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WELCOME Kia ora koutou katoa, Well, here we are – half-way through the year already! Time sure is flying by. I’d like to start by saying a big thank you to everyone who has responded to our request for evidence of a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. Asking for diagnosis information was not something the Board, management or team did lightly. But rather it was a necessity to ensure that the Society’s funds, now and in the future, are being directed to the people who are entitled to them. Processing all the responses has been a huge task for the CPS staff. The Board, management and I are very grateful for all their hard work to get it done. On a positive note, it has been a great opportunity for our team to chat with many of you and ensure that your records are up to date. To top it off, we’ve received some delightful feedback from many of you. Thank you for sharing your appreciation for the work the Society does and your understanding around the need to gather the diagnosis information. If you are still to get your evidence of a CP diagnosis through, please do so asap. You can email it to us on cpsociety@cpsociety.org. nz , or phone us on 0800 503 603 if you have any questions. We’ve also been encouraging members to get involved with the New Zealand Cerebral Palsy Register (NZCPR)/Te Rēhita to help out, and we wish her every success in her new role. We’re really looking forward to the second half of the year, and we are very focused on two things in particular. Our annual fundraising and awareness campaign Be Green & Be Seen runs throughout the month of October and coincides with World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6. We’ve got some exciting things planned and we can’t wait to share them with you. Once again we’ll be calling on our members, and the New Zealand public to go green for CP – green clothes, green hair, green food, you name it....all with the aim of raising funds and awareness. The Cerebral Palsy Society’s Annual General Meeting for 2023 will be held on Sunday October 29. This year the meeting will be held virtually. Relevant documents will be sent to members in due course. Please keep an eye on your inbox. We hope you enjoy this edition of The Review magazine. There are some great stories of achievement, success and determination. Ngā mihi, Catch up with Clare Clare Williams General Manager Anne-Elise Smithson a Hōkai Nukurangi Aotearoa. The Register is a database of information on all people with CP in New Zealand. It helps organisations like the CP Society understand better the number of people with CP in NZ and their needs. The more people with CP on the register the better the information. Among other things, the register collects, analyses and reports on health data for people with CP, supports research that addresses the priorities of people with CP, and shares information with people living with CP and their whānau. For more information go to www.tinyurl.com/35sy5m77 or email anna@cpsociety.org.nz In April, we bid farewell to our Partnership and Fundraising Manager Anne-Elise Smithson, pictured. It was an absolute pleasure to have her as part of the team/whānau. Anne-Elise played an influential role in last year’s Be Green & Be Seen campaign and did a lot of work to bring funds in and raise awareness of the work of the Society. We are very grateful for her valued contributions and her willingness MAY–AUG 2023 THE REVIEW | 3