No Child Should Live in a Cold Home Over Winter

By the end of July this year, Community Link had already supported more families through winter than during the whole of last year.

That statistic is a powerful reminder of why the Cold Kids campaign matters.

As another Central Otago winter rolls on, Community Link would like to thank the hundreds of individuals, businesses, community groups and supporters who have rallied behind the campaign in 2026. Your support is helping local children and families stay warm during some of the coldest months of the year.

Now in its third year, Cold Kids has grown into much more than a fundraising campaign. It has become a community-wide response to a challenge many local families face each winter.

The campaign began with local resident Murray Walker and a group of friends known affectionately as the Cucumber Sandwich Club. Through conversations across the community, they became aware that some families were struggling to afford the cost of keeping their homes warm. Concerned that children were often the ones most affected, they decided something needed to be done.

Working alongside Community Link, the idea evolved into a broader campaign built around a simple belief: no child should live in a cold home over winter.

Perhaps the reason Cold Kids resonates so strongly is because we all understand what winter feels like here. We know the frosty mornings, frozen windscreens and bitterly cold nights. We also know that some local families face difficult choices between heating, food, rent and other essentials, particularly when living in homes that are difficult and expensive to heat.

This year, the community once again responded with incredible generosity. FITGym matched every dollar donated between April and June, amplifying the impact of community giving. The Lions Club and Wānaka Lady Lions continued their valued support through firewood distribution and financial contributions, while countless individuals, organisations and businesses found their own ways to help.

One highlight for the Community Link team was spending time at New World and Mitre 10 talking with local residents about the campaign. Time and again, people shared the same view: Wānaka is not the sort of community where any child should be cold at home.

While the formal campaign has now ended, winter is not over and neither is the need. Donations of funds, firewood, winter clothing and bedding continue to make a meaningful difference for local families.

Cold Kids has become more than a campaign. It is a reflection of a community that cares, a community that steps up, and a community that believes every child deserves the chance to be warm, safe and well over winter.

If you'd still like to support local families this winter, you can contribute to the Cold Kids campaign here: https://www.communitylink.nz/support-us