A new beginning | haere rā Taimi
After six years as Kaitiaki of Changing Minds, Taimi Allan is following her entrepreneurial spirit to Ember Innovations as their Innovation Director / Tumu Whakarae, where she will be bringing a Lived Experience voice to support initiatives that boost the wellbeing of people in Aotearoa.
Our Changing Minds whānau are so excited to see Taimi following her entrepreneurial spirit to Ember Innovations in 2022. We are proud to see such a strong lived-experience voice leading from the business and innovation sector.
As proud as we are, this news is also tempered by our sadness at saying haere rā to such an important part of our Changing Minds whānau, over the next few months our team will be reflecting and reminiscing on our time together and the impact Taimi’s presence has had on our mahi and our connections with each other. Tissue supplies will need to be well stocked in our offices.
This is an exciting time for the visibility of mental health, and a significant acknowledgement of the mana lived-experience leadership. Changing Mind’s mahi is to nurture lived-experience voices, talent and expertise and to showcase the value diverse perspectives bring to all aspects of our lives. What better example than to be supporting Taimi in the next phase of her journey!
When we think back on some of our recent achievements as a team, and an organisation here are a few standouts:
We have expanded (during a pandemic no less!) from an Auckland-based, to a nationally operating not-for-profit, allowing us to nurture the wellbeing of Tāngata Mātau ā-wheako all around Aotearoa.
Launching the world’s first national peer-supported, holistic, online and fully accessible wellbeing programme - Whakatau Mai. To date we have delivered over 1200 wellbeing sessions to more than 5200 guests.
Building New Zealand’s lived experience leadership initiative and social movement “Rākau Roroa,” and now seeing our network of Tall Trees impacting change and reducing stigma for mental health and/or addiction within their own communities.
Creating a Virtual Reality empathy building platform “RecoVRy” and a global arts and theatre festival, “The Big reTHiNK”.
Forging new relationships with communities and groups who previously have not been well supported by the mental health system such as the Deaf Community.
Continuing to advocate for legislative reform, and working collaboratively with Government and stakeholders to shape mental healthcare in Aotearoa
The next 12 months represents a significant opportunity for us as an organisation, and as a sector to nurture and shape positive change with, for and by Tāngata Mātau ā-wheako. We are so pleased to also be able to share Changing Minds has received an ANZ Foundation Grant which will enable us to offer our Rākau Roroa training in early 2022.
Recruitment for our next Kaitiaki will be underway shortly, in the interim enquires regarding the role can be directed to Anne Bateman. After a break over the holiday period to rest and recharge, it will be business as usual for our Changing Minds whānau and our well-established senior leadership team. Our team will also be supported by our diverse, strong Board of Trustees and their governance expertise over the coming months.
This is not an ending, but a new beginning for Changing Minds and we can’t wait to see how we all grow and support each other in 2022.
The Changing Minds Team at our 2021 Christmas Lunch