Creating Safe Spaces: Why We’re Supporting Burnett Foundation This Quarter

Altitude studios are made up of people from all walks of life, different shapes and sizes, genders, ethnicities and identities.

Our goal is to ensure every single person who walks through our doors feels safe.

❤ Safe to show up as their authentic self

❤ Safe to express themselves through dance and movement.

❤ Safe to attend classes without judgement

This level of care is not only important for our members and teams, but the wider communities they belong to, too.

With care in mind, starting from April 2025 we will be selecting one charity each quarter to support by raising funds and awareness for the work they are doing.

Our very first charity is Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

The LGBTQIA+ community in Aotearoa suffers ongoing scrutiny and judgement for purely existing and we want to help change that. 

As noted from Burnett Foundation’s website: For the last 40 years, they have been at the forefront of the community response to HIV in Aotearoa. Not only do they work to prevent HIV transmission, combat stigma and maximise the wellbeing of those most affected by HIV; they also provide free counselling services for Rainbow and Takatāpui people in Aotearoa.

Safe spaces give the LGBTQIA+ community a place to discover who they are and connect with others with similar experiences. This builds confidence and encourages our rainbow whānau to show up in society, knowing they have a strong, supportive community behind them.

More than half of our Rainbow community have experienced mental illness, and a shocking 1 in 5 of our Rainbow rangatahi (young people) have attempted suicide. This is why supporting Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is so important.

Raising these funds means we can contribute financial support to help further the counselling services they provide, in turn allowing for more safe spaces for those within the LGBTQIA+ community to turn to when they need it.

Over the next 3 months you can expect to see in-studio events and initiatives across the country that aim to raise funds for Burnett Foundation - along with our online charity drive page you can donate directly to!

No matter if you’re an Altitude member or not, every one deserves to feel safe and supported. Help us make a difference by donating today 💌👇