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NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 22 talked to it was like: ‘Let's open it up for everyone because there must be a lot of other people who are keen to fish’.” When he returned to the community, he was a man on a mission. He leaned on his father’s networks who had been in the banking industry for 42 years. His old man said: “If you want to do this, we’ll back you 100 percent.” Bryce found a lawyer and an accountant, and created a charitable trust in March 2011. The trust had two main purposes—to take people living with illness, disability and hardship out on the water; and to either modify or build a purpose-built system to support the needs of the recipients. The first venture on the ocean happened soon after. A family friend found a 42-foot sport fishing boat which they adjusted with some Kiwi ingenuity, a bit of plywood and a few screws. “I managed to take a couple of people out. One had Parkinson’s disease and another person was on the mental health spectrum. They had the time of their lives.” Testing the waters For the next 10 years Bryce drove the boat project. They managed to do multiple trips out of Auckland, the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty with close to 350 people enjoying their time on the water. They were hiring charter vessels and working with them to make them accessible. The community got behind it and the ventures were funded by fishing competitions, sausage sizzles, and raffles. But to build the boat, Bryce knew he needed much more. He made an appearance on the ITM fishing show with Matt Watson which was a huge boost to their profile. Following that opportunity, Ray Lowe reached out to Bryce to see if he could help. Ray—a qualified engineer who has worked in the fabrication industry—has a passion for fishing. “He said ‘I think we can do a better job getting people involved to support this’.” They created the grinder fishing apparatus which allows people with a disability to fish around 95 percent independently. Then they turned their attention to the boat. The first designs started at 11m in length and the final design was 17.5m long. The cost was now up to $5million. Ray was heavily invested in the process to create the most accessible boat in New Zealand. They met with experienced boat designer Roger Hill who completed the concept drawings and then they got to work with boat builders Alloy Cats in Mount Maunganui. Funding was still an issue. Out of the blue, Bryce got a call from Matt Watson who said the Labour Government were putting together a $20 million fund for people to be involved in the America's Cup and beyond. He believed Bryce’s vision was a perfect fit. When we got the funding for the boat, it was an unbelievable moment. “We said if we are successful with this funding from the Lotteries Commission, we would be able to build this boat and basically create a legacy moving forward with the ability to take 1000 people out every year. That was our line in the sand. “It was an unbelievable moment.” A whole host of community funders followed. Within six and a half months, $2.4 million was raised from community funders. The Wish4Fish boat was completed in October 2021. “There is nothing like it in the world,” Bryce says proudly. A surreal feeling —Bryce Dinneen Bryce says it’s a surreal feeling every time he goes out on the water on the Wish4Fish boat. He often reflects on what they have achieved and created. “For a long period of time this project was supported by a small group of like-minded individuals like friends and family, they said whatever you get into we will back you all the way. We never gave up.” Bryce says there is no better feeling than helping a person with a disability realise what they are capable of. “Mate I have seen it all,” he says. “I've seen people that are on the mental health spectrum that don't need their medication. I've seen people reunite, re-energise with their family and loved ones. “They don't have a disability or illness when they're out on that boat, they are just like everyone else, just going out, feeling the sun on their face and the wind in their hair.” There are two things he loves about fishing—the environment and the challenge. “It's that sense of freedom—there is nowhere else I’d rather be.” Bryce says he will never take fishing for granted as he knows that life can change in a moment. “When I speak to people now, that’s what I say—just appreciate what you've got. Life could change in a heartbeat.” Bryce has accepted his SCI and helped change the lives of others. “I’d always give the shirt off my back to someone,” he says. “I guess it's just the way I am. With the cards that I've been dealt, I’m just trying to play the game as best I can. “To me, the one thing I can control is my commitment and my positivity. I still have my ability to engage with people and make a difference.” They tried a couple of times before they got the call they had been waiting for.
SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 23 Getting Creative in the Cook Islands Zahra Shahtahmasebi talks about her experience at the Creative Centre in Rarotonga HAPPY PLACE: The Creative Centre was established in the 1980s. After spending 17 years running nightclubs across New Zealand and Australia, Danny Tixier never suspected he would end up in Rarotonga, running a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting people living with disabilities. —Danny Tixier The results are fatal… there are no safety nets here. Behind the Tu Papa primary care clinic in Rarotonga’s capital of Avarua is the Creative Centre. A yellow sign alerts passers-by to its location—without this, no one would know it was there. Even with the sign, at first glance it looks like it could be extra-curricular service for school pupils and as a result, on my visits to Tu Papa I paid it no heed. The fact that I ended up at the Creative Centre at all was pure coincidence after I ran into a friend on holiday from New Zealand. After finding out my reason for being in the Cook Islands was to look at the delivery of healthcare, he told me I could not leave without speaking to Danny Tixier, the man in charge of the Creative Centre. I heeded his advice and a couple of days later I found myself walking up the gravel driveway towards the Creative Centre, which backs out onto the beach. The resulting interview with Danny was well over an hour, starting with the history of the centre which was first established in the 1980s. It wasn’t until 2002 that it was implemented by the Cook Islands Ministry of Education as a school to cater for people with intellectual disabilities. It was originally funded to provide support for a group of 10 people with disabilities, but as the only service of its kind across all 15 of the Cook Islands, it quickly grew to a group of 40 when Danny took the reins in 2019. Open from Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 4pm, the centre is run by four staff members, including Danny. They provide a life-skills programme, social interaction, as well as advocacy, health literacy and “lots of love and care”. “Lots of clients rely on us for many things, including for their mental, physical and social wellbeing. We facilitate
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Page 3 and 4: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 3 An Enduring F
Page 5 and 6: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 5 Supporting Po
Page 7 and 8: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 7 Making a Diff
Page 9 and 10: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 9 For some of o
Page 11 and 12: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 11 Travelling a
Page 13 and 14: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 13 The physical
Page 15 and 16: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 15 Book Review
Page 17 and 18: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 17 “I turn th
Page 19 and 20: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS Fadiel Italiana
Page 21: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 21 decided to j
Page 25 and 26: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 25 Meet Our Tea
Page 27 and 28: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 27 Giving back
Page 29 and 30: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 29 The Metrotel
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Page 33 and 34: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 33 Preparing th
Page 35 and 36: SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 35 Thank you to

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