Media Release
27 September 2007
For immediate release

Plunket gets nourishment for the mind

Wattie’s is showing its commitment to children in New Zealand by giving Plunket some food for thought – and research! Earlier this year Wattie’s announced that they would be providing Plunket with $40,000, in its centenary year, for the launch of the Wattie’s Scholarship.

Congratulations to the two winners of the Scholarship for this year: Cate Walton, PlunketLine Telenurse of Wellington and Katrina Thomas, Plunket volunteer and Central Southland Branch President. The recipients of the Scholarships will each receive $20,000 to research:

• ‘Engaging volunteers and making best use of their experience and skills’ – Katrina will focus on how to work best with volunteers to draw on their wide range of skills and knowledge and how to keep volunteers motivated and valued.
• ‘Parents’ use of food for non-nutritional parenting practices’ – Cate will investigate how some parents manage children’s behaviour with food, or restriction of certain foods, and examine ways that are effective in changing this behaviour.

In subsequent years the Scholarship will provide funding for alternative clinical and volunteer research projects in alternate years.

Paul Baigent, Plunket’s CEO, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Plunket to continue to build on, and develop its knowledge to benefit children, families and communities around New Zealand. The success of the Wattie’s and Plunket seventeen year relationship is very much down to a partnership approach. Both organisations have always been very forward thinking to how we work, and we have always asked: what can we achieve together to help children get the best start?”

“Wattie’s is very excited about this new initiative, we have always sought to work in partnership and be an active and involved sponsor which we believe is very important.
Our partnership with Plunket enables us to work closely to address issues that are important to children, families and communities,” says Margaret Kirschberg, Business Manager Nutrition Solutions, Wattie’s.

Supporting the Wattie’s and Plunket relationship is the Infant Nutrition Advisory Group (INAG). INAG is an independent group of experts in infant nutrition that advises Wattie’s on all issues relating to infant food and nutrition. This has enabled us to ensure that we are at the leading edge of developing baby food and parents can be confident they provide good nutrition.

The partnership with Wattie’s is part of a commitment by Plunket to work on a more sophisticated level with business, community and government, combining forces to address issues that have widespread impacts. This approach has worked well for Plunket to bring together organisations working towards the same child health goals.

Ends

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