Skylight
Skylight Trust is a New Zealand registered charity delivering specialised grief, loss, and trauma counselling, school-based wellbeing programmes, and support resources to children, young people aged 5-24, adults, and whānau across Aotearoa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Skylight does
Skylight Trust is a New Zealand registered charity (CC27206) founded in 1996 in Wellington, originally as the Children's Grief Centre Charitable Trust, that delivers specialised grief, loss, and trauma support to children, young people aged 5-24, adults, and whānau. Its service portfolio comprises in-person counselling (music therapy, creative arts therapy, talk therapy) delivered across four Wellington-region locations, nationwide online counselling, and a suite of school-based wellbeing programmes including the flagship Travellers (Year 9, 250+ schools), Awhi Mai Awhi Atu (school counselling, 32 schools), Matika, Tai-oranga, Pathfinders, Sound Bridge, Heart Song, and Parenting Through Separation. The organisation also maintains a content library, distributes physical support packs, and runs professional development for educators and clinicians.
The underlying model is a hybrid human-services platform grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā and evidence-based therapeutic frameworks, supported by multi-year government contracts (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Te Whatu Ora, Oranga Tamariki), grants (Lottery Grants Board, COGS), corporate sponsorships (BUPA, ANZ Staff Foundation, Dentons), individual donations (Flashlight Fund, Givealittle), and legacy giving via Gathered Here. Direct counselling is monetised via per-session fees ranging from NZD $45 to $149.50, with student and subsidised rates, while most school-facing programmes are free to participants and funded through government contracts. Channel strategy is community-led: direct in-person and online counselling, school partnership delivery, referral networks from GPs, Oranga Tamariki, and other providers, plus content marketing across website, blog, webinars, social media, and newsletters. Procurement is governed by a Board of Trustees with Co-Chairs Dr. Nicole M. Coupe (Tangata Whenua) and Tania Vincent (Tangata Tiriti), and current CEO Kathryn Ross leads a team of 11-50 staff including registered educational psychologists, creative arts therapists, and a Pou Ārahi Māori cultural advisor.
Skylight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Skylight
- Legal name
- Skylight Trust
- Website
- https://skylight.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Skylight Trust is a New Zealand registered charity delivering specialised grief, loss, and trauma counselling, school-based wellbeing programmes, and support resources to children, young people aged 5-24, adults, and whānau across Aotearoa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Skylight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mental Health and Counselling Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)
Keywords
Where Skylight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Skylight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Contracts: Funding from government agencies including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Te Whatu Ora, and Oranga Tamariki for specific programme delivery such as Parenting Through Separation and school-based counselling
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through Flashlight Fund, Givealittle platform, fundraising events, Entertainment Book sales, and bequests/legacy giving through Gathered Here
- Grants: Funding from Lottery Grants Board, COGS, and various community organisations and foundations
- Counselling Session Fees: Fees for counselling services ranging from $45 to $149.50 per session, with subsidised options and student counsellor rates available
- Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate partners including BUPA, Dentons, ANZ Staff Foundation, and retail community schemes
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Per session | Standard counselling session |
| Unit Pricing | Per session | Student counsellor session |
| Freemium | Per session | Subsidised counselling |
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Travellers Programme |
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Parenting Through Separation Course |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Skylight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Skylight is a New Zealand registered charity that provides specialised grief, loss, and trauma support to tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people), adults, and whānau (families). Core offerings include professional counselling (music therapy, creative arts therapy, and talk therapy), school-based wellbeing programmes such as Travellers, Matika, Tai-oranga, Pathfinders, Sound Bridge, and Awhi Mai Awhi Atu, support groups (Heart Song, Waves), the Ministry of Justice-contracted Parenting Through Separation course, a free resources library, professional development training, and physical support packs.
Product overview
Skylight is a New Zealand charity offering a comprehensive suite of mental health and wellbeing support services for tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people), and whānau (families) aged 5-24 years. The organization operates as a service-based charity rather than a software platform, providing counselling, group programmes, and educational resources. The core counselling service offers music therapy, creative arts therapy, and talk therapy across Wellington region locations and online. Key programmes include the flagship Travellers wellbeing programme for Year 9 students, Matika (grief support for children 6-12), Tai-oranga (wellbeing for ages 7-9), Pathfinders (for young women/non-binary youth 12-16), Sound Bridge (music therapy for ages 12-18), and Awhi Mai Awhi Atu (school-based counselling). Additional support includes Heart Song (bereaved parents), Parenting Through Separation, Waves (suicide bereavement), a resources library with articles/webinars/videos, support packs, and professional development training. The offering functions as an integrated support ecosystem where counselling services, group programmes, and resources work together to address grief, loss, trauma, and mental health challenges.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Travellers: Skylight's flagship school-based wellbeing programme for Year 9 students that helps young people build life skills and develop resilience through a 10-week small-group journey.
- Sound Bridge
- Tai-oranga
- Matika
- Pathfinders
- Heart Song
- Awhi Mai Awhi Atu
- Parenting Through Separation (PTS)
- Waves
Products and services
- Counselling Services
- Travellers Programme
- Matika Programme
- Tai-oranga Programme
- Pathfinders Programme
- Sound Bridge Music Therapy
- Awhi Mai Awhi Atu
- Parenting Through Separation (PTS)
- Heart Song Support Group
- Waves Programme
- Resources Library
- Professional Development & Training
- Support Packs
Quantifiable outcome
- $3.30 social return per $1 invested in Travellers programme
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Skylight
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Skylight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Skylight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand)coreHealth New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora is the primary funder and strategic partner for the Travellers programme, which celebrated its 25th year in 2026. The partnership involves funding, programme development guidance, and national rollout of Travellers 2.0.
- Victoria University of WellingtoncoreAcademic partnership in the development and evaluation of the Travellers programme, contributing research expertise and programme refinement alongside Te Whatu Ora.
- Ministry of EducationcoreGovernment funding partner supporting school-based programmes and access to educational institutions for programme delivery across New Zealand.
- Ministry of JusticecoreContracted by the Ministry of Justice to deliver the Parenting Through Separation (PTS) course in the Wellington region, with attendance certificates issued through the Ministry's secure database.
- Child Cancer FoundationstrategicPartnership delivering webinar series on practical strategies for self-care and resilience for families affected by childhood cancer.
- Gathered HerestrategicPartnership for legacy giving and will-writing services, enabling supporters to create free wills and pledge gifts to Skylight, with 100% of pledged gifts received by Skylight.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves16 records
Expansion highlights12 records
Skylight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing in-school counselling and wellbeing programmes. Closely parallels Skylight's school-based counselling (Awhi Mai Awhi Atu) and Travellers resilience programme model.
- Youthline Auckland: New Zealand charity providing counselling, support and programmes for young people. Directly comparable as a youth-focused mental health and wellbeing service operating nationally via helpline, text, and in-person channels.
- Child Bereavement UK: UK charity providing bereavement support for children, young people and families. Overlaps with Skylight's Heart Song, Matika, and Waves programmes in delivering grief-specific counselling and family support.
- Winston's Wish: UK charity supporting bereaved children and young people. Directly comparable to Skylight's Matika programme and broader childhood bereavement support through therapeutic groups, resources, and family services.
- Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: NZ charity focused on mental health promotion, resources, and workforce development. Comparable through shared content/resources distribution model and nationwide mental health awareness role.
- Key Assets New Zealand: Provider of therapeutic and family support services for children and young people, including Oranga Tamariki-funded programmes. Comparable in government contracting model and youth wellbeing focus.
- Lifeline Aotearoa: NZ crisis helpline and community support charity offering counselling and mental health services. Closely aligned with Skylight's grief, trauma, and mental health support mission for individuals and whānau.
Regional players
- Australian Childhood Foundation: Australian charity delivering trauma-informed therapy, counselling, and professional development for children and families. Comparable service model with geographic focus on Australia rather than NZ.
Broad incumbents
- IHC New Zealand: Large NZ disability and inclusion charity providing support services across the country. Overlaps with Skylight's whānau and neurodiversity support work but operates a much broader advocacy and service mandate.
- Barnardo's New Zealand: Large established NZ charity delivering a wide range of child and family services, including counselling and education programmes. Overlaps with Skylight's child/youth and whānau services but operates a much broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Skylight social profiles
Digital presenceSkylight compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Skylight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Skylight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Skylight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Skylight M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Skylight
What does Skylight do?
Skylight is a New Zealand registered charity that provides specialised grief, loss, and trauma support to tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people), adults, and whānau (families). Core offerings include professional counselling (music therapy, creative arts therapy, and talk therapy), school-based wellbeing programmes such as Travellers, Matika, Tai-oranga, Pathfinders, Sound Bridge, and Awhi Mai Awhi Atu, support groups (Heart Song, Waves), the Ministry of Justice-contracted Parenting Through Separation course, a free resources library, professional development training, and physical support packs.
Is Skylight a public or private company?
Skylight is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Skylight founded?
Skylight was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Skylight based?
Skylight is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Skylight make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, grants, counselling Session Fees and corporate Sponsorships.
Who are Skylight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Place2Be, Youthline Auckland, Child Bereavement UK, Winston's Wish, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, Key Assets New Zealand and Lifeline Aotearoa. Australian Childhood Foundation is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are IHC New Zealand and Barnardo's New Zealand.
Does Skylight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Skylight.
What industry is Skylight in?
Skylight's product category is Mental Health and Counselling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAH, Mental Health & Crisis Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.