Malini Yugendran
Auckland, November 5, 2022
Health Minister Andrew Little says that the Labour government led by Jacinda Ardern has done more to the Rainbow Communities than any other government (RNZ Photo by Brad White Photo)
Fifteen more organisations that provide support to Rainbow Communities will receive funding, Health Minister Andrew Little has announced.
The announcement formed the second tranche of the Rule Foundation Grants from the government’s $4.6 million Rainbow Mental Wellbeing Package.
Speaking at the Mental Health Leaders Conference in Christchurch on October 27, 2022, he said that his government has delivered record investment in mental well-being and put in place more support for the Rainbow community than has ever previously been available.
“This is absolutely essential because we know that the Rainbow community is more likely to experience poorer mental health and wellbeing, discrimination, harassment and bullying than the general population, which is unacceptable,” he said.
The Rule Foundation has approved grants to 15 initiatives to help people, including Maori (Takatapui) and Pacific peoples, Indian, ethnic and Asian communities, and transgender/non-binary and intersex people.
Mr Little said that the funding will support important projects and activities and add to the community-based mental well-being services including the Access and Choice Programme.
“Aotearoa should be a place where all of us are supported to live authentic, connected lives, no matter who we are or whom we love. The new funding boost means that more of our Rainbow and Takatapui whānau will be able to access the mental health and addiction services we, like all New Zealanders, deserve,” Green Party Mental Health spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said.
Since last year, the government has invested $4.6 million in specific Rainbow mental well-being initiatives to support mental health and addiction services, workforce development, as well as top-up funding to the Rule Foundation’s Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund established by this government in 2019.
About the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund
This Fund was established in 2019 to support projects, activities and organisations to improve mental health for future generations of Rainbow communities, with a focus on young people.
Grants up to $300,000 are made up from a government contribution of $200,000 funding for this year’s Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund and an additional $99,999 given by Foundation North (the Community Trust for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau Northland), bringing the total funding for 2022 to $299,999.
The fifteen organisations granted Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy funding in 2022: Ae Ka Taea e Koe Ltd: Towards West Auckland based outreach events for Takatapui; Adhikaar Aotearoa: Towards Project Resourcing the Next Generation of LGBTQIA+ South Asians; Body Positive Inc: Towards their sexual health and peer support online outreach programme; CAYAD (Community Action on Youth and Drugs): Towards the Joyful Movement Project; The Charlotte Museum: To upgrade Museum technical equipment to help improve knowledge and understanding of Rainbow histories, and to help advance the study of LGBTIQ+ history and communities; China Pride New Zealand: Towards the study of Chinese Rainbow international students titled: Experiences of navigating heteronormativity and racism in Aotearoa New Zealand; Empwr: Towards the project titled: LGBTQIA+ Takatapui Inclusive Antenatal Education in Aotearoa; Govett-Brewster Art Gallery: Towards the project titled: Make Visible Taranaki, an artist and community-led multi-year collaboration to foster long-term creative opportunities for Taranaki’s LGBTQI+ communities; Moana Va: Navigators of Pacific Pride: Towards engaging and building the Pacific Rainbow+ community in Otautahi Christchurch; Rainbow Hub Waikato: Towards its Rainbow Education Outreach Programme in the Waikato; RainbowYOUTH: Towards the rebuild and reestablishment of its Te Moana a Toi Bay of Plenty drop-in centre and services; Same Same But Different Festival: Towards its event the samesame but different LGBTQI+ Writers Festival; Te Huia and Rangiwherowhero Whānau Trust: Towards Takatapui/Rainbow Rangatahi Wānanga in Pirongia; University of Otago: Towards the research project titled Takatapui/LGBTIQ+ Communities’ Housing Experiences; Youthline Auckland: Towards providing in-person and telehealth counselling for Rainbow youth communities.
Malini Yugendran is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland.
