Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary And Recreation Areas Inc. Scoops Top Award

Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. has won the Supreme Award at the 2016 Trustpower Grey District Community Awards.

The Awards were announced and presented tonight (Monday 8 August) at a function at the Regent Theatre, Greymouth.

For winning the Supreme Award, Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. received a framed certificate, a trophy and $1,500 prize money. Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. now has the opportunity to represent the district at the 2016 Trustpower National Community Awards, which are being held in Rotorua in March 2017.

In total, Trustpower has given away over $5,000 to various community groups through tonight’s Awards.

Trustpower Community Relations Representative Emily Beaton says Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. have been making a huge impact on the environment and volunteers have been putting in some serious hours to get there.

“Nearly one thousand volunteer hours were spent planting over 10,000 plants as part of channel excavations, and that’s just the beginning of the stuff that the Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. volunteers get involved with.

They get stuck in pulling out gorse and broom seedlings, and they are actively working with the Grey District Council to plan signage and interpretation panels for the new Cobden Lagoon, which is being rehabilitated from a former rubbish dump.

They’re using their planting skills here too, helping to plant native species and control weeds in this area.

Rat and stoat trapping is another aspect that they have been a part of for several years and 58 bird species have been recorded in the wetlands.

The work undertaken by these volunteers has huge community support and this is testament to their communications, organisation and facilitation of their various projects,” says Miss Beaton.

Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Areas Inc. also won the Heritage and Environment category at tonight’s awards.

Other winners at tonight’s Trustpower Grey District Community Awards were:

Youth Spirit
Winner: Dana Lambert
Runner up: Kiwa Kahukura Denton

Heritage and Environment
Winner: Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreations Areas Inc

Health and Wellbeing
Winner: Victim Support
Runner up: West Coast Cancer Society
Arts and Culture
Winner: West Coast Society of Arts
Runner up: New Coasters Inc.

Sports and Leisure
Winner: Greymouth Motorcycle Street Racer Committee Inc.
Runner up: Karoro School

Education and Child Youth Development
Winner: Greymouth Scout and Cub Group
Runner up: Greymouth St Johns

Please find attached a full citation for all recipients.

The Awards are being presented at a function this evening, Monday 8 August, at the Regent Theatre, starting at 6pm. Media are welcome to attend.

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