first point of contact for those sleeping rough, offering warm meals, peer support, and connection to Lifewise's wider wraparound services. A growing crisis and a call to action Recent figures from Stats NZ show over 112,000 people are now severely housing deprived across New Zealand. In Auckland, homelessness is worsening, with a 53 per cent increase in rough sleeping since late 2024, according to Auckland Council's Community Committee. Homelessness is now also increasingly affecting people who weren't previously considered at risk - including working families, single parents, young people and the LGBTQ+ community. 'The return of the Big Sleepout couldn't have come at a more critical time. 'Homelessness has increased significantly, especially in our city. The Big Sleepout isn't about replicating the experience - it's about building empathy, shining a light on a complex issue, and driving action. At Lifewise, we want our street whānau to know they are seen and valued - and that together, we can create real, lasting change,' says Haehaetu Barret, Chief Executive of Lifewise. A night of insight and impact The Big Sleepout gives participants a small glimpse into the hardship faced by street whānau. Attendees receive a piece of cardboard, eat a basic meal of soup and bread, and sleep outside. Throughout the evening, they'll hear from speakers with lived experience, such as comedian Joe Daymond, view a short film created by former homeless individuals, and take part in discussions on systemic solutions. This year's Big Sleepout has participants from all walks of life including former Waitakere mayor Sir Bob Harvey, KiwRail CEO Peter Reidy, ANZ Bank CEO Antonia Watson, Barrister Mai Chen, AUT Vice-Chancellor, Damon Salesa and Professional Director Rob Campbell among others. Campbell says, 'We treat homelessness as a background issue - as something that happens to others and is out of sight and out of mind. The reality is homelessness affects people in every corner of our communities. Every person deserves dignity, safety and a place to call home. We need more than policy tweaks - we need empathy, courage, and collective responsibility. 'The Big Sleepout is a powerful reminder that meaningful change begins when we connect, not just with the issue, but with each other. I'm proud to stand alongside others to support Lifewise and the work they do every day to create a more just and compassionate Aotearoa, ' says Campbell. Proceeds from the event will directly support the work of Merge Café, which serves more than 250 people a day and provided over 10,700 hot meals in the last financial year. With the support of peer workers and case managers, 587 whānau and 70 rangatahi were housed through Lifewise's services in 2023/24. Just a small donation can make a tangible difference:
1News
06-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Warnings of dramatic increase in 'hidden homeless'
Lifewise chief executive Haehaetu Barrett told Q+A's Maiki Sherman that extensive homelessness is now becoming a new normal, particularly among those who are either living on the streets or sleeping in their cars. "It has unfortunately become the look for Aotearoa, and not just in Tāmaki, Rotorua, Wellington, who hit the spotlight," said Barrett. "Last week we were contacted from the North Shore [of Auckland] Never in ten years has the city Lifewise been contacted from the North Shore that there was visible homelessness. So this tells us that the numbers aren't just central city anymore." She added that various policies aimed at addressing homelessness had not worked, including the use of motels by the Ministry of Social Development, and in some cases had made situations worse by re-traumatising homeless people. ADVERTISEMENT Barrett said Lifewise had warned at the beginning of that policy that housing people in motels for longer than three months would make it very difficult to then transition people out again. "It was too rushed – it was a time of reaction rather than response, and the suffering we see today is actually a result of how that wasn't managed appropriately." She criticised some of the motels and social service providers who participated in the policy, who in Barrett's opinion saw it as a chance to make quick money. "Longstanding providers could see the risk, but the newer providers kind of went for the gold. And unfortunately the whānau today, who are still experiencing the same trauma as when they went into the motels, is what we're all visibly seeing today in the streets." "The moteliers, out of all of that, they made the gold, they made the cash. Of course they were heavily funded by the government." The government recently announced they had hit their target of dramatically reducing the number of people living in motels five years ahead of schedule. Alternative accommodation has been found for a majority of those moved on from motels. But Barrett believes that has contributed to an increase in the number of people rough-sleeping, and in many cases people are no longer engaged with social service providers. ADVERTISEMENT "If you look at the stats we have – our data right now for Tāmaki is more than 700 sleeping rough in the streets. But there are hidden homeless – well hidden. So the data only comes when they come in to access services.' "Most of the numbers that we know are out there don't come in and access, and we only know about them by word of mouth." "So when I hear the targets have been met, you have to ask how and where. Because our numbers in the community context are heightening." Haehaetu Barrett recently announced her resignation as Lifewise chief executive, after 15 years with the organisation in various roles. She will be participating later this week in Lifewise's Big Sleepout, which the organisation has brought back this year to raise awareness of homelessness issues after suspending it at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
