CEO of Challenge Trust Clive Plucknett was featured as the NZ Business February cover story ‘What Business Owners Can Learn From NFPs’.

Mr Plucknett spoke with Ruth Le Pla about his previous experiences, how they have spanned different worlds and contributed to highlighting the business cross-over between not for profits and SME ownership.

Click here to find out what Clive Plucknett and the Challenge Trust team have been teaching SME’s in the full NZ Business article.

Brook Sabin filed a story for TV3 6 PM news  revealing what some experts say is an alarming increase in the number of people using antipsychotics.

The drugs are commonly used for severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, and now 80, 000 New Zealanders are using them.

Clive Plucknett, CEO of Challenge Trust was approached for comment and featured on Saturday and Sunday 6PM news with different quotes and examples that were used in the story.

Here is the the link the Saturday evening 6PM 3 News video  and story

Here is the link to the Sunday evening 6PM 3 News video and story

About Challenge Trust

 Challenge Trust is a charitable trust which commenced operation in 1993 and now has 280 staff providing services to more than 1,500 people out of 24 sites in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty regions.

 Challenge Trust’s clients include people affected by mental illness, physical disability, intellectual disability, addictions, dual disability and dual diagnosis. The organization has contracts with District Health Boards, the Accident Compensation Corporation, MOH, MSD and other government departments, and an increasing number of private clients.

Services provided include 24-hour residential accommodation, community support to people living in their own homes, educational services, employment and life skills training, advocacy, information, employment opportunities, family/whanau support and various housing options.

The Trust is governed by a Board which employs a CEO to lead the organization and head the Executive Management Team.

Challenge Trust has modelled itself as having the rigour and professionalism of a corporate, blended with the innovation and heart of a non-government organization (NGO)

The  story of the new eating disorders service was well supported on TV One News and TV3 News as well as Radio New Zealand. This was after initially been covered by national media at the announcement of the partnership

A much-needed new health service run by leading recovery provider Challenge Trust was officially opened on the 30th September by Christine Rankin.

The eating disorders service Thrive is the result of an $8 million contract between Challenge Trust and the Auckland District Health Board to provide residential and day programme treatment to 15- to 24-year-olds with eating disorders.

This is the first service of its kind in the upper North Island, and will operate from premises in Parnell, Auckland.

Clive Plucknett, CEO of Challenge Trust, says, “This service has been needed for many years in this part of New Zealand. Previously, many people seeking treatment for eating disorders have had to go to facilities overseas, often at considerable financial and emotional costs to themselves and their loved ones. Challenge Trust is proud to partner with the DHBs in the upper North Island in providing the best possible service and making a real difference in the lives of people affected by eating disorders.”

Christine Rankin, an advocate for children and families, says, “It is a great privilege to officially open Thrive on behalf of Challenge Trust, which provides valuable and effective recovery services through much of the North Island. It will bring its expertise to bear in providing these services to people with eating disorders, and I have no doubt, given Challenge Trust’s established record, that Thrive will become a world-class service.”
For more information:

Dwayne Alexander
Alexander Communications
+64 (0)21 324463
dwayne@alexanderonlinepr.co.nz

About Challenge Trust

Challenge Trust is a charitable trust which commenced operation in 1993 and now has 280 staff providing services to more than 1,500 people out of 24 sites in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty regions.

Challenge Trust’s clients include people affected by mental illness, physical disability, intellectual disability, addictions, dual disability and dual diagnosis. The organization  has contracts with District Health Boards, the Accident Compensation Corporation, MOH, MSD and other government departments, and an increasing number of private clients.
Services provided include 24-hour residential accommodation, community support to people living in their own homes, educational services, employment and life skills training, advocacy, information, employment opportunities, family/whanau support and various housing options.
The Trust is governed by a Board which employs a CEO to lead the organization and head the Executive Management Team.
Challenge Trust has modelled itself as having the rigour and professionalism of a corporate, blended with the innovation and heart of a non-government organization (NGO)

Challenge Trust’s upper North Island staff are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week with an inhouse talent show, Challenge’s Got Talent.

The talent show embraces the idea of having fun, laughing and diminishing stress, having taken a leaf from the Psychological Journal which says humor and laughter strengthen the immune system and best of all, is priceless, fun free and easy to use.

With this in mind, 8 October promises to be a fun filled day, with a showcase of Challenge Trust and their clients hidden talents.

All staff and clients are welcome to participate with one entry per service to perform.  The Grand Finale takes place at St Andrews Church Hall, Otahuhu, Friday 8 October, 1.00pm.

Challenge Trust is a charitable trust which began in 1993 and now has over 280 staff providing services to over 1500 people out of 24 sites.  Clients include people affected by mental illness, physical disability, intellectual disability, addictions, dual disability and dual diagnosis. 

To read more about Challenge’s Got Talent from The Aucklander click here.

The clinical psychologist designing Auckland’s long-awaited residential eating disorders service for Challenge Trust wants it to have a kitchen located at the heart of the home.

Martin Johnston interviewed Clive Plucknett (pictured left), CEO of Challenge Trust and also Chris Thornton. He wrote about the new service in the Weekend Herald on August 21st.

Click this link to follow through to the story on www.nzherald.co.nz

Clive was also interviewed by Susan Pepperell from the Sunday Star-Times who wrote the article ”Auckland to Get Eating Disorders Unit” on the 15th August. You can read further on the Stuff website where the article is republished.

Challenge Trust Chief Executive Clive Plucknett

Challenge Trust chief executive Clive Plucknett tackles the silent epidemic that is depression head-on today in the National Business Review, 05 March.

In his interview with Niko Kloeten, Plucknett says depression is the next global crisis, it happens to more people than we realise, the problem is, NZ executives are too afraid to open up and confide in one another.

Depression the silent epidemic for executives uncovers another side of the corporate world and identifies several issues;

• Boards are not dealing with the issue effectively;
• Outlines NZ within the global context;
• Depression does not necessarily happen gradually, and it may strike anyone, at any time;
• Challenge Trust offers help at hand with the Wellness & Recovery model based on International Benchmarking, a model that may be applied to a whole organisation or individual;
• Challenge Trust runs sessions on emotional resilience;
• Sufferers should not go-it-alone, support in recovery is key;

Clive also appeared on TVNZ’s NZI Business, 16 March, to discuss the ‘corporate’ attitude of depression among New Zealand offices.  In this segment he reiterated the culture of ‘macho’ bullet proof executives and stressed the importance of support structures for leading business likening the countries’ support of the All Blacks. 

Plucknett understands pressure and hard-work as the head of Challenge Trust, an organisation dedicated to recovery services for people from all walks of life.