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Last Chance to Thank Southern Voluntary Groups


Last Chance to Thank Southern Voluntary Groups

Locals have just a few more days to get their favourite volunteers involved in the region’s biggest celebration of volunteers, because entries for the Trustpower Southland Invercargill Community Awards close next Friday (5pm, July 24).

Last year, 45 groups were entered, and Invercargill deputy mayor Darren Ludlow is keen to see that number jump this time around.

“Invercargill and Southland have essentially been built on the work of volunteers. One strong part of our characters is that we’re also incredibly modest, so people don’t want to stick up their hand.

“A lot of the time, too, people don’t realise that what they’re doing is actually volunteering. It’s the Kiwi way, and it’s certainly the Southland way; people just get in and help, and don’t think of it as volunteering,” Ludlow said.

Trustpower community relations representative Arielle Monk believes although there has not been a big uptake in entries this year, there are still many groups providing services, activities, support and events in the community, and are often not recognised for doing so.

“The value of volunteering is huge; we know New Zealand is a giving nation. In 2013, the World Giving Index classed us in the top ten nations for volunteering and giving,” she said.

“These groups deserve to be recognised, new and old. We’ve just had Happy2Help nominated, and they’re very new – that’s great. Because they all should have some special attention – although that’s sometimes exactly what they don’t want.”

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Ludlow urged people to get together over the next few days “and figure out which groups have that volunteering component”.

“There are so many out there, and the awards night at the Civic Theatre is going to be such a cool community event,” Monk said.

Last year’s group category supreme winner was the volunteers of the ILT Kidzone, who run an invaluable event which has created economic, recreational and educational benefits to the community around it.

The awards, run by Trustpower in partnership with the Southland District and Invercargill City Council, acknowledge volunteer organisations and individuals for the contributions they make to their community. Now in its eigth year, the awards have helped invest more than $30,000 back into the region’s grass roots communities.

Entry forms are available from Council offices and service centres, or they can be completed online on our Facebook page, Trustpower Community. The presentation will be celebrated with a function at the Civic Theatre on September 21.

ENDS

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