Kiwi Kids’ Dreams Provide Window into New Zealand’s Future

Kiwi kids’ dreams provide window into New Zealand’s future

A nationwide survey of the hopes and dreams of young Kiwis has provided an exciting glimpse into New Zealand’s future, with over 5,000 Kiwi kids taking part in the inaugural Sir Peter Blake Trust Dream Bank.

From 7 June to 6 July, Westpac and the Sir Peter Blake Trust asked young Kiwis, aged 5-18, to share their dreams for themselves and for New Zealand. More than 10,000 dreams in total were received. The Dream Bank campaign was part of the Trust’s annual Red Socks Day celebrations and the results, including by region, are now available online at dreambank.co.nz.

Shelley Campbell, Sir Peter Blake Trust CEO, said, “The Dream Bank has given us a real insight into what our young people are dreaming about, what they hope the future of New Zealand will look like and how they want to make a difference to create a more positive future for New Zealand and the rest of the world.

“We’ve seen a strong focus on the environment, with one in three young Kiwis dreaming of solving key issues such as global warming, the amount of plastic and rubbish in our oceans and waterways, deep sea mining, and the survival of endangered species like our native kiwi,” said Ms Campbell.

“A significant number also told us that they were dreaming of having a job where they could ‘give back’ or ‘make a difference’. Whether this was as a business owner, a teacher or a doctor – they wanted to be able to work with people in poorer communities and third-world countries; start charities and programmes to address societal issues, such as poverty, animal and child abuse; or build homes for those struggling to find warm, affordable accommodation. It was really heartening to see that kids today aren’t just thinking about their own wants and needs but also about how they can actively contribute to the happiness and wellbeing of those around them, ” said Ms Campbell.

Statistics of note included the 135 young Kiwis whose dream it is to be a “Youtuber” – making their own Youtube videos and traveling the world creating content for their followers.

Bullying was also a strong theme within dreams for New Zealand. A significant number of young people shared their own personal experiences of bullying and said they were dreaming of a “bully-free” New Zealand.

“The aim of the Dream Bank was to give young Kiwis the opportunity to take the first steps towards achieving their dreams, by writing them down, talking about and sharing them with their parents and teachers, and using tools and resources, like inspiring leader videos and a Dream Action Plan, to begin making their dreams a reality. The online Dream Action Plan has now been downloaded more than 3550 times, which also indicates that thousands of young Kiwis are getting started on achieving their dreams,” said Andrew Kerr, Westpac GM Marketing.

“We’re thrilled that so many young Kiwis, at home and in classrooms throughout New Zealand, have taken this opportunity to share their hopes and dreams, and what inspiring dreams they are. From what schools have told us, it’s driven lots of conversations on why it’s so important to have big goals and aspirations. We can’t wait to see what this generation of New Zealanders accomplishes in the future,” said Mr Kerr.

Some of the key trends and insights highlighted in the 2017 Dream Bank results are:

My dream for myself:

· 135 Kiwi kids dream of becoming ‘Youtubers’ – creating their own Youtube films and personas and traveling the world creating unique online content for their followers

· The most popular dreams job overall were to be a vet, teacher, singer, doctor, YouTuber and designer.

· The most popular sporting dream was to be a top rugby player or All Black, followed by netballer or Silver Fern and then soccer/footballer/All White

· 1 in 10 young Kiwis dreamed of having a job or role that made a difference, of being able to work with people in need, in underprivileged countries or for a charity.

My dream for New Zealand:

· 1 in 3 young Kiwis had an environmentally-focused dream for New Zealand

· Over 50% of dreams for NZ were about improving New Zealand by reducing homelessness, poverty and being safer and healthier.

· More than 300 young Kiwis had a dream for New Zealand that mentioned bullying, equality and being free of discrimination based on gender, sexual preference, race and religion

· 347 Kiwi kids wanted New Zealand to be the ‘happiest’ country in the world

For further Dream Bank results and dreams, including by region, please visit www.dreambank.co.nz on Friday 14 July or contact Sir Peter Blake Trust for further details.

ENDS

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