Red Frogs New Zealand
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Andy Gourley |
| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand |
Key people | Raymond Thomson (national director) |
Volunteers | 400+[1] |
| Website | redfrogs |
Red Frogs New Zealand (also known as Red Frogs NZ) is a New Zealand charitable organisation and volunteer network that provides youth support, event welfare, alcohol-harm reduction and education programmes. Its activities include support at music festivals, sporting events, university events, student accommodation, New Year's celebrations and secondary schools.
The organisation is part of the wider Red Frogs movement, which originated in Australia in 1997. Red Frogs' New Zealand history identifies its first New Zealand activity as occurring in 2007, followed by a national launch in 2008.[2]
Red Frogs New Zealand operates primarily through volunteers. Its work involves providing water and food, maintaining safe or chill-out spaces, checking on people who may be vulnerable, helping young people reconnect with friends, and referring people to emergency or professional services when necessary.[3]
The organisation has worked with New Zealand Police, Hato Hone St John, local authorities, universities, student associations, health organisations and event organisers as part of broader safety and harm-reduction initiatives.[4]
History
Origins in Australia
The Red Frogs movement was founded in Australia in 1997 by Andy Gourley. Gourley was working as a youth pastor when he and friends travelled to the Gold Coast during Schoolies Week. The group encountered large numbers of intoxicated young people and began providing practical assistance, including Red Frog lollies and help for people who were struggling to get home safely.[5]
The model developed from an informal youth-support initiative into an organised volunteer programme. Red Frogs subsequently expanded internationally, with volunteers operating in a variety of youth, festival and student environments.
The movement's approach differed from traditional emergency services in that volunteers were intended to provide an approachable peer presence before situations became medical or criminal emergencies. This included encouraging people to stay with friends, providing water and food, and directing people towards professional assistance when required.
Establishment in New Zealand
Red Frogs began operating in New Zealand in 2007 and formally developed its New Zealand operation in 2008.[2]
The early New Zealand operation developed through youth workers, churches and volunteers who adapted the Australian model to New Zealand's university, festival and holiday environments.
The organisation's 2024 impact report identifies early activity in Dunedin and Auckland before the programme expanded to other centres.[6]
Auckland Council records from 2012 independently documented Red Frogs as a volunteer service operating at large events, dance parties, school after-balls and tertiary events. The council described Red Frogs as part of a broader network of organisations working to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm.[4]
The council also recorded cooperation between Red Frogs, community organisations and emergency services in developing local event-safety responses.
Christchurch
Red Frogs subsequently established a significant presence in Christchurch.
Christchurch City Council funding documentation from the early 2010s described Red Frogs programmes involving students at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. The programme included social events, pancake activities, hydration stations and support at student parties.[7]
New Zealand Police subsequently documented Red Frogs' involvement in Christchurch student events through its Random Acts of Pancakes programme.[8]
The programme involved volunteers providing food and water to students and using the activity as an opportunity to engage with young people.
A 2015 Police release described Random Acts of Pancakes as part of a wider effort around registered student parties in Christchurch.[9]
University development
University environments became one of the organisation's major areas of activity.
Red Frogs developed relationships with universities, student associations and residential halls. Its programmes included Orientation activities, student-party support, hydration stations, social events and educational programmes.
The University of Otago has documented Red Frogs' involvement in student safety initiatives. In 2021, Red Frogs participated in the Safer Nights campaign alongside the university, Dunedin City Council, New Zealand Police, Southern District Health Board and the Otago University Students' Association.[10]
Red Frogs has also been involved in safety planning surrounding Dunedin student events.
The organisation's presence at the annual Hyde Street Party has been reported by the Otago Daily Times. Red Frogs volunteers have provided food and water to attendees alongside Police, St John, university staff and other safety organisations.[11]
The Otago Daily Times subsequently reported that Red Frogs remained part of the safety presence at the Hyde Street Party in 2026, alongside Police, Hato Hone St John, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and university and student-union staff.[12]
New Year's Eve operations
New Year's Eve became one of Red Frogs New Zealand's most prominent areas of activity.
The organisation identifies 2016 as the year of its first New Zealand New Year's response in Queenstown and Wānaka.[13]
The Southern Lakes became a major focus because large numbers of young people travel to Queenstown and Wānaka during the Christmas and New Year period.
In December 2025, RNZ reported that more than 60 Red Frogs volunteers were expected to operate in Queenstown and Wānaka from 29 December, providing food, water and support to people in distress.[14]
RNZ also reported that Red Frogs had become involved in responding to the growing number of young people attending informal New Year's celebrations in Wānaka.[14]
The organisation's New Year's operations include roaming teams, hydration, food, safe spaces and referrals to emergency services.
Programmes
Red Frogs New Zealand operates programmes across several areas.
Event welfare
Red Frogs provides welfare support at selected festivals, concerts and large events.
The organisation's event teams can operate hydration stations, provide food and water, establish chill-out areas and identify people who may require additional assistance.
In 2019, RNZ reported that Red Frogs had attended 23 festivals and 38 other large events during the previous year.[3]
Red Frogs operations manager Josiah Telford told RNZ that the organisation's role was to reduce harm associated with alcohol and other substances while providing support to people who might otherwise have been left without assistance.[3]
The organisation has described cases where volunteers have found people who had become separated from their friends. Volunteers may remain with people until they are safe or until professional assistance is available.
Safe zones
Safe zones are designated spaces where young people can take a break from an event.
They may provide water, food, seating and access to volunteers. Where necessary, volunteers can connect visitors with medical or security personnel.
Auckland Council documentation recorded Red Frogs' participation in Safe Zone operations involving local authorities, Police and St John.[15]
Dunedin City Council has also provided community funding for Red Frogs safe-zone activities. In 2025, the council allocated funding to Red Frogs NZ Trust for safe-zone activations in Dunedin.[16]
University programmes
Red Frogs operates programmes at universities and student residences.
The programmes can include Orientation events, student training, social events, market-day activities, party support and hydration stations.[17]
The organisation states that its university work is intended to create positive relationships with students before problems occur.
Lincoln University lists Red Frogs among organisations available to students and describes the organisation as providing peer support and encouraging students to make positive choices.[18]
High-school education
Red Frogs expanded into formal education programmes during the 2020s.
The organisation states that its education programmes for high-school and tertiary students were developed to address issues including alcohol, drugs, peer pressure, decision-making and looking after friends.[19]
The organisation describes the education programme as seeking to equip students with information and practical strategies before they encounter high-risk social situations.
Pancake programme
One of Red Frogs' most recognisable activities is its pancake programme.
Volunteers have used pancake cook-ups at student events, parties, festivals and community events as a way of providing food and engaging with young people.
New Zealand Police documented Red Frogs' Random Acts of Pancakes programme in Christchurch as part of student-party safety activities.[8]
Red Frogs reported cooking more than 43,000 pancakes during 2024.[6]
Sports
Red Frogs also provides welfare support around sporting events.
Its sports programme is based on the same principles used at festivals and student events, including hydration, food, peer support and referrals.
The organisation's programme material identifies sporting events as one of its areas of operation.[19]
Harm reduction approach
Red Frogs describes its work as a harm-reduction and safeguarding approach rather than an enforcement programme.
Volunteers do not replace Police, ambulance services, medical teams or event security. Instead, they provide an additional layer of peer support.
The organisation's approach has included encouraging young people to remain with friends, providing water and food, assisting people who are intoxicated and referring people to emergency services when required.
RNZ reported in 2019 that alcohol was the most common factor affecting people assisted by Red Frogs at festivals, although other substances were also involved.[3]
The same report described Red Frogs volunteers operating alongside St John and other event-safety organisations.[3]
Partnerships
Red Frogs has developed partnerships with public agencies and community organisations.
These have included:
- New Zealand Police
- Hato Hone St John
- local councils
- universities
- student associations
- health organisations
- event organisers
- community organisations
The Good One party-registration programme in Canterbury provides an example of this partnership model. An independent evaluation of the programme identified Red Frogs' Random Acts of Pancakes among the activities associated with the wider student-safety initiative.[20]
A case study of the Good One programme also identified Red Frogs as part of a wider partnership involving Police, universities, health agencies and student organisations.[21]
Statistics and impact
Red Frogs publishes annual impact statistics.
Its 2024 impact reporting stated that the organisation reached more than 744,000 people during the year.[6]
The same report recorded:
- more than 350 volunteers;
- more than 50,000 tertiary students supported;
- 27 concerts and festivals supported;
- more than 145,000 cups of water distributed;
- more than 43,000 pancakes cooked; and
- approximately NZ$292,000 in volunteer hours.
The organisation's reported impact figures are based primarily on its own monitoring and impact assessment and should therefore be distinguished from independent national measurements of alcohol-related harm.
Red Frogs reported that 96% of surveyed tertiary students said they would be likely or very likely to approach a Red Frogs volunteer if they required assistance at an event.[6]
The organisation also reported that 83% of surveyed organisations believed Red Frogs had a positive effect on young people's decision-making or behaviour at events.[6]
Funding and charitable status
Red Frogs New Zealand operates as a charitable organisation supported by donations, fundraising, partnerships and community funding.[22]
The organisation operates through the Red Frogs New Zealand Trust, which is registered as a New Zealand charity under registration number CC62291.[22]
Public funding has also supported particular activities.
Dunedin City Council allocated funding to Red Frogs NZ Trust for safe-zone activities in 2025.[16]
Tasman District Council also approved funding for Red Frogs activities associated with the New Year period at Kaiteriteri.[23]
Funding challenges
Funding sustainability became a prominent issue for the organisation during the 2025–26 New Year period.
In January 2026, 1News reported that Red Frogs was facing difficulties securing sustainable long-term funding despite operating a national volunteer network.[1]
The report stated that the organisation was operating with two full-time staff and approximately 400 volunteers, with volunteers supporting young people during New Year's celebrations and other events.[1]
National director Raymond Thomson said the organisation had difficulty finding funding mechanisms that fitted its work.
The issue attracted political attention. Then Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey told 1News that Red Frogs' work was "vitally important" and discussed whether organisations delivering harm-minimisation programmes could access funding through the Alcohol Levy.[1]
The funding issue illustrates one of the principal challenges facing the organisation: maintaining a large volunteer network while funding national coordination, training, education and regional operations.
Leadership and organisation
Red Frogs New Zealand is organised around a national leadership and regional volunteer structure.
Raymond Thomson serves as national director. He has represented the organisation publicly on issues involving New Year's safety, youth drinking and event harm reduction.[14]
The organisation relies heavily on volunteers. In 2026, 1News described the organisation as having around 400 volunteers and two full-time staff.[1]
Volunteers operate through regional teams and programme-specific deployments.
The model allows the organisation to operate at events without relying entirely on paid staff, although national and regional coordination requires permanent organisational resources.
New Year's operations in the Southern Lakes
Queenstown and Wānaka are among Red Frogs' most visible New Zealand operations.
The Southern Lakes attract large numbers of young people during the Christmas and New Year period. Wānaka in particular has been identified by authorities and Red Frogs as a location where large numbers of teenagers gather.
RNZ reported in December 2025 that police, paramedics and volunteers were preparing for tens of thousands of people in Wānaka, including large numbers of teenagers.[14]
Red Frogs planned to deploy more than 60 volunteers across Wānaka and Queenstown from 29 December.[14]
The organisation's presence forms part of a wider network of Police, ambulance services, councils, event organisers and community agencies.
Student events and Dunedin
Dunedin has been one of Red Frogs' longest-running university-centred locations.
The organisation has participated in Orientation activities, university events and the Hyde Street Party.
The Hyde Street Party has historically presented safety challenges because of its large student population and concentration of alcohol.
The Otago Daily Times has reported Red Frogs volunteers providing food and water at the event.[11]
In 2026, the newspaper reported a large safety presence involving Red Frogs, Police, Hato Hone St John, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and university staff at the event.[12]
The development of the event from an informal street party into a controlled, ticketed event has involved increasing participation from professional safety and welfare organisations.
Public recognition
Red Frogs New Zealand has received recognition through the New Zealander of the Year Awards.
The organisation was named a semi-finalist in the Mitre 10 Community of the Year category for the 2025 awards.[24]
Red Frogs was also recognised in the 2026 awards process.[25]
The recognition reflected the organisation's national volunteer network and work supporting young people in high-risk event environments.
Religious origins and secular partnerships
Red Frogs originated within a Christian youth-ministry environment.
Andy Gourley was working as a church pastor when the original Red Frogs programme was developed in Australia.[5]
The New Zealand organisation similarly developed relationships with Christian organisations and churches.
However, Red Frogs New Zealand's operational partnerships have included secular institutions such as universities, councils, Police, health organisations and event organisers.
The organisation therefore operates across both community and faith-based networks while delivering programmes in predominantly secular public environments.
Criticism and limitations
There is limited documented criticism of Red Frogs New Zealand in major independent sources.
Some of the challenges surrounding the organisation relate to its operating environment rather than to allegations of misconduct.
The most significant documented issue is funding sustainability. 1News reported in January 2026 that the organisation faced ongoing difficulty securing long-term funding despite maintaining a substantial volunteer network.[1]
A further limitation is the reliance on organisational impact reporting. Many of the headline statistics published by Red Frogs, including the number of people reached and volunteer hours, originate from the organisation itself rather than from an independent national evaluation.
This distinction is important when assessing claims about effectiveness. Independent evaluations and institutional sources document Red Frogs' participation in particular programmes and partnerships, but they do not establish that Red Frogs alone caused reductions in alcohol-related harm.
The organisation also operates alongside other harm-reduction providers, including Police, ambulance services, drug-checking organisations, health agencies and student associations.
Media coverage
Red Frogs New Zealand has received coverage from national and regional media.
RNZ has reported on the organisation's festival operations and its approach to harm reduction.[3]
RNZ also reported on Red Frogs' New Year's operations in Wānaka and Queenstown in 2025, including the deployment of more than 60 volunteers.[14]
1News reported in January 2026 on the organisation's funding challenges and its work during New Year's celebrations.[1]
The Otago Daily Times has reported on Red Frogs' role at Dunedin's Hyde Street Party, including its provision of food and water and participation alongside emergency services.[11][12]
The organisation's founder Andy Gourley has also been interviewed by RNZ about the origins of the Red Frogs movement.[5]
Future development
Red Frogs' 2024 impact report identified education, financial sustainability and organisational development as major priorities.[6]
The organisation has indicated an intention to expand its education programmes and strengthen its presence in schools, universities and student accommodation.
The funding debate of 2026 also placed greater attention on the sustainability of the organisation's national model.
The organisation's future development is therefore likely to depend on a combination of volunteer recruitment, long-term funding, partnerships with public agencies and continued demand for event-based harm-reduction services.
See also
- Red Frogs
- Alcohol harm reduction
- Youth work
- Volunteering in New Zealand
- Student association
- Schoolies
- Drug checking
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 McCulloch, Jared (13 January 2026). "Funding challenge for charity keeping revellers safe at events". 1News. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "History". Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Huffadine, Leith (27 February 2019). "Festival care: Who's looking after you". RNZ. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Community Development and Safety Quarterly Report: April–June 2012 (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Andy Gourley: skateboarding accountant and founder of Red Frogs". RNZ. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Red Frogs New Zealand 2024 Impact Report (PDF) (Report). Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 2011–12 Strengthening Communities Funding Decision Matrix (PDF) (Report). Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Random Acts of Pancakes in Christchurch today". New Zealand Police. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "A chance of Random Acts of Pancakes for registered student parties in Christchurch this week". New Zealand Police. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Planning for a safer night". University of Otago. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Revellers descend on Hyde St for annual party". Otago Daily Times. 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Littlewood, Matthew (19 April 2026). "Heavy security presence at Hyde St Party pays off". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Facts & Stats". Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "Wānaka braces for influx of teenage partygoers on New Year's Eve". RNZ. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ Community Safety Forum: 2 April 2013 (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Grants allocated in March 2025". Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Information for Halls of Residence". Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Faith, Belief and Religion". Lincoln University. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Supporting the next generation". Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ Evaluation of the Good One Party Register (PDF) (Report). Community and Public Health, Canterbury. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ Good One Exemplar Case Study (PDF) (Report). Territorial Authorities Working Against Alcohol Harm. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Make a Donation". Red Frogs New Zealand. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ Minutes of the Community Grants Subcommittee (PDF) (Report). Tasman District Council. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Your 2025 Semi-Finalists". New Zealander of the Year Awards. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Your 2026 Semi-Finalists". New Zealander of the Year Awards. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
External links
Category:Charities based in New Zealand Category:Alcohol in New Zealand Category:Organisations established in 2007 Category:2007 establishments in New Zealand
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