Botany Town Centre featured on the front page of the Howick and Pakuranga Times this week regarding its $6.5million revamp project.

The renovations, which started on May 23^rd are targeted towards developing the Fountain Lane North precinct of the shopping centre. Approximately 280 square metres of retail space will be added, allowing the centre to further expand its diverse offer over time. The revamp has been developed to respond to the needs of the community and structured to ensure there’s minimal disruption to the centre while it’s being completed.

The project has attracted leading fashion retailers, including Witchery and County Road and is scheduled to be finished on October 20 2011.

Click here to read the full article

A new enterprise was launched on Friday 6 May, along with two new campaigns.  Be. Institute presented two significant initiatives: New Zealand’s first nationwide accessibility programme, Be. Accessible, and the first nationwide disability leadership programme of its kind, Be. Leadership.

Simon Collins from the New Zealand Herald sat down with Tony Howe of the Disability Resource Centre to discuss Be. Accessible, and the vision of the campaign.

The driving force behind the Be. Accessible campaign is to inspire and enable a 100% accessible society. In a step towards achieving this goal, the campaign encourages sites likely to be visited during the Rugby World Cup 2011 to make any necessary changes that would make them more accessible to visitors who may be temporarily or permanently disabled.

As a result of the campaign, disabled people have been secured some of the best seats at Eden Park and the North Harbour Stadium. Public transport and ‘fan zones’ have also made changes to become ‘fully accessible environments’ so that those who are in need of additional support have the chance to contribute fully to society.

To date, about 60 Auckland sites likely to be visited by Rugby World Cup visitors have been audited by Be. Accessible.  Mr Howe is also training other assessors to audit facilities in the other 11 Rugby World Cup cities.

Click here to read the full article.

Law firm Lowndes Associates received a mention in the Herald on Sunday, 01 May, regarding the ‘Secrets of the Silicon Valley’ seminars that will be held in New Zealand later this month.

Lowndes Associates is working in conjunction with David Smith, the founder of the Silicon Valley Business School, to conduct a number of seminars which aim to unlock the secrets of the Silicon Valley for New Zealand businesses.

Smith believes that high-tech Kiwi firms aiming to make it big in the United States often don’t understand the ‘basic rules’, but is confident that his ‘Seven Silicon Secrets’ are the key to helping New Zealand businesses enter the US market successfully.

To read the full article and find out more about the Silicon Valley seminar details click here.

At a time when the nation’s attention is focused on recreating the built environment of our second-largest city, a new enterprise is launching with two significant and potentially contributory new initiatives: New Zealand’s first nationwide accessibility programme, Be. Accessible, and the first nationwide disability leadership programme of its kind, Be. Leadership.

At its launch event at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Friday 6 May, Be. Institute will formally present the two programmes and outline the vision for what the institute, through its initiatives and partnerships, can do to foster accessibility and enable a 100% accessible society for all New Zealanders.

The mission is social change: to improve the accessibility of the physical environment, enable better access to information, promote the inclusion and leadership of disabled people in employment and the community, and change social attitudes and behaviours.

In many respects, the timing of the launch is optimal. One Be. Institute project, the Be. Test Match, will be rolled out through the Be. Accreditation programme (part of Be. Accessible) to the 12 New Zealand cities hosting Rugby World Cup 2011.

In the first phase, the Be. Assessors will visit key locations in each of the 12 cities and assess stadia, fan zones, i-SITES and other relevant locations such as hotels.

However, the organization’s aims for its programmes reach beyond this sporting event. By the end of May, Be. Accessible will have trained 40 Be. Assessors, who will be equipped with the tools and know-how to perform holistic assessments of the aforementioned sites, and thousands of others over time.

They will be able to cover the whole accessibility journey, asking questions like: how accessible is the organisation’s website?; what is the level of customer service?; how accessible is the building entrance, interior and products?; and are the business / organization’s marketing materials accessible to all people?

Be. Institute is led by chief executive Minnie Baragwanath, who before founding Be. Institute worked for 10 years in the disability sector, advising to the former Auckland City Council. She has brought together the Auckland Council, the Auckland University of Technology and the Auckland District Health Board to be founding partners of the Be. Institute.

Since it was formed in early 2011, Be. Institute has developed a working partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, and MP Tariana Turia will be attending the launch event, along with 200 other VIPs and contributors.

Ms Baragwanath says, “In launching the Be. Institute we are mindful of the importance of recognizing what is already being done. We have made great progress as a nation – however, there is more we need to do to create a 100% accessible country. New Zealanders are by nature inclusive and socially aware, and we are seeking to build on this through specific practices in our two programmes. Our view is that if we get it right for disabled people, we get it right for all people.”

Be. Accessible involves an accreditation framework and a communications campaign to inspire and enable a 100% accessible society. Be. Leadership, the first leadership programme of its kind in New Zealand, invites 20 emerging leaders to participate in a 10-month journey to become the best leader they can be.

Any business can book an accessibility assessment from a Be. Assessor and learn how they can change their practices or structure to make their organization more accessible. They need not be affiliated with RWC 2011 to do this.

Fact Sheet

• The Be. Institute launch event:
  • Date: Friday 6 May 2011
  • Time: 7pm – 10pm
  • Venue: Auckland War Memorial Museum
  • Dress: Glamorous and authentic
• The Be. Institute was founded in 2011 through a partnership between the Auckland Council, the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Auckland District Health Board;
• It is a social enterprise with the purpose of inspiring and enabling accessibility through innovation and leadership;
• The problem New Zealand faces is that 20% of the population doesn’t get full access to society, and even if employment is possible, people with disabilities earn less on average that those without;
• Founding trustees of the Be. Institute include John Allen (CEO of MFAT and Chair of the Employers Disability Network) and Mark Bagshaw, and the current chief executive is Minnie Baragwanath;
• The Institute’s two initiatives are Be. Accessible and Be. Leadership, which are designed to collectively achieve 100% accessibility for all New Zealanders;
• There are three interdependent pillars – social, physical and personal – necessary for a truly accessible society;
• The Be. Institute’s philosophy is around inclusion – everyone is welcome to participate – and the principle that in order to create a world in which we can all Be., we need to think about our expectations of disabled people, and consider the value of disabled people as leaders and not just recipients of charity;
• The vision and mission of Be. – can we talk about the importance of the Be. Accessble programme.
• One of the first social change programmes to inspire business, community, govt to recognise that we all play a part in creating an accessible world;
• The Be. Institute has coined a new term – the ‘Access Customer’ – which may include any of the following:
  • An older person (the baby- boomer)
  • A parent pushing a stroller
  • Someone with a hearing or vision impairment
  • A person with a mental health impairment
  • A person who uses a wheelchair
• Launch attendee Tariana Turia is co-leader of the Maori Party and the member for Te tai Hauauru, Minister for Disability Issues and the Community and Voluntary Sectors, and Associate Minister of Social Development and Health;
• Launch attendee Rodney Hide is leader of the Act Party and the member for Epsom, Minister of Local Government and Regulatory Reform, and Associate Minister of Education;
• Between 660,000 and 730,000 people in New Zealand have a disability, and a total of 20% of Kiwis report a disability;
• Half of people 65+ have a disability, and by 2030 25% of Kiwis will be aged 65+;
• 186,340 people with a disability could be working;
• The limited accessibility for people with a disability means that 20% of Kiwis are excluded from fully participating in everyday activities;
• With improved accessibility, businesses could increase by 20% more customers;
• Sign Language is the third official language of New Zealand;
• The welfare cost is $2.1 billion per annum and the opportunity cost an estimated $11.7 billion per annum;
• El Du Pont de Nemours & Co conducted a study of 1,000 workers with disabilities, with results showing:
  • 81% of workers with disabilities rated better than average in job performance;
  • 86% of workers with disabilities rated above average in attendance;
  • 98% of workers with disabilities rated average or better than average in safety with;
  • No increase in compensation costs.

Sources:

Statistics New Zealand, 2006
Office for Disability, 2008

Be.ready – The toolkit for business
Innov8 Consulting Group Disability Statistics Chart

For further information:

Dwayne Alexander

Alexander Communications

+64 (0)21 324463

dwayne@alexandercomms.co.nz

Campaign Overview

Challenge Trust is one of many New Zealand charitable trusts invested in paving the way for a brighter future and supporting those in need. A unique not-for-profit organization, Challenge Trust is a recovery-services specialist group which has grown from its initial sole facility to over 20 residential homes providing care to people with a variety of needs relating to addiction, mental illness, physical disability and rehabilitation, intellectual disability, and eating disorders.

Challenge Trust appointed Alexander Communications to assist with raising its profile as a leading recovery services provider and presenting to the public its new initiatives, service centres and programmes.

The AC team has been fortunate to work with CEO Clive Plucknett and his dedicated team at Challenge Trust. The team’s passion and commitment to their work and the people they help was evident from the outset, and this message is reflected in our work.

In September 2010, Challenge Trust and the Auckland DHBs launched Thrive, a much-needed service for the treatment of eating disorders in the upper North Island. The first of its kind in the region, Thrive’s opening in two buildings in Parnell, Auckland was attended by guests including health professionals, DHB board members and select media.

Results
For the official opening and launch of Thrive, our brief was to raise awareness about the centre and bring the service into the public eye.

Tact and sensitivity was crucial in our approach to a widely misunderstood issue. AC worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Challenge Trust to introduce key print and broadcast media to Thrive by arranging private tours of the facility and one-on-one interviews with Clive Plucknett.

AC secured feature stories on TV One News, TV3 News, and Radio New Zealand.

Coverage was also seen in national and community newspapers and in online media, including the Sunday Star Times, New Zealand Herald, Gisborne Herald and Eastern Courier.

The launch of Thrive was a great success, with child advocate Christine Rankin accepting the invitation to officially open the centre. The achievement by Challenge Trust of a substantial brief in a short timeframe was a proud moment for the Challenge Trust team and the many families involved.

The much-needed facility was well received by the community, and several local schools demonstrated support by responding generously to AC’s request for inspirational artwork for permanent display at Thrive. Coverage regarding this school support was seen in Education Today, www.times.co.nz, www.scoop.co.nz and www.infonews.co.nz

Additionally, AC recently secured the cover-page story ‘What business owners can learn from NFPs’ in NZ Business Magazine. Clive Plucknett was the subject of the cover story by Ruth Le Pla.

An inspirational leader with considerable experience across many industries (including a previous career with the NZ Police), Clive says, “The most valuable asset you have is self knowledge,” and advises leaders to figure out when they need to pull in someone else. “A lot of people are so busy being busy that they don’t step back and look around.”

Challenge Trust was profiled for a second time on the evening news, TV3 6PM, when Clive Plucknett was featured as an expert in the area of mental health and recovery. Appearing on two consecutive nights over a weekend, the two stories reinforced Challenge Trust as a leading recovery services and mental health organisation, with direct quotes from Clive.

Clive Plucknett has appeared extensively in the media on other occasions, and was quoted in the National Business Review, in ‘Depression the Silent Epidemic for Executives’. This article has been a valuable profile piece and has generated significant response from other executives direct to Clive.

Earlier in 2010, Clive appeared on TVNZ’s NZI Business with Corin Dann to discuss the topic of mental health treatment for high-level executives. His appearance reinforced the message of Challenge Trust’s leadership in this area of health, and highlighted the programmes available to assist those with depression.

To find out more about Challenge Trust and the services they offer, visit www.challenge.co.nz

Leading corporate and commercial law firm Lowndes Associates has recently appointed two new industry professionals to the Lowndes team. Denis McNamara and Warren Butterworth have joined Lowndes Associates in leading roles; Mr Butterworth as partner and Mr McNamara as consultant.

Mr Butterworth brings with him more than 40 years of commercial and office law experience. He has practiced as a litigator in a variety of cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal, and has acted as both mediator and counsel in a number of mediation cases.

Mark Lowndes, managing partner of Lowndes Associates says, “We are delighted to welcome Warren to our team, he is a great asset and we look forward to introducing him to our clients”.

With over thirty-five years experience as a barrister and solicitor at Simpson Grierson, Mr McNamara felt it was time for a new challenge. After weighing all options, he decided to join Lowndes Associates.

Mr McNamara says, “The culture Mark Lowndes has created at Lowndes Associates is innovative with a professional approach which adds value through excellence in providing legal services”.

Mark Lowndes says, “I have long been impressed by the breadth and depth of Denis’ interests and expertise in the legal profession, and am delighted by his decision to join our team.”

As a consultant of Lowndes Associates, Mr McNamara’s role will focus on a broad range of commercial and corporate law work.

Click here to read the full article.

UK e-newsletter “Trendwatching” have featured Botany Town Centre in their March 2011 edition.

The e-newsletter dedicated their March copy to the rising phenomenon of “Random Acts of Kindness” – selfless acts performed by an individual or company wishing to either assist or cheer up another individual.

Botany Town Centre’s “Snapped” campaign – where shoppers could win what they were photographed holding – was acknowledged in the e-newsletter as a successful and effective example of a Random Act of Kindness.

Click here to read the full article.

Construction News magazine featured Space Studio as the cover story of their latest February/March Issue.

Space Studio commercial design associate Alex Kelly, sat down with Construction News to give an in-depth interview of the insight behind the creative thinking and design process of the new Whanau Ora Maori Health Centre.

Space Studio, an Auckland based interior design practice, set two key goals for the design: creating one centralised place, and a welcoming environment. In order to achieve these goals, Kelly explained that it was important for the team to design beyond the brief by really getting to know their clients – not  just senior management, but the ground-level staff too.

Whanau Ora has been taken beyond design to a functional, inclusive and cohesive environment.

Click here to read the full article.

Morale-boosting author Stephen Lundin discusses his famous “Fish” philosophy in an interview with the Herald on Sunday’s Andre Hueber.

The Knowledge Gym proudly presents Stephen Lundin, co-author of the best-selling Fish!.  Lundin is in New Zealand this week to conduct a number of seminars and spread his fish philosophy to business managers all over the country.

Inspired by the lively and motivated work environment observed at the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, the Fish philosophy uses a set of simple and practical tools to create a more positive, energetic and happy work atmosphere for managers and their employees. Essentially, the Fish philosophy focuses on having a good time, “Freedom is the most motivating thing you can provide in the workplace”.   

Click here to read the full article or find out more about The Knowledge Gym

CEO of Challenge Trust Clive Plucknett was featured as the NZ Business February cover story ‘What Business Owners Can Learn From NFPs’.

Mr Plucknett spoke with Ruth Le Pla about his previous experiences, how they have spanned different worlds and contributed to highlighting the business cross-over between not for profits and SME ownership.

Click here to find out what Clive Plucknett and the Challenge Trust team have been teaching SME’s in the full NZ Business article.