Pāpāmoa College holds mufti day for Rainbow Youth

Riley Davison, 11, dressed up for the school's mufti day to raise funds for rainbow youth. Photo / Zoe Hunter

Pāpāmoa College students have held a mufti day to raise funds for Rainbow Youth after a drop-in centre for young people was gutted by fire this week.

The Historic Village building was shared by Gender Dynamix, an organisation that serves the needs of the gender-diverse community, and Rainbow Youth who use it as their drop-in centre. Police are treating the fire as suspicious.

The college's mufti day today was part of a Pride Week at the college to show its support for the Rainbow Youth community.

Teacher Nic McCartin said the school had been hosting events all week, including karaoke, chalk art, face painting, and a scavenger hunt. The week ended with the mufti-day fundraiser.

"It is about awareness for people in the LGBGTQ+ community and to know they are not alone.

"It is to help them feel welcome and having pride in their own bodies and choices."

Pupil Riley Davison chose to dress up in colourful butterfly wings, multi-coloured headbands and rainbow socks.

"I want to be supportive," Davison, 11, said.

Speaking about the fire earlier this week, Tauranga pride advocate Gordy Lockhart said, "The rainbow community has had a spear through its heart.

"That building is acceptance, it's being part of a community that perhaps you didn't have access to beyond these grounds," he said.

"So that somebody would come in and destroy that space is just absolutely gutting."