Strong Voices

2024’s AGM, held in Wellington on 1 November, was a special event. We celebrated 75 years of IHC with seven of our IHC New Zealand Life Members, and we named another three.

We also honoured our outgoing Chief Executive Ralph Jones.

IHC Chair Tony Shaw presented the Life Member nomination to Anne Gilbert, noting that she had devoted time and service over decades to the community of people with intellectual disabilities and their whānau at leadership, advocacy and governance levels.

Anne has had a strong interest in advocacy, fundraising and governance within IHC, supporting the voice of members and the experiences of people with intellectual disability and their whānau in the broader community.  She has shared her experiences and her story on numerous occasions at conferences, community presentations and meetings.

Anne is committed to the ideals and values of IHC, locally and nationally, and has demonstrated this through her six years on the IHC Board, three on the IHC Risk Committee, three on the Member Council and 14 on the Wellington Association.

Anne has brought and continues to bring her experience as a parent of a son who has an intellectual disability, supporting him to attend mainstream education and taking an enabling good lives approach to his support – that is community based and choice driven. She advocates for whānau and individuals to help them navigate, understand and get what they are entitled to in an increasingly complex system.  

Barbara Rocco presented Kay Pearce with her IHC New Zealand Life Membership and said that Kay had been one of IHC’s most dedicated and hard-working volunteers in the previous 30 years. “Kay is one of those rare people who has great ideas and knows how to follow them through.”  

Kay first encountered IHC when her disabled son was about to start school and she was looking for support. That was the beginning of years of advocating for many in North Canterbury via the local IHC North Canterbury Branch and Association. She served two five-year terms as Association Chair – the maximum term – and is still very active on the local committee.

Kay became a member of IHC in 1996 and was an inaugural member of the Member Council for eight years. The wider community was her focus when IHC North Canterbury received a grant from the Creative Communities Scheme for Both Sides of Our World, an integrated theatre production held in Rangiora Town Hall in 2015. It involved performers from IDEA Services and local dance, drama and musical groups.

Ralph Jones also received IHC Life Membership.

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Caption: Kay Pearce receiving her IHC New Zealand Life Membership from Barbara Rocco.