Description
“A story of an organisation with shared vision and energy in times of change and upheaval, well told and fundamentally human” – Professor Michael Belgrave, Massey University.
START: The Story So Far
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“A story of an organisation with shared vision and energy in times of change and upheaval, well told and fundamentally human” – Professor Michael Belgrave, Massey University.
Additional information
| Weight | 0.2 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15 × 10 cm |
Declan O’Donnell –
Twenty-five years represents a significant milestone for any commercial entity. For a small
community organisation, a quarter of a century of continuous service is something of a rarity. It is
fitting that the Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust, should mark this milestone with the
publication of START: The story so far.
Written in conjunction with students from the University of Auckland History Department, START:
The story so far is primarily told through the experiences of former START clients and speaks of the
difference that professional speech language therapy has made to their lives. The stories are both
inspiring and humbling.
The START story is also the story of a typically pragmatic New Zealand response when there is an
urgent community need. It is the story of a group of parents and their vision and determination to
create a specialist speech language service when no such service existed. It is the story of the
contributions of many and of the diverse experiences and skills that were needed to establish and
then sustain a viable community organisation.
A unifying theme to the START story is that of community. The community of those who stutter and
their families, the community of past and present staff members, of donors and well-wishers.
Twenty-five years is time enough for there to be an intergenerational community of those former
clients who have returned to support START in a variety of roles. As mentors, donors and members
of the START board. The START story is also one of those who stutter but who did not themselves
have the opportunity to benefit from skilled speech therapy and support but who wish to ensure
that others receive the best possible service. They know how skilled help and early interventions can
make all the difference.
In any community organisation much happens behind the scenes and much of it because people are
generous with their time and talents. Too often the stories of those who volunteer their time and
their skills in community service organisations and which do so much to help others in many
different ways are lost to history. START: The story so far, acknowledges and gives voice to those
notable individuals and those many others who each play their part.
The START story is by any measure, a record of outstanding service, not only to those affected by
stuttering and their families, but to the wider New Zealand community.