First-Of-Its-Kind Wellbeing Pod Opens At Christchurch School

Te Whare Rama Pod pilots a national model for youth
mental health support

A Christchurch high school
is pioneering a new approach to student wellbeing with New
Zealand’s first ‘Te Whare Rama’ Pod, a nature-inspired
space designed to help students regulate and
reset.

St Thomas of
Canterbury College today officially opened the first Te
Whare Rama (The House of Light) Pod today as a pilot led by
the Lighthouse Trust, with the ambition to roll out the
model to more schools around the country over time. The pod
offers an inclusive, calming sanctuary where students can
access a trained Pod Coach for guidance and calming tools,
including guided breathing, grounding audio and
tools.

Christchurch parents Anna and Kent Gibbons
founded the Lighthouse Trust following the loss of their
17-year old son Lucca following mental health illness in
2024. In their grief, they sought the kind of support that
might help another young person before things become too
overwhelming. The answer emerged as the Te Whare Rama
Pods.

“The world couldn’t give our Lucca a space like
this when he needed it the most, so now we are giving it to
the world,” says Anna Gibbons, co-founder of Lighthouse
Trust“. Our hope is it will help all the other Lucca’s out
there to calm their thoughts and maybe even avoid another
family from going through the devastating pain that our
family has endured.”

New Zealand ranks last of 36
OECD nations for child and youth mental health. Too often,
young people’s struggles remain hidden until they reach
crisis point.

Dr Emma-Jayne Brown, Clinical
Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of
Canterbury says that mental health support needs to be woven
into everyday settings where young people spend their time,
including schools, sports clubs, homes and community
spaces.

“The evidence
consistently tells us that it’s much better to build support
before a crisis; it’s better for health and learning
outcomes and it’s better for an individuals’ wellbeing,”
says Dr Brown. “The earlier we recognise distress and
strengthen connection, belonging, and resilience, the less
likely young people are to reach crisis point.”

The
reality is that schools are increasingly supporting young
people with a wide range of social, emotional and wellbeing
needs, according to Steve Hart, Principal at St Thomas of
Canterbury College.

“While our staff work incredibly
hard to support students, there is a clear need for a
purpose-built environment that could provide immediate,
professional and restorative support,” says Mr Hart.
“The pod means that we can provide timely support,
minimise disruption to learning, and ensure students receive
the assistance they need. Wellbeing and achievement are not
separate goals, they are deeply connected, and the pod
strengthens our ability to help young people
flourish.”

The Lighthouse Trust is embracing the
pilot as an opportunity to gather research and refine the
model, ahead of the goal to expand to schools across New
Zealand.

Designed by Shepperd & Rout, with project
management and construction managed by Armitage Williams
Construction and landscape design by Meadow from Nelson, the
first Te Whare Rama Pod is supported by hundreds of donated
hours and materials from local trade experts.

About:

The Lighthouse Trust was
established in 2024 by Anna and Kent Gibbons following the
loss of their son Lucca Gibbons, aged 17 to mental health
illness. In the midst of their grief they asked what kind of
support might help another young person before things become
overwhelming. The answer became Te Whare Rama Pods.

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