Mind 2010 winners

Mental health charity Mind announced the winners of its annual awards acknowledging the contributions made by individuals to raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues. The event to announce the winners of the four awards took place at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London on July 8, the awards being : Mind Champion, Mind Book of the Year, Journalist of the Year and Student Journalist of the Year.

The winners

Mind Champion. This award, which celebrates the work of people who have made an outstanding contribution to increasing understanding of mental health, and championing the rights of people with mental distress was decided by public vote. The winner this year is Rachel Perkins, a psychologist and director at South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust, was rewarded for her ongoing work to provide better employment support for people with mental distress. She is also a trustee of mental health charity Rethink. 

Mind Book of the Year. Now in its 29th year, this well regarded literary prize celebrates writing that enriches understanding of mental health issues. Comprising works of fact and fiction, the winner of the seven shortlisted books was decided by a panel comprising the eminent authors Blake Morrison, Fay Weldon and Michèle Roberts. This year’s winner is John O’Donoghue with his book called Sectioned: a life interrupted. The author spent over a decade moving in and out of asylums, halfway houses, homeless hostels, squats and living on the streets and his is an unforgettable tale of survival against the odds.

Mind Journalist of the Year. Now in its 17th year, this highly respected award seeks to commend excellence in reporting on mental health issues. This year saw an unprecedented breadth of entries, with journalists submitting articles and features which appeared everywhere from women’s glossy magazines to national news columns and local papers. The prize, however, went to one man, Max Pemberton (picture). A doctor and journalist, Pemberton’s well known columns in the Evening Standard and the Daily Telegraph explore the stigma and misunderstanding that still persists around mental health and provokes readers to think differently about how subtle mental health discrimination can sometimes be.

Mind Student Journalist of the Year award went to Jennie Agg, University of Manchester.  

Find out more: www.mind.org.uk/mindawards/awards