NEWS & UPDATES
Latest news from the Cerebral Palsy Society
31 Jul 2026
Welcome to our July newsletter.
We hope you’ve been surviving the chilly days the country has been experiencing lately. The temperatures certainly have plummeted this week.
There are a couple of things in this month’s edition of our newsletter that we’d like to draw your attention to:
– We realise there have been a lot of surveys circulating lately, but there is a survey about the cost of living with Cerebral Palsy (CP) – Hōkai Nukurangi that we’d really appreciate you completing. The survey is part of a PhD candidate’s research project. The results will be very useful to the Society in our work to advocate for members and their needs.
To say thank you, the researchers involved with the study are giving participants the chance to win one of two $250 grocery vouchers! So please have your say and get yourself in for a chance to win.
– We’d like to give our Auckland members aged 6-21 a heads-up that our awesome getMoving programme has some space for extra participants. This is a great physical exercise programme held in Mt Albert and we’d really encourage parents and members to consider signing up for it. If there are barriers to you or your child attending getMoving, please let us know.
There’s more information about both of these, and much more, in the newsletter below.
Be in to win! Cost of living with CP survey
An Auckland University PhD candidate wants to know your thoughts and experiences about the cost of living with CP in Aotearoa. As a thank you for completing their survey you can go in the draw to win one of two $250 grocery vouchers.
The research, being run in conjunction with the Cerebral Palsy Society and the New Zealand Cerebral Palsy Register, aims to understand the financial and economic impact of Cerebral Palsy on individuals and caregivers.
We encourage you to complete the 30-to-75-minute survey. The information it produces will be invaluable both for the researchers leading the study and in terms of supporting the Society’s advocacy efforts.
The survey will take you through questions on out-of-pocket expenses, productivity, and quality of life.
In the video below, University of Auckland investigator David Rebosura and CP Society’s Researcher and Member Support Advisor Amy Hogan chat about the importance of the survey.
The survey closes September 30.
Farewell to Theo
We want to say ka kite, thank you and good luck to Member Support and Programmes Coordinator Theo van de Klundert.
Theo is leaving the Society after being with us for just over 2 years. He has coordinated our getDriving and getMoving programmes and has been a wonderful support to members over the phone and via email.
We will miss Theo’s willingness to come up with ideas and advice to support members and help his colleagues.
Theo is leaving the Society for a role in employment law. His last day with the Society is August 7 and we are sure you will be joining us in wishing him all the best for the future.
Save the date – AGM
We are in full swing preparing for our 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM). It will be held on Sunday, October 18 at 2pm. This year we are holding it virtually and in-person in Grafton, Auckland.
All the information about the AGM, including details about submitting nominations and resolutions (remits), will be emailed to members next month.
In the meantime, we’d love it if you would save the date and consider whether you’d like to stand for a position on the Executive Committee or submit any resolutions.
The LiFT HUB
We are delighted to now be part of The LiFT Hub.
The hub, owned by the Laura Fergusson Trust, is a space shared by a number of organisations working in the health and disability sector.
We are looking forward to the opportunity this brings for more collaboration with like-minded organisations.
Save the date – Aotearoa NZ Cerebral Palsy Education Day
We’re really excited to be inviting you to save the date for the Aotearoa NZ Cerebral Palsy Education Day.
Hosted by The New Zealand Cerebral Palsy Register and the Cerebral Palsy Society, the hybrid and in-person event is being held in Wellington on Saturday, November 14.
The day is for families and people with lived experience of CP, and health professionals, to attend and will be an opportunity to hear the latest information on CP research in Aotearoa and overseas, bringing it into every day life.
More information will be shared with you as it becomes available.
Spaces available on our getMoving programme
We’ve got great news for our Auckland members aged 6-21. There are spaces available on our getMoving programme.
getMoving is a specialised exercise class held in Mt Albert on Saturdays from 11am-12pm and thanks to generous funding from Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, this programme is free.
Please contact our team on 0800 503 603 or cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz if you would love to participate but there are barriers stopping you from signing up. We would love to support more of our members to get involved with getMoving.
Click here for more information about getMoving:
Or email cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz or call 0800 503 603.
Congratulations to Makuini Johnson
Cerebral Palsy Society member Makuini Johnson is heading to Singapore next month to compete in the 2026 IVF Vaʻa World Sprints Elite Championships.
Makuini is an elite para Waka Ama athlete and current world champion and is part of the Waka Ama Aotearoa New Zealand Elite Para Mixed team heading to Singapore.
Momenta (a charitable trust supporting disabled people in the Bay of Plenty) is among those supporting Makuini to get to the event. Makuini is the joint winner of Momenta’s 2026 Live the Life You Love Award.
“I am deeply aware of the privilege and responsibility of representing my identity as both a wahine Māori and a whaikaha athlete on the world stage.”
Good in the Hood
We’re delighted with the news that we have been selected for Z Energy’s Good In The Hood campaign at Z Northcross on Auckland’s North Shore.
If you live or work in the area, we’d love your support whenever you buy fuel between August 18 and September 14.
It’s easy to support the Society. Just head in store, grab an orange token and drop it in the box for the Cerebral Palsy Society. The more tokens we receive, the greater the share of $5,000 the Society will be granted by Z Energy Northcross.
Every token counts so please head in and support the CP Society.
Thank you, Feodor
What an incredible effort by Cerebral Palsy Society supporter Feodor Tarrant-Hill!
Earlier this month Feodor, who lives with CP, spent 24 hours cycling to raise funds for the Society. He clocked up 284 kms on Zwift (an online cycling programme that enables users to compete virtually) and raised more than $1,130.
Feodor, we are incredibly grateful for your commitment and hard work, and the generosity of your donors. Thank you!
Coffee group updates
** Our coffee group in Shirley, Christchurch, is moving to a NEW VENUE in South New Brighton as of Tuesday, August 4.
Head along to Dune Cafe, 51 Bridge St, South New Brighton, at 1pm on the first Tuesday of every month and meet your host, Michael. **
Our coffee groups are held in Auckland (Glenfield, St Lukes and Manukau), Whanganui, Masterton, Wellington and Christchurch (New Brighton and Addington).
Each Cerebral Palsy Society member is welcome to bring a companion, support worker, family or whānau member with them. The Cerebral Palsy Society will provide up to $15 worth of refreshments for each member and for one of their guests.
There are a few Ts & Cs members need to be aware of when attending coffee group, so please check the info on our website:
Peke Waihanga – search for parent volunteers
Peke Waihanga is expanding its successful Peer Support Service to include families accessing orthotic care.
Parents of children with Cerebral Palsy or Scoliosis are the first to benefit.
The orthotic Peer Support Service is in its early stages, and volunteers are now being recruited.
Parents of children with lived experience of Scoliosis or Cerebral Palsy who are interested in becoming Peer Support volunteers are encouraged to get in touch.
For more information, and to register, go to: www.tinyurl.com/yp57229p
Pictured: Peke Waihanga Peer Support and Events Coordinator Matthew Bryson, left, and Peer Support Coordinator George Hewitt (former Cerebral Palsy Society Board Member).
New e-card suppliers
We’re delighted to welcome the companies and service providers that have come on board as e-Card suppliers in the last month.
getPhysical
– Fitzone – Paeroa
– Chiropractic House – Mt Maunganui, Papamoa, Tauranga
getoutthere
– Driving Miss Daisy Glenfield & Northcote, Auckland
– Driving Miss Daisy Napier/Taradale
Thank you for the support
The Cerebral Palsy Society relies on donations and grants to help us do the mahi we do for Kiwis living with Cerebral Palsy – Hōkai Nukurangi.
With that in mind, we want to say a massive thank you to the Trusts, Foundations and friends that support us. Most recently:
– E L and J B Sanderson Cerebral Palsy Trust, proudly managed by Perpetual Guardian
– Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa
e-Card tips
We’ve got some useful tips to help you make the most of your e-card.
If you’ve got any questions about using your e-card phone 0800 503 603 between 9am and 3pm, or send an email to cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz
Research opportunities
There’s plenty of research going on for you to take part in.
– Oral health tips for people with cerebral palsy. Students studying towards a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Otago Auckland Dental Clinic have created a questionnaire to see what you know about caring for the oral health of someone who lives with CP. After you’ve completed the questionnaire there is an informative PDF and podcast series providing parents and caregivers with more tips.
– Your experience and perceptions of the accessibility of national parks in Aotearoa New Zealand is the focus of a Massey University research project. You can help by sharing your thoughts in their 10-15 minute survey.
Assisted Voting Service for Wairarapa councillor by-election
The Greater Wellington Regional Council is running a by-election for the Wairarapa General Constituency councillor position.
Voting closes at midday on Friday, 21 August 2026.
An assisted voter service is available to support those who may face barriers voting independently.
What’s On
Halberg Games South 2026
Registrations for the Halberg Games South 2026 are now open.
Held in Christchurch, the event promises an unforgettable weekend of sport, connection, celebration, and fun alongside athletes, whānau, volunteers, and supporters from across the South Island.
Where: Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub & Rangi Ruru Girls School
When: October 3–4, 2026
Register here: https://games.halberg.co.nz/register/
Trikes NZ and Activating Abilities Expo
Trikes NZ will be at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome, Cambridge from August 6-8.
– Thu 6th Aug, 10am-3pm (Trikes NZ Day)
– Fri 7th Aug, 10am-4pm (Activating Abilities Day)
– Sat 8th Aug, 10am-2pm (Activating Abilities Day)
That’s all for this edition of our newsletter. We wish you and your whānau well – here’s to staying warm and cozy.
Ngā mihi,
The Cerebral Palsy Society team
