FAQs

Registering is easy - click here to go straight to the registration form. If you would like assistance, please call the friendly team on 09 303 9209.

Places are limited - so get in quick!

No, it is completely free to participate in The Big Mission Home, we just ask that you fundraise a suggested target of $600 - or as much as you can - for the Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai. The money you raise will support the Mission's vital, life-changing services for Aucklanders with nowhere else to turn.

Of course! Complete it solo or with your mates…it’s up to you. If you’d like to fundraise as a team, simply follow the instructions on the registration form, found here.

Thank you! We are so grateful for your support. You can donate to The Big Mission Home here. You can also find out other ways to support the Mission here. Thank you. 

We suggest a fundraising target of $600 but the sky's the limit! Every dollar you raise will help provide crisis care, food parcels, safe homes, hot meals and health care for Aucklanders in greatest need.

Fundraising can feel daunting but people are often surprised by how much they are able to raise! We have lots of easy, tried-and-tested fundraising tips and advice here to help you reach your fundraising goal.

You’re welcome to call our team on (09) 303 9209 for more support. We’re with you every step of the way. 

Your personal online fundraising page for The Big Mission Home will be created automatically when you register, and you will be sent an email with instructions for accessing and personalising your page.  If you can’t find the email or have any problems accessing your page, get in touch with us at thebigmissionhome@aucklandcitymission.org.nz 

Once you’ve personalised your page, you’re ready to share the link with your friends and family and ask for their support.

All donations made through your page will be transferred directly to the Auckland City Mission, and your donors will automatically receive a tax receipt for their donation.

We’re here to help, so if you’re finding it difficult to fundraise, give us a call on 09 303 9209 and our fundraising team will be happy to help. Please raise as much as you can - every dollar helps the Mission to provide crisis care, hot meals and access to safe homes for people experiencing homelessness.  You will be providing emergency food parcels for families who are struggling to put food on the table, and affordable health care for people living in poverty or sleeping rough.

All the money you raise will support the Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai’s life-changing services for Aucklanders with nowhere else to turn. Your support will help provide crisis care, hot meals and access to safe homes for people experiencing homelessness.  You will be providing food parcels for families who are struggling to put food on the table, and affordable health care for people living in poverty or sleeping rough.

You can find out more here. 

17 kilometres is symbolic of the daily challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness in our city. We worked with a small group of rough sleepers in central Auckland to understand how far they were walking every day. Streeties like Kevin walk as much as 17km in a day - rain or shine - to access kai, shelter and other essential support, as well as to connect with other street whānau.  You can read more about Kevin’s story here.

The finish line is HomeGround, the Mission’s hub in central Auckland, but where you start your 17 kilometre walk is up to you.  We’ve suggested four routes from North, East, South and West Auckland which you can view here, or you can map your own route using Google Maps or apps like MapMyRun. HomeGround is located at 140 Hobson Street in central Auckland.

This depends on your base level of fitness and how much walking you do normally. A 17 kilometre walk is challenging for most people and ensuring you are adequately prepared is important. We recommend you do some training walks, working up to the distance you will be walking (17km). We also recommend you train wearing the footwear and clothing you will wear on the day and carrying the weight of a day pack.

The average walking speed varies greatly, but as a rough guide, you could expect to walk about 4 - 5km per hour. This means it might take 3.5 - 4.5 hours to walk 17km.

You are welcome to run if you have trained appropriately and are otherwise fit and able to do so, however we discourage cycling in this event given the risk to your safety.

We hope you will be able to cross the finish line on Saturday 23 March 2024 and join us at HomeGround to celebrate your achievements. If you’re unable to complete the event on the day, you are welcome to undertake The Big Mission Home on another day, however the finish at HomeGround is only an option if you are walking on 23 March 2024.

Mapped your route? … Check! 

Packed water, snacks and sunscreen in your day pack? …Check! 

Given your fundraising one last push? …Check!

Wearing your The Big Mission Home t-shirt? …Check!

It’s time to set off! 

You can leave your start point at any time you wish, but we hope you’ll time it so you cross the finish line at HomeGround between 12pm and 4pm, when we’ll be hosting a relaxed celebration.

Keep an eye out for other walkers when you get closer to the CBD. Don’t forget to take photos along the way and tag #thebigmissionhome so we can follow your progress!

The Big Mission Home will proceed rain or shine, so be sure to prepare accordingly! Check the forecast in the lead up to the event and make sure you dress and pack appropriately. Sun safety will be important in March, and be sure to pack lots of water. 

We will be sending out free t-shirts to everyone who registers for The Big Mission Home and raises at least $50 by 9th March.  

Friends and whānau are welcome to join in the celebrations - we will ask you closer to the time if you expect any additional guests so we can prepare accordingly. Please be aware there are capacity limits at HomeGround and we may need to limit the number of people on the day, with priority given to people who have participated in The Big Mission Home.