Profiles
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Focus on employment
Being a humour resources specialist is entirely a laughing matter for the multi-skilled and talented, professional cartoonist Brent Harpur.
For almost 17 years he's been creating a niche for himself delivering a range of workshops tailored to suit corporates, businesses and organisations as well as adult and child clients.
Brent says, "Lateral and innovative thinking is a gift that most people are only just starting to recognise.
"What I aim to do in my workshops is to create a fun and light-hearted environment and introduce creativity into other people's workplaces through play and humour.
"It is when businesses and organisations nurture creativity that we see innovative thinking starting to emerge."
Raised in Timaru, Brent started drawing at the age of five. It was his love of drawing that engaged him again in his teenage years, when he started losing his sight at age eleven.
He went through a series of eye operations over the next five years before he had a successful corneal transplant in one eye, which made his life a lot easier.
"Then I started to plan my escape from small town New Zealand," says Brent. "I left high school and moved to Auckland to attend Homai National School for the Blind and Vision-Impaired."
"After that came a series of 'real jobs' – mostly as a telephonist – before I headed for the Capital."
Three years later Brent had devised and started running his "Drawing On the Light Side of the Brain"© workshops and was soon touring these around the country in schools, prisons, libraries, art galleries and the corporate sector.
He's since taught art to people with both physical and intellectual disabilities, the elderly and "at risk" children and teenagers.
"My career highlights have been writing, directing and starring in three Fringe Festival stage shows in Wellington as well as producing and starring in a variety stage show.
"I've also produced four limited edition books of original poetry
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and cartoons, a limited series of cartoon greeting cards and released a CD of original prose and poetry."
And, in his "spare time" Brent has been exhibiting his colourful paintings both here and overseas.
Whew!
Now based in Timaru, Brent is aiming to publish his first children's book. The story will be loosely based on his adventures in Brazil.
"You could definitely say that I have a rather unique and well-used funny-bone!" says Brent.
You can find Brent at www.brentharpur.co.nz
For more information about the Foundation's Employment Services, contact Thomas Bryan on 0800 24 33 33 or visit www.rnzfb.org.nz
Foundation Board Director Sam Chaffey
Sam Chaffey smiles and shakes his head when he's asked how a vision-impaired person could create Truescape LTD, a multimillion dollar company that creates extremely detailed and accurate 3-D simulations of proposed developments.
In his mind, being born partially sighted (not "vision-impaired... I hate that word"), gives him more advantages than disadvantages and a keen drive to succeed.
Born in Blenheim, Sam grew up in the Canterbury high country where his father managed a sheep station. When he was eleven, they moved to Christchurch.
Sam worked hard in school, eventually earning a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture at Lincoln University. After working at a ski lodge in Canada, and then studying for a Masters of Economics in Vancouver, he "basically spent the next 20 years on an airplane."
The first 10 years was spent in California, building up a commodity food trading company. He even found himself assisting with logistics for the America's Cup campaigns.
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He returned to New Zealand in 1995, did a bit of real estate development, then founded Truescape. In the last seven years it has grown from one to 23 staff based in Auckland and Christchurch, and it may soon expand internationally. Although tiny by global standards, Truescape has a valuable relationship with industry giant Autodesk 3D, which loves its kiwi innovation.
Appointed as a Foundation Board Director on 3 November 2006, Sam is keen for the Foundation to continue supporting members as they progress through school and into employment. Like many entrepreneurs, he is an optimist, and he's personally guided by a powerful quote from Goethe:
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (in creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
Here's to Ivan and Peter! Toastmaster Governors
RNZFB members Ivan Pivac and Peter Harington had never met until recently.
What brought them together was their ability to get out and get involved in their community – in their case it was Toastmasters.
Ivan and Peter hold two of the seven national positions as Toastmaster Division Governors. Ivan is responsible for clubs from Auckland's North Shore to Cape Reinga, while Peter looks after the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and King Country regions.
They met for the first time at the training weekend for newly appointed senior Toastmaster officials and found they had a lot in common.
"Apart from our keen interest in public speaking, Ivan and I also run our own companies – mine is a forestry marketing business and Ivan has an importing and distribution business," says Peter.
"And we've decided we now have a joint mission to encourage more blind and vision-impaired people to join Toastmasters – it's great for building confidence and it's great
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fun too!"
Peter says most of the Toastmaster material is available on cassette. As for participating in speech competitions, Peter says the rules specifically make allowances for the vision-impaired, and "in the past, some members have gone through to the highest levels of competition".
If you're interested in taking up the challenge to join Toastmasters, give Peter a ring on 07 345 6448 or go online and visit www.toastmasters.org.nz to find the club nearest you.
An encounter with Bill Bryson
As Julie Woods, Foundation Braille Awareness Consultant, approached the famous author, she handed Bill her gift.
"I've brought you a present," she bravely announced, handing him our recent publication "DIY braille".
"Oh, how lovely of you, Julie," he responded.
Taking a polite look at our new-look book he said, "Is this braille for New Zealand or is it all the same around the world."
Julie couldn't believe her luck; she was going to get to talk braille with Bill Bryson. "Oh no," she said, "it does vary. The British don't use the capital letter sign, so in England, you would be 'bill' with a lower-case 'b'."
"And what about in America?" he asked.
"No, the Americans take our lead and use the capital letter sign," explained Julie.
"I have a poster for you to sign," Julie said in a 'pathetic schoolgirl fashion'. "Would you like to help us promote the white cane?" she asked.
"I would be honoured," he replied, staring up at her. "And how did you get to be on this poster, Julie?"
"Bill, is it not obvious?" Julie said with her "pin-up" smile!
He looked up at Julie again and laughed.
She told him it was her competent use of the white cane. He autographed the poster.
She asked him if he had heard
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himself on talking books. He told her that authors were being asked to narrate their books now and he'd had a go and it required great concentration and skill. Julie told him that was good, because the narrators made him sound like a loud American that ate a lot. He told her he did eat a lot.
They laughed and parted.
Julie had got to meet the "Thunderbolt Kid," and Bill had got to meet the kid in Julie Woods.
(This story was written by Julie Woods. Her story was also featured in the Otago Daily Times.)
Caradoc Williams celebrates 100 years
Caradoc, the Foundation's oldest donor, celebrated his 100th birthday on 31 August. Caradoc and his late wife Eileen became interested in the work of the Foundation's Guide Dog Services because their daughter Glynis was a puppy walker in the UK.
They chose to celebrate Caradoc's 90th birthday by asking guests to donate to Guide Dog Services and in 1998 the Eileen and Caradoc Williams Trust for Guide Dogs was established as a Foundation endowment trust. When Eileen passed away in 1999, they requested donations be made to the Trust, in lieu of flowers.
Caradoc, now a rest home resident, attributes his long life to a healthy lifestyle. He was born in Wales and during his working career focused on radio and radar projects and navigation systems for aircraft.
He became a Scientific Advisor to the British Embassy in Washington DC and his work on "Aids to Navigation for Civil Aviation" was honoured with the Wakefield Gold Medal in 1958. It could now be said the systems he developed were the forerunner to the GPS satellite navigation systems used today.
A birthday luncheon was held at Mellow Manor with his family who came from as far afield as UK and
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Australia - followed by a happy hour with Resthaven rest home residents.
Celebrating 10 years of the Kindred Sharp Trust
The Kindred Sharp Trust, established in 1997, by Len and Barbara Sharp, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The Sharps founded the Trust for the benefit of blind, deafblind and vision-impaired children from zero to twelve years old.
Len and Barbara don't have children themselves and as retirees wanted to give something back to a community of youngsters who face many challenges.
"We feel a great deal of sympathy for children with sight loss and can't imagine how difficult it must be – especially for those who cope with multi-disabilities," says Barbara.
The Trust started with an initial capital of $5000 and now has in excess of $80,000 in capital. It is the interest from the Trust that is available each year for grants. The Sharps add to the fund by making an annual donation.
"In the past we have driven people to the airport as well as growing pot plants to sell," says Len. "And over time this has added up to a mighty good fund!"
So far the Sharps have given out $65,000 and helped over 100 individual children, playgroups, and those children who attended the Southern Cross Games in 2006. The grants have been used for computer equipment, special chairs and desks, and playgroup equipment amongst other things.
Thank-you Len and Barbara for a decade's worth of support!
For more information about the Kindred Sharp Trust, contact Dianne Armstrong on ph: 09 380 2160 or email: darmstrong