Accessible News

Top storiesNew ZealandPoliticsBusinessEntertainmentSportsWorld

Fashion fundraiser for suicide charity attracts opposition over alcohol concern

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Mataura Licensing Trust award of excellence winner Tegan Rose Vickery, with her winning design at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards 2024.
Mataura Licensing Trust award of excellence winner Tegan Rose Vickery, with her winning design at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards 2024.

An Otago Polytechnic School of Fashion student, organised a fashion fundraiser, which will raise funds for Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust.

She applied for a special liquor licence for the event, which has been opposed by police and the licencing inspector.

It will be heard on Friday, a day before the fundraiser.

A fashion fundraiser for a suicide prevention trust faces a last minute decision over the selling of alcohol, after authorities opposed its application.

Otago Polytechnic School of Fashion student Tegan Rose Vickery organised the fashion show, which focuses on inclusive fashion, as part of her honours research.

It will feature some of her work, which includes the piece which won the overall prize at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in Gore this year, and will be a fundraiser for Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust.

“A night full of fashion, food and fun,” a promotional email for the event said.

Police argued that alcohol at the event was ‘inappropriate and harmful’.
Police argued that alcohol at the event was ‘inappropriate and harmful’.

Last month Vickery sent a special liquor licence for a charity fashion event at Dunedin’s Wall Street Mall was sent to the District Licensing Committee.

That application led to opposition by police and the licensing inspector, with both noting the link between alcohol and suicide, and that the granting of the licence would be contrary to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.

“They believe that it would be inappropriate to have alcohol at a suicide prevention fundraiser,” the report, which will be debated by the committee on Friday, said.

Police added that: “Proceeds from the sale of alcohol going to a charity focused on suicide prevention, as well as the consumption of alcohol at this event, is inappropriate and harmful”.

The report noted that the intention of the application was to allow those at the fashion show, due to be held on Saturday, to raise awareness of mental health.

Patrick Gower explores the sometimes dangerous relationship Kiwis have with alcohol in his new special, Patrick Gower: On Booze.

Vickery had put together the show to ‘shine a light’ on the people working in the mental health sector.

The application for the event stated that there would be limited amounts of alcohol available, and there would be no service while the models were on the catwalk.

In addition, the food service would be continuous, free water was available, and bar sales would stop 30 minutes before the show ends.

The application was not publicly notified but was circulated to the reporting agencies, which included the medical officer of health, who did not raise an opposition.

The applicant raised to the committee that the show was not about the sale and profit of alcohol, but to raise awareness for mental health “and shining a light on a group of people who are doing amazing work and allowing them another platform to stand on”.

Vickery, who acknowledged her own mental health, offered to remove the trust’s name. She also noted all profits would be going to Life Matters Suicide Prevention.

“If we want to go into statistics, we can,” she wrote.

“The top two suicide-related deaths are opioid-induced or as a result of an eating disorder,” she said.

The inspector noted the high quality of the application, with Vickery appearing willing to respond to concerns raised. But the relationship between suicide and alcohol was “well documented”.

“The intent of this event is commended; however it is unclear why alcohol needs to be a part of this event at all and the message including alcohol at such an event sends to the wider community.”

Sergeant Steve Jones said the application did not meet the object of the Act, as proceeds from the sale of alcohol to a suicide prevention charity was “inappropriate and harmful”.

He noted a University of Otago study of coronial cases of suicide cases, which concluded that a quarter of all cases had acute alcohol use identified.

Police had spoken to Vickery about their concerns.

Where to get help