Headlight wins community contribution award!
Headlight is delighted to announced that it has won the "Excellence in Community Contribution Award" at the Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce 2023 Awards.
This important award recognises organisations that have implemented initiatives that have had a positive impact on the local community as a whole, and strive to generate outcomes that have a long term benefit for Queenstown.
This is the first time Headlight has entered this bi-annual award, and our organisation is thrilled to be recognised and rewarded for our efforts to support the mental wellbeing of our people.
Headlight's submission focused on how our team have taken positive action to raise funds and built an innovative programme to bring mental health education to support the needs of local communities post-COVID. Our efforts have seen nearly 500 people from priority communities take part in mental health education, which has directly increased mental health literacy across the community. This has meant that people are better equipped to support their own mental health and wellbeing and know how to support those around them who are struggling with mental health challenges.
Our Chief Executive, Anna Dorsey, was at Walter Peak this Saturday to accept the award on behalf of Headlight and was able to speak about our journey as a start up NGO to the 200+ attendees of the business community.
Speaking about the award Anna said; "This award is such an important recognition for our team's efforts. Our programme is unique, so unique that there is no funding stream yet available to support its ongoing delivery.
We are working incredibly hard to secure sustainable funding to help us bring this important education to more communities. We hope that this award will help us to raise awareness of our mahi/work whilst and help us become sustainable so we can we realise our vision of making mental health education equitable and accessible across Aotearoa New Zealand."
Headlight would like to thank everyone who has helped us on our journey to date, especially our incredible team members, board of trustees and facilitators. We'd like to say a special thanks to our funders and donors for their huge contribution to our communities' wellbeing. This includes Central Lakes Trust, Lotteries Community Grant and COGS, Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group, Wakatipu Community Foundation, Community Trust South, Ministry of Social Development, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Lions Club International and Sky City Community Fund as well as our corporate donors and community.
Headlight would like to also thank the judges and Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce for recognising our efforts and helping us to raise awareness of this important work. We'd also like to recognise the other finalists in our category for their amazing contribution to our community.
To learn more about what we do visit Headlight.org.nz
Photo: CE Anna Dorsey accepting the "Excellence in Community Contribution Award" at the Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce 2023 Awards on behalf of Headlight. Photo credit: Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce.