CONTACT DETAILS CONTENTS Cerebral Palsy Society of NZ Page 3 & 4 News From HQ Postal Address P.O Box 24759 Royal Oak Page 5 & 6 Our Very Own Auckland 1345 Paralympians New Zealand Phone: 0800 503-603 Page 7 Living Your Dream [email protected] Website www.cerebralpalsy.org.nz Staff Page 8 Our Second Steptember Is Chief Executive Offi cer Done And Dusted Gilli Sinclair [email protected] Page 9 Steptember For Everyone Accounts & Offi ce Administrator Matthew Slade [email protected] Page 10 Notes From Overseas Project & Property Manager Michael Northcott [email protected] Page 11 Hon. Sam Lotu-Iiga’s Visit to the CP Office National Manager Steptember Shelly Reilly Page 12 & [email protected] Celebrating Our Unsang 13 Heroes Researcher Ross Flood Pages 14 Amy’s Research Update rfl [email protected] Researcher Amy Hogan Page 15 Research Opportunity [email protected] Development Strategist / Editor Bronwyn Gibson Page 16 Consumer Report From [email protected] & 17 The Consortium Partnership Manager Martin Pepperell Pages 18 Call For Interns [email protected] Fundraising and Grants Manager Sarah Rogers Pages 19 Turtle Steps Win The Race [email protected] Review Design & Webmaster Page 20 It Is Not Just About Cars Paul Munckhof [email protected] Page 21 Paul’s Vintage Mowers Any opinions, fi ndings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views Page 22 Academic Grants 2017 & of the editor or the Cerebral Palsy Hoilday Boccia Tournment Society of NZ. PAGE 2 CEREBRAL PALSY SOCIETY OF NZ - December 2016 News From Headquarters It’s hard to believe another year is coming empowered to enhance their own lives. to an end; summer is beginning and Christmas and the holidays are upon us!! We are delighted to advise you the Wishing you a lovely holiday time and a programmes are continuing to go really very Happy Christmas. well. We have made some improvements- based on your feedback across all our Many thanks to the board members from systems. Over the past financial year, we Essential Assets – Daniel Aldersley, Robyn have: Stent and Dave Thomas and Cerebral Investments- Anthony Smith and Brian • Approved 69 grants for a range of Yee who have continued to provide equipment and opportunities by excellent investment and entrepreneurial members, we don’t fund ideas! expertise and management providing the • Provided 312 members with 6,240 funds to ensure CPS provides support and getThisandThat vouchers valued at services for you. Their time, energy and $38,760. commitment to the Cerebral Palsy Society • Provided 1,431 membership is remarkable, and we are extremely applications with 57,754 grateful for this. getOutThere vouchers valued at $208,550. The Cerebral Palsy Board consists • Provided 541 membership of Peter Fergusson (President); Dave applications with 25,700 Thomas (Treasurer); Harvey Brunt (Vice getPhysical vouchers valued at President) and Anthony Smith, Bruce $115,860. Brycroft, Jake Mills, Michelle Thompson, • Provided 11 members with Michael Turner and Sally Thomas. I have getStructured opportunities really appreciated the collegiality, wise • Provided 19 members with direction and strong work ethic of our getUpAgain support voluntary Board of Directors over the past • Provided 62 trikes and is actively 12 months. It is exciting to move into our looking at walking trikes to assist next stages of growth and development our membership. with a full component of skilled people. Special thank you to the Grants Committee The Board approved our strategic plan who meet every month to ensure we have this year focusing on four main areas:- a transparent and fair process around the applications. Thank you for your time and Members - ensuring all programmes and energy. services are developed with the intent of empowering members to enhance their Membership continues to grow. This lives year our membership exceeded 6000 members (1550 of those members have Funding - to ensure ongoing viability, CP). It is also positive to see an increasing sustainability and growth to support our number of members making use of the asset base multi-year membership. Advocacy - to define strategies for the Steptember has been a fantastic Society that empower members (based success this year- with over 11,000 people on clarification of purpose and core set of participating and raising over $740,000 values) which will assist us providing you with more support and programmes. Special People - to ensure members are thanks to Shelly Reilly who has CEREBRAL PALSY SOCIETY OF NZ - December 2016 PAGE 3 News From Headquarters developed the New Zealand aspect of this the Dreams at random, so please keep service and has increased participation sending them in. remarkably. Unsung Heroes was drawn this World Fundraising is a new aspect for our CP Day with a number of Heroes being Society. We need to raise funds so we can randomly selected by Minister Peseta Sam maintain and grow the assets we have. Lotu Iiga. The Unsung Heroes concept is We have employed some new fabulous focused on identifying people in members’ fundraisers who are making significant lives who make a big difference for them. inputs into our corporate’s grant funding The stories we received were motivational as well as our marketing and IT. We have and inspiring. been fortunate to employ Bronwyn Gibson, Martin Pepperell and Sarah Rodgers who Last year when we surveyed members work alongside Shelly in fundraising. and asked what areas we should focus on for improvements, a number of members Research. We are very fortunate to have came back and said both young people Amy Hogan working for us managing our and families with newly diagnosed research component. As well as a very children. These have been priority projects important research strategy around life- this year, and both will continue to remain long membership strategy feedback, Amy a priority for the next few years. is chairing the Members’ Research group and managing the Researchers’ Day Young People - are being involved in which we have agreed to hold annually. Advocacy training; social events; youth advisory and development projects and Events. Our Events in Auckland and Internships. We also have a large project Christchurch are organised and run by working on improving solutions for Respite members from those areas. A big thank for young people. you to both Events committees as they seek out a range of different and exciting Families - with Newly Diagnosed Children opportunities for our members in their we are working with a series of partners areas. We have also held events in a about how to improve the gaps in support number of towns and cities throughout for families around the time of diagnosis. the country and will continue to do so next We will keep you informed as we progress. year. We had several lovely fairies’ and pirates’ parties which we will also continue Advocacy- we have a series of initiatives next year. Very successful coffee clubs are developing around Advocacy. We being held by members throughout the are working with the Ministries; like- country- many thanks to the members minded providers and services and also who hold them every month. Special developing skills of young people through thanks to Michael and Kathy who manage training. our most successful one in Christchurch and have done for many years. Office - I would also like to recognise and sincerely thank the other staff who keep The Dreams Programme has come into the office, key services, programmes and operation with young and older members ideas running smoothly. Special thank writing their “Dreams”. The first random you to Michael, Matt, Paul, Travis, Elliot, drawer of dreams have been running the Grace, Jordon and Ross. Thank you all for rugby ball onto a Test match and meeting your tireless dedication and commitment the All Blacks; being a zookeeper; having to the Cerebral Palsy Society - we really cool wheelchair spokes and attending a appreciate it. Cold Play concert. We will continue to pick PAGE 4 CEREBRAL PALSY SOCIETY OF NZ - December 2016 Our Very Own Paralympians New Zealanders were captivated by the recent Paralympic Games, especially as our team clocked up more medals than ever before. While the news media focused on the high-profile athletes such as Sophie Pascoe and Liam Malone, you may not have realised that two members of the CP Society were among the medallists. Jess Hamill 26-year-old Jess Hamill who lives in Dunedin with her fiancé Dale (he proposed two weeks before she left for Rio), won a bronze medal in the Women’s Shot Put F34. Jess says she was “very happy” with her win. She has been competing in the shot put since the age of 15 when she was a student at Verdon College in Invercargill. She had earlier been a swimmer, but after having some ear problems was looking for a new sport. Jess quickly found she had a real aptitude for shot put and before llong was takingki part iin competitions.i i ShShe spends 1-2 hours per day training, as well as working full-time as a file clerk for NZ Police, so life is busy for her. Jess says that, apart from winning a medal, being a part of the NZ team was a real highlight. “They were a great team; we had lots of laughs,” she says. “It was such a special experience”. After competing, Jess had the opportunity to go sight-seeing around the city of Rio de Janiero. She says she felt proud wearing the New Zealand uniform and being identified as a member of the team. Jess has taken pleasure in proving wrong people who doubted she would find success in her sport.