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HANS WOUTERS<br />
AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE AT THE TOP<br />
COLUMN FROM HANS WOUTERS – CEO OF THE NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST<br />
It’s been a time of change at<br />
the New Zealand Spinal Trust.<br />
As we went to print in the last<br />
<strong>SNN</strong> in March, we received the<br />
news that our chief executive<br />
Ben Lucas would be finishing<br />
with us after almost five years<br />
as our leader.<br />
Naturally, as a hugely popular part of our team, we were<br />
very sad to see Ben go, but also thrilled for him as he<br />
moves on to a dream role with ACC as Manager of the<br />
Voice of the Customer programme.<br />
Ben said in his last few weeks with us that Professor Alan<br />
Clarke, the founder of the New Zealand Spinal Trust,<br />
was always in the back of his mind with his work with the<br />
Trust. His goal was to continue and to develop Professor<br />
Clarke’s dream and vision to ensure people with SCI can<br />
live an independent, confident and productive life. Ben<br />
has achieved that and will be a hard man to replace.<br />
In his resignation, the request was made for me to<br />
step in the gap for four months and I was subsequently<br />
asked to apply for the position. As we go to print I<br />
am overjoyed to declare that I have just this week<br />
been appointed as the new CEO. Board Chairman<br />
and previous CEO Andrew Hall is delighted with this<br />
outcome and is already enjoying a fresh approach to the<br />
role. I am thrilled and honoured to lead an organisation<br />
that makes such a profound difference in New Zealand<br />
and one that I love dearly.<br />
Since taking over the reins, I have a new appreciation for<br />
the family that is the New Zealand Spinal Trust team.<br />
It is these people who make the NZST such a special<br />
place to work. We have incredibly talented people in this<br />
organisation and the one thing that threads it all together<br />
is the passion to make a difference stemming from a<br />
place of true empathy.<br />
It is also that passion that helps us overcome adversity<br />
and just get on with the job as well. Life is what you<br />
make of it and I love the attitude of all the people in the<br />
NZST team as they make a positive impact on the SCI<br />
community.<br />
No more so was this evident than in the past quarter as<br />
the Burwood Hospital development opened in mid-June.<br />
This saw a lot of Princess Margaret Hospital wards come<br />
over and a lot of Burwood wards relocate into the new<br />
facilities. Also, as a consequence the NZST head office<br />
was ‘decanted’ so the space that our staff occupied for a<br />
temporary period, subsequent to the Allan Bean Centre<br />
closure, could be redeveloped. It has been disruptive<br />
but necessary and I have never heard any of our team<br />
complain about this situation. I guess working in the SCI<br />
community gives you a real sense of perspective and<br />
certainly develops a can do attitude.<br />
There is so much work to do and so much to look<br />
forward to. On a national level we are in full swing<br />
developing a peer support framework with TASC of<br />
Auckland, in response to the Spinal Cord Impairment<br />
Action plan 2014-2019. This important work will enable<br />
us to take the support of the SCI community to new<br />
levels in the nation in a consistent collaborative way with<br />
our good friends at TASC.<br />
Of course none of this is possible without the incredible<br />
generosity of New Zealanders who donate to the New<br />
Zealand Spinal Trust. To anyone and everyone who<br />
contributes to the NZST we thank you very much.<br />
It is a little-known fact but over 80 percent of our<br />
income comes from Grants and Donations so every<br />
amount really counts. Less than 18 percent of our<br />
funding comes from the public sector. Not many people<br />
know that and we are always encouraging people to<br />
support us financially.<br />
If you know anyone who has any connection to the SCI<br />
community, please direct them to our website (below)<br />
as every donation makes a huge difference. We have<br />
had a huge amount of positive feedback about the new<br />
NZST website and it will only get better as we showcase<br />
all the great work being done. Thanks for your continued<br />
support as we help Kiwi’s with SCI find their future.<br />
DONATE TO THE NZST:<br />
At the top of our home page www.nzst.org.nz is a<br />
DONATE NOW button – simply click on it.<br />
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