Quiet Minds is a small group of consumers (mental health service users) who set up a radio show in June 2004 after attending a training day at Plains FM. Prior to Quiet Minds, most of the group had no previous broadcasting experience at all. The Quiet Minds team is made up of empathetic people with an anti-discriminatory attitude and a dogged sense of social justice. Our programmes are a broad mixture of interviews with: - ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences - extraordinary people with courageous stories - professional people who have useful information - controversial people who disagree with professional people - artists, writers and musicians whose mental illness informs their work Programmes have covered topics like depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, electro-convulsive therapy, NGO’s, post-natal depression, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health awareness week and mental health issues faced by refugees. A copy of each programme is stored at “MHAPS – Mental Health Advocacy And Peer Support”and podcast on the Plains FM website. This means that consumers or health professionals in the network who have missed an episode of Quiet Minds can borrow a copy and listen to it in their own time. This is a very popular and widely used resource. “Quiet Minds gives me an awareness of issues and offers insights, experiences and support. Having a radio programme that so professionally and warmly opens up understanding of mental health issues is such an asset for the Canterbury community.” Jane Demeter “It opens up a world of holistic help and information – both for those facing emotional crises in their lives, and for their supporters and whanau.” Eric Biddington “This programme deserves a high award for its ability to inform, entertain, ensure the participation of those with mental illness and in recovery, and generally contribute to the de-stigmatisation of mental illness.” Dr Sue Bagshaw