Ngā Whainga – Vision:

In Aotearoa tamariki and rangatahi are empowered to thrive.

Tā mātou whakatakanga – Mission:

Guiding tamariki and rangatahi hauora through responsive, informed and effective practice.

Humble Beginnings

Skylight began with a simple but powerful idea: no child or young person in Aotearoa should face grief, loss, or trauma alone. In the late 1990s, when a children’s bereavement support group in Wellington closed its doors, a small group of committed professionals stepped forward to create something new. They envisioned an organisation that would not only respond to the pain of loss, but also restore hope, resilience, and connection.

In 1996, this vision became reality. The Children’s Grief Centre Charitable Trust was formed, later becoming known simply as Skylight. From the beginning, our work was grounded in deep community consultation, thoughtful leadership, and a steadfast belief that grief support should be accessible, inclusive, and empowering. Our first Chief Executive, Bice Awan, launched the organisation from the floor of an unfurnished office with a single heater and mobile phone—guided by a big heart and bigger ambition.

Over the following two decades, Skylight grew from a grassroots initiative into a national centre of excellence for grief, loss, and trauma support. We established counselling services, a resource and information centre, training programmes, and published dozens of tools and handbooks for professionals and families alike. From tailored support packs to best-selling grief workbooks, our resources have been used in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities throughout New Zealand—and beyond.

A major milestone came in 2001 with the creation of the Travellers programme, a school-based initiative helping Year 9 students navigate change, build resilience, and talk about what really matters. Developed in partnership with youth experts and the Ministry of Health, Travellers became a cornerstone of Skylight’s youth support work—rolled out across hundreds of schools and celebrated by students who said it helped them "talk about difficult stuff" and "think differently."

Standing With Communities in Crisis

Over the years, Skylight has responded to some of New Zealand's most painful moments—supporting those affected by natural disasters, suicide, family trauma, and tragedy. From Christchurch earthquakes to the Pike River mine disaster, we’ve created resources, counselling support, and training for those at the frontline and those left behind. Our international work has extended to Australia, Denmark, and Saudi Arabia.

Skylight was one of New Zealand's early adopters of the social enterprise model—balancing a deep social mission with income generation to ensure sustainability. This approach allowed us to grow while remaining nimble, responding quickly to emerging needs and funding realities without compromising on care.

Our story is a collective one. From early board members and student volunteers to designers, counsellors, creatives and community leaders, Skylight has been shaped by the generosity and belief of hundreds of people. We’ve also been fortunate to have Patrons such as Judy Bailey and Louise Nicholas lend their mana and support to our work.

In 2015, Heather Henare became Chief Executive, bringing fresh energy, systems thinking, and a strong grounding in social work and women’s advocacy. Under her leadership, we modernised our systems, refreshed our premises, and laid foundations for the future—ensuring Skylight could meet the needs of a changing Aotearoa.

What We Do Today

At Skylight Trust, we empower tamariki and rangatahi to thrive by supporting their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Every year, we walk alongside thousands of individuals and whānau through counselling, group programmes, tailored resources, training, and digital tools.

We work in partnership with schools, workplaces, government, and community organisations to ensure support is available wherever it’s needed – whether in a therapy room, a rural classroom, or online.

Our mission is to guide tamariki and rangatahi hauora through responsive, informed, and effective practice. At our heart, we are hope brokers – people who help others find light in the dark. We know that trauma, grief, loss – and challenges to mental health – can change a life. But with the right support, so can hope.

Learn more

To follow our first 20 years, download Skylight History: The First 20 Years.