MEET THE TEAM: 5 minutes with Louie

Tell us about yourself and how you found yourself part of Neighbourhood:

Hey! I’m Louie, I grew up in Christchurch and study up in Auckland. I love being outdoors

and working with my hands, whether that is fixing things around the flat, making art, or doing

odd jobs, I don’t mind!

Anxiety is something which I have struggled with, and I have seen many of my mates struggle with in silence. I was sick of seeing so many people struggle with their mental health but feel as though they couldn’t speak out which is why I decided to get involved in Neighbourhood during the Silent Fight campaign, to change the conversation around mental health in New Zealand.

I believe that creating supportive communities where people feel free to express themselves without judgement are the key to changing New Zealand’s mental health landscape, and I think Neighbourhood is the perfect collective to incite these changes.

Describe yourself in three words:

I’m energetic, excitable and creative!

Do you have any significant goals or projects for 2021?

Over summer I’ll hopefully be working in a research lab in Australia which I am very excited

about, and should be a pretty large challenge! Other than that I don’t really have any big

projects just smash my degree and try to grow a little bit as a person every day.

What is a cause/issue/movement that you feel passionately about?

I’m a huge fan of the outdoors and naturally I have become a big environmentalist as a result of this. I also am very passionate about emphasising men’s role in preventing sexual violence against women, as well as general mental health advocacy.

Who or what has influenced you the most?

I think my environment has hugely influenced me! Growing up in Christchurch forced me to

become very resilient at a young age and emphasised the importance of community support.

If someone I love is down, I cheer them up by...

If someone I love is feeling down I cheer them up by making them a cup of tea and having a

chat! I love to take my mates on hikes when they are feeling down to try cheer them up and

generally just help support them to recentre themselves!

Somewhere that you’ve never been to in Aotearoa that you’d like to visit?

I would really love to walk the Kauaeranga Kauri trail in the Coromandel it looks so lush and

green!

Something that relaxes me when I’m feeling stressed is...

When I’m stressed going to the gym really helps to take my mind off of things! Other than that I go surfing with my amazing mates or build something!

What is something you’re grateful for?

At the moment I’m feeling super grateful for all of my mates! They are the kinds of people I

want to be when I grow up!

The last thought that kept you awake at night was…

The last thought that kept me awake last night was I wish people people would stop honking

their horns.

Do you have any strange and completely irrational fears?

No, not really, I’m a pretty rational guy (that’s a lie, geese terrify me).

My idea of heaven is…

Honestly at the moment my idea of heaven is a warm beach with no cell phone signal or

internet to be found.

What is something you’re excited about at the moment?

I’m super excited about my semester wrapping up so I can go home and go skiing during the

break and see my puppy.

What's your favourite song at the moment?

At the moment my favourite song on my playlist would have to be Toes by the Glass Animals

(late to the game on that one, I know)