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Laurie Foon - Local Candidate, Local Hero
Laurie Foon - Local Candidate, Local Hero
Monday 4 December, 2017
Southern ward by-election candidate Laurie Foon will be presented with a Kiwibank Local Hero Award tonight at a ceremony at The Beehive in Wellington.
The Kiwibank Local Hero Award aims to identify and reward everyday people doing extraordinary things in their local communities.
Laurie has been recognised for her commitment to sustainable business, and her contribution to promoting Wellington as a Fair Trade city.
“I am honoured to receive this award. While I don’t think of myself as a hero, I do truly believe that businesses which are run sustainably and ethically can make a huge difference and I’m proud to be their advocate,” Laurie Foon said.
“This award is for them.”
For 20 years Laurie has been a leader in ethical and eco-fashion, founding the iconic Wellington fashion label Starfish. Since then she has moved on to act as the Sustainable Business Network’s Wellington regional manager, helping coach and support small and medium-sized businesses to be more environmentally friendly. Laurie is passionate about the benefits to people and the local economy of Wellington becoming waste-free and carbon neutral.
The Kiwibank Local Hero Award comes six months after Laurie was named as one of twelve ‘Absolutely Positively Wellingtonians’. The awards are given by Wellington City Council for outstanding or lengthy contributions, usually in a voluntary capacity, to the capital and its people.
Alongside her sustainable business role, Laurie also runs a blog and a radio show called B-Side Stories, in which she interviews people who make Wellington tick.
“It’s an odd feeling to be singled out for these awards, when I meet so many creative, passionate, stunning people through my work who are doing amazing things for Wellington,” says Laurie.
“Wellington has the potential to be the coolest little sustainable capital in the world. I’m immensely proud to play a small part in that.”
Information about Laurie's candidacy for the Southern Ward is available at Laurie Foon Southern on Facebook.
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