DOCUMENT

THE NEWS How long have you been with the CP Society and what is your job? I joined the Cerebral Palsy Society in September 2020 in the role of General Manager. What do you love about your job? I love that my job allows me to positively make a difference to people living with Cerebral Palsy - Hōkai Nukurangi. What makes a successful day at work for you? A successful day to me is when I have achieved all my goals and I am surrounded by a happy team and happy members. If resources and funds weren’t an issue, what would you like to see our members enjoying? I dream of establishing a Cerebral Palsy Centre of Excellence which will enable all people living with Cerebral Palsy - Hōkai Nukurangi to access services and treatments no matter where they live in Aotearoa, a research facility to advance research efforts into the prevention and treatment of Cerebral Palsy and equitable and efficient access to assistive technology. Meet our team Clare Williams Each edition we introduce you to a CPS teammember. Kia ora e te whānau Hōkai Nukurangi, Cerebral Palsy Societymembers. The new year provides us with an opportunity to reflect on howwe can best serve members’ interests and operate effectively and efficiently in the advocacy space. In October last year, I attended a meeting with Paula Tesoriero, the Chief Executive of Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People. The Cerebral Palsy Society’s Advocacy Committee joined me for what was a very productive meeting. We also met with Chris Bunny, Deputy Chief Executive of the Disability Support Services (DSS) Taskforce, in November. In both meetings, I shared the concerns of CPS members regarding the changes to the funding criteria and budget reviews and why it is crucial that our members receive the support they need and deserve from the government. I thank members for sharing their views with CPS; this enables us to continually advocate on your behalf. My goal in these discussions is to ensure members’ voices are heard and that CPS is recognised as a key stakeholder in all Government reviews and decisions. We have also been active in international advocacy. Researcher Amy Hogan and I have been representing CPS NZ in a global collaboration of CP organisations. We are part of an International Statement Group working toward preparing a statement for the From the Chair Daniel Clay President/Chair upcoming International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability Congress in Germany. This work will inform the World Health Organisation and the United Nations regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It has been both a productive networking opportunity and an effective way to ultimately influence Government policy on supporting the disability and CP community. I am excited about the work the CPS team has done to improve the eCard Supplier Directory on our CPS website and thank Clare and Communications Manager Melanie Louden for their good work. This will improve members’ access to products and services. We trust this will make navigating this part of the website simpler and welcome any feedback for further improvements. At the end of February, the Board and Clare held a strategy planning day. We know it is essential that we continuously review our goals and howwe can best provide support to members while ensuring the Society remains financially sustainable. It was a productive day, and we’re excited about the developments that came out of it. We appreciate members’ feedback on howwe can better serve your needs directly and indirectly. We look forward to progressing the Society’s overall vision and mission of enabling members to achieve their maximum potential and live awesome lives. Ngā mihi nui, 4 | THE REVIEW MARCH 2025