A huge thank you to Chapter 1 and everyone involved in Suitcase Stories | Chapter1 , which culminated in the Runway Reveal event which was held on Sunday 30 August in the gallery. The event brought together Canterbury artists, supporters and the wider community around a very creative idea…transforming suitcases into unique works of art, with funds raised to support Nurse Maude Hospice and Koru Care Christchurch. Each artist was given a suitcase and invited to tell a story through art – there were 66 suitcases (most were vintage style) in total. The identity of the artists remained a mystery, so people have been purchasing the suitcases without knowing who had created them. Each suitcase is being sold for $500. The artists’ identities were revealed at Sunday’s event. The Runway Reveal was a great celebration of the project, with a group of young Koru Care recipients carrying the suitcases down the runway while wearing clothing they’d selected from our Nurse Maude op shops.

Nurse Maude has welcomed A Place to Grow Old as an important opportunity to rethink how New Zealand supports people as they age; moving from separate services and settings towards care that is connected around the person. Nurse Maude CEO Louise Zacest says the report provides a clear description of the key challenges facing the aged care sector and provides direction and recommendations on what is needed to address these. “As the report itself notes, these aren't challenges for the future – they are already here. We welcome the recognition that significant reform is needed, and that we need to start this work now.”