Board Members

Cherie Cawdron
Board Chairperson

I joined the Complex Care Board in late 2022, and a year later become Board Chair as Gillian Wright was ready to step down. I am excited to be involved in this capacity and look forward to serving our unique and complex community.  

My husband and I have twin adult children, Mitchell and Holly, and we live in Karaka, South Auckland. Mitchell was born with a rare disorder called Pentalogy of Cantrell, has an intellectual disability, ASD, is non-verbal and requires 24/7 intensive support. His sister Holly, is currently a student of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Auckland and lives between her flat in the city and home with us.  

For the past 20 years I have been managing my son’s support, which has included managing complex medical cares (BiPap ventilation, naso-gastric feeding, oxygen, tracheostomy cares), challenging behaviours, recruiting, training and managing a team of support workers and coordinating therapy, doctors and hospital admissions. But if you are reading this, it is likely that I don’t need to explain this life to you!  

While I have always advocated passionately for my son’s support, in the last few years, I have become a fierce advocate for disabled people without their own voice and for family carers who support those with intensive needs. As Board Chair, I hope to honour the good work that has been achieved by the group before me, and would like to see the complex care community recognised and supported by government with policy and support that works for our families.  

I love learning and completed a BA in Business Psychology in 2016 after studying part time for many years. I work part time as an Executive Assistant at Disability Connect in Penrose and find my job very rewarding. I am currently on the Whaikaha Strategic Advisory Group as a family member representing the Family/Whanau Network. 

Outside of work and family, I love playing golf when I can, doing yoga, walking, crafting, reading and writing a blog. My current ambition is to publish a book around the life and challenges of being a complex carer.  I hope I can get to know as many of our members as possible and always feel free to reach out with feedback and/or ideas that would make a difference in your lives.  

Gillian Wright

Board Member

Hello, my name is Gillian Wright and I live in central Auckland with my two disabled sons, aged 35 and 32.  I don’t think I heard of Complex Carers (now named Complex Care Group Trust) until a real crisis arrived in my life and that of families with similarly aged and disabled children.  We discovered that the respite facilities we were using did not cater for people over 16 years.  We parents formed a lobby group to get some action on this from the Ministry of Health, and Complex Carers were there at our meetings to support us and offer advice, along with other concerned groups.   We were successful in this and the Ministry set up more places for out-of-home respite for older children and young people.  There is still, however, a need for more of these services for families.

Complex Care Group is important to me as it seems to be the only such group that provides support and advice for families who care for children and young people like ours.  I would advise people to become  members to access the expert advice and support that Lisa, our Director can provide. There is a regular newsletter as well, to keep us up-to-date with what is going on.  It is extremely difficult and time-consuming to try and navigate the health, education and welfare systems without expert guidance from someone who has been there themselves.

Stakeholders need to be aware that families are the experts on their particular disabled person and that we appreciate being listened to and working in partnership with government agencies, service providers and paid carers.

Wendy Brenkley
Board Member

I have been privileged to be involved with the Complex Care Group since its establishment in 2002.

I am based in Palmerston North and the mother of three.  My eldest has Rett Syndrome variant/severe autism.

We have had an interesting journey in the disability sector throughout my daughter’s life and I was naïve enough to assume that all would be well in world by the time we exited school.  I have greatly appreciated the support and information provided by this group as we have navigated the system.

I am a firm believer in the uniqueness of our population and that each individual has needs that cannot be addressed by a ‘one size fits all approach’.  There are definitely gaps in service provision for those with intensive support needs. The ability of Complex Care Group to report issues directly to the Ministry of Health is invaluable.

I have been a representative on the Consumer Consortium, currently on the Rett Syndrome Association Trust Board, Advisory group for Care Matters and am a Parent-to-Parent support parent.

Kimberly Graham
Board Member

Kimberly Graham is a dedicated accessible travel blogger and a passionate mother to Finlay Butcher, her 19-year-old son who has cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. As an ardent advocate for accessibility and inclusion, Kimberly writes extensively about accessible travel and inclusive tourism, sharing her insights and experiences to inspire others.

In addition to her blog, Kimberly runs an accessible travel forum, providing a valuable resource for individuals seeking information and support. She actively participates in various working groups and frequently presents on panels and in front of councils, emphasising the critical need for a nationwide network of Changing Places bathrooms and inclusive playgrounds.

This year, Kimberly joined the Access Matters Aotearoa Trust, aiming to drive change by updating the accessibility building code and advocating for a comprehensive Accessibility or Disability Act. Her mission is to make Aotearoa New Zealand the most accessible and inclusive country in the world, ensuring that all people with disabilities have equal standing in society.

Kimberly’s relentless efforts and advocacy work are paving the way for a more inclusive future, making significant strides toward a society where accessibility and inclusion are the norm.

John Brenkley
Board Member

My name is John Brenkley, and I currently live and work in Dunedin. My wife, Wendy, and I are both on the Board. We have three children, with the oldest being Sarah, who has Rett Syndrome and severe autism. Sarah was born in the UK while we were travelling and working. We moved back to New Zealand in 1994. Sarah has always been an important part of our family life. We have been balancing caring for her as best as we can while ensuring that our family, especially our two younger children, are able to lead as normal lives as possible. Over the years, we have experienced many challenges and successes in dealing with the disability sector. I believe that it is crucial for the Board to consist of individuals who have direct experience in living with children with high and complex needs. I take pride in being part of the Complex Care Group because it is designed to provide support for families in various ways. It offers information and support to families with children having high and complex needs. It’s reassuring to know that there’s a group that understands our experiences and can help us connect with others in similar situations. Another important aspect of the Complex Care Group is that it provides information about the needs of our population to government agencies and service providers. I believe we must have a means of communicating real-life issues to the decision-makers who impact how our families live.