Our leaders

All of our members at People First NZ regularly show their self-advocacy skills in the way they speak up at local group meetings.

They also have the opportunity to extend these skills and develop leadership and advocacy skills through collaborative learning and sharing their knowledge at regional meetings and leadership forums.

Regional meetings

Group of people outside standing on grass. Some of the people in the front have pieces of paper with their position in the committee written on it.

Midland members at their regional meeting with their newly elected committee.


Three times a year, each of the 6 regions have regional meetings. Two people from each local group are nominated to attend the meeting.

The meetings are run by the region's Executive Committee – the president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.


At the meeting, each group reports on what they have been doing and raises anything they want to discuss at the regional meeting.


Members get a chance to:

  • meet people from other groups
  • hear what else is happening in the region, and to
  • share information with their local groups at their next meeting.


Elections are run every 2 years - with the Regional President having a seat on the National Committee.

Leadership Forum

Group of people standing in a cluster with one standing behind a lectern talking into a microphone.

The Southern Regional representatives presenting at the 2022 Leadership Forum.


The Leadership Forum run by People First NZ is an opportunity for emerging leaders from each of the regions to learn and be mentored by our established leaders.


At the heart of the forum is about putting into practice the rights in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) and understanding how this applies to a New Zealand context.


It's a great opportunity for members to work directly with the National Committee and to hear about the work other leaders and our upcoming leaders are doing.



We are citizens too


Members get involved in projects with People First NZ. One of these projects is a short film that documents some of our members talking about what it means for them to have a good life - it's called 'I am a Citizen too'


In 'I am a Citizen too' you can hear about important topics for people with learning disability including: money, keeping safe, media, disability support, housing, abuse and work.

Watch I am a Citizen too [You Tube - 5.19m]