Youth at risk will receive a healthy shot in the arm this Christmas through a new dine and donate scheme.

DineAid is the brainchild of Auckland chef Mark Gregory, who is bringing the charity scheme to New Zealand this year after its huge success in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, where it is known as Streetsmart.

“It began in London nine years ago when a group of chefs added a voluntary £1 onto each diner’s bill as a donation to charity. The scheme runs each year in November and December and in Britain. Last year we raised £967,000. In Australia Streetsmart raised $300,000 last year,” says Gregory, who has recently returned to live in New Zealand after 18 years in UK.

“People who visited the UK and saw it working in London when it began went home to America, South Africa and Australia and started it in those countries as Streetsmart,” says Gregory.

The name Streetsmart cannot be used in New Zealand because it is associated with rubbish collection.

“We needed another name, so we’ve ripped off Bob Geldof and used the name DineAid.”

“We’d like to raise $200,000 to $300,000 in New Zealand in this first year of DineAid. But more importantly, five years from now, if there are 1000 restaurants and cafés involved nationwide, what then might we achieve?"

"It’s all about our restaurant industry looking after their local communities. We’ve given restaurants a whole load of benefits, including free advertising via some media outlets and on our website, and asking corporates to do their restaurant hosting in DineAid restaurants.”

Gregory is also working on a voucher system for restaurants participating in DineAid.

“We want it to become an annual way of giving back to the community by businesses, where the owners are community-minded and not just out to make a profit for themselves. If we can make it work that way, then it’s about fair trade, he says.

“I was inspired to bring DineAid to New Zealand because I felt that I had arrived at a point in my life where it was important to give back rather than to just keep making something for myself. To do that is vital,” says Gregory.

All of the administration costs of DineAid in New Zealand are covered by sponsors Kensington Swan and Mercedes so that 100 per cent of the money collected from restaurants goes to charities helping New Zealand families and young people in need.

The charities flagged to benefit from New Zealand’s inaugural DineAid this year include the Foundation for Youth Development, which includes Kiwi Can, Stars, Project K and City Missions.

DineAid launches at New Zealand’s first Flavour Tripping Party on 29 October, 6.30pm at the Sky Tower in Auckland.

At participating restaurants in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown throughout November and December 2008, diners can voluntarily add $2 per table to their bill.

www.dineaid.org.nz