RNZFB Board Chair’s Newsletter – September 2026

RNZFB Annual General Meeting

The Board are looking forward to welcoming members to the 2026 Annual General Meeting at 9:30am on Saturday 21 November 2026 in Dunedin. All members are welcome to attend.
On Friday 30 October, we will send the Annual Report (Community Impact Report) and the Performance Report (financial statements) for the 2025–26 financial year to every member who has chosen to receive them. If you would like a copy in your preferred format, please call our Contact Centre on 0800 24 33 33.

The AGM is also a valuable chance to ask questions, share your views and hear more about RNZFB’s work and the Board’s direction. If travelling to Dunedin isn’t convenient, there are two other ways you may be able to take part:

• Join from a local office: If there’s enough interest, you can watch the Dunedin meeting live from another Blind Low Vision NZ office.
• Join online: You can also come along by Zoom—just book your spot first.

If you’re planning to attend in Dunedin, join a linked meeting or take part by Zoom, please let the Board Secretary know by Friday 30 October.

If you have a question that may need some background research, please send it to the Board Secretary by Friday 30 October. This will help us provide a fuller and more useful answer at the meeting.

Members of the public are also welcome to attend the AGM as observers, as provided for in the RNZFB Constitution. If you would like to attend as an observer, please contact the Board Secretary by Friday 30 October.

Under the Board’s policy, observers attend from one of the designated Blind Low Vision NZ offices rather than joining remotely from another location. Observers are welcome to listen and may speak if invited by the Chair.

RNZFB Board Elections 2026

Here are the key dates to add to your calendar:

• 25 September: Nominations for director close.
• 28 September: Announcement of Candidates standing in 2026 elections.
• 12 October: Meet the Candidates event.
• 16 October: Voting papers and Notice of AGM sent to members.
• 13 November: Closing date of ballot for directors.
• 21 November: Annual General Meeting in Dunedin.

Questions about the Board elections, becoming a director, the Constitution, voting or the timeline are very welcome. Please contact the Returning Officer at BoardSecretary@BlindLowVision.org.nz or call the BLVNZ Contact Centre on 0800 24 33 33.

Chair’s Award

Each year at the AGM, the Chair’s Award celebrates a blind, deafblind or low vision client whose achievements have been truly outstanding in any field. The recipient receives a trophy to hold for one year, a framed certificate and $1,000.
Do you know someone whose achievements deserve to be celebrated? We’d love to hear about them. Please send your nomination and supporting information to the Board Secretary at BoardSecretary@BlindLowVision.org.nz or call 0800 24 33 33.

Chair’s Newsletter

Would you like to know more about the Board’s recent decisions and activities? The latest Chair’s newsletter includes a fuller update from our 4 July meeting. You can read it on the BLVNZ Governance webpage or listen through the Telephone Information Service by choosing option 3, then 1, then 1.

Ngā mihi nui,

Donna McCaskill
Chair, RNZFB Board