BAIL'S TALES - MAY - "BAIL blazing a trail"

As we told you last Month, April was expected to be a very exciting month for BAIL. It certainly lived up to expectations as we hosted two significant events. The ‘Inside BAIL’ event is our annual opportunity to get together en masse with our key stakeholders to give them some detail on what we have recently accomplished and are currently working on.

Several highlights would have to be presentations from Claire Freeman and Richard Smaill specifically regarding their research. Claire who recently passed her Masters "with distinction" gave our audience plenty to think about as she touched on her exploration of intimacy and the maintenance of relationships following SCI and Richard’s very personal account of ageing with a SCI was also extremely stimulating. All of the presentations left our guests in no doubt of the value and significance of BAIL and there was plenty of stimulating conversation over a glass of the new OSTLER Pinot Gris, which incidentally gained rave reviews on the night.

Earlier the same afternoon we hosted the inaugural National Disability and Rehabilitation Research Alliance (NDRRA) meeting lead by Dr Debbie Snell and Prof Ted Arnold. Significant participants came from all over New Zealand and our conference room was jam packed with enthusiastic health professionals and researchers seeking to join forces and make a difference that they could not do alone. The meeting was a success with the NDRRA being established at the meeting. A way forward has been determined with a Steering Committee appointed for the Alliance to determine how the group would proceed. This is truly a very important group and we anticipate looking back on 20 April 2012 with pride as one of BAIL’s great days.

Finally we are thrilled to be co hosting with the NZ Spinal Trust a SCIN stem cell workshop entitled Hope, Hype & Progress. You are all invited to attend what will be a fascinating meeting on June 7 please see the flyer in Burwood Confidential for details. RSVP’s to hansb@burwood.org.nz