New Awards to Celebrate Whakatane District's Community Heroes
 
Entries are now open for the inaugural TrustPower Whakatāne District Community Awards to showcase and celebrate local volunteers.
 
Entries for the TrustPower Whakatāne District Community Awards open today (Monday 30 April).  The Awards, which are run in conjunction with the Whakatāne District Council, are open to all voluntary groups and organisations working for the benefit of the district.
 
The TrustPower Community Awards are run in 25 regions throughout New Zealand, and there is over $5,000 in prize money up for grabs through the Whakatāne District Community Awards.  
 
TrustPower Community Relations Coordinator Suzi Luff says TrustPower is excited about launching the Community Awards programme in Whakatāne region.
 
“With TrustPower gaining more new customers recently as well as operating some local generation schemes, the TrustPower Community Awards programme is the perfect way to give something back to the community that has welcomed us so warmly,” says Miss Luff.
 
Anyone can enter a voluntary group or organisation for the TrustPower Community Awards – groups can even enter themselves.
 
“The TrustPower Community Awards are a brilliant way for the community in the Whakatāne District to get behind their voluntary groups.
 
There are hundreds of local volunteers and they dedicate thousands of hours to the community. Often they are not recognised for the invaluable work they do.”
 
Now it’s the local community’s chance to say ‘thank you’ to these volunteers who work hard to improve the community – from sports clubs, to Plunket groups, to community projects happening in your backyard. It takes five minutes of your time to enter a voluntary group but it will make a real difference to the volunteers you are recognising,” says Miss Luff.
 
Entry Forms for the TrustPower Community Awards are available from the Council offices or service centre or can be downloaded from www.trustpowerco.nz/communityawards.  Entry forms can also be received by calling TrustPower Community Relations on 0800 87 11 11 or if you prefer, the TrustPower Community Relations Team will take details of your entry over the phone.
 
The awards cover five categories; Heritage and Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Arts and Culture, Sport and Leisure, and Educational and Child/Youth Development.   Category winners receive $500, runners-up receive $250 and the Supreme Winner will take home $1,500 and an all-expenses paid trip to the TrustPower National Community Awards.  Last year’s Supreme Winner was Cambridge Tree Trust.
 
Entries for the TrustPower Whakatāne District Community Awards close on Friday 6 July 2012.

ENDS

© Scoop Media