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WELCOME Kia ora koutou katoa, Welcome to 2024! We’ve been back at our desks for just over a month now and we’re all set and raring to go. We’re looking forward to seeing what the year has in store for our team, and our members, and we’re excited to be carrying on the work of supporting and advocating for Kiwis living with Cerebral Palsy. Our Member Support team is on hand to help if you need information about our grants programme or the e-card funding, details about coffee groups, or information about the disability sector. You can always give them a call on 0800 503 603 or email us at cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we share Society reminders, as well as general disability information and tips. We’re delighted to be sharing some fabulous stories with you in this edition of The Review – stories of members doing great things, and supporters making a difference in the lives of Kiwis living with Cerebral Palsy. The Paralympic Games are happening in Paris from August 28 to September 8, (it will be here before you know it) and we’re delighted to include two Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) articles. The article on page 6 focuses on the results of a PNZ survey Catch up with Clare Clare Williams General Manager Olivia is among the youngsters who have been helped by ultra runner and fundraiser Andrew McCrory. You can read his story on page 12. about disability and sport. Among other things, PNZ is using the findings to call on those involved in sport to make their codes more inclusive to people living with a disability. The second PNZ article, on page 10 , highlights three people who have Cerebral Palsy and are among those training for the Paralympics. We’re really looking forward to Paris 2024 and can’t wait for the excitement, thrill and sense of pride. We wish every athlete the best of luck! On page 8 you’ll meet actress Lily Edmonds who is giving her voice to theatre, as well as the movement to change mindsets about disabled people on screen and stage. We also take a moment to celebrate the incredible efforts of ultra runner and fundraiser Andrew McCrory, page 12 . So far, he’s raised an incredible $85,000 which has benefited 14 children living with Cerebral Palsy. We think his efforts are outstanding (if not a little extreme) and his heart and passion for what he does for others is incredible. CP Society member Leon Prenter, page 14 , kindly invites us into his home to show us what accessible living really looks like. Good on Palmerston North City Council for building such wonderful homes. Page 16 focuses on Cerebral Palsy through the lifespan. It’s a topic we often get asked about and one that our Researcher and Member Support Advisor, Amy Hogan, frequently speaks to at conferences. Amy and Member Support and Programmes Coordinator Renata Kotua have put some of their thoughts down in an informative article. “There is no right or wrong way to be an adult, and grieving is common when you see a different life from the one you are navigating,” they write. We wish you all a wonderful 2024 and encourage you to reach out whenever we can be of assistance. Ngā mihi, JAN–APR 2024 THE REVIEW | 3