Back a volunteer today

Back a volunteer today

The search is currently on for Whanganui’s hard working volunteer groups, with entries still open for the Trustpower Energy Direct Community Awards.

These awards are into their third year of celebrating the district’s volunteers and they acknowledge volunteers in a range of categories from Health and Wellbeing to Sports and Leisure. Also celebrated is an overall Supreme Winner, and last year this was Whanganui’s very own Stone Soup Community.

This group went on to represent their district at the Nationals in Wellington in March this year.

Kathy Parnell of Stone Soup Community attended the last national awards and says it was meeting the 24 other Supreme Award winners from across Aotearoa that really made the weekend special.

“The Nationals is a unique opportunity to mix with likeminded people; each behind another incredible project from another part of New Zealand. On top of this we got to see different parts of Wellington and we were treated like royalty, something I’m not used to. I would strongly encourage members of this community to get behind local volunteers and make sure these people get the pat on the back they deserve. It only takes two ticks to enter a group for the Awards but it really does mean a lot to those you are recognising,” says Parnell.

But this is one of many volunteer driven projects in the Whanganui region that are revitalizing the community says Trustpower Community Relations Representative Jess Somerville.

“The Community Awards are all about shining a little light on all that volunteers and the groups they run do for the region. They are literally behind the scenes running events, organising sports teams and effecting positive changes in their community, like Stone Soup Community. I can’t emphasise enough what volunteers do for this region.

Now it’s the community’s chance to say ‘thanks’ to these volunteers who work hard for the community. Its takes less than five minutes to enter a voluntary group but it will make a real difference to the volunteers you are recognising,” says Miss Somerville.

Anyone can enter a voluntary group for the Awards – groups can even enter themselves.

”Trustpower has more than $5,000 to give through this year’s local Awards,” says Miss Somerville.

The Supreme Winner of this year’s awards will represent the district at the Trustpower National Community Awards in Dunedin next March.

ENDS

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