Student Volunteer Donates To Bush Penant Group

Media Release, for immediate release, Thursday 2 September

Kahuterawa Bush Remnant Group Receives Funds From Award Winning Student Volunteer

Kahuterawa Bush Remnant Restoration Group has received a $250 donation from the winner of the TrustPower Palmerston North Youth Community Spirit Award.

Paul Horne from Palmerston North Boy’s High School was named as winner of the Award, which recognises secondary school students’ service to the school and the community. The Award is jointly run by TrustPower and the Palmerston North City Council and was presented at the TrustPower Palmerston North Community Awards, held on Tuesday 31 August.

For winning the Award Paul received a framed certificate and $500, with $250 going to Paul personally and $250 being given to a community group of his choice.

“Paul has played a vital role in the restoration of the wetland within the Kahuterawa Bush remnant. It’s a special project, because wetlands are vital in the ecology of the area," says Kahuterawa Bush Remnant Restoration Group Coordinator Ken Rush.

"Local school children will be able to learn about the relationship between different eco-systems within the Kahuterawa Bush remnant. This is thanks partly to Paul and his volunteering efforts. We are so pleased that Paul has donated this money to the group and we look forward to consulting Paul about ways to use the donation,” says Mr Rush.

TrustPower Community Relations Representative Suzi Luff says the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award has been a wonderful opportunity to publicly acknowledge the work young people do to enrich their community.
“Often young people receive a lot of negative attention and we forget the tremendous amount of unpaid work young people do which adds tremendously to the fabric of our community.”

“Paul is an outstanding student who is passionate about environmental issues and is very active in a number of local projects.“

“He established and leads the environmental club at his school and he initiated a team of eight students to develop the wetland at the Kahuterawa Bush remnant,” says Miss Luff.

Paul also volunteered at the Palmerston North City Library for 18 months and umpired weekly hockey games for Hockey Manawatu for three years.

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