The Impact of Local Donors at Rainbow Youth
Recently, our Legacy Giving Manager, Campbell Higgins, spent the afternoon with the Rainbow Youth team to learn more about the impact they’re having in our region. Their work is supported through generous gifts from the Roy & Mary McGowan Fund and the Tindall Foundation, who have chosen to uplift queer young people by funding safe, affirming environments like this one.
Rainbow Youth provides support for rangatahi aged 13–27, offering a mix of social groups, activities, one-on-one peer support, and a place simply to be themselves. Whether it’s crochet club on a Friday, a quiet chat with a peer support worker, or a group of teens teaching each other makeup techniques within minutes of meeting, everything about the centre is built on connection and belonging.
Their peer support service is especially meaningful. Staff meet young people where they’re at, sometimes at school, in the community, or at the centre itself, giving them space to talk, ask questions, and explore their identities without judgement or pressure. For many, it’s the first time they’ve ever had access to something like this.
What stood out most during our visit were the stories from the rangatahi themselves. They spoke about feeling lonely before discovering Rainbow Youth, about the courage it took to walk through the door for the first time, and about how quickly that loneliness dissolved once they found people who understood them. Small moments became turning points, a conversation with someone new, a shared interest, a group hug that made someone feel seen for the first time in months.
The team also talked openly about the challenges young queer people face in Tauranga. Our region is growing and changing, but for many, it can still feel conservative. Some rangatahi shared that they change clothes before going home, presenting one identity in public and another inside the safety of the centre. Having a space where they can drop the armour, where they don’t have to explain themselves, means more than most of us will ever know.
And the change over time is remarkable. Young people who first arrive anxious or withdrawn begin to light up. Confidence grows. Friendships form. Some eventually become facilitators, helping the next generation find their footing. One young person shared how affirming it felt the first time they introduced themselves using the name that finally felt right, and how everyone simply accepted it.
Rainbow Youth’s Tauranga centre has now been operating for over two years and relies heavily on grants and community generosity to keep its doors open. Every gift, helps sustain a place that many young people rely on as a lifeline.
We are incredibly proud to support this work, and grateful to the donors whose generosity ensures rangatahi in our region have somewhere they can truly belong.
If you’d like to learn more about supporting organisations like Rainbow Youth through Acorn, we’d love to kōrero. Together, we can help create a community where all young people feel seen, safe, and celebrated for who they are.