I Have a Dream CEO Shane Gorst chats with New Zealand Founder and Chairman Scott Gilmour to find out what inspired him to bring I Have a Dream to New Zealand and what he has learned along the journey.

This video shares the origin story and some background about the launch of I Have a Dream in Whangārei in 2016.

As we look back on 2025, we recognise it as a defining year for our organisation. This was the year we shifted from vision to action and began the next stage of our long‑term plan to grow a network of community‑led programmes that will support 50,000 Dreamers across Aotearoa by 2050.

To prepare for this expansion, we strengthened our organisational structure and refined key roles to support sustainable, long‑term growth. Moana Matautia‑Tepania has handed over the Navigator Manager role to Khinhtay‑yee Matete, enabling her to focus fully on her new national leadership role as General Manager Operations guiding strategy, programme development and support for emerging regions. We welcomed our new Fundraising Manager, Lisa Carrington, who is broadening our reach and relationships to ensure the sustainability of our planned growth across Aotearoa.

Our partnership with Tikipunga High School has continued to deepen with the establishment of a dedicated Kaimahi Whānau Support Worker role and the launch of the Pathways Programme.

All of these developments position us strongly for the future and ensure we are ready to grow, serve more communities and carry our kaupapa forward with integrity and purpose.

A highlight of the year was welcoming our colleagues from the I Have a Dream Foundation in Boulder County, Colorado. After years of virtual connection, meeting kanohi ki te kanohi reminded us of the transformational global movement we are part of.

In 2026, we will celebrate ten years of I Have a Dream in Whangārei. This anniversary comes at a time when the need for sustained, multilayered support for children and young people is increasingly evident. Recent data from Statistics New Zealand indicates that 1 in 7 children are living in material hardship, the equivalent of four students in every classroom.

This reality reinforces the importance of the I Have a Dream model and our mission to empower tamariki and rangatahi to overcome barriers and connect with meaningful opportunities through long‑term support in partnership with whānau, kura and community. Over the past decade, we have demonstrated our ability to anticipate challenges early, activate the right supports at the right time and prevent crises before they escalate. Few programmes bridge gaps across sectors with the depth and continuity that ours provides.

As we look ahead, our direction is clear. We will continue to champion equitable access to education and opportunity, strengthen the partnerships that underpin our work and pursue the expansion of the I Have a Dream model to more communities across Aotearoa. The need is significant, but so is the momentum. With the dedication of our team, the belief of our supporters and the growing resilience of our Dreamers, we are confident in the path forward.

None of what we do would be possible without the people who stand with us. Since day one, our programmes have been strengthened by dedicated volunteers who show up each week to support our Navigators and ensure Dreamers have the best experience possible.

As a charity, we see ourselves not as recipients of donations but as stewards of investments in our tamariki, rangatahi, and a shared future. The ongoing support of donors and partners enables us to walk alongside young people, helping them dream big and thrive. Without this support, our work would not be possible.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are building brighter futures, one Dreamer, one whānau and one community at a time.

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