New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants 2007

From: MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION OF NEW ZEALAND

MEDIA RELEASE
15 AUGUST 2007

New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants 2007 inaugural recipients named

The Mental Health Foundation is pleased to announce that Halina Ognowski-Coates (Christchurch), Jessica Le Bas (Nelson), Jo Randerson (Wellington) and Debbie Hager (Auckland) are the first four recipients of the inaugural New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants.

These Media Grants replace the Carter Center Fellowships offered to journalists in New Zealand from 2001 to 2005/6 and are part of the Like Minds, Like Mine campaign, which is managed by the Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Halina was the recipient in category one: media professionals and Jessica, Jo and Debbie were recipients in category two: creative media projects.

Forty-two applications were received overall - 12 applications in category one and 30 in category two.

The number and quality of the applications was high, says Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. This made the selection process a lengthy and intense one particularly for category two.

Ms Clements says that the projects picked all meet the goals of reducing stigma and discrimination and increasing understanding of people with experience of mental illness.

Halina Ognowska-Coates is producing a radio documentary; Jessica Le Bas is completing a collection of poetry; Jo Randerson is developing an art exhibition; and Debbie Hagar is creating a documentary film.

Receiving a Grant gives recipients a chance to work through their ideas about mental health, and an opportunity to shift people's thinking about mental illness, says Ms Clements.

Our congratulations to the 2007 recipients, we look forward to supporting their work and seeing their finished projects.

Also, our thanks to the selection panels it was a challenging job to read through all the applications and come to a collective decision.

With the support of the Grant, the recipients will complete their projects over the next 12 months. The 2008 New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants will open for applications next March.

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