Richmond NZ 30 Year Celebration art exhibition

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language. Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni - and as it is afternoon [sign].

May I specifically greet you: Professor Ken Daniels, the Chair of Richmond New Zealand and Kath Fox, the Chief Executive Officer of Richmond New Zealand; artists, composers and poets who have contributed to this event; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

As the patron of Richmond New Zealand, I am delighted to be with you this afternoon, along with my wife Susan, for this celebration of the organisation's first thirty years.

Richmond New Zealand has always taken an innovative approach to the various issues surrounding mental health.

So it is no surprise that it has chosen such a creative way of celebrating its three very successful decades - by tapping into the creativity of its clients.

As we all know from our own experience, creativity is enormously therapeutic.

The English writer GK Chesterton had something interesting to offering on creativity. He wrote: "[There is] at the back of our mind a forgotten blaze or burst of astonishment at our own existence. The object of the artistic and spiritual life is to dig for this submerged sunrise of wonder."

By the very act of artistic creation - whether it is a painting, a poem or a piece of music - we express ourselves and affirm ourselves.

Being able to express and affirm ourselves has been a major theme in the way New Zealand has approached the issue of mental health in recent years.

This is particularly evident in the Ministry of Health's innovative campaign - Like Minds, Like Mine. 

When we see a former All Black and a former pop star on television saying that they have had a problem with mental illness, we know that people are finally prepared to talk publicly about something that until quite recently was  hidden away because of the huge stigma that surrounded it. 

This campaign invites everyone to face up to their own situation - and to seek help if they need it.

It helps people understand that mental illness is something that can happen to anyone.  Research by the Ministry of Health in 2006 found that 47 per cent of New Zealanders will experience a mental illness and/or addiction at some point in their lives, with one in five people affected within each year.

The significance of this very successful campaign was brought home to me when, in May, I travelled to the United Nations headquarters in New York to receive the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award on behalf of New Zealand. Like Minds, Like Mine was one of the key initiatives outlined in the submission for this prestigious award.

The Mental Health Foundation's research report, Fighting Shadows, which I had the pleasure of launching in July, also focuses on the theme of expressing and affirming oneself.

Fighting Shadows addresses the impact of self-stigma on those living with mental illnesses.

As one person interviewed for the project put it: 'Self stigma stops you reaching your dreams, stops you having dreams - and dreams are what keep you going'.

The challenge of both Like Minds, Like Mine and Fighting Shadows is to move towards a real understanding of those living with mental illnesses and the difficulties they face - and to help them find ways of better expressing and affirming themselves.

A survey by the Mental Health Commission in 2005 found that New Zealand was ahead of the world in terms of community acceptance of those with mental illnesses - but we can certainly go further towards the goals of acceptance, inclusiveness and support for all.

Richmond New Zealand has played a major role in this in its three decades - growing into one of the country's largest non-government organisations with about 600 staff members across the country. 

It offers a wide and diverse range of services to assist individuals with high and complex support needs.  Those services, which are provided at various locations throughout New Zealand include accommodation, home-based services, supported employment, detoxification services, services for people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses, and specialist services for people who are deaf and experience mental illness.

Guided by its vision— Ngtahitanga i te takitahi me te hauoranga iwi, which translates as partners in community and individual wellbeing. It has developed partnerships with clients, with families and whanau, with other providers, with funders and all those who have an interest in health and wellbeing.

I would therefore like to congratulate and pay tribute to the organisation—and to all of the staff members, current and former—on your dedicated service, not only to your clients, but also the wider community.

I would also like pay a particular tribute to board member Judith McKenzie who came up with the idea for this show. Judith was on the establishment committee for Richmond 30 years ago, and has made a huge contribution to the organisation since then.

I would also like to congratulate those who have contributed their work to this show. There's an element of putting yourself on the line in making such a public contribution - and I'd like to thank you for rising to the challenge and giving of yourselves in order to help Richmond New Zealand celebrate its 30th anniversary.

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Maori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in their endeavours.  No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.