March news from the Cerebral Palsy Society

This weekend is Easter, and whatever the weekend means to you, be it church, family, bunnies or chocolate (or all of the above), we hope you have a safe and enjoyable weekend.  

We’ve had a great month – members representing the Society at Round the Bays, a wonderful member-event in Christchurch, and some delightful coffee group catch ups. 

There’s plenty coming up around the country too. 
You can read all about it in this month’s newsletter.   

Round the Bays 2024 

Southern Cross Round the Bays was held in Auckland on March 3 and we were thrilled to receive $1,118 from generous donors who supported our fundraisers.  

 A huge thank you to Indie, pictured, and her dad Eryn who raised more than $1000 for the Society, while also raising awareness of the wonderful services of Rainbow Place Hospice Waikato, where Indie goes for respite. 

Thank you must also go to CP Society member Jayson Cacdac who raised just over $100 for the Society!
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who registered to fundraise for the Society, and to everyone who showed their support by donating. Thank you for the donations and the awareness raised. 

Member Leon Ogilvy is among those who took part in Round the Bays, and we were delighted to receive this photo of him showing off his participation medal. Well done Leon.  

Members day out at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

On March 7, members joined three staff from the CP Society for a wonderful day out at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch.  

The event was for Society members who live in a residential facility in Christchurch, and/or are GMFCS Level 5.  

The day started with lunch at the Willowbank Cafe and then members and their caregivers were free to explore the park. 

Thanks to a very generous grant from the E L and J B Sanderson Cerebral Palsy Trust (proudly managed by Perpetual Guardian) it was a free event.  

A huge thank you must also go to the team at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve for being so accommodating and welcoming, and to CP Society staff member Sara who organised such a great day.  

 Here’s some of the feedback we received:   

“I just want to say a huge thank you for today. What an amazing event. Our clients cannot thank you enough for having the opportunity to be part of today and the experience. Definitely smiles all around.” 

“We loved it all. From the lunch to the walk around the zoo.” 

“We are happy for this day – that we have this kind of activity.” 

“Everything was perfect. I enjoyed it.” 

You can check out photos from the day, here.

Coffee groups 

Calling all members in Auckland, Masterton, Wellington and Christchurch. Have you been to one of our coffee groups yet?  

We love welcoming new people to the groups, so please get in touch if you’re interested in attending.  

The refreshments at coffee group are on us!  
A companion, support worker and/or family member is welcome to accompany members to these groups. Up to $15 worth of refreshments per person is provided, compliments of the Cerebral Palsy Society.  

For all the coffee group venues, dates and times check out our website.  

Research articles 

The Cerebral Palsy Society’s Researcher and Member Support Advisor Amy Hogan has been writing up a storm.  She’s written informative articles about comfort, independence, fitness, adult research and mental health.  

You can read her articles here:  

– Mapping the principles of comfort 
– Planning independence and changing life circumstances 
– Fitness for life and every body 
– Research into adults 
– Mental health and anxiety reduction 

Check your e-card balance  

Did you know you can check the balance on your e-card?  

– You can go to https://ecardsolutions.nz/portal/cps/     
– OR check your last receipt  

Click here for more information about our e-card funding programme. 

Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Survey 

Recreation Aotearoa – Te Whai Oranga and the Department of Conservation (DOC) want to hear from you.  

They are conducting an online Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Survey and are asking people with disabilities, tāngata whaikaha Māori, whānau, friends and support persons about their aspirations and experiences in outdoor recreation.  

They want to know:  
– What experiences people with disabilities have had in outdoor recreation, including barriers to participation  
– What outdoor recreation activities people with disabilities would like to be doing  
– What prior information is needed to prepare for recreation activities.  

The survey will take five to 20 minutes to complete, depending on your responses.  
All completed surveys are eligible to win a $500 Visa Prezzy® Card. 

Survey info 
Complete the survey 

Winter 2024 Parent’s Retreat in Rotorua 

Parents looking for some “rest, respite and supportive connection” are invited to a Winter Parent’s Retreat from June 14 – 17. 

The retreat will be held in Rotorua and will be facilitated by Liz Weatherly, Self-Compassion Coach, Reflexologist and Mindfulness Instructor from The Reflection Zone. 

The cost is approx $475.  

Click here for more information and here for the Facebook event page.  

Halberg Games 2024 – last chance to register 

Registrations close March 31! 

The Halberg Games is a national sports tournament that spans three days and is open to athletes aged 8-21 with a physical disability or visual impairment. 

The 2024 games are on from April 19 – 21 at Kings College, Auckland.   
Participants compete in regional teams and get to explore their competitive spirit and try their hand at new sports.   

Click here for more information and to register. 

Outward Bound Adapted courses  

Teens looking to build confidence, resilience, and make new friends can consider Outward Bound’s 2024 Adapted Courses. Enrolments are open now.   

The 8-day courses are fully funded. The only cost is getting a pre-course medical done by a GP and getting to and from Picton.   

– Youth Activate – For 16-18 year olds, April 20–27.   
– Activate Leaps & Bounds – For 13-16 year olds to attend with a parent or caregiver, October 6–13.   

Click here for more information. 

Research opportunities 

There are plenty of research projects to contribute to and you can read about some of them on the Research Opportunities page of our website. 

Current research: 

– Flourishing Together – Including Tāngata Whaikaha Māori and Disabled People in Policy Development
– Navigating the SDR journey
– Does Physiotherapy intervention match whānau expectation: A National Survey 

Once again, I hope you have a great Easter weekend. Stay safe and be sure to indulge in a few hot cross buns and Easter eggs.  

Ngā mihi,    
Clare and the CP Society team  

Clare Williams     
General Manager