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2011

December

 
Christmas holiday closures 2011-2012 

SHOP ORDERS 

Please take note that any shop orders recieved after 16 December will not be processed until 9 January. 

OTHER SERVICES 

The Resource & Information Service, including the phone and email service and the library, will be closed from 12pm, 23 December until 9am, 9 January.

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The Mental Health Foundation is proud to endorse the Young Minds 2012 conference, which features leading minds from Australia and overseas addressing the urgent issues facing our youth.

The event will focus on developing the hearts and minds of young people and comes to you from the producers of the highly acclaimed Happiness & Its Causes and Mind & Its Potential conferences, which have attracted 16,000+ delegates over the past seven years.

The inaugural Young Minds conference will be held 21 & 22 June at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Early bird and youth discounts available now:

• book before 23 March and save $200 on the two-day conference and $340 on the gold pass
• young people under 21 are entitled to 50% of conference fees.

For a full programme breakdown and more information visit the official Young Minds 2012 website

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November

The Great Lake Realy returns

Mark your calendars now, 17 and 18 February sees the return of the New Balance Great Lake Relay, and once again the Mental Health Foundation is delighted to be the official charity recipient.  Find out more...

The ultimate Movember BBQ

Movember supporters Graham Henry and Steve Hanson know just how important it is for men to look after their health, so that’s why they're taking part in a once in a lifetime TradeMe auction.

This is your chance to have either Graham or Steve as the Head Sizzler at your afternoon backyard BBQ. That’s right, the winners of the auctions will have one of these famous All Blacks coaches come to their house for a yarn while they man the BBQ.

Head on over to the fundraising auction to place your bid - auction ends 3 December.

 

Johnny Matteson to launch new album 

Mental health promoter Johnny Matteson will be releasing his third full-length album, Song of the Streets, on 24 November at the Shared Vision Recovery Conference – Address The Stress, being held at Te Pai Centre, Henderson.

The album, featuring 11 original tracks and a remix of the title track, shares the themes of pain, misery and hope that weave through the mental health system.

Johnny will be performing two songs with Linda Delamore, one of the conference organisers, and is scheduled to go on at 12.25pm.

The Shared Vision Recovery Conference will be opened by Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Judi Clements and features former Mental Health Commissioner Julie Leibreich as the keynote speaker. Joining Julie will be clinical Psychologist Samantha Patel and Jigsaw Peer Support's Jackie Kenyon.

Anyone wishing to attend or to find out more can contact Helen at WALSH Trust on 09 837 5240 or sharedvisionwaitakere   "at" walsh.org.nz

 

Happiness is a free Relax CD

Our Mental Health Awareness Week team has looked at all the wonderful photos you sent to us over the week and judged two to be the winners of a free Relax CD.

The panel made its decision based on its happiness barometer – how happy did we feel when we saw people “training for happiness” on a scale from 0 to 10?

The winners are: "Get up to five" picturing three newfound friends, and "Louise", from Massey University’s School of Psychology Psychology Club, who got herself a beautiful facial tattoo – well maybe not, but the thought was there!

The club held a bakesale during MHAW and raised funds for the Mental Health Foundation.

Stella says of their photo: “New found friends in my new training group training for our first 5K…this is what we do to be happy run some of our worries away...and the best part is the cuppa we share with each other after the run. This is my first step in regaining some happiness and stay sane.” 

A special mention must also go to the Zumba for Happiness photos that were sent in from around the country and judging by the photos, it looks like you all had a wonderful time. 

Enjoy your prizes, and thanks to everyone who sent in their MHAW photographs. We loved them all.

"Get up to five" L to R: Sally, Tony and Dale - running for fun and good mental health.

 

2010 Media Grant recipient Dylan Keys launches his solo art exhibition

2010 Media Grant recipient Dylan Keys launches his solo exhibition Nine: a journey through mental illness and addiction on Thursday 10 November - from 5.30pm to 7.30pm – at Creative Tauranga’s gallery on Willow St.

The exhibition will run from 11 to 28 November. Go to Dylan's blog to view his work. Read the media release.

 

October
 

Mental health promoter interviewed about pressure on young Asians

Asian parents might be setting unattainable targets for their children by pushing them into high-paying professions, according to an artilcve on stuff.co.nz A recent expo in Pakuranga highlighted the difficulties teens from Asian communities face when making career choices. Bright Futures organiser Ivan Yeo of the Mental Health Foundation says youth often don't know where to go from school. "The only acceptable options they see are high-paying professions like a doctor, lawyer or engineer." Read more on Stuff website

 

 

 Great Lake relay 18 Feb!

Entries are now open for the 17th New Balance Great Lake Relay and the Nature Valley Length of the Lake Relay. Grab your friends, family or work colleagues together and join this fun filled, amazing event and experience a memorable and exhilarating weekend together.

As the official event charity, the Foundation received over $10,000 and this year our target is to double that amount but to achieve this, we need your support.

Visit www.relay.co.nz to find out more.

New trust wants better outcomes for families affected by mental illness

A new trust is up and running to improve outcomes for families affected by mental illness related to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood.

The Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand Trust (PMHNZ), established in February, intends to act as a national umbrella organisation for perinatal mental health in New Zealand.

The trust is developing a membership structure and criteria, but welcomes anyone with experience and/or an interest in perinatal mental health who sees benefit from associating with it.

It is hot on networking and says it wants to:

• hear from interested groups and individuals to join a network

• gather and disseminate stories of experiences and recovery

• gather and disseminate ideas for innovative NZ research

• advocate for parents who experience difficulties adjusting to parenthood

• promote positive messages about perinatal mental health

• make available perinatal mental health resources that will assist health practitioners in supporting families

• make available perinatal mental health resources available to support mums, dads and families

• lobby for change where there are gaps and deficits in services.

A stage one website was launched last month, which provides information about board members, contact details and news and events.

The people behind the trust, representatives from a range of agencies and organisations connected with perinatal distress issues from around New Zealand, believe the name of the trust reflects the breadth of the childbirth experience.

Take a Mo to ABserve our latest activities!

  

Foundation receptionist Keshlar Inglis is possibly the biggest All Blacks fan in Auckland (ok maybe the world) and she has done us proud with a colourful show of support for the big game on Sunday. Thanks Kesh for making sure we keep training for happiness. Go the Abs! 

Here at the Foundation we seem to fly from one special event to another!

Last week it was Mental Health Awareness Week in full ‘game on’ mode, this week it’s AB all the way with two nail-biting finals to watch. And what’s next?

It’s Movember, of course, and we’ll be flying some flags of a completely different nature. This year the men running the Mo show have come up with a new, rather tactile, theme: Hand brushed in the great outdoors. There’s lots of horse shoe imagery and nods to the barn and other things country.

We can see it now – cowboy thumb and forefinger sliding slowly down both sides of a Mexican Mo ready to reach for a Milky Bar. (Well, we needed a Kiwi twist didn’t we?)

Face grown and hand brushed Movember month is ready to take mo-growing registrations from sistas and mistas – so what are you waiting for? Get in the Game (the new one) and help raise crucial funds for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand so we can keep helping you!

 

Media Grant recipient samRB profiled on Music 101

Auckland singer songwriter and 2009 Media Grant recipient samRB was profiled on National Radio’s Music 101 programme, Saturday 22 October.

Her profile was recorded and produced by Chris Davis and follows samRB ‘in the field’ - busking, talking about her debut album Seems I Might Be Human (October 2010), and plans for her next album. 

One single from samRB’s debut album, Life Has Just Begun, features in the NZ film The Insatiable Moon - and samRB’s mentor, Mike Chunn (formerly of Split Enz and now CEO of the Play It Strange Trust) says, ”Sam’s song-writing skills and the beautiful ambition that has propelled those songs to reality, makes for a story to be celebrated, and show her to be a major talent.”

You can catch her most days busking somewhere on Queen Street, Auckland to fund her new album.

Listen to samRB's Music 101 interview
Follow samRB on Facebook
Listen to samRB’s music
Read about her 2009 media grant project

Media Grant recipient Patricia Deavoll on Kim Hill show

2010 Media Grant recipient Patricia Deavoll launched her book Wind from a Distant Summit during Mental Health Awareness Week. Published by Craig Potton Publishing, the book focuses on Pat’s extraordinary career as New Zealand’s leading woman mountaineer - her adventures, challenges, sacrifices and achievements. It also describes her life-long struggle with clinical depression.

Listen to Pat's interview Kim Hill (recorded 15 October).
Read more about the book or order your copy from www.patdeavoll.co.nz

 

2011 NZ Mental Health Media Grants: extended until 31 October

The Mental Health Foundation has identified that the promotion that usually accompanies the annual Media Grant application process hasn’t been as successful for the 2011 Grants as in previous years - possibly due to the national focus on the Rugby World Cup.

This has resulted in a significantly reduced number of applicants for both the journalism and photo-journalism grants.

Given this, a decision has been made to extend the grant deadline until Monday, 31 October 2011.

So, if you have a good idea for this year's NZ Mental Health Media Grants - but missed the deadline - then please take the opportunity this extension provides, go to www.mediagrants.org.nz to submit an application.

 

It’s Game On, Christchurch

The Healthy Christchurch Wellbeing Game is on and you are invited to take part!

The idea is to record the amount of time you spend each day working on wellbeing and the overall aim is to record 100,000 hours of happiness for Christchurch!

Register online as an individual or form a team of up to 10 people. Your team can be made up in anyway, at your workplace, club, at home or a combination. Capture every 30 minutes of wellbeing time you do through the activities you normally do, or add some more to increase your wellbeing.

Joining the game with a team allows you to share good ways you are looking after yourself, get ideas from others, talk about how we are doing and maybe even creating wellbeing opportunities with your team like meeting in park, sharing lunch or doing a walk meeting. 

Start anytime this week and train to improve your wellbeing for the next four weeks until Friday 6 November.

For more information visit the Healthy Christchurch website

 

Overcoming Adversity - a writing workshop for Waimakariri Youth 13-19 years

Hide and Seek exhibition in Wellington

Finale Eveing with performance: Wednesday 19 October from 7pm
Vincents Art Workshop
4th Floor, 84 Willis Street, Wellington

Massey University student Michelle Irvine is using photography to show personal journeys through mental illness. 

Michelle’s breath-taking stills photography of five females will encourage, inform and inspire. The works will be showing for two weeks from 5 - 19 October, which includes Mental Health Awareness Week and will culminate with a finale night  featuring a performance by Hannah Simpson (Cherry Gemstone), revered Wellington-based musician who is one of the women  photographed in the project.

 

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September

A Ramble for Happiness in Hagley Park

When it comes to resilience, Christchurch knows a thing or two. Having survived so much this year, Cantabrians deserve a break so the Mental Health Foundation has come up with the Walk 4 Wellbeing, 16 October. It's a free, fun and non-competitive ‘ramble’ through the still-beating heart of Christchurch. Read more about the Walk 4 Wellbeing

Fiesta in the Park

With Mental Health Awareness Week soon to kick off, we are proud to be supporting Fiesta in the Park, a free music and performance for all the Family.

Enjoy an amazing line up of national and local bands and performers including Andrew Fagan, Jupiter Project, Jan Hellriegel, Emma Paki, Ben Lummis and DJ Reminis, Abby Lee and Jae’O, Latin Aotearoa, samRb and special guests.

Music, food and entertainment together in the heart of Ponsonby, Auckland.

Fiesta in the Park
Saturday 8 October. Western Park, Ponsonby Rd. 10am to 4pm.

Help us win one of five Localist Karma Fund prizes

The Mental Health Foundation, along with Inspiring Communities, Lifewise and Neighbourhood Support, are to lead Neighbours Day in March, 2012. To help make the project a success we need to secure as much funding as possible and one way of doing this is through initiatives such as Localist’s Karma Fund.

Karma Fund was established to give back to local community groups that are making a real difference and this year Neighbour’s Day has made the short list with the winners being decided by public vote.

This is where we need your help. Head on over to www.localist.co.nz/karma_fund_votes, register and vote for Neighbours Day to win one of the five $4,000 prizes up for grabs.

2011 Media Grants application deadline extended

Applications for the 2011 NZ Mental Health Media Grants will now close on 7 October 2011. The extended closing date is due to an additional grant being made available (see below).

New $10,000 photo journalism Media Grant 

The NZ Mental Health Media Grants is thrilled to announce that an additional grant of $10,000 for the 2011 round is now available.

Thanks to support from the Frozen Funds Charitable Trust, we are seeking applications for a photo journalism project that focuses on positive images and stories that reflect Christchurch individuals, organisations and communities working together to rebuild their city and flourish again.

This project enables people with experience of mental health issues – or those who have an interest or personal connection with mental health issues - to use media (and other forms of publicity such as an exhibition or a book) as a platform to promote ways of keeping well, how to recover in/after a crisis and how to support one another to change for the better.

It is expected that projects would also increase understanding of, and reduce stigma and discrimination around, mental distress.

Download the application pack

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August

From shakes to flakes...

Your home's still not fixed, there's no power on today, you still have to get to the dunny down the road and then... it snows!

As a result, mental health promoter Grant Cooper is stranded in Dunedin and colleague Ciaran Fox is stuck out in Lyttleton. 

But hey, it's also a thing of beauty as our Southern Development Manager Freedom Preston-Clark captures with this photo outside their new Christchurch office.

 

 

  

 

Wellington Harbour resembles Swedish coastline

Our Wellington office must be doing it tough, look at the entrance to Wellington Harbour today! We hope the Interislander isn't sailing.

 

 

 

 

 

Auckland laments cold cafe lattes

Up here in Auckland, it's not quite as dramatic, but LMLM mental health promoter Jade Caufiled finds it's still pretty nippy getting out for a coffee break!

 

 

 

 

 

July

Major international conference to be held in Wellington 2012

Wellbeing and Public Policy is a major international conference to be held in Wellington in June or July 2012. The purpose  is to bring together policymakers and world experts to discuss the application of wellbeing research to policymaking at all levels of government.

With rising academic, public and political interest in wellbeing, more and more government officials are considering using wellbeing research to inform their policy decisions. The conference will promote discussions on how wellbeing research might best be applied to policymaking. Several interrelated issues will be addressed: 

• Defining wellbeing for policymaking
• Measuring wellbeing for policymaking
• Assessing the relative significance of subjective and objective measures of wellbeing for policymaking
• Example policies that are likely to improve wellbeing.

Wellbeing for Public Policy will be hosted by the International Journal of Wellbeing in conjunction with Victoria University of Wellington and the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand.

New blog for people who care for those with dementia

Today Robert Turner opens up publically about what it is like for him as the carer and husband of a 64-year-old woman with fronto-temporal dementia.

Robert’s blog is hard to read and, no doubt, hard to write, but he is doing it to raise awareness of the pressures of caring for a person with dementia. He hopes to engage other carers and encourage them to seek help from Alzheimers Auckland – a charity that offers services to people affected by dementia

There are over 14,000 people in Auckland with some kind of dementia – 60-70% of those people live at home and are cared for by family members.

Quite aside from the tragedy that is dementia for the person who has it, and who will die from it, the toll the disease takes on carers can be severe and also lead to premature death.

This week 11-15 July is Alzheimers Appeal Week. You can support Alzheimers Auckland by buying specially marked tea, coffee and lamingtons from Countdown supermarkets. You can also hold a Cuppa for Cause, and spread the word about the new blog.

 

June

TradeMe Auctions launched in support of Foundation

Mental Health Foundation supporter Craig Bulloch will be raising money for the Foundation as he competes in the 2012 New Zealand Ironman in Taupo. But first he must train and that means competing in some practice events including:

• Huntly Half Marathon
• Wellington Marathon
• Tough Guy/Girl Challenge
• K2 Cycle Challenge
• Karipiro Half Ironman
• Rotorua Half Ironman

Aside from putting his body on the line for the Foundation he is also running some pretty awesome auctions online with all proceeds benefitting the Foundation.

To find out more about Craig’s auctions click the image below

 

Please spread the word and support Craig as he is a top guy who is doing something extraordinary to help us all!

More info about Craig and the event can be found here and here

Calling all young people!

Have you ever been discriminated against because of mental health issues? Are you aged between 18 and 24? Do you live in the greater Wellington region?

If so, the Foundation invites you to take part in a focus group and talk about your experiences, as part of a Mental Health Foundation and Like Minds, Like Mine research project.

Each group takes about two hours and you will receive a $30 voucher in recognition of your time and contribution.

If you would like to know more about the research or are willing to participate please contact Heather by email on heather   "at" mentalhealth.org.nz or by phone: 04 801 0353, or TeReo on 021 133 3457 or by email freedom.writer.1   "at" hotmail.com

Flyer

Come together: training extravaganza to support Christchurch Youth Health Team

29 August 2011, Kohia Teachers’ Centre, Gate 1, 78 Epsom Ave, Epsom, Auckland

A day of professional development never looked like such fun!

The brainchild of Auckland youth health lecturer Terry Fleming, this one-day training workshop is being run to support the Korowai Youth Wellbeing Trust's Christchurch youth health team. All training and admin is being done voluntarily, so your payment will be made directly to the youth health team.

The long established team, led by Dr Sue Bagshaw, ran ‘198’ - The Youth One Stop Shop - and then a smaller, free youth health service from the CTV building before the February earthquake, in which they lost a team member and a lot of equipment. 

Ms Fleming wants to raise enough money to replace the equipment so the trust can keep providing free high-quality youth health services to Christchurch's young people.

She has had a lot of support for the idea from Dr Bagshaw, The Collaborative Trust coordinator Alice McLean and “lots of kind helpers in Auckland”.

Ms Fleming says the workshops are limited in size, so be in quick. Visit the website to pay for and book your sessions. Be sure to tick “Come together, training …” and then you can select the workshops you want to attend.

The flyer has more information and programme details.

Facebook event page

For any further details please contact Terry Fleming t.fleming   "at" auckland.ac.nz phone 09 3737599 extn 87891, or Alice Mclean alice   "at" collaborative.org.nz 03 981 4208.

 

Skylight's free trauma counselling service

Skylight trauma support service is offering free earthquake support counselling for all ages on 0800 299 100, Monday- Friday, 9am to 5pm.

The Skylight website has an earthquake recovery page and a trauma support reources page, both full of support resources and trauma support information.

You can call or email Skylight  for yourself, your family, friends, neighbours, clients and colleagues: 0800 299 100 or  info   "at" skylight-trust.org.nz

Skylight offers services to people facing tough times of change, loss, trauma and grief - whatever the cause, and whatever their age. Its website offers information, downloads, support resources and options, extensive links and hope and encouragement for those facing tough life situations - and for those caring for them.

 

Mind & Its Potential

7 - 8 November 2011
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia

How do we learn? How should we teach? How do we overcome adversity and disability? How should we live our lives? Join world leaders in science, education, psychology and the arts in exploring these profound questions at Mind & Its Potential 2011.

Be motivated and inspired by an amazing gathering of 40+ speakers. Keynotes include leading authority on creative thinking, Dr Edward de Bono, world renowned neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield, Mind Mapping guru Tony Buzan, acclaimed neuroplasticity researcher Dr Jeffrey M Schwartz and learning and the brain expert Dr Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.

Visit the Mind & Its Potential website to register.

 

Working Towards Higher Living Standards for New Zealanders

The Treasury has recently launched a paper, Working Towards Higher Living Standards for New Zealanders, that provides a descriptive framework of the factors that it considers are essential to national wellbeing.

The paper is designed to provide greater clarity around the ultimate aim of Treasury's work: to improve the living standards of New Zealanders.

"While good economic performance contributes to raising material living standards, the Treasury recognises that a broad range of other factors also contribute to people's standard of living.  Over the last 18 months we have undertaken research and analysis to improve our understanding of these factors, and have used the results of that work to develop a Living Standards Framework" said Secretary to the Treasury John Whitehead said today when launching the paper.

To read more about the report visit the Treasury website or read the entire report.

 

May

Secrets keep you sick - opening up is what Mike King's book is all about

The Nutters Club: Helping nutters from the inside out

Mike King with David Codyre
Random House $39.99
ISBN 978-1-8679-401-9
Release date: 20 May 2011

 

A new book, released on 20 May, helps shine a light on mental illness by detailing the experiences of some high profile and also not so well known New Zealanders.

The Nutters Club book is essentially a collection of 11 stories as told to comedian Mike King and Auckland psychiatrist David Codyre from The Nutters Club – a regular Sunday night show on Radio Live that also screens on Maori Television.

The stories are edited transcripts of the shows and move back and forth from interviewee to Mike and David as questions arise. It proves to be an effective way to meld and make meaning of all these expert points of view - and it doesn’t shy away from exploring those uncomfortable questions about the pros and cons of medication, hospital care and diagnostic labels.

Mental health peer support network spokesperson Susie Crooks was happy to take part in the book because she believes people’s stories give a human face to mental distress.

“You have to use examples and language that resonate with people. That’s what Mike’s book has done,” she says.

Well-known Kiwis who join Susie in speaking out are Split Enz bass player Mike Chunn, top fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, comedian couple Chris Brain and Irene Pink, actress Nicola Kawana, Carterton Mayor Gary McPhee and King himself. Equally interesting and inspirational stories come from lesser known individuals: Brenda Cheyne, Gary Cody, Dean Kini, Ivan Yeo and Rhys Green.

The Mental Health Foundation chief executive Judi Clements says people will respond to this book because the stories are fascinating and true accounts of others’ experiences, conveyed with passion and humanity.

 

Read the press release

Read a book review

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New bipolar support group in Glenfield

Two Worlds, a new bipolar support group, is starting in Glenfield on Tuesday 31 May.

The non-clinical group is for people who experience mood polarities – highs and lows – to come and talk, listen, have fun and access a variety of useful information. It’s also open to partners and family members.

Meetings are held at the Glenfield Community Centre (Room 7), Corner of Bentley and Glenfield Roads from 12.30pm - 2pm. Going forward they will be held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.

For more information please email: jan.cannings   "at" connectsr.org.nz or phone Rebecca 021 10 28 234.

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Move past whatever ails you with Raeburn House

Auckland's Raeburn House has five learning and development groups up and running this term: Managing Anger, Moving Past Depression, Self Esteem and Confidence, Understanding and Controlling Your Anxiety, and Winning over Worry (new group).

There are limited places on each group, with enrolment and prepayment essential. Course bookings and payments can be made online.

The groups give people the opportunity to strengthen and develop their current life skills to equip them in making positive choices. There is also the opportunity to meet other people in similar situations, and to move through issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, low self esteem and much more.

All groups are led by skilled and professionally trained facilitators or trainers who are regularly supervised by the Raeburn House Clinical Supervisor. A sliding fee scale is available for those who qualify, to ensure that the programme is accessible to everyone.

Raeburn House is a community development organisation promoting mental health and community wellbeing. It is able to address issues as they arise within communities and families, and will assist in providing the most appropriate groups, either at Raeburn House or in the wider community.

For further information, contact Raeburn House, Ph 09 441 8989 or email: luciana   "at" raeburnhouse.org.nz

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International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day

On Thursday 12 May people from all around the world will be encouraged to learn about chronic fatigue syndrome, think about those who experience it and how they might be supported. In New Zealand there are thought to be 20,000 with this complex and debilitating disease.

Commonly known as myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatgue syndrome (ME/CFS), the disease can affect anyone. However, women are affected three to four times more than men; middle-aged women seem to be at greater risk, and some evidence indicates that people with lower incomes are at higher risk. Teens are at more risk of developing ME/CFS than younger children, and adults are more prone to it than teens.

Medical definitions of the condition vary, but the following are considered common: ongoing flu-like fatigue; slow recovery from exercise; muscle aches; impaired concentration (brain-fog); sore throats; swollen glands; gastrointestinal problems; sleep disorders; low (or high) body temperature. There is no known cure.

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Nominations open for inaugural South Auckland Youth Awards

Nominations are being sought for the first ever South Auckland Youth Awards - and you only have until 11 May to nominate someone!

The South Auckland Youth Awards 2011 are run by the Community Action Youth and Drugs (CAYAD) Team of Hapai Te Hauora Tapui, Maori Public Health. The awards will profile youth achievements by acknowledging eight 13 to 22-year-old South Aucklanders contributing to the wellbeing of families and community.

CAYAD's goal is to reduce harm to young people and whanau from illicit drug taking. The team works in the community to make positive changes, and recognises that often it is young people who have the drive to do this.

Each award is based on core values that encourage Maori Ora Mauri Ora and are reflected in eight tohu or symbols: tika, pono, matauranga, tangihanga. manaaki, whenua, tautoko and aroha.

The award ceremony, hosted by Hapai Te Hauora Tapui, will be held at The Dream Centre Complex, Manukau City, 24 May from 6-9pm. Nominations must be received by 11 May.

For more information on the awards and how to nominate someone, please visit the Hapai Te Hauora Tapui website

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April

Turbo touch wants YOU!

Join past and present Kiwi sports heroes from all codes and eras in showcasing turbo touch, a new sport that begin in 2009.

Next month’s Turbo Touch Celebrity Fundraising Challenge promises to be the biggest turbo touch event yet, with players from all around the country. Celebs include Frano Botica, Keri Ropati, Tammy Davis (Munter from Outrageous Fortune), Glen Osborne, Emma Keeling (from Campbell Live) and more.

You can take part in the action, too, by registering your team online.

Turbo Touch was developed by Touch New Zealand, in association with Ike Tapine Wilson and George Albert-Jahnke, and combines elements of traditional touch, netball, basketball and ultimate frisbee. It is now played in most major centres with thousands of people involved on a weekly basis.

The event will raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation's suicide prevention work.

"The funds raised from this event will help us in developing resources and keeping up the dialogue about how everyone in New Zealand can enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing," Judi Clements, Foundation CEO, says.

“Suicide can be the tragic end result of a long history of problems. By shedding light on the signs of depression and other risk factors, we can all be armed with knowledge that will take the stigma away from discussing mental health. We need to encourage people to talk to and support each other in families, whanau and communities.

“We’d like to thank the organisers of Turbo Touch for their commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of New Zealanders," Ms Clements says.

Turbo Touch

Sunday, 1 May, 10am-3.30pm, Celebrity Challenge 2pm

The Trusts Stadium Arena, 65-67 Central Park Drive, Waitakere

Cost: $200 per team

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Associate Minister in the pink!

When a national event can get an office full of Kiwi men to wear pink on the same day - you know it's a success! Associate Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman and his team turned up to work today wearing pink - and when they did so, they took a united stand against bullying.

Even Kevin the Trademe Kiwi is wearing a pink t-shirt today, as are others all over the country.

Here at the Mental Health Foundation we are donning every shade of pink there ever was. We are also providing a bullying letter template to make it easy for people to ask Prime Minister John Key to take action to stop bullying in this country.

A group in Nelson managed to get 800 children from their local schools to write to Mr Key - go Nelson!

Send us your Pink Shirt Day photos

Email us photos of your Pink Shirt Day get ups, and we will put together a photo gallery on the website.

 

Mental Health Foundation staff, pictured left to right – Amanda Bradley, Tina Helm, Shaughan Woodcock, chief executive Judi Clements, Charlie Tang, Shona Clarke, Jude Johnston, Anne Wright, Angela Culpin, Martin Street & Russell Tuffery.

 

 

 

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Dalai Lama among speakers at happier life conference in Brisbane

Happiness & Its Causes is a conference being held in Brisbane on 16-17 June this year. It will be an amazing gathering of 40+ speakers in science, psychology, spirituality, the arts and more!

Be inspired by keynotes including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, acclaimed primatologist Dr Jane Goodall, inspiring humanitarian and photographer Matthieu Ricard, leading creative thinker Michael J Gelb and pioneering emotions researcher Dr Paul Ekman. Aussie celebrity chef Maggie Beer will also be talking, among others.

Since the first Happiness & Its Causes conference in 2006, over 8,000 people have been moved and inspired at what is now the world’s most important forum on human happiness. Join the brightest minds in philosophy, psychology, science, religion and the arts to explore the age-old question – “how can we lead a happier, more meaningful life?”.

Read more or register for the Happiness & Its Causes conference

 

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Pink Shirt Day

Pink Shirt Day aims to show that bullying is not OK and won't be tolerated. By encouraging the people of New Zealand to wear a Pink Shirt on 14 April, we can help to raise awareness of bullying and show the massive amount of people who support taking a stance against bullying and believe that bullying should not be tolerated anywhere no matter what the reasons or circumstances are.

The Mental Health Foundation is encouraging those wishing to support anti-bullying to send Prime Minister John Key a letter.

Download our bullying letter template and send it to:

Rt Hon John Key, Prime Minister
Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

Remember, this is a free post address so no stamp is necessary.

 

Further information

Mental Health Foundation Pink Shirt Day press release

Watch videos from the Foundation's 2010 Bullying Forum

Watch the official Pink Shirt Day 2011 video with New Zealand Olympian Blake Skjellerup

Directory of anti-bullying services

 

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing bullying you can speak to a school counsellor, a GP, an adult you can trust, contact YOUTHLINE on 0800 37 66 33, email talk   "at" youthline.co.nz or visit www.youthline.co.nz

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March

Neighbours Day Aotearoa fast approaching

26-27 March 2011 

Neighbours Day Aotearoa is about celebrating the value of neighbourliness in our New Zealand communities. Knowing our neighbours helps make our neighbourhoods healthier, safer and more fun places to live for all of us. 

It's a time to get together with your neighbours in a way that suits your neighbourhood - fill the gas bottle, put the jug on, get cooking or just put on your most welcoming smile and head out to chat with those you live closest to.

By getting involved in Neighbours Day you will be partaking in the five winning ways to wellbeing:

CONNECT: Develop relationships within your community as these connections support you and enrich your life.

BE ACTIVE: Physical activity helps you to feel good so why not get together with your neighbours and start a walking group or social sports team.

TAKE NOTICE: Take in your surroundings and reflect on the great things your neighbourhood has to offer.

LEARN: Learn about your neighbours and use this information to strengthen your community.

GIVE: Do something for your neighbours and see yourself and your happiness as linked to the wider community.

Visit www.neighboursday.org.nz for ideas and tools and SIGN UP to show your support.

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Project 101010 - Pill or Perception?

This Kiwi film is being screened to raise funds for the Christchurch Trauma Recovery Team.

Released in October 2010 the film interviews a range of people including neuro scientists, cellular biologists, alternative therapists and also Camillia Temple NZ Singer who shares her story of mental illness and drug addiction.

If you are free in Auckland on Wednesday 30 March or Wellington 12 April please attend and share the info with your friends, colleges, students... the work the Trauma Recovery Team is doing is fabulous, following the quake they are working with anxiety in Children, Depression with Adults and so much more.

In the film, leading health practitioners and science-based researchers consider both the conventional and alternative practices in health care. This film addresses not only lifestyle, stress, mental and physical illness, pharmaceuticals but also the power of our mind and body to heal itself through alternative practices and our own innate ability to self-heal and grow.

Event Details 

Film Trailer

Bonus Footage Trailer 

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Minister pushes for new suicide reporting guidelines in 2011

Minister Peter Dunne is calling for new suicide reporting guidelines to be in place later this year. The associate minister of health said yesterday he wants to improve the understanding and handling of suicide in public forums.

He convened a roundtable meeting of media, mental health professional and researchers as a first step in coming up with new guidelines for media reporting of suicides. The meeting resolved to form a Working Group to report back by the end of April with an initial draft of recommendations and potential revised guidelines.

"We will then peer review the work done and look to widen the consultation, particularly involving those impacted by suicide. We will want their views and feedback," Mr Dunne says.

The Prime Minister's chief science adviser, Sir Peter Gluckman and Chief Coroner, Judge Neil MacLean, will be briefed and brought into the process.

"What was notable was the extent to which both media and clinicians generally agreed on the outcomes we are looking to achieve, and how to get there," Mr Dunne says.

Last year, Prime Minister John Key directed the Ministerial Committee on Suicide Prevention to consider whether the current controls around suicide reporting in the media were appropriate following comments by the Chief Coroner. The Committee reported to the Prime Minister that the media guidelines had not been reviewed since first published in 1999 and that there would be benefit in undertaking a review.

Read the Ministerial Committee on Suicide Prevention report to the Prime Minister.

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Great Push for Mental Health

加大精神健康領域的投入：推動精神健康的發展

The 2011 World Mental Health Day theme is The Great Push: Investing in Mental Health. The major themes of the Great Push are Unity, Visibility, Rights and Recovery, and planning of this programme is now in progress.

This year Mental Health Awareness Week in New Zealand is 10-16 October and work is under way here on developing our related Kiwi theme - all suggestions are welcome.

For more on the international theme visit the World Federation for Mental Health.

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New domestic violence booklet launches in Auckland

Are you afraid or put down by someone close to you? Do you feel your disability is used against you by someone who should be caring?

A new booklet, Domestic Violence and Disabled People, highlights how agencies can respond effectively to family violence and how individuals can seek help and increase their safety and that of their children.

The booklet is a first for New Zealand, and is available free to interested agencies and individuals who may experience family violence and disability.

It was produced by Auckland Domestic Violence and Disability, a collaboration between family violence and disability groups and interested individuals, and funded by the Ministry of Social Development.

You can order your own copy from our online shop.

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Free workshops to help teachers

Russley Golf Course, Christchurch

3x two-hour workshops, 11 March, starting at 9am, 11.30am and 2pm

The University of Auckland Faculty of Education and the College of Education, Canterbury University are running free workshops for teachers on Friday 11 March.

The workshops are designed to assist teachers to think about how they will restart their classrooms following the quakes, and will focus on arts-based approaches to imagine better possibilities for Christchurch and for the students and their whanau.

This is the first of a series of workshops; there will be follow up workshops in the weeks ahead, with venues and times to be advertised.

For further information email:
Associate Professor Peter O'Connor  p.oconnor   "at" auckland.ac.nz

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Mike King & The Quake

Join Mike King tonight at 10.30pm on Maori Television for an earthquake special of The Nutters Club. In the aftermath of last week's disaster, many people who survived the quake will be experiencing a range of normal emotional reactions including distress, anxiety and irritable mood.

The Nutters Club Earthquake Special focuses on the emotional consequences of living through a natural disaster, and provides information for people about what to expect and how to access help if that is required.

Mike, who was in Christchurch at the time of the quake, says he saw the need to cover this tragedy and ensure that anyone who needs support knows how to get it.

“Being in Christchurch and experiencing that quake was something I’ll never forget. The broken buildings and physical injuries are easy to recognise but psychological and emotional scars are harder to spot that’s why it’s so important that we talk about what might be going on for some of our mates in Christchurch.”

Joining Mike King and Dr David Codyre in the studio is Cyclone-Tracy survivor Vera Pointon.

The Nutters Club series one screened in 2010 and returns to Maori Television from Friday 11 March at 10.30pm. Series two is now in production and screens later this year.

For more information

Charmaine Ngarimu, Kaiwhakahaere Whakapā, Communications Manager, Māori Television, DDI +64 9 539 7159, Mobile +64 21 224 641.

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February

Foundation $10,000 better off after Great Lake Relay

The Mental Health Foundation is extremely grateful that the final amount of money raised from this month's Great Lake Relay is thought to be close to $10,000.

The event saw over 4,400 people put on their running shoes, and many, many more take on support crew roles.

This was the first time in the Great Lake Relay’s 16-year history that participants had the opportunity to run one of the world’s most scenic courses while also raising money and showing their support for the Mental Health Foundation.

It was also an opportunity for us to get our staff and awareness messages out to a massive audience. Thanks so much to everyone who took part and supported us! Funds will be used to further our work making mental health everybody's business.

Visit the photo gallery

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Combing the country for compassionate healthcare professionals

Are you a health professional? If so, what can stop you showing compassion?

Perhaps, like many others, the reason is you are short on time.

The Compassion in Healthcare Trust is building a comprehensive e-learning self-development programme for health professionals to strengthen the knowledge, skills, beliefs and attitudes for compassionate caring.

The Trust is seeking nurses, allied health professionals or doctors, who have learned to overcome this ‘no time to care’ barrier, to share their insights so they can be incorporated as brief quotes or stories into the introductory e-learning module.

“We want to do this to encourage those who are doubtful of this possibility [of overcoming the barriers],” Trust spokesperson Robin Youngson says.

“When we have asked our supporters what prevents them showing compassion, the most frequent response is "no time to care" in our busy and stressed work environment. Yet an increasing number of individuals have discovered ways to maintaining compassion even in the face of high workload and patient demand,” Dr Youngson says.

Please respond by email to Dr Youngson by email: robin.youngson   "at" compassioninhealthcare.org

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January 2011

NZ’s finest artists donate artworks on the mind for mental health auction

A selection of artworks from some of New Zealand’s most sought after artists, exploring a theme of the Rooms Inside My Head, will go up for auction next month at Art + Object auction house, with proceeds going to the Mental Health Foundation.

A total of 25 stunning artworks have been donated to the event for auction, including an early watercolour of Moutere Hills c1940s by Toss Woollaston, a c1970s sculpture by Don Driver, and works by Seraphine Pick, Richard Killeen, Paul Dibble, and Ronnie van Hout.

Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive, Judi Clements says the title of the exhibition refers to the different perceptions and experiences people can have through life.

Read the press release for more information.

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