It’s been an exciting year so far for START, and we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes on some really exciting stuff (as well as some less exciting but no-less important tasks such as updating our health and safety policies)!
We’re so grateful to have a wonderful group of supporters who help us in a number of ways; by making donations, volunteering, and even sharing our posts with their Facebook friends.
Something that we are equally excited and grateful about is the number of wonderful new Board members who have joined our team here at START. Our newly reinvigorated Board is a dedicated team of volunteers who were chosen for their wide range of skills, experience, and commitment to START and its governance. We are so proud to have such a wide variety of skills and passions represented.
Our Board is led by Eric Allan, someone who is deeply passionate about the work we do here at START. When asked why he decided to take on such a role he told us, “I joined the START Board because START changes the lives of people, both young and old, who stutter. I’ve had many years in community social service leadership and governance and bring that to START. I also have a lived experience of stuttering and START helped me with that. As an organisation we are in great heart. As a Board we want everyone who stutters to know that START is here and ready to help. To enable this, our Board focus in 2018 is on expanding our loyal support base. This will ensure that we have the people and financial resources we need to respond to as many people who stutter as possible.”
We are so fortunate to have someone with his ideas and dedication leading our Board.
Anita Hayhoe, on the other hand, brings fresh perspectives with her position in marketing, and says, “When I saw the START board position advertised on the Institute of Directors website I immediately felt a connection with it and for what I could contribute in terms of building partnerships and bringing new ideas. START provides confidence and skills to people who stutter, and provides a supportive place for people who stutter to become the people they want to be. My personal interests in singing and performing make me realise the importance of a voice in terms of expression and confidence.”
Other Board members would simply like an opportunity to make a difference to our community. Tony McAlwee tells us, “I have good memories of working with a speech language therapist as a child. I wanted to give back to the community so when an opportunity arose to join START’s Board, I knew this was where I could put my commercial skills and fundraising experience to good use.”
If you would like to read more about who our Board members are and what they bring to START, please check out our Board members page here.