Live Well Waihī Beach named semifinalist for 2025 New Zealand Community of the Year

The Live Well Waihī Beach team. Photo / Stuart Attwood

From thousands of nominations throughout New Zealand, community-focused group Live Well Waihī Beach has been named a semifinalist in the 2025 Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year.

The annual awards recognise groups that have made an outstanding difference to their community and whose achievements enhance the social, economic, cultural or environmental prosperity of their region.

Live Well Waihī Beach co-ordinator Pippa Coombes says they’re delighted to be named a semifinalist.

Theirs is an organisation “with a steering committee driving innovative and dynamic collaboration between residents, groups and organisations – it takes a whole village”, she says.

Over the past year, Live Well has made strides in accessibility and environmental care including maintaining beach mats and wheelchairs, installing water fountains and refill stations and raising $120,000 with Waihī Beach Surf Lifesaving Club for a high-needs accessible changing room.

“We host adaptive surfing events with Parafed Waikato and Bay of Plenty; these initiatives, powered by over 40 volunteers, highlight the inclusivity and determination of our community,” says fellow co-ordinator Cindy Clare.

Among their environmental focus is predator control, protection of nationally threatened native birds, community beach clean pods, a food and beverage carton recycling scheme, and a Matariki garden designed with Waihī Beach School.

Live Well is a post-Covid-19 initiative to rebuild social connections, Pippa says. But it has since expanded to address goals and community financial resilience, given the increasing competition for community funding.

“Importantly, any bequests or funding we receive are invested directly back into our community, including, for example, supporting the local MenzShed with orders for predator traps.”

Pippa says their ongoing dedication to collective action is grounded in kindness, connection and community pride.