English Language Partners wins supreme community award

7 August 2013

English Language Partners wins supreme community award

English Language Partners – an organisation providing resettlement support and English language teaching for migrants and refugees – won the Supreme Winner of the 2013 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for Wellington City last night.

The awards, presented at a ceremony hosted by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown in the Council Chamber, acknowledge the inspirational contribution of voluntary and non-profit organisations to Wellington. The awards are sponsored by Wellington International Airport in partnership with the Wellington Community Trust.

English Language Partners has been operating for almost 40 years. Each year they help hundreds of adult learners with tuition and social support at home, in the community and in workplaces.

Volunteers with English Language Partners continue to play a huge role in tutoring English and mentoring for migrant job seekers. More than 320 volunteer home tutors and 50 job mentors help migrants to develop confidence and learn about life in New Zealand, and to prepare them for education or employment.

Mayor Wade-Brown said the event celebrates Wellington's vibrant volunteer sector.

"The awards recognise the great work of our community sector, our volunteers, and our people who make a difference in the lives of fellow Wellingtonians. Some of the organisations are run by volunteers, some are staffed by professionals; all of which makes Wellington a better place to live.

"Wellington City Council is committed to growing our volunteer and community sector, and recently we launched Our Volunteer Capital, an initiative to grow partnerships with businesses, voluntary organisations, employers and the wider community."

Jo Maxwell, Community Awards Manager, Wellington Airport, says the hard work put in by these dedicated groups plays an invaluable role in the community.

"Congratulations to English Language Partners and the work they do with migrants and refugees in our community. There is a high demand for these services in Wellington and they have been doing it successfully for many years. We want to make sure that they are recognised and celebrated for their dedication and hard work."

Other category winners, runners-up and commended, were:

Arts and Culture category

Winner – Youthdance Education Trust

Runner-up – Binge Collective

Education Child/Youth Development category

Winner – English Language Partners

Runner-up – Wellington Boys and Girls Institute

Health and Wellbeing category

Winner – Chinese Senior Community

Runner-up – Bellyfull Karori

Commended – Wellington City Menzshed Trust

Commended – Timebank

Commended – Can Survive Dragon Boat Team

Commended – Kiwi Community Assistance

Heritage and Environment category

Winner – Nga Hau e wha o Paparangi

Runner-up – Wellington Marine Education Trust

Sport and Leisure category

Winner – Adventure Wellington

Runner-up – North Wellington Junior Football

Commended – Hataitai Amateur Swimming

Each category winner received $1000 and runners-up $250 and the chance to go through to the regional finals next month, when they will compete against category winners selected by other councils in the region. The Wellington awards attracted over 60 nominations from a wide range of local groups.

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