RSPH

The Royal Society for Public Health, in conjunction with Canterbury Christ Church University, is delighted to announce that the two winners of this year’s Arts and Health Award are Jenny Secker from Anglia Ruskin University and Andy Watson, from Geese Theatre Company. The Award recognises innovative work in Arts and Mental Health and marks significant contributions to research and practice in the field. The Award will be given out at the Royal Society for Public Health’s Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 15 September 2009.

A research team, led by Jenny Secker, Professor of Mental Health at Anglia Ruskin University and the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, has won an Arts and Health Award for their research into the impact that participating in arts projects has for people aged 16 to 65 with mental health needs. Clear improvements were shown in participants’ mental health, social inclusion and particularly in their level of empowerment.

The winning research, Mental Health, Social Inclusion and the Arts: Developing the Evidence-base, was a collaborative project involving senior researchers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and people with experience of using mental health services. The project was nominated for the award for its ‘original and substantial contribution to the field of arts and mental health’.

Geese Theatre Company is a team of actors and group workers who present interactive theatre and facilitate drama-based workshops, staff training and consultation for the probation service, prisons and young offender institutions. The company is widely recognised for its innovative work with offenders and since 1987, has worked in over 150 custodial institutions, in 42 probation areas and with more than 130,000 offenders and 40,000 individuals.

Andy says ‘to receive public recognition in the form of this award is of major significance to an organisation like Geese Theatre Company. Our projects with offenders invariably take place in environments such as secure hospitals and prisons and are inevitably "hidden" from public view. We believe that our work is vital in enabling offenders to move forward in their lives with a greater sense of respect for themselves and for others and with a much more positive and healthy perspective on what is possible. This award provides a level of public recognition and confirms our belief in the efficacy of our work. We would like to thank the RSPH and Canterbury Christchurch University for this honour’’.

For more information on the RSPH, please visit www.rsph.org.uk  

The full report of Professor Jenny Secker’s research is available at www.socialinclusion.org.uk For more detailed reports please contact Jenny on 0845 271 3333 or visit www.anglia.ac.uk

For more information about Geese Theatre Company please visit: www.geese.co.uk If you would like to speak to someone about the possibility of Geese delivering a project in partnership with your organisation then please phone: 0121 449 6222.

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Note to editors

The Royal Society for Public Health is an independent, multi-disciplinary organisation, dedicated to the promotion and protection of collective human health and well-being. Through advocacy, mediation, empowerment, knowledge and practice we advise on policy development, provide education and training services, encourage scientific research, disseminate information and certify products, training centres and processes.

Over 100,000 students take our qualifications each year in food hygiene, salon hygiene, pest control, health & safety, nutrition, the built environment, meat inspection, health and emergency planning. We provide qualifications which are directly relevant to the workplace and we help people to progress through their chosen career by offering qualifications at different levels. The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is also an awarding body recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). We have a network of over 1500 training centres throughout the UK. We provide a wide range of course material including syllabuses and sample exam papers.

The RSPH is an independent charity formed in October 2008 with the merger of the Royal Society of Health (RSH) and the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH). The RSPH has a Royal Charter and Her Majesty The Queen is our Patron.