The annual Porirua Civic Awards, which honours outstanding volunteer work in the community, is back on after it was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Nominations for 2021 entries open today, 6 April, and will close on 3 May.

These awards are Porirua’s highest honour to recognise its citizens, who by their personal leadership, inspiration, sacrifice, or devotion to a cause, have made a significant contribution to the community.

"Over the past year, volunteers across the Porirua community stepped up in so many ways to meet the challenges of the pandemic. The Porirua Civic Awards are an important way we can honour these amazing efforts," says Porirua City Mayor, Anita Baker.

"I want to encourage everyone to nominate our local role models who just get on with helping others and work tirelessly to support the needs in our community.

"During the pandemic I saw residents from every walk of life put their hands up to help their neighbours, friends, family and strangers to get through - it made me so proud to call Porirua home," says Mayor Baker.

She says that people can be nominated for a wide range of volunteering areas such as the environment, children and young people, social services, cultural activities, recreation, older adults, education, and the arts.

"If you know of someone that has done a great job this past year, please nominate them. The challenges of 2020 remind us of the importance of community - and of the many local heroes who make a difference to our city not just in tough times, but every day."

Details of the awards, a guide on how to make nominations, and the nomination form, are available from the Porirua City website: https://poriruacity.govt.nz/civic-awards

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