“It’s important that young people know there is help available, and by connecting with local communities we can ensure they feel supported and understood.”
Telfer, who has previously spoken at the Whanganui Science Forum, is Professor of Chemistry at Massey University in Palmerston North and principal investigator for the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
In 2015, he was awarded the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Prize for Excellence in Chemical Research, followed by Massey’s Individual Research Medal in 2021.
Since 2023, he has been the founder/CEO of Captivate Technology, which is commercialising porous materials for carbon dioxide capture from flue gases.
King’s bike has a maximum speed of 50km/h and he is spending about 10 hours a day in the saddle.
Earlier this year, the Government announced $24 million in funding over four years for his Gumboot Friday youth counselling service, with King saying “every cent” would go directly to counsellors.
The I Am Climate Hope Tour follows on from King’s Due Drop Hope Challenge in 2023, where he was joined by former All Black Ian Jones, world champion triathlete Rick Wells and rugby league great Richie Barnett to cycle, swim and run from Cape Rēinga to the Beehive in Wellington.
That trip was to raise awareness about the barriers young people face in accessing counselling.
The Whanganui event at the Duncan Pavilion begins at 6.30pm on Tuesday, October 8. It is open to the public and free to attend.
