Media release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Upper Hutt Inspire: Young Achiever Awards 2013

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 11 APR 2013—Nominations are open for the 2013 Upper Hutt Young Achiever Awards. For the ninth year running, the awards will be held during Youth Week 4 – 12 May which does not leave much time to submit nominations, required by Thursday 25 April.

Pakiwaitaratanga, Live like a Legend is the theme for Youth week 2013. The theme centres on “Look to the legends of the past to inspire you to be a legend in the present”. Be it in sport or everyday life, many of us draw upon the actions of our childhood heroes to inspire us to achieve in the activities we pursue. Most of us do not receive any recognition for our efforts and on the most part our achievements go largely unnoticed. The Young Achiever Awards provides the Upper Hutt community with the opportunity to do this, to recognize the achievements of our young people.

The big difference this year compared with previous years is the inclusion of a Mayoral Award. This category does not have set criteria and could recognize anything, such as achievement against the odds, or someone who has overcome adversity to succeed in achieving their goals. All nominees will be considered for selection under this category and Mayoral commendations may also be made.

One such person who has recently achieved against the odds is Jarrod Westrupp. Jarrod hails from Upper Hutt and started training at Naenae Boxing Academy in 2006 in an effort to get off the streets. Through his dedication and commitment, he has managed to turn his life around and was last year appointed as an Outward Bound Ambassador.

“Here in Upper Hutt we have a huge pool of uncelebrated talent and only occasionally do we actually take the time to sit back and applaud the wins of Upper Hutt young people. This is your chance to nominate a young person who you believe is worthy of greater recognition, for their efforts in whatever field, so please take a few minutes to complete a nomination form in recognition of significant effort. Additionally, you may be providing the potential award winner with a critical point of difference over other people, which could be crucial in today’s increasingly competitive environment”, says Steve Smith, Council’s Acting Senior Community Development Advisor.

Young achievers can be nominated across a variety of different categories, including Culture, Service and Leadership, in addition to the Mayoral Award. The categories are broad, so people making nominations are encouraged to think creatively about which category best fits their nominee. Previous nominations have included peer support leaders, people involved in Scouts and Stage Challenge, school leaders, volunteers at a local church or at St John’s ambulance, sports leaders or people who have given time to the community in other ways.

The nominations will be judged by six Upper Hutt representatives, each of whom brings a diverse set of skills to the judging panel. The prestigious awards ceremony, where winners and runner-ups will be presented with their awards, will be held at Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre. The event will include performances by talented local singers, dancers and musicians.

Nominations for the Inspire: Young Achiever Awards close on Thursday 25 April. Nominations can be made by anyone, but nominees must be aged 13 to 24 years. You can nominate online at www.upperhuttcity.com/inspire2013 or print a nomination form from the website and return it to Council. Contact Steve Smith if you would like to discuss nomination criteria or ask for a form to be posted out with a return envelope, by phoning 527-2798 or email stephen.smith@uhcc.govt.nz

A full calendar of Youth Week events will soon be published via the Leader and online at http://www.upperhuttcity.com/youth, so keep your calendar free May 4 – May 12. There are some great events planned to provide the young people of our city with some awesome activities.

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

ENDS

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