Editorial: Let us all help build a cottage

The courage shown by people with disabilities can, at times, put us able-bodied individuals to shame.

Living with a disability must be hard and that is why you have to admire organisations like Presbyterian Support and Realpeople@rowan, which provides quality supported living accommodation in Napier for 19 people under 65 with a physical disability.

Hawke's Bay Today also wants to play its part and that is why we are helping raise money for the Realpeople@rowan cottage fundraising scheme. Part of the money will go towards a cottage being built on Rowan's Taradale grounds. It will allow Duncan Pollock, who has spina bifida, to move out of his room at Rowan into his own cottage in the same complex. The reason Duncan wants to move is that he is marrying his fiancee Anne-Marie Sykes in November and they need a place they can call home.

That is the thing about people with disabilities, they are still Real People and that is what Realpeople@rowan is trying to get across to the general public. People like Duncan can achieve great things and they just need the support of the community to do so.

Hawke's Bay Today had no hesitation in getting behind the project when Presbyterian Support approached us to help them raise funds. How could we refuse? It is a worthy cause and anything that positively benefits all sectors of our community will have our support.

So I would like to encourage you to turn back to page five of today's paper and see how you can donate to a project aimed at improving people's lives. There is a cut-out coupon that you can fill out and post to Realpeople with your donation. Every cent will be gratefully received.

If you missed Duncan's amazing story, which we ran in Saturday's paper, see it here. It is an inspirational read and if you want more information, follow the link to the Presbyterian Support website and it will also offer you the opportunity to donate to the cause.

This paper is going to be running stories until November promoting this fundraising campaign. Why don't you become part of the drive? Don't buy that morning coffee each day for one week and donate the money to Realpeople@rowan instead.

They certainly would appreciate it.