Welcome aboard! Member Support and Programme Coordinator – Youth & Young Adults

We’re delighted to be welcoming Renata Kotua back to the Cerebral Palsy Society – this time in an operational role! 

 Many of you will know Renata’s name – she joined the CP Society Board in October, 2020 and served as Vice President until November 2021 when she stepped up to the role of Co-Chair/President.  
She resigned from that role in February 2022 and now joins us as our Member Support and Programme Coordinator – Youth & Young Adults.  

Kia ora tātou. Ko Renata tōku ingoa. He huri noa āhau ki Hongoeka. Ko Ngāti Toa Rangatira tōku iwi. (Hello everyone. My name is Renata. My iwi is Ngāti Toa Rangatira and I grew up in Hongoeka Bay, Plimmerton).

I am a proud Mama of two. My big girl Te Ākau is 5 and Martha my Piri Pāua* will turn 1 in June. We are in the process of relocating to the mighty Manawatū so I can give my kids a childhood similar to my own, out of the urban jungle. It is also a new adventure for me to adapt to new surroundings after calling Auckland home for close to 15 years. 

I have been involved in the disability space in various roles, most recently as Vice President on the CP Society Board.
Whilst on the board I had a baby and I was studying psychology part time.
I was also working as a research assistant for the University of Auckland on a joint project between Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, the Māori Health Department of Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and the NZ Cerebral Palsy Register addressing inequalities in health between Māori and non-Māori with CP.
I was also on the Disability Advisory Panel for Auckland Council. 

Being a board member for the Society served as an excellent opportunity to learn about governance and the inner workings of a large organisation.
The decision to leave the board was difficult, because I was part of an excellent team and I am proud to have contributed to the positive and transformative changes these past 18 months.
But I knew when we spoke of upcoming projects and shared ideas it was obvious that executing these plans and working directly with our membership excited me far more than sitting in those board meetings.

So here I am. Happy to be a part of our operational team and excited to work on projects which directly benefit our youth and young adults.

Outside of work I am a prolific kid spammer and happiest when I am out and about with my girls – we hit all the good playgrounds, pools and beaches around town and enjoy the odd road trip further afield.
I am looking forward to exploring our new home turf and connecting with our members in the Manawatū and lower North Island. 

*Piri pāua is an endearing term for a little baby who clings to their mother just like a pauā clings to its rock.