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23 February 2017

Randwick Park wins Mitre 10 Community of the Year

A small South Auckland suburb that rebounded from tragedy to create a close knit community was last night named Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year for 2017.

The 6,000 strong Randwick Park community was shaken in 2008 when armed robbers killed a local store owner - an event that brought residents together and kick-started a renewed sense of community spirit.

For Maree Beaven, Chairman of the Randwick Park Residents Group, winning the Community of the Year Award shows that it’s not a waste to dream about making things better – because Randwick Park has done exactly that.

“It gives our community a huge sense of pride and makes us realise that the way we’ve connected as locals is something special,” says Maree.

Through their efforts to foster connections within the community the Residents Group helped to open a multipurpose reserve and community building, set up locally run community programmes and a childcare programme that is voluntarily run by local youth.

The award, presented at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards in Auckland, recognises team work, perseverance and enthusiasm by acknowledging groups that consistently strive to improve life in their region.

Mitre 10 Chief Executive, Neil Cowie, says the Kiwi owned co-op is privileged to sponsor the award and recognise New Zealand’s local spirit and community pride.

“I was inspired by the impact this year’s nominees have had on their communities, and all three finalists should be immensely proud of their efforts. Randwick Park stood out for us through their strong sense of community spirit and their drive to improve the lives of those around them,” says Mr Cowie.

“As a co-operative of locally owned and operated stores we see first-hand the impact that groups like our finalists have in people’s lives, and also try to do our bit where we can. These finalists really show what it means to be a New Zealander and what true community spirit looks like.”

Other finalists for the Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year Award were Empowered Learning Trust, a not-for-profit group that helps young people with learning disabilities, and the Lawrence Community, a small town in Otago with 1,200 locals who banded together and fundraised $400k for a community pool upgrade.

Other award winners announced at last night’s ceremony include Taika Waititi, who won the award for Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year and Rez Gardi, who won the University of Auckland Young New Zealander of the Year award.

Past winners of the Community of the Year Award are: Community Fruit Harvest, Victim Support, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ, the town of Paeroa, Gibbston Community Association of Central Otago and the Victory Village.

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About Mitre 10

Mitre 10 is a New Zealand co-operative with 82 locally owned and operated stores nationwide that employ close to 5,000 team members combined. It is the country’s largest home improvement and garden retailer and one of the fastest-growing trade merchants. Mitre 10 has been a household name since 1974 and has been voted the most trusted home improvement retail brand in New Zealand several times.

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