The first edition of Lifestart’s new e-zine was broadcast today in a special ‘thank you’ edition for supporters of Kayak for Kids. The e-zine has been set up primarily to electronically distribute our Expressions newsletter each term, but will also periodically provide news about Lifestart events. You can download a copy of our special Kayak for Kids Expressions from this site. If you would like to receive future e-zines, please email your name to christophercummings@lifestart.org.au to be added to our broadcast list.

Lifestart is continuing upskilling staff in presntation of the Hanen program. Arbel Mordoch, Speech Pathologist at Lifestart Eastern Sydney, recently completed Hanen ‘It Takes Two To Talk’ training and will now run a Hanen traing program for parents commencing July. This training course is funded by the City of Sydney and is for parents who reside or work in the City of Sydney LGA only. Congratulations to Arbel on completing her training and good luck to those families attending the course.

It’s all happening on June 12th 2009 at the Hornsby RSL Club. The Lifestart Charity Poker Competition promises to be a very exciting event.  Test your poker skills on the night and you could win a ticket to the Wild Turkey Grand Slam! at the Crown Casino in Melbourne on the 24 and 25th of August. Plus there will be auctions, raffles and special prizes. For all the details visit our Lifestart events page.

At the Lifestart Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2009, a new Board was elected to take Lifestart forward in to 2010. For details go to Lifestart Board & Management.  You can also read more about them in our Lifestart Newsletter: Expressions Term 2.

The 2009 Lifestart Annual General Meeting will take place at 8pm on Wednesday 20th May at the Lifestart Eastwood Branch at Somerville Park, 679 Blaxland Road, Eastwood. All Lifestart members are welcome. Outgoing CEO Andrew Wilson will present a report on the year-in-review. A financial report will also be given and the election of officers will take place. For further information contact Liz on 9807 9700.

New Lifestart Chief Executive Officer Denise Shaw began her new role on Monday 27th April. Denise is replacing Andrew Wilson who has been acting in the position since August of 2008. Andrew will officially hand over the role on 15th May to assist Denise in settling in. Denise comes to Lifestart with 12 years experience as CEO of not-for-profit organizations, including Life Education NSW and AFS Intercultural Programs Australia. Denise has considerable experience in areas familiar to Lifestart, including promoting the value of not-for-profit organizations among Government agencies, exposure to Culturaly & Liguistically Diverse programs (CALD) and volunteer based organizations.

Lifestart is a listed service provider for the Early Intervention Service Provider Panel, for the Helping Children with Autism package, funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Families, Housing, learning Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).

Lifestart runs the course More Than Words™ The Hanen Program®, which is a family-focussed intervention program for children with Austism Spectrum Disorder. Lifestart will be running this program across centres in Term 2, so contact your local centre for more information.

To find out more about the Lifestart Autism Packages, go to our AUTISM FUNDING - FaHCSIA page or contact your local Lifestart centre.