With demand for services through the roof, the Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust (START) recognised the need for a dedicated communications and fundraising resource to help support its growth. They turned to the Community Comms Collective for assistance scoping out a role.
Established in 1993, START is the only organisation in Aotearoa dedicated to providing therapy and support to people of all ages who stutter, as well as to their families and whānau. Executive Director and Clinical Leader Janelle Irvine says post Covid, START saw a significant increase in demand for its services driven by greater acceptance of accessing therapy online.
“As demand for our services has continued to grow, START has been providing therapy and support to people across Aotearoa. To make sure this is sustainable, we need to diversify our revenue and expand our capacity. To help make this happen, we realised the importance of having a dedicated communications and fundraising resource.”
Janelle’s approach to the Community Comms Collective for help shaping up a role timed perfectly with volunteer Louise Grace-Pickering reaching out during a rare quiet patch at work to let the collective know she had capacity. Matchmaker Penny Elliot seized the day.
“When Penny asked if I’d be interested in volunteering with START, I was thrilled with such a perfect match,” says Louise. “My daughter stuttered when she was 3 years old, and we were referred to a speech language therapist. Thanks to the amazing skill and support our family received, my daughter was talking smoothly and clearly within a matter of weeks. I have always felt so grateful and have never forgotten the young therapist, Sarah.”
Janelle says Louise brought a wealth of expertise and experience that was invaluable to this project.
“As the communications and engagement role was a new one for START, we were uncertain about its scope. Louise worked closely with me to assess our communication needs and work out what could realistically be achieved within the role. Her input helped shape a practical, achievable role description, and her skills were key in crafting engaging job advertisements. Louise also supported me in shortlisting candidates from a large pool of applications, using her specialised knowledge to help prioritise key attributes and skills,” says Janelle.
“As someone who had personal experience with a child who had stuttered in their preschool years, Louise also brought empathy and understanding to the project, which further enriched her contribution.”
The advertisements Louise crafted were compelling, leading to more than 100 people applying for the role, which was eventually whittled down to six candidates for in-person interviews.
“The quality was outstanding, making our decision difficult. In the end, we successfully contracted a highly qualified person for the role, who started in early February. She has hit the ground running and is already making a difference.”
Louise says START needed someone with a deep understanding of engagement, superb writing skills and social media nous.
“Importantly for Janelle, she needed someone who connected with the kaupapa. I felt strongly Janelle deserved the best possible person, so I was super picky when reviewing the CVs and cover letters to share my perspective on the applicants! Janelle and the Board members involved in recruiting made their own choice and I was delighted they were able to choose between some very impressive candidates.”
For Louise, the opportunity to repay the support her family received all those years ago has been especially meaningful.
“I hope I was able to lighten Janelle’s load a bit by bringing experience and judgement to the task. Janelle is a very talented woman who, like many people running not-for-profit organisations, wears many hats at START. She really just needed a bit of advice, planning and support to help her find the best possible candidate to work with START through the next phase of the organisation’s evolution,” says Louise.
Janelle says the Community Comms Collective’s service is invaluable for small not-for-profits like START.
“From the outset, the service was exceptional. I was able to meet with Penny to discuss our needs and was then matched with Louise who provided excellent support throughout the process. The service we received was both practical and tailored to our needs.”
Louise says volunteering for the collective is particularly rewarding in that she can help organisations like START which are changing people’s lives.
“I think it’s a really fantastic initiative – beautifully run with exemplary support for volunteers from matchmakers like Penny who make it a pleasure.”
Start is the only organisation in Aotearoa dedicated to providing therapy and support to people of all ages who stutter, as well as to their families and whānau. The team is made up of specialist speech-language therapists and a social worker, all dedicated to helping and supporting people who stutter.
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