GP with heart for youth justice wins Fellowship

Wednesday, 26 October 2011, 2:56 pm
Press Release: Vodafone

26 October 2011

GP with heart for youth justice wins Fellowship

Dr Vicki Shaw, a Palmerston North General Practitioner with a passion for Kiwi youth, has been awarded a $90,000 Vodafone Foundation Youth Health Leadership Fellowship grant.

Through the grant, Dr Vicki - as she is known to both the young people she works with and her colleagues - will extend her research into improving the health needs of young people in the youth justice system and travel overseas to explore international approaches.

"This is the only Fellowship in the country focused on leadership in the youth health sector and I feel humbled to be selected as the second recipient. My dream for this Fellowship is that our young people in the youth justice arena have the best possible opportunity for health and success," she says.

Chosen from a group of 16 high quality applications, the selection team described Vicki as 'a known advocate for young people'.

"Vicki is already working in this field and has tremendous knowledge and passion," says Vodafone Foundation Board member, James Marsh.

The Fellowship was established for promising mid-career practitioners with leadership potential to develop their leadership, complete study, research and/ or undertake a sabbatical.

The Fellowship is funded by the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation and managed in partnership with SYHPANZ (the Society of Youth Health Professionals Aotearoa).

"The vision of this Fellowship is to see the advancement of youth health and development policy, practice and leadership in New Zealand. This project will mean stronger outcomes for some of our most vulnerable young people who are caught up in the youth justice system'.

Vicki lives in Palmerston North and specialises in youth health in a youth justice context.

The Vodafone Foundation's vision is to promote the health and wellbeing of young New Zealanders. The Foundation has invested over $11.5million in charitable projects since 2003.

The Fellowship is worth $90,000 for a 12 month period

Applicants must:

• be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand;

• have a University degree (usually a Masters or the equivalent thereof, however, consideration may be given to candidates with a Bachelor's degree only, depending on work experience);

• show significant promise as a researcher or practitioner; and

• have demonstrated expertise in youth health and wellbeing issues and have a track record of informing the sector through research, policy analysis, service delivery, or leadership

ENDS

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