Commencing in 2011 The Balnaves Foundation is providing funds to Polio Australia to enable us to employ a full-time National Program Manager for three years.  We were delighted to be able to offer Mary-ann Liethof full-time employment (following her part-time employment with us in 2010) and she was appointed to the position in January 2011. The Balnaves Foundation has also provided funds to commission an Access Economics study into the prevalence and incidence of polio in Australia and to quantify the economic, social and public health burden of the late effects of polio in this country.

On 24 February 2011, representatives from Polio Australia met with representatives from The Balnaves Foundation to provide our first progress report.  We also met with representatives from Access Economics to discuss the brief for their study and provide background material to inform it.

Standing (L to R): Mary-ann Liethof (National Program Manager, Polio Australia), Hamish Balnaves (General Manager and Trustee, The Balnaves Foundation), Neil Balnaves AO (Founder, The Balnaves Foundation), Brad McIntosh (Trustee, The Balnaves Foundation)

Seated (L to R): Neil von Schill (Treasurer, Polio Australia), Gillian Thomas (President, Polio Australia)