One In Five for Sunday 16 March 2008

Chair Mary O'Hagan and Board member Robert Martin of the Frozen Funds Charitable Trust, launch and call for projects. In the 1980's institutions for people with intellectual disabilities and mental illness administered residents benefits, and kept the interest earned on that income. This was stopped by the Director of Mental Health, and in the 1990's the government began a process to return the interest funds to their rightful owners. Over half the funds were unable to be returned, and these became the "Frozen Funds".

More than 20 years later a Trust has been formed to distribute the interest each year from the funds; in projects which benefit and are lead by users of mental illness and intellectual disability services.The Trust was launched in Wellington in February 2008. In the first year the Trust is seeking project proposals in advocacy, education, the creative arts, media, research or any other approach; which deal with the effects of institutionalization.