Jim Burdett wins this year’s EEO Trust “Walk the Talk” award

[/caption]Congratulations to Mind and Body Consultants LTD’s Director; Jim Burdett, the winner of this year’s EEO Trust “Walk the Talk” award

This award celebrates leaders who make a difference in their management of a diverse workforce, and in exemplifying Jim’s achievements the awards highlighted Mind and Body as an extraordinary company amongst the 55 nominees.

Jim Burdett, and Mind and Body’s Like Minds, Like Mine Team leader, Taimi Allan attended the awards on Thursday the 29th of October, where Mind and Body’s work was showcased in 3 categories to an audience of over 350 politicians, multi-nationals and New Zealand business leaders. An outstanding video of Mind and Body was shown, and Jim and Taimi were given an opportunity to speak.

The Hon. Tariana Turia presented the award to Jim who spoke of his passion for Mind and Body’s remarkable employees, our strengths because of, and not in spite of our experiences and made it clear that living with an experience of Mental Illness was enabling rather than disabling.

It was also a timely and incredible opportunity for Taimi, as part of her Like Minds work on countering the stigma and discrimination associated with Mental Illness, to tie in the current national Like Minds, Like Mine campaign hotspot on Employment. Taimi spoke to a captive audience of Employers on not just awareness of the discrimination people with an experience of Mental Illness face in employment but indeed, the benefits of employing and supporting such a resilient workforce.

Whilst Jim won the award last night, congratulations must go to everyone at Mind and Body for such a significant achievement.

More information can be found on the EEO website www.eeotrust.org.nz as well as published articles in the Work Life Awards publication and the November issue of “New Zealand Management” magazine.”