chris montgomery smgTvepind4 unsplash
chris montgomery smgTvepind4 unsplash
13 Aug
CFNZ

Update from the Board - July 2020

13 August 2020

On 16 July 2020, the Board met for our third scheduled meeting of 2020. Of course as we have navigated our way through COVID-19 as an organisation and as a community, the Board have met numerous additional times over the last four months. 

At the meeting Jane Bollard noted that it was Matariki (the Pleiades signalling the Maori New Year), a special time for reflection, renewal, and celebration. It was therefore a fitting time for the Board meeting to take place, as we thought we found ourselves somewhat out of the other side of the chaos, adjusting to our new normal, and reflecting on what we had just come through. 

As of 12 August, we are of course reminded of the true ‘new normal’ in that COVID-19 remains well and truly front and centre, and New Zealand is no exception to the rule - however well we may be as responding to the threat! 

On COVID, we are currently looking for feedback on how COVID-19 was for you, so we can make sure that we learn how you were, how we went, and what to take forward. This is even more important in the context of future lockdowns. 

We are happy to report that despite COVID-19, CFNZ had a successful financial year thanks to our generous donors, and effective management of operations by our hardworking team. We expect that the next financial year will be an interesting one, and we will be monitoring the environment closely. Not only were we financially successful, the success of the Kalydeco campaign in conjunction with Eddie and Kalydeco for Kiwis, is an important achievement and has created momentum for our advocacy for the community. With Trikafka now firmly in our sights, we will be working to ensure this process is as quick as possible, although there remains a lot of work to do. 

Looking forward, we are preparing for our AGM, which will be held via a Zoom meeting on 22 September. As I am sure is the same for most readers, Zoom has been well embedded into our new normal, and all Board meetings have been held using Zoom since March. We are looking for nominations for the Board, to be appointed at the AGM, so we encourage those who are interested to get in touch with your Branch to be nominated, or with our Chair, Warwick, if you’d like to discuss the role. 

In the months preceding COVID, the Board had instigated a project of redefining and reinvigorating our core ‘organisational values’. While we were in the middle of these discussions when COVID began in NZ, we took the opportunity to test these out and apply them to our thinking around how we were to act in the face of the crisis. We have shared these discussion papers with some in our Community already, and we look forward to sharing these wider for feedback as they develop.

The organisation structure project, which was outlined in the March Board update by Michele Wilson, is progressing well. The working group have developed a richer understanding of how our organisation may work together going forward which preserves the passionate local and national community spirit we all cherish, as well as provides a sustainable way forward in this ever changing world. We look forward to receiving feedback from the conversations now underway in the Branches.

And finally, because change is the only constant, the national office in Grafton Road, may soon be on the move. Our landlords and neighbours are interested in using our half of the floor, and with our lease up in 12 months, we are taking the opportunity to consider options earlier. If you know of any commercial or shared space suitable, and near the hospital, Jane would happily take a call!