Latest news with #FINCH
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Best place to have herpes': New Zealand advert wins top prize
New Zealand Herpes Foundation "To fix our national pride, the solution is obvious: herpes." That was the pitch made by the charity New Zealand Herpes Foundation last October, when it launched a campaign to make the country the "best place" to have the infection. That campaign has been a roaring success, winning a top prize at this year's Cannes Lions awards, which recognise excellence in the creative industry. The campaign, which aimed to destigmatise herpes via a faux tourism advertisement video, was awarded the Grand Prix for Good - a category that seeks to highlight work by non-profit organisations and charities. The video starred Sir Graham Henry, the former head coach of the national rugby union team. In it, he touted the past successes of New Zealand and lamented its diminishing sources of national pride - such as an "embarrassingly low" sheep-to-human ratio and pies that are "pushing seven bucks". "We need something new to be proud of; something big and brave to put us back on the map," Mr Henry said as he scrawled the word "HERPES" - in all caps - on a chalk board. "It's time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes." What followed was another old-school video packaged as a "herpes destigmatisation course", featuring other national icons like former health ministry chief Sir Ashley Bloomfield and professional boxer Mea Motu. The irreverent humour running through the campaign - which was developed with agencies Motion Sickness and FINCH - has struck a chord with audiences. "Forget doom and gloom, there's enough of that already to go around," said David Ohana, communications chief at the United Nations Foundation and a jury president at this year's Cannes Lions. "Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold, crazy idea … and humour for days, that anything is possible." Around one in three sexually active adults in New Zealand has the virus that causes genital herpes, though most have mild or no symptoms and can lead ordinary lives, according to the New Zealand Herpes Foundation. "Popular media, misinformation, and New Zealanders' awkwardness talking about sex - has led to huge stigmatisation for those living normal lives with the virus," reads a press release from when the campaign was launched last October. Alaina Luxmoore, from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation, told local TV programme Breakfast that millions had seen the campaign, which had "massive cut-through". "The campaign was so funny, I think that's why it worked," Luxmore said. New Zealand
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Zealand Herpes Foundation's Groundbreaking Campaign Wins Prestigious Cannes Lions Grand Prix For Good
Press Release – NZ Herpes Foundation The campaign, developed in partnership with Motion Sickness (Auckland) and FINCH (Sydney), represents a paradigm shift in public health communications, demonstrating how bold creative strategies can effectively address sensitive health topics. The New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF) is proud to announce that its pioneering 'Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes' campaign has been awarded the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – one of the most prestigious awards in global advertising and creative excellence. The campaign, developed in partnership with Motion Sickness (Auckland) and FINCH (Sydney), represents a paradigm shift in public health communications, demonstrating how bold creative strategies can effectively address sensitive health topics and drive measurable behaviour change within healthcare communities and the broader public. Launched in October 2024 on Global Herpes Awareness Day, the campaign successfully challenged decades of entrenched stigma surrounding genital herpes – a condition that affects up to 80% of New Zealanders at some point in their lives. Through innovative use of humour, gamification, and celebrity endorsement, the initiative transformed a traditionally taboo medical topic into an accessible national conversation. The campaign's 'Herpes Destigmatisation Course' featured prominent New Zealand figures including Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Sir Graham Henry delivering evidence-based health education through engaging video content. A Herpes Stigma Index provided real-time global rankings, encouraging community participation and measuring progress against international benchmarks. Within eight weeks, New Zealand rose from ninth to first place on the global stigma index. The campaign generated exceptional engagement metrics including: Over 10,700 hours of educational content consumed 12.7 million impressions across social channels 69% of participants reported reduced stigma attitudes 86% felt more comfortable discussing herpes openly 81% expressed motivation to support others with HSV The campaign's success underscores the critical importance of addressing the substantial gap between medical reality and public perception of HSV. While most people (~80%) will host a Herpes Simplex Virus during their lifetime, only approximately 20% will experience recognisable symptoms. The majority remain undiagnosed because most people who host herpes simplex don't experience symptoms ( ie are asymptomatic ) creating ongoing challenges for clinical management and patient counselling. 'This campaign demonstrates the transformative power of exceptional creative communications in achieving public health outcomes that traditional medical education approaches have struggled to deliver,' said NZHF Trustee Alaina Luxmoore. 'We're immensely proud that our bold approach to destigmatising herpes has resonated not only in New Zealand but globally. The message we're conveying is simple – herpes is a common, manageable virus that doesn't define a person's worth or relationships. 'Winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good validates our belief that innovative communications can break down barriers that have prevented effective clinical care and patient wellbeing for decades. However, this recognition is just the beginning. While we're officially the best place in the world to have herpes, maintaining this title requires constant education, ongoing destigmatisation efforts, and continued advancement in clinical training on best-practice herpes management and treatment guidelines. We're committed to building on this momentum to ensure healthcare providers and patients alike have access to evidence-based, stigma-free herpes care.' The campaign's international acclaim extends beyond Cannes Lions, with awards from AdFest 2025 (Gold Lotus – Entertainment), Clio Health 2025 (multiple Gold and Silver awards), D&AD (Wood Pencils), and The One Show (Bronze – Health & Wellness). This recognition highlights the campaign's effectiveness as a model for addressing sensitive health topics through creative communications. David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the United Nations Foundation and Cannes Lions jury president, praised the campaign: 'This year's Lions Health Grand Prix for Good unabashedly uses humour to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatisation. Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big, bold crazy idea, and humour for days, that anything is possible.' The campaign's success provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals addressing HSV in clinical practice. By normalising conversations about herpes and emphasising that HSV-1 and HSV-2 are essentially the same virus managed through identical clinical approaches, the initiative supports more effective patient counselling and care delivery. For healthcare providers, the campaign reinforces that societal conditioning around herpes requires recalibration. HSV-1 causes approximately 50% of genital herpes cases, often through oral-to-genital contact, yet remains socially acceptable when presenting as oral cold sores while carrying significant stigma in genital presentations. The Foundation's ongoing work will focus on supporting clinical education initiatives, advancing diagnostic understanding, and promoting evidence-based treatment guidelines. With no definitive diagnostic test available for asymptomatic individuals, the campaign's emphasis on reducing stigma becomes even more critical for effective public health management. The New Zealand Herpes Foundation is dedicated to providing accurate information, support, and advocacy for individuals affected by Herpes Simplex Virus. Through evidence-based education and innovative communications strategies, NZHF works to eliminate stigma and improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders. This includes running a herpes helpline managed by nurse counsellors. The helpline can be reached on 0508 11 12 13 from a landline or 09 433 6526 from a mobile. For more information on the helpline and NZHF's other services visit: The 'Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes' campaign was supported by Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation, Whānau Ora and Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Once a Motel 6, Utah's long-awaited family shelter is about to open
Utah homeless leaders celebrate the ribbon cutting for Utah's first Family Interim Non-Congregate Housing Facility, or FINCH, in South Salt Lake on April 23, 2025. (Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch) Tears welled in Michelle Flynn's eyes as she told a crowd of onlookers how for years Utah's only family homeless shelter in Midvale has operated at max capacity — at times having to turn parents and their kids away. 'Our team members know better than anyone what it means to tell a family with children that we don't have any room for them,' said Flyyn, executive director of The Road Home, one of the state's largest homeless shelter operators. Until recently, the 300-bed Connie Crosby Family Resource Center in Midvale has been the only emergency shelter in the state exclusively for families with children. The dorm-style facility has been overrun — unable to keep up with the growing number of Utah families experiencing homelessness. Since 2022, upwards of 75 families at a time in the Salt Lake area have been on waiting lists to get into emergency shelter, resorting to living with relatives, friends, or in cars or tents, according to The Road Home. But soon, there will be another place for struggling families to go. On Wednesday, Flynn and other state and local leaders celebrated the ribbon cutting for the Family Interim Non-Congregate Housing Facility, or FINCH for short. The new facility — expected to begin housing families in early May — marks the state's first ever emergency shelter offering private rooms for families. Previously, the property at 315 W. 3300 South in South Salt Lake functioned as a Motel 6. Now, it will house up to 85 families, and has a maximum capacity of up to 400 people — though on average, depending on family sizes, it's expected to house an average of 72 families and 340 people. 'I want to make sure that everyone knows that the FINCH is not just a facility. It's a reflection of our community values and ensuring that children and families are not on the street,' said Laurie Hopkins, executive director of Shelter the Homeless, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing homelessness in Utah and the owner of the property. In 2023, the number of Utahns in families experiencing homelessness increased by a striking 27% in three years— up from 5,520 individuals in 2020 to 7,033. That included 3,748 children, according to a 2024 report by the Utah Office of Homeless Services. Emily Wegener, general counsel for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and a member of The Road Home's board, said that during her time volunteering at the Midvale family shelter, she's seen 'firsthand some of the challenges that congregate shelter' poses for families. Family homelessness is a growing problem in Utah. What should be done? 'Some families are able to face that challenge of congregate shelter better than others,' she said. 'In some cases, it causes families to bounce back and forth out of shelter to friends' couches, other shelters, and creates even more instability for children.' So Wegener said she's 'thrilled' to see FINCH open to fill an unmet need for Utahns and their kids experiencing homelessness. Each family staying at FINCH will have their own private room with beds, a bathroom, a mini microwave and a fridge. The main building also offers common areas, including a dining room — providing three meals a day — a play room, laundry room, and an outdoor area for pets. It also offers on-site case workers to help connect families with resources including schools, jobs, health care, and other needs while providers work to find them a solution for permanent housing. Wegener said FINCH is needed now more than ever, not just because the Midvale shelter is full, but because Utah's high housing prices continue to squeeze families. 'It's really difficult to afford a place to live in Utah,' she said, adding that a two-bedroom apartment averages $1,390 a month. 'For one person making minimum wage of $7.25, that is the same as 148 hours a week, or 3.7 full-time jobs. So even for two parents, it's pretty much impossible to have a two-bedroom apartment if you're paying market rate.' Families, according to The Road Home, will be admitted to the facility on a referral basis through Salt Lake County's coordinated entry process, which is managed by the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. It's been a long road for FINCH, taking years of financial and political wrangling to become a reality. Shelter the Homeless purchased the former motel all the way back in April 2023 for $14 million, which included $10 million from the state, plus another $1 million in state funding for remodeling, according to Hopkins. She said another $1 million from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, plus other private donors and money from Salt Lake County, made up the rest Last December, the South Salt Lake City Council voted to approve FINCH's zoning, one of the last hurdles for the shelter to open. It wasn't until earlier this year that the Utah Legislature set aside $3.9 million in ongoing funding to pay for its operations. That's still short of the $5.8 million needed to fully fund it year to year, but Hopkins said Shelter the Homeless will be looking to fill that gap with other public funds and private donations, which she said she's confident will come through. 'The philanthropic community, I think, will step forward and has indicated they're interested in supporting us. I think Salt Lake County is another possible avenue for us,' Hopkins told Utah News Dispatch, though she added that she's grateful for the money the Utah Legislature appropriated. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Really, there's been so much government funding that came into this project to get it up and running, and that was really important,' Hopkins said. 'The state, city, county, they all had to invest in this to help us with getting families off of the street.' South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood joined Wednesday's ribbon cutting ceremony for the FINCH. As did billionaire Gail Miller, owner of Larry H. Miller Company and Utah's wealthiest person. She serves on Shelter the Homeless' board, along with Josh Romney, CEO of The Romney Group, a development company. Romney, who shared remarks during Wednesday's celebration, said 'two women in particular were instrumental' in making the FINCH a reality. He pointed to Wood — for being willing for her city to host another homeless shelter — and Hopkins, for urging state and local leaders to recognize the need for another family shelter. 'Two years ago, (Hopkins) came to our board and said, 'We need another family shelter, and we need to find it now,'' said Romney, who is also the son of former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. 'She worked tirelessly to find the site and work to put the funds together to make this happen.' Also crediting Wood, Romney said 'it's always a challenge when you have a homeless shelter in your city.' 'Most cities say no. Mayor Wood is one of the few mayors in this state who says yes, and she makes things happen,' Romney said. Wood called the FINCH's opening 'exciting.' 'This new shelter demonstrates what's possible when people come to the table with 'yes' in their heart, and we figure out hard things,' the mayor said. Wayne Niederhauser, state homeless coordinator, also attended the ribbon cutting. He joked that when Gov. Spencer Cox appointed him to the role four years ago, 'I thought things would happen faster,' drawing laughs from the crowd. He said facilities like FINCH 'are very complicated and challenging.' 'But they're worth it.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
First non-congregate shelter for families opens in South Salt Lake
Homelessness among families, the elderly and youth rose steadily from 2020 to 2023, as noted in a report from the Utah Office of Homeless Services published last year. Classified as a statewide crisis, the report attributes this rise in homelessness partly to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising housing costs, and the overall high cost of living. The Family Interim Non-Congregate Housing (FINCH) Facility in South Salt Lake had its grand opening on Wednesday, unveiling the future interim housing with onsite services for up to 85 Utah families experiencing homelessness. 'I want to make sure that everyone knows that the FINCH is not just a facility, it's a reflection of our community values, ensuring that children and families are not on the streets,' said Laurie Hopkins, executive director of nonprofit organization Shelter the Homeless, which will be operating the facility. The shelter is a non-congregate shelter, meaning it offers private housing units without requiring a lease signature or occupancy agreement. As homelessness has increased, shelters in Utah have struggled with limited capacity, especially for families. Josh Romney, board president of Shelter the Homeless, said Hopkins approached the board expressing the need for another family shelter in Utah — specifically a private family shelter — which ultimately found its home in South Salt Lake. Congregate shelters, like Midvale's Connie Crosby Family Resource Center, have large open settings that provide less personal privacy, said Emily Wagner, board president of the private nonprofit social services agency The Road Home. 'In some cases, it causes families to bounce back and forth out of shelters, to friends' couches, to other shelters,' she said. 'That creates even more instability for children.' 'The goal of The Road Home is to connect families with housing, and that means making sure that it's sustainable when they move out of shelter, making sure that they have the appropriate support necessary to integrate into our communities,' Wagner said. She added that last year, The Road Home helped 178 families transition out of shelter and into more stable housing — a total of 639 individuals. 'I truly believe our communities are richer for it. My experience with these kids and these families is that anyone would benefit from having them as part of their school and community, and I am so grateful to be a part of this great organization that will be operating the shelter.'
