Press release

The district’s volunteering heroes will be recognised in the 2016 Civic Honours Awards.

Nominations for the awards opened on Tuesday (October 27).

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule says volunteers are the “oil that keeps society running. Without their contribution we really would be stuck. It is important we celebrate their efforts, and ensure they know that we really do appreciate them.”

Nominations can be placed in the following categories: arts and culture, health and welfare, sport and recreation, education and youth, new volunteer and youth volunteer.

The 2015 awards starred nine individuals and one group. They came from very varied backgrounds, spanned age groups, and devoted their time to a vastly varied range of activities and organisations, from Scouts and surf lifesaving, to Maori culture and raising funds for Cranford Hospice.

“The range of activities volunteers are involved in is exhaustive; I’m very keen that we find the people who put in so much effort. Sometimes it is not easy, they’re usually really humble, often shy, and not convinced they deserve recognition, so we rely on other people to nominate them,” said Mr Yule.

Nominations close on Friday 26th February 2016 and forms are available from the Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere libraries and from Council’s Service Centre in Lyndon Road.

Nomination forms can also be downloaded or completed online at www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/civicawards

To take another look at last year’s award recipients, see: http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/files/all/documents/civicawards2015.pdf

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