From the Founders Desk | September 2021

Indeed it has been a while since our last publication in Autumn.  Soooo much has happened since our Autumn Magazine that it is hard to know where to start. The cold of winter has been and gone.  The Olympics and para-Olympics have been and gone.  Once again COVID-19 Alert Level 4 has been and gone (excluding Auckland).  And once again COVID-19 and its Delta variant plays havoc with us all.  Of which, for now, Achieve 2B has become another casualty.

In the beginning of 2021 we launched our ‘In Our Backyard’ Campaign which was going to be inclusive of National exchanges.  We were aiming for small groups of students going away for 4 weeks on a school program around the county, supported by Companion Parents. We had successfully recruited 50% of our Companion Parents… And then… In June Wellington went into Alert Level 4.  This outbreak revealed that an infected person had been to Te Papa which had hosted a school ball.  Young people potentially exposed.  My alarm bells rang!  An immediate executive decision was made to put the Program On hold.

In July, the Board met and passed a resolution that all of Achieve 2B’s Programs and Operations would be put into recess, with a recess plan which will be reviewed quarterly.  Our recess plan will include 3 phases:  ‘Pause’ , ‘Reboot’ and ‘Adventures’.  At this time, due to the pandemic, ‘Pausing’ is the safest approach.  There will be no programs and significantly reduced operations.  Once the Pandemic has demonstrated that it has been brought under control Nationally and/or Internationally, then we can ‘Reboot’ –   allowing us to rebuild and reconnect with action to strengthen ourselves.  This will formulate our launching pad, where ‘Adventures’ – National and International can then be reinitiated,  allowing young people once again to venture out into a world of discovery.  As we progress through these stages we will keep you informed.

The Board and I remain committed and steadfast to not letting the global health crisis sabotage life-enhancing opportunities for young people with disabilities.  When there is a clear pathway, we will be ready and waiting to deliver once again.