Monthly Archive for February, 2005

February 2005 – Tracey Richardson

Published by Tracey Richardson on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

On Saturday 12th Feb many Auckland children with Cystic Fibrosis had a day they won’t forget for a while. To be perfectly honest, it won’t be a day that I forget for a while either.

For the past year we have been busy fundraising to establish the Breath4CF grant fund. A fund that pays for the sports and physical activity costs of kids with CF to support them to stay healthier longer. In December we issued the first edition of our CF kid’s club magazine, inside of which was a competition to win a new bike. Little did every entrant know that thanks to Avanti EVERY child with CF who needed a bike would win one! When the competition closed in February 35 entrants were winners and a plan was hatched to deliver the Auckland kids their bikes on one special day. After many secret phone calls to parentseach family decided to leave the delivery as a surprise. And who should deliver the bikes to them? New Zealand’s gold medal winning Olympic triathlete, Hamish Carter.

Now put your self in the shoes of a 12 year old. How cool would that be? A knock on the door, a new bike and your sporting hero on your doorstep! Hamish spent 15 minutes with each child, signed every bike and left behind a poster already presigned by his friend Sarah Ulmer. The squeals and tears of excitement made the last year of fundraising worth every second!

The balance of the bikes were delivered to a local Avanti bike shop for the winners to collect. For children who spend months each year receiving treatment, often in hospitals, the ability to get on a bike and make choices of what to do and where to go is life changing. That’s what Breath4CF is all about – having fun – enjoying life and staying healthy for as long as possible.

Our special thanks to Hamish Carter who gave freely of his Saturday to share in the joy or making some kids really happy, and to inspire them about exercise, sport and health.

The remainder of the month was spent knee deep in details for the Charity Challenge at Ironman New Zealand, our principal fundraising event of the year. In 2004 we raised $120,000 at this event and our goal for 2005 is $100,000 and as at the end of Feb we have already reach $93,500. This year has been phenomenal and I am intrigued by the results and delighted at the thought of where it may finish. I remain convinced that online fundraising is the way forward and our sister site fundraiseonline.co.nz is proving to be a huge hit with the athletes as they utilize its secure online donation processing function and build themselves personal fundraising pages.

Being a one man band means that’s the work load this month has been incredible, there have been some exceedingly late nights and loads of travel and I must give thanks to my every patient family as they continue to support my work despite the fact they hardly see me.

February 2005 – Stephen Denekamp

Published by Stephen Denekamp on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

There’s been a lot happening this month (though I suspect every month is going to be full on). Schools and universities are back, the Safety in Schools kit has been launched, and workshops have started for the year.

The launch of the ‘Safety in Our Schools’ action kit uses statistics from the Youth 2000 report ‘Non-heterosexual youth: A profile of their health and wellbeing’ along with strategies for schools to address sexual orientation and gender identity prejudice. It provides a real resource that staff can use and something that I can work through with teachers. For the first time the Youth 200 report highlights statistics about queer youth in NZ schools. The stats show there is huge room for improvement in high schools: “During the past year 30.4% of non-heterosexual students report that they have thought of killing themselves” and, “12.9% of non-heterosexual students are bullied at least once a week”. Scary huh? The ‘Safety in Our Schools’ kit provides positive steps a school can take to create safer environments for queer youth. Check out www.outthere.org.nz for more.

The Big Gay Out, a fun family day held at Coyle Park with stalls, food and entertainment was a major event this month. Rainbow Youth had a stall there with information as well as selling pride stock. It was my first time at the event and I loved it! Mostly because it had such a friendly atmosphere and everyone was having a good time. What I noticed, or more to the point, felt, was that here was a place where people’s sexuality was not an issue – anyone could hold hands and no one stared at you!!! I know that may sound like a minor thing, but when you have to consciously ‘think’ about holding the hand of someone you care about while going for a walk, it is a big deal.

As I mentioned, schools and universities are back for the year – excellent for me because now I can really get into my role and raise the visibility of Rainbow Youth’s services.  For many queer students, seeing that their university/school supports them can be very uplifting. That’s why I’ve been attending lots of University orientation days; at MIT, AUT, Unitec and Massey University (Uni-Q covered Auckland University).

On the high school front it was time to hold another workshop training course. The workshops we do in high schools rely on volunteers telling their coming out story in front of a class of 30 students. So this month I held a training session for people wanting to be involved. It was a lot of fun; we went through the information we cover in a standard workshop but more importantly how to put your own journey into words and how to handle a class of students.

Something new for me was presenting at the Auckland Sexual Health Peer Sexuality Support Program Huis (PSSP). These are where 30-40 students from various schools go on a four day hui learning about sexual health and how to be peer support students at their school. I presented a three-hour workshop at two of these huis on orientation and gender and what the PSSP students can do to make a difference in their school. Because the workshops are three hours long there is the chance to cover so much more than you can in a standard school workshop and this also allowed for three volunteers to came along with me and share their own story. The students were very energetic and I think they will really make a big difference to the schools that took part in the huis. We usually find ourselves covered with hugs and hand shanks after the workshops!

Looks like there isn’t a lot of space for a ‘learning topic’ this week, so I leave you with some more words of wisdom from Joe Michael Straczynski as written in the sci-fi show Babylon 5:

“There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom.” – G’kar, Babylon 5

February 2005 – Stephen Denekamp

Published by Stephen Denekamp on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

There’s been a lot happening this month (though I suspect every month is going to be full on). Schools and universities are back, the Safety in Schools kit has been launched, and workshops have started for the year.

The launch of the ‘Safety in Our Schools’ action kit uses statistics from the Youth 2000 report ‘Non-heterosexual youth: A profile of their health and wellbeing’ along with strategies for schools to address sexual orientation and gender identity prejudice. It provides a real resource that staff can use and something that I can work through with teachers. For the first time the Youth 200 report highlights statistics about queer youth in NZ schools. The stats show there is huge room for improvement in high schools: “During the past year 30.4% of non-heterosexual students report that they have thought of killing themselves” and, “12.9% of non-heterosexual students are bullied at least once a week”. Scary huh? The ‘Safety in Our Schools’ kit provides positive steps a school can take to create safer environments for queer youth. Check out www.outthere.org.nz for more.

The Big Gay Out, a fun family day held at Coyle Park with stalls, food and entertainment was a major event this month. Rainbow Youth had a stall there with information as well as selling pride stock. It was my first time at the event and I loved it! Mostly because it had such a friendly atmosphere and everyone was having a good time. What I noticed, or more to the point, felt, was that here was a place where people’s sexuality was not an issue – anyone could hold hands and no one stared at you!!! I know that may sound like a minor thing, but when you have to consciously ‘think’ about holding the hand of someone you care about while going for a walk, it is a big deal.

As I mentioned, schools and universities are back for the year – excellent for me because now I can really get into my role and raise the visibility of Rainbow Youth’s services.  For many queer students, seeing that their university/school supports them can be very uplifting. That’s why I’ve been attending lots of University orientation days; at MIT, AUT, Unitec and Massey University (Uni-Q covered Auckland University).

On the high school front it was time to hold another workshop training course. The workshops we do in high schools rely on volunteers telling their coming out story in front of a class of 30 students. So this month I held a training session for people wanting to be involved. It was a lot of fun; we went through the information we cover in a standard workshop but more importantly how to put your own journey into words and how to handle a class of students.

Something new for me was presenting at the Auckland Sexual Health Peer Sexuality Support Program Huis (PSSP). These are where 30-40 students from various schools go on a four day hui learning about sexual health and how to be peer support students at their school. I presented a three-hour workshop at two of these huis on orientation and gender and what the PSSP students can do to make a difference in their school. Because the workshops are three hours long there is the chance to cover so much more than you can in a standard school workshop and this also allowed for three volunteers to came along with me and share their own story. The students were very energetic and I think they will really make a big difference to the schools that took part in the huis. We usually find ourselves covered with hugs and hand shanks after the workshops!

Looks like there isn’t a lot of space for a ‘learning topic’ this week, so I leave you with some more words of wisdom from Joe Michael Straczynski as written in the sci-fi show Babylon 5:

“There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom.” – G’kar, Babylon 5

February 2005 – Ricky Houghton

Published by Ricky Houghton on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

My community is not proud to be amongst the poorest in such a prosperous nation bequeathed to them from their ancestors. I will report to you monthly on not only how the Vodafone NZ Foundation’s mighty support is making a world of difference but also how it is saving lives.

Our solution will not come out of Wellington or weekly from a hole in the wall in the middle of Kaitaia (nor should it). It will eventuate by levering off our own collective resources including skills so we are better able to build credible, durable relationships with like minded supporters like Vodafone who have a social conscience and understand our situation.

For example there is approximately 2,500 HA of potential Maori cropping soils within the Far North, out of a total of 29,000HA. Because of distance from markets and processing plants, opportunities for making full use of this land is limited.  HEINZ Watties currently import a large volume of grain from Australia for their sister company Tegal chicken. We have begun a GE free maize trial on the 50acre of unused Maori land in Te Kao 70 Kilometres north of Kaitaia.

The Maize trial directly forges relationships with business whilst maintaining a broader economic and social development focus. This project also enhances regional capability, it is supported by the local community and there is strong commitment from major national suppliers. We have secured positions with major suppliers for a cadetship programme and industry-based training and employment opportunities. Tegal have also committed to purchasing the product off the trial site subject to stringent quality standards.

Kia Ora Vodafone.

February 2005 – Joanne Thorne

Published by Joanne Thorne on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

From volunteer to full time worker – what a fantastic transformation to be able to make! How immensely satisfying it has been to be able to focus 100% of my time on my new role as Bushy Park’s kiwi project manager.

This year will see vast change for Bushy Park as it progresses into the next level of conservation with the completion of the pest proof fence. The kiwi creche project will be an important component in this progress and it is incredibly exciting (not to mention daunting!) to be involved.

Bushy Park Arts, Craft and Food Festival

My first official task was to attend the BP arts, craft and food festival – a great way to start my new job! The festival was a hugely successful day, with beautiful weather and good crowds. There were over 40 stalls ranging from delicious food to a variety of interesting and unique crafts. A jazz band belted out its tunes from the homestead balcony adding to the lively atmosphere of the day.

The kiwi and pest-proof fence stall received a lot of attention during the day with curious festival goers being attracted by our kiwi display, complete with real kiwi eggs – the size of which left most people stunned! Once we had caught people’s attention we were able to talk to them about the kiwi project and how the pest proof fence was essential to the formation of a kiwi chick creche. Everyone who visited the kiwi stall was very supportive of our project and many gave generous donations.

XcluderTM Pest Proof Fence

Progress on the pest proof fence surrounding the reserve is going extremely well and the fence ‘closing’ is on target for April.

Once the fence is up we move into ‘pest eradication’ mode. This is a huge task that involves removal of every last introduced pest in the reserve, including possums, cats, stoats, rabbits, rats and mice. Quite a feat! Eradication needs careful planning and a certain amount of ‘outwitting’ the pests using a combination of traps and poisons. February has been a month of research, talking to the experts on pest removal and co-operation with DoC to come up with our plan. Quite a learning curve for me as until now I have had little involvement with pest control. Once pest free, we can be confident in introducing native bird species to a safe, predator free environment.

Kiwi Monitoring

The kiwi breeding season in the Waitotara Valley has now come to a disappointing end with no viable eggs produced by our birds. Over the three monitoring trips I made in February there were some hopeful moments when it looked like we had a male incubating in a nest. However, after a few weeks the bird would move, indicating that it was either just roosting or that the nest had failed.

I also struggled with a large wild bull that decided to parole the perimeter of the hut each time I approached. Negotiations followed and he eventually let me past….comical for onlookers I’m sure.

Still, the field trips do have their good side – such as feasting on superbly cooked venison while listening to kiwi call across the valley. Camping doesn’t get much better than that!

Because we have had little success with our Waitotara birds in terms of egg production, we are currently in the process of looking at alternative locations to run our Operation Nest Egg (ONE) programme. This is a long process, involving co-operation between DoC, Bushy Park and iwi, and is something I will be tackling over the next few months.

Finally, this month I have been lapping up the technology supplied by the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation. My laptop and mobile phone have been real lifelines in terms of accessing information and having instant communication with the many people that are offering their time and knowledge to the project.

Although progress is sometimes slow and set backs may happen from time to time, it will be truly rewarding to see our first kiwi chicks grow up in a safe, predator free environment. I look forward to sharing these moments with you over the coming year as I delve further into the mysterious ways of the kiwi!

February 2005 – Diana Hickey

Published by Diana Hickey on February 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

What a month…!

Referrals for patients are coming on board fast and furiously, and as quickly as they appear the art supplies diminish. But the work that they are creating is great. You don’t have to be a great artist to benefit from Art Therapy, just keen to be present. Art therapy is the use of art materials for self-expression and reflection in the presence of a trained art therapist. The important thing is that these young people can find a place of trust in the hospital situation and in turn they can begin to communicate both verbally and non-verbally about their experiences.

My overall aim is to affect change and growth with these kids on a personal level through the use of art materials in a safe and facilitating environment. These changes and evidence of growth are apparent here every day I enter a child’s room or they come to me as out-patients. It’s really a huge honour to be present when such events occur. So that’s the kids side of things… busy…I’m finding the paper work frustrating sometimes as I seem to spend more time writing up notes and reports than I do working with children. Still, the systems work and offer a solid and visible way forward for information sharing.

I’ve also been active this month giving presentations introducing art therapy to new nurses in paediatric oncology, to the allied health professionals and informing the paediatric consultants to the new service. It’s been a great opportunity to educate and furthermore be enlightened by staff members’ previous experiences of art therapy in their careers. It’s also given me an opportunity to divide hospital art therapy information into several different topics. The view that a consultant has on the service is quite different to the view for example that a nurse on ward may have, and approaching introductions from the various angles is a great way of also seeing potential benefits to different services.

On the down side, my car was broken into three times in as many weeks and while they left the stereo, the pesky thieves made away with my face painting kit and some other odd items. A face painting kit by general standards is not a great loss but this particular kit has been with me since the days when I was clowning around in Ireland. The paints and brushes, glitters, bindi’s and sponges have been collected from all over the world and were all carefully selected for their hypoallergenic (skin-sensitive) qualities. It’s a great loss to me and also all the kids that have (and could have) benefited from them. So it’s back to square one again…

On a positive note however, the brochure was a hit and has apparently set a new precedent in the world of hospital information sheets! Well done to Alistair at Medical illustrations. A local printing company, Cover to Cover, came to the party and printed off some full colour copies free of charge, which was a great bonus. It’s great to know that so many people can offer support in the challenge of getting this new and little known service off the ground here at the hospital.