This year has been a big year for START! We’ve had lots of opportunities to help people across New Zealand who stutter and it’s been a wonderful journey – thanks for being there with us the whole way!
We’ve found that technology has been a great way for us to reach people , not just those who are Auckland-based, and we can’t wait to continue to see how it will help us grow.
We also published a book! If you haven’t heard yet, for International Stuttering Awareness Day this year, we asked the kids we work with to submit art and writing that discusses their unique experiences as children who stutter. We received some incredible submissions, and compiled them into a book which you can now purchase! ‘My Stutter’ is a charming little book filled with some amazing pieces on what it’s like to be a Kiwi kid who stutters. All proceeds go towards supporting us to help those who stutter in New Zealand, and you can pick up your own copy here:
So what is next on our agenda?
Well, firstly it involves a holiday break. START will be closed from the 21stnd of December until the 9th of January 2018. We’re all looking forward to spending some quality time with our friends and family, and enjoying the Kiwi Summer.
We will also then be closed again from the 18th until the 29th of January. Why?
2018 involves some big changes and improvements to our organisation – one which we’ve been excited to tell you for a while, and now we finally can!
START IS MOVING!
We’ve loved spending the past 20 years at our site in Parnell, and we know how convenient the central location has been in the past. However, as Auckland continues to grow and become the bustling metro it’s becoming, START has grown as well.
Travelling across the city is no longer the easy task it once was, and while our Albany clinic has been a great help for many of you, we’re looking to make things even easier for our clients.
This is why, in 2018 we’ll be moving in with The Hearing House at their fantastic new premises in Greenlane! This is a wonderful opportunity for us to work alongside a similar charity, as well as become more accessible for our clients who might not be as central as they used to be.
We’ll also be looking into establishing more satellite clinics for our clients’ convenience in the future, however we’re firm believers in taking one step at a time!
We will miss our lovely Parnell office, however as the only organisation in New Zealand specialising in helping those who stutter, it’s important that we continue to encourage our charity’s growth as much as possible!
Our new office will be based with The Hearing House at The Stitchbury Bidwill Centre, 251 Campbell Road, Greenlane.which is very close to the the Greenlane off-ramp. Our clients who live West or North will continue to utilise our Albany office.
If you’re more of a visual person, hopefully this map helps you!
There will be limited parking available for our clients onsite as well as on-street parks available.
Once again, thank you for joining us on our journey, and thank you for all your support, particularly with our first published book – ‘My Stutter’!
From the entire team here at START, happy holidays! We hope you have a fantastic new year, and can’t wait to see you all in 2018!
