CHRISTINE TAYLOR FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH

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1 Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou The year goes by so quickly! I hope that people are thriving through another hot summer. As the year moves on, I am mindful of the 5 th anniversary of the Feb 22 nd Christchurch earthquake and the recent devastation caused by Cyclone Winston in Fiji. These are times of crisis, but also show the resilience and strengths of communities as they rebuild together. This determination and hope are often demonstrated by many of the people holding community agencies in Aotearoa together as well, and the members and people who contribute to the Christine Taylor Foundation for Mental Health are active in helping make this happen. The Foundation remains in good shape and we have maintained a committed and consistent Board membership. We were, however, all very happy to welcome a new member onto the Board of the Foundation this year. Sarah O Connor brings a breadth of experience, which has already proved helpful on our Grants Committee in our latest round. Sarah will introduce herself more fully later in the newsletter. I want to note the passing of Dr Michael Taylor, husband of the late Christine Taylor, the Foundation s namesake. Dr. Taylor was always a generous supporter of the Foundation s work and he will be missed by his many friends and family. He provided a generous legacy to the Foundation, which will go towards funding several worthwhile projects. The Christine Taylor Foundation continues to make a difference to people living with mental illness and our communities. It would not be able to do so without the generosity of our members, and the Board. It is once again time to acknowledge the hard work of the Board. I would like to thank Dr. Michael Jameson and his finance committee of Peter Sherwin and Ian Millard QC, as well as Lesley Dee, Ken Daniels, and Sarah O Connor who facilitate decision making around distribution of grants each year. The Foundation is also very lucky to have Claire Laurenson in the role of administrator, keeping us all organised and helping the Foundation s business run smoothly. I wish you all a happy and healthy Barb Staniforth, Chairperson Christine Taylor Foundation for Mental Health. 1

2 Grants Committee Report For the 2015 funding round, the Christine Taylor Foundation received applications from 26 organisations requesting $98,649. It was great to receive applications from a number of first-time applicants. The Foundation distributed grants to 21 different organisations working within the mental health field, totaling $37,258. The accountability reports we receive make great reading, seeing the work people are doing to support people living with mental illness to have the lives that they chose. In an environment where funding is becoming more difficult to attain it is humbling to realise the value of grants. This was brought home to me when I had the pleasure of delivering the cheques to two organisations. The Grants Committee will continue to focus on how best we can continue our support. Lesley Dee Left. Emma Moon (far left) Funding and Finance Coordinator at Wellington Rape Crisis, happily receiving a grant cheque from Board member Lesley Dee. Below Board member Ken Daniels (2nd from left) with staff from the Learning Exchange at Mental Health Advocacy & Peer Support (MHAPS) in Christchurch. 2

3 Comments on the Foundation s Finances 2014/2015 Interested persons who want to know more about the Foundation s finances should always go in the first instance to our website or the Charities Services website. You will see there the latest financial statements as prepared by our accountants Grant Thornton. In the year ended 31 March 2015 we received total income of just over $28,000 and paid out in calendar year 2014 $26,900 in grants to 13 different organisations working to provide mental health services. After expenses and paying out grants however, we incurred a loss of just over $7,700 (the loss in 2013/14 was $7,000). This was funded by selling some of our assets. The 2014/15 year was a better year for the Foundation s investments as share prices generally rose and the weakening New Zealand dollar against the Australian dollar meant that the value of our Australian investments rose substantially when expressed in NZ dollars. Along with many other charities we continue to suffer from a fall in our interest income as our various bonds etc. have matured and been replaced by new bonds at much lower interest rates. In some cases no new bonds have been offered to investors at all! This situation is not likely to change quickly and means that our interest income will continue to fall. Over the 2014/15 year our NZ share investments continued to increase in value and this continued well past balance date. The outlook for 2016 however is not great and most of our Australian share investments have fallen significantly in value, especially since late 2015 and on into In several instances there are also likely to be reduction in dividends paid out thereby reducing the Foundation s income. The Finance Committee continues to monitor the situation and will do its best to minimise the impact of these developments. As reported elsewhere the Board decided to lift its total annual grants even though this means that total assets of the Foundation will be progressively run down. At its September 2015 meeting the Board award decided to award grants in 2015 totalling $37,258 going to 21 different organisations. This is an increase of 38.5% on the amount awarded in Michael Jameson, Board Member and Chair of the Finance Committee Photo Left. Board members Peter Sherwin (left) and Michael Jameson (right) present grant cheque to Glen McDonald, manager of Vincents Art Studio in Wellington at their new premises (above). 3

4 Introducing Sarah O'Connor New Board Member I have worked in a variety of roles in mental health for over ten years including administration and consumer research, where my projects included peer support service evaluation and the development of a consumer outcome measure of recovery. Last year I completed training in Intentional Peer Support, which I found to be a really valuable course in learning about relationships and communication. I identify as someone who has experienced mental distress and am looking forward to working as a Board member on the Christine Taylor Foundation where I can offer a consumer perspective. FUNDING for 2016 As in previous years, the Christine Taylor Foundation is calling for applications for funds from organisations supporting people to live well with mental health and addiction issues in their communities. Applications for funding up to $5000 will be considered. In addition to the above grants for 2016, The Christine Taylor Foundation would also like to fund up to three new innovative initiatives up to $10,000 each. If you have always harboured an idea but not had the financial resources, this is your opportunity. Organisations can apply for both the usual grant of up to $5,000 and the innovative project up to $10,000. We look forward to receiving your applications by 30 June MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION & DONATIONS To our generous supporters and donors, a reminder that the 2015/2016 financial year is drawing to a close. A downloadable form is available from the Donations page on the website mental health.org.nz or contact the administrator (04) , claire@griefrelief.co.nz The Foundation is a registered charitable entity with the Charities Commission. All donations qualify for the charitable donations rebate and donors will receive an official receipt from the Foundation. 4

5 GRANT RECIPIENTS 2015 Action Education - Auckland $1, Arts for Health Community Trust $1, Balance Whanganui $2, Beachlands Community Trust - Auckland $1, Bread of Life - Blenheim $ Delta Community Support Trust - Christchurch $2, Get Smart - Tauranga $1, King Street Artworks Inc - Masterton $ Hamilton Methodist Social Services Trust Waikato $2, The Greenhouse Community - Levin Anglican Parish $1, Mental Health Advocacy & Peer Support - Canterbury $3, Potikohua Trust - Westport $2, Post Natal Depression Support Network Nelson District $3, Supporting Families Marlborough $1, Supporting Families Taranaki $ Supporting Families - Wairarapa $2, Through Blue Wellington $2, Vincents Wellington $2, Volunteering Otago Trust $1, Wellington Rape Crisis $1, Wellington Women's Health Collective $2, TOTAL $37,

6 NEWSLETTER ISSUE 8 FEB 2016 The Right MIX MIX in the Hutt Valley has been a regular recipient of the Foundation s funding. We wanted to share their story to show case their creativity, collaboration and resourcefulness in creating something very special that supports themselves and others! One of Mix's aims is to assist in recovery and to empower our participants through Creative Programmes. Our mindfulness calendar, which came together in November 2015 in collaboration with staff and participants, has helped us achieve this. We are grateful to the artists for donating their works. We did an initial print run of 500 with further required because of demand! We now have interest from stationery companies for a 2017 calendar with one wanting to use it as a corporate gift. From a public relations perspective, gifting some calendars has been invaluable to share what we do and reach out to potential sponsors, funders and volunteers. The intention was never to make a profit but to fill a need. The calendar has reached a wide audience, from professionals, community services users, their providers and families. See It is an easy way to access a creative outlet, get back into creating art, find an art style, self expression and of course, being mindful! The calendars have been coloured in using paints, pencils, crayons and ball point pen. The calendar has made its way around the world with sales from here to London through various social media channels, predominantly the colouring in Facebook groups. The opportunities this calendar has given participants and the organisation has been amazing. It has given our artists another channel to have their works seen, providing us with another way to interact with the community and individuals. It has given us the confidence to keep aiming high, that literally, we can reach the world. Everyone has a story and we are so glad we get to share ours and be a part of so many people's stories to wellness. Adult colouring is popular right now! Great for mindfulness and relaxation. $8 for MIX participants $10 for the public $2.40 for postage (up to 3 calendars) To order: Facebook: MIXinc admin@mix.org.nz 6