Genesis Community is producing a film to tackle the 'subtle' abuse experienced by some vulnerable people. This tenant-led initiative is one of ten grassroots projects from across the UK chosen to receive a share of £½m from The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). It was chosen because of the impact it could have on people with mental health issues, and on a wider scale, vulnerable people generally.

Genesis Community, the charitable foundation of Genesis Housing Group, applied for funding to develop an idea which came from tenants at Springboard Housing Association, also part of Genesis Housing Group.

"Coercion" is the term Genesis is using to describe behaviour such as false befriending in order to take advantage of vulnerable people's money, possessions, home, time and trust. Having suffered themselves from such 'subtle' abuse or coercion, the tenants wanted to help prevent re-occurrences by showing others how to recognise and deal with this behaviour. Tenants will be involved in all aspects of the film production.

NESTA funding of £20,000 is being used to consult with local mental health organisations and groups, mental health professionals, PCTs and local authorities as well as carers and relatives about the issue of 'subtle abuse'.

Through a series of workshops, filmmaker Jason Gleeson and tenants will work together to make a creative, informative film exploring the issues raised. There will be updates via blogs and video content on Myspace throughout the duration of the project, so tenants can provide feedback.

The aim is that, with the right backing and guidance, each of the local initiatives will be supported to the point at which they can be adapted or rolled out at scale, on a national level. Each project will receive ongoing support from NESTA and its partners in the Innovations in Mental Health scheme, the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Media, Mind, Rethink and The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

Commenting on their success, Sue-Jane O'Keefe, Vulnerable Persons Co-Coordinator for Genesis Community said: "Subtle abuse is a very real problem for vulnerable people of all ages and backgrounds. Sadly it is increasing. We became aware of the active targeting of this client group, and welcome the opportunity to highlight situations to look out for and avoid. This DVD will act as a training tool for staff, carers and professionals as well as individuals who are at risk. This is all about prevention rather than cure."

Iain Mackechnie-Jarvis, Head of Genesis Community said: "Genesis is delighted at the NESTA funding of this project. This is a real opportunity for us to raise awareness about this insidious and growing problem for vulnerable people."

Commenting on the projects selected, NESTA CEO, Jonathan Kestenbaum said: "It is becoming increasingly clear that the solutions to some of the challenges we face in areas like mental health will not be found in the conventional places and cannot be left to government and the NHS. This project shows that there are excellent ideas out there on the front line. With the right support, local initiatives like this have the potential to have a big impact across the UK."

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For further information or to request an interview, please contact NESTA on 020 7438 2608, or Diana Evans/Jane Rogers at Genesis Housing Group on 020 8150 4178/4984 or email diana.evans@ghg.org.uk, jane.rogers@ghg.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. With endowed funds of over £300 million, our mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. We do this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy. Visit www.nesta.org.uk for more information.

Innovations in Mental Health is part of NESTA's Health Challenge - a series of experimental, high-impact projects and partnerships designed to demonstrate how to stimulate innovation in response to major social issues. Our focus is on understanding how to create new services, scale up social enterprises and support innovation in third sector organisations.

The Genesis Community film is one of ten successful Innovations in Mental Health projects, which were chosen from over 500 applications from frontline workers, service users and their carers, all wishing to make a difference in their area.

The Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information and policy recommendations, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live. For more information please contact Laura Gibson on 020 7803 1130 or Fran Gorman on 020 7803 1128.

Jason Gleesonis an Award winning filmmaker who has worked on a number of film related projects with various charities, schools and community groups over the last 5 years, including Enfield Council, Mind and Artstart. He produces independent film, and creates Promos and Video Content for the Arts and Scientific communities. www.myspace.com/audiovisualwelding

Genesis Housing Group provides homes and services to tens of thousands of people across London and the south east. The Group consists of PCHA, Pathmeads and Springboard housing associations. It also has in its group a charitable foundation, Genesis Community.Genesis Housing Group is one of the largest and most successful housing groups in the UK, owning and/or managing more than 40,000 homes. Its overriding aim is to put customers first and to provide excellent service to all.

To subscribe to the blog and video updates:

www.myspace.com/gcfilm

To contact the Subtle Abuse project contact:

genesis.community.film@gmail.co.uk