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Welcome to The Runway Foundation – Term 1 Newsletter 2026!

It’s been a fantastic start to the year, and we’re excited to share some of the highlights with you. From our annual Runway Friends and Whānau Picnic to updates from our Kids Club and Youth programmes, there’s plenty to celebrate. We’re also pleased to introduce our new CEO and shareAddy’s Corner—packed with helpful tips and tricks to support your ADHD journey.

A Message from Terese

Runway gets a Runway!! — A huge welcome to Kerry 💛

Kia ora Runway whānau,

As many of you know, the past month has marked a very special transition for The Runway Foundation, and I couldn’t be more delighted to officially welcome Kerry Manders into the role of CEO.

Watching Kerry step into Runway has been an absolute joy. From the Runway picnic, to her pōwhiri, to rolling up her sleeves in Kids Clubs and connecting with our rangatahi at Youth Night — Kerry has entered this space with humility, warmth and a deep respect for our people and kaupapa. The enthusiasm and ideas she brings to our programmes are energising for our Team, and I have no doubt there are many exciting chapters ahead for Runway under her leadership.

I want to express my deep gratitude for the care Kerry has shown throughout this transition, and how confident I feel handing over leadership to someone so values‑led, thoughtful, and genuinely committed to our young people, whānau and community. Runway is in very good hands.

I was also encouraged by Kerry’s first Board meeting and the strong alignment between her leadership and the wisdom, commitment and heart of our Trustees. This shared vision gives me great confidence as Runway moves forward into its next chapter.

I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge our remarkable Runway team.

Kelvin, who leads our rangatahi with mana, gentleness and strength.
Ilse, for your joyful work in Kids Clubs and your support for our young ladies alongside the wonderful Eva Croft, our gifted part‑time youth coach.
Lorelei, who champions the counselling services and Parent Group — supporting not only our clients but also our frontline team with constant, generous and deeply wise care (many of us pop into her office for a “quick chat” and always come out better for it!).
Fran, our behind the scenes champion, whose leadership in admin, media and events keeps everything running smoothly — always with fun and flair.
Christina, our Treasurer in Rotorua and co‑founder, who has supported Runway for over ten years with jovial patience and faithfulness we all deeply appreciate.
Ally, who has generously given her time and compassion to support parents at Parent Group, walking alongside them with empathy born from lived experience.

To the the parents and whānau who have walked faithfully with Runway over the years — becoming friends along the journey, reminding us that our mahi is important -encouraging our team & one another, and inspiring those who are new to the Runway whānau with your stories of hope, thank you.

To those who have served Runway in past seasons — your contribution continues to shape who we are today. Your impact lives on.

Overseeing all of this is the Runway Board — Mike, Kate and Guy — true community champions. You won’t find better people: leaders who walk the walk, care deeply for those Runway serves, and hold a strong, hopeful vision for Runway’s future.

Thank you, Runway whānau, for walking this season with such grace.
And Kerry — welcome. I’m excited to see all that lies ahead.

Runway has been given a ‘runway’ – this fills my heart with JOY!  Let’s see where she flies!!

Ngā mihi nui,
Terese Marr

ADDventurers Kids Club – Term One

It has been a great start to 2026 at Kids Club. We have welcomed new faces to the whanau and they have settled in well and already made new friends.

Our theme for term 1 was “Awesome Me” where we celebrated the children’s strengths, being unique and reminded each other of how loved and cared for we are. The children had a lesson in practicing patience when we made chocolate chip muffins, and they had to wait for the muffins to come out of the oven as the delicious smell filled the house. 

We had a spaghetti and marshmallow tower competition where the children had to see who could build the tallest tower made of only spaghetti and marshmallows. I’m pretty sure that since I’ve started my job with Runway this activity kept the children engaged and focused more than any other activity. The children were so passionate about putting the pieces together to not only be tall, but to get it to be stable enough to stand. We definitely have a few future architects in our midst. Of course, the marshmallows seemed to dwindle as the sessions went on as there were a few sneaky bites here and there. 

The holiday activity at Gravity was a great success with the kids having a ball. Thank you to everyone who joined us for another successful holiday event.

Aroha nui,
Ilse Breytenbach

ADDventurers Youth – Term One

Kia ora whānau,

Wow—term one was extremely busy with student mentoring, introduction of NEW CEO - Kerry Manders and helping around our whare.

It’s been a great opportunity to reconnect with my youth and see the positive start they are making in their first term.

It’s been a real highlight was getting out into the schools and spending time mentoring our youth. They continue to have an adventurous spirit, and willingness to share their thoughts and ideas. Weather playing Monopoly, walking around Pukekohe Hill, heading to the local park and capturing their moments through listening to our youth and how they are going and what is on their mind.

Our Youth Nights have been full of energy and laughter, with games, great kōrero (conversations), and discussions about ADHD with pizza in the other hand!.

We were able to have our youth event at JK’s World of Golf after a very busy term 1. All youth enjoyed their time weather it was with a golf ball for the 1st time or if they have done it before.

Kelvin and Ilse are looking forward to attending SAYN Symposium held in Manukau networking with other Youth workers.

Thanks for your continued support. We’re looking forward to what next term brings!

Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers

The volunteers have gone from strength to strength, and it is so special to see how confident they have become in their roles. We had a lovely dinner for them at Trans kitchen in Pukekohe which they really appreciated. 

This year, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible people who generously give their time, energy, and compassion to support our programmes.

2026 has been recognised by the United Nations as the International Year of Volunteers, highlighting the vital role volunteers play in building stronger, more connected communities around the world.

At Runway, we're incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who help bring our ADDventurers Kids' Clubs and community events to life. Many of our volunteers are young people who generously share their time to support children and families, creating spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and connected.

Whether they're helping at Kids' Club, assisting at events, or simply offering a listening ear and a helping hand, every volunteer makes a meaningful difference.

Quite simply, we couldn't do what we do without them. To each and every one of our volunteers - thank you for being part of the Runway whānau and for helping us create positive experiences for so many children and families.

Tips, tricks, and ideas to try. 

ADDy's Corner is where we share helpful tips, tricks, and ideas that might make life a little easier. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we believe that by sharing as a community, we can support each other through the challenging, yet rewarding, journey of parenting our children with ADHD.

Internet safety for teens with ADHD (and how to keep them safe)

The goal isn’t to “ban the internet,” but to coach safety + build judgement, in bite‑sized, repeatable ways (because long lectures rarely stick).

1) Start with connection, not control

  • Open with curiosity: “Show me what you like about this app/game—what’s fun about it?” (You’ll learn the “why” behind their screen time, and they’ll be more likely to tell you when things go wrong.)
  • Use short, regular check-ins: 5 minutes in the car, at dinner, or while folding laundry beats one big “internet talk.” (Think “little and often)
  • Make it a shared mission: “My job is to help you stay safe and keep your future options open.”

2) Agree on a simple “Family Online Safety Code”

Netsafe’s parent toolkit encourages families to agree expectations, teach basics, model behaviour, and plan what to do if things go wrong.
Try this quick version (copy/paste into your fridge notes): [familytimes.co.nz], [netsafe.org.nz]

Our Family Online Safety Code (quick)

  • I won’t share: full name, address, school, passwords, or live location.
  • If someone is creepy/mean/pressuring: I screenshot + tell an adult.
  • Devices charge overnight outside bedrooms.
  • New apps = ask first.
  • We keep accounts private and review settings together monthly.
  • If something goes wrong, we fix it—no shame, just steps.

(If you want a printable contract to sign together, Common Sense Media has a “Family Media Agreement” template.) [commonsensemedia.org]

3) Lock in the “big three”: Privacy, People, Payments

The NZ Ministry of Education highlights key digital safety areas like privacy, scams/misinformation, and kind online behaviour.
Use these as your teen’s mental checklist:

Privacy

  • Set accounts to private; limit who can message/comment.
  • Turn off location sharing unless needed.
  • Do a monthly “privacy check” together (5 minutes).

People

  • “Online friends aren’t automatically safe friends.”
  • No meetups without parent involvement.
  • Teach “grooming red flags”: secrecy, flattery, gifts, urgency, “don’t tell your parents.”

Payments

  • Disable in‑app purchases or require approval.
  • Talk about scams: “If it’s urgent, secret, or too good to be true—pause.”

4) Create ADHD‑friendly boundaries that actually work

Because impulse can beat intention in the moment, build friction (speed bumps):

    • Phone curfews: devices out of bedrooms overnight.
    • Default “pause” rule: if they’re upset/excited, they wait 10 minutes before posting/replying.
    • One safe adult they can always message if they panic: “Just send ‘help’.”

    (Teens with ADHD may find it harder to resist peer influence and may make snap decisions under pressure—so having pre‑decided rules helps)

    5) Talk about the online stuff that harms wellbeing

    Keep it plain and non‑dramatic:

    • Cyberbullying: “If it happens, don’t argue—save evidence, block, report, tell us.”
    • Algorithms: apps feed more of what grabs attention (including harmful content), so taking breaks protects mood and sleep.
    • Reputation: “If you wouldn’t want it on the school noticeboard, don’t post it.”

    6) Safety in gaming, group chats, and DMs

      • Keep voice chat and DMs limited to known friends where possible.
      • Teach: No personal info, no photos on request, no “verification pics.”
      • Encourage “buddy gaming”: play in shared spaces sometimes—less secrecy, more safety

    7) Model the behaviour you want

    Netsafe’s framework explicitly includes modelling as a key step. [familytimes.co.nz]

    • Put phones away at meals sometimes (adults too).
    • Don’t overshare your teen online (ask consent).
    • Speak respectfully about others online—teens notice the tone you normalise.

    If something goes wrong: what to do (NZ quick guide)

    1) Stay calm + reassure: “I’m glad you told me.”
    2) Save evidence: screenshots, usernames, dates.
    3) Block + report on the platform (Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat/Roblox etc.).
    4) Get help (free and confidential): [keepitreal...ne.govt.nz]

    Tiny “Try this tonight” (5 minutes)

    1. Ask: “What’s one app that stresses you out and one you enjoy?”
    2. Do a privacy check on just one app together.
    3. Agree where phones charge overnight for the next 7 days.

    A note from Terese:

    “We all want to trust our kids online — but internet safety isn’t really a trust issue. For kids with curious, fast‑moving ADHD brains (think Ferraris with bicycle brakes), unrestricted internet and gaming is risky.

    It’s a bit like sending a child who can’t swim out into a West Coast NZ storm — no lifeguards, no flags. They’ll be swept away.

    Keeping our kids safe online takes effort. Set the boundaries. Stay nearby. Teach them the skills they’ll need to manage the risks themselves. It’s hard work — but it can be life‑saving for your child and your whānau.”

    The Runway Foundation Friends and Whānau Picnic

    With all the rain we had over summer, we were pretty excited to land a perfect evening for our annual Runway Friends and Whānau Picnic in March. It’s always a highlight on the calendar, bringing our families together for a night of fun, connection and plenty of laughs.

    This year’s “Kiwi As Summer” theme turned out to be a bit of a challenge, but there were still some great efforts—especially from the kids. Our costume winner, Joshua, fully committed as a kiwi bird (beak and all!), which was a definite crowd favourite.

    There was no shortage of entertainment, with giant wooden games sparking some friendly competition and the bouncy castle going non-stop. A huge thank you to Brett for keeping an eye on the action, and to Sonia for helping hand out sunglasses to all the registered adults. Our creative station saw kids decorating their own jandals, with plenty of colour, stickers and bling on display. We’re always so grateful for our Kids Club volunteers—Eva ran the jandal art like a pro, while Luke kept things lively at the water gun station (and quickly became the target himself!).

    Classic favourites like tug of war and sack races returned, along with a new pavlova relay that was a hit—mostly thanks to the shaving cream! It didn’t take long before the focus shifted from building the perfect “pav” to seeing who could use the most shaving cream.

    It was also great to have Laura from Create Happy back again, painting everything from cartoon characters to Pokémon and beautiful flowers. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Kiwi summer event without a sausage sizzle, with the BBQ going and onions frying.

    One of our new additions this year was a parents’ bingo card, designed to help our wonderful parents to connect. It was great to see conversations happening, and one winner took home a gift basket filled with Kiwi favourites.

    To everyone who came along, thank you for being part of our Runway community and helping make the evening so special. We hope you had an awesome night!

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