Friday, 10 August 2018

Upper Hutt groups celebrated for their contribution to the community

Upper Hutt community groups were honoured at Wednesday night’s Wellington International Airport Community Awards Ceremony.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 10 AUG 2018—The Upper Hutt awards ceremony for the Wellington International Airport Community Awards was held at Expressions Whirinaki Arts and Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 8 August. His Worship the Mayor, Wayne Guppy hosted representatives from 49 nominated community groups.

The awards were presented in five categories: Arts and Culture; Education and Child/Youth Development; Health and Well-being; Sport and Leisure; and Heritage and Environment. Cross-category Supreme and Rising Star awards were also presented on the night.

The winner of the Supreme Award was Te Ataarangi Upper Hutt. This group are part of a wider whanau known as Te Ataarangi ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and have been operating from Orongomai Marae for over 30 years. Te Reo lessons are delivered by a group of dedicated kaiako (who all learnt Te Reo through Te Ataarangi Upper Hutt). They teach students using waiata (songs), mihimihi (personal introductions), kemu (games), roopu papamahi (group work) and Hui a rohe (marae stayovers). Students are welcome from all walks of life, ages, and ethnicities.

The Rising Star award, which recognises emerging and smaller groups was presented to The Hub. The Hub is a café and op-shop selling coffee and affordable items and using the principles of social enterprise to provide a means to improve social wellbeing and to support people in need. The Hub also gives away many items for free and uses the ‘pay it forward’ principle.

“The strength of our community is the number of voluntary and community groups that operate within Upper Hutt,” said Mayor Guppy. “The Community Awards is a great example of acknowledging the work that these groups put into our community.”

Category winners will represent Upper Hutt at the regional awards held at Te Papa in November, where they will have a chance to be named regional category and supreme winners.

Upper Hutt category award winners are:

Arts and Culture

Winner: Upper Hutt Multicultural Council
Runner-up: Upper Hutt Spinners and Weavers:

Education and Child/Youth Development

Winner: Te Ataarangi Upper Hutt
Runner-up: YMCA of Greater Wellington

Health and Wellbeing

Winner: Every Body is a Treasure Charitable Trust
Runner-up: The Local Café

Heritage and Environment

Winner: Upper Hutt Forest and Bird – Old Man’s Beard Volunteers
Runner-up: Boomerang Bags

Sport and Leisure

Winner: Upper Hutt Maidstone United Netball Club
Runner-up: Hutt Valley New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association

Rising Star Award

Winner: The Hub
Runner-up: Belle

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