Searching for Waipa’s Local Heroes

Searching for Waipa’s Local Heroes

The once a year opportunity to celebrate and recognise local volunteers has arrived in the Waipa District, with nominations open for the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards.

Nominations for the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards open today (Monday 17 January). The Awards, which are run in conjunction with the Waipa District Council, are open to all voluntary groups and organisations working to make Waipa a better place to live.

In the ten years that the TrustPower Community Awards has been run in the Waipa District, more than $50,000 has been awarded to deserving voluntary groups and organisations. This year more than $5,000 is up for grabs.

Anyone can nominate a group or organisation for the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards – voluntary groups and organisations can even nominate themselves.

Last year 46 groups were nominated for the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards, but TrustPower Community Relations Representative Suzi Luff believes there are many more voluntary groups out there who deserve recognition

“Volunteers in the Waipa District 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 nominate a voluntary group but it will make a real difference to the volunteers you are recognising,” says Miss Luff.

Nomination Forms for the TrustPower Community Awards are available from the Council offices or service centre or can be downloaded from www.trustpower.co.nz/communityawards. Nomination forms can also be received by calling TrustPower Community Relations on 0800 87 11 11.

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 Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society Inc.

TVNZ is continuing its partnership with the TrustPower Community Awards to bring to our screens remarkable stories of volunteers all over the country through the introduction of the Volunteer Power Award. The winner of this Award will be chosen by TVNZ and presented to the organisation that has the best community story to tell TVNZ’s nationwide, family oriented audience. The announcement of the Volunteer Power Award will be made at the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards.

The group or oganisation that wins the Volunteer Power Award will be filmed by TVNZ to feature in the series ‘Volunteer Power’, which will screen on the soon-to-be re-launched TVNZ 7. Presented by Julia Bloore and Jim Mora, Volunteer Power tells the stories of visionary and resourceful projects operating in kiwi communities - fuelled by the boundless energy of community volunteers.

Nominations for the TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards close on Friday 25 March.

ENDS

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