Who will make it on to the New Year Honours List this year?
Video / NZHerald
Bruce Nairn
Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community and sport
Bruce Nairn has been awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in the 2024 New Year Honours for his services to the community and sport after setting a target to volunteer 10 per cent of his working week more than 50 years ago.
His range of roles included being appointed a Justice of the Peace, secretary of the Log Transport Safety Council and secretary and president of the Tokoroa Axemen and Bushcraft Association — despite having never competed in the sport
His role as trustee of the South Waikato Sports and Leisure Board led to the highlight of his career as he worked to open the South Waikato Sports and Events Centre in 2016.
He is proud of the board for building the centre on time and within budget after they raised $300,000 through local fundraising and donations from the NZ Lottery Board, Trust Waikato and Bank of New Zealand.
“The centre was a great asset for the South Waikato community,” Nairn said.
He considered sport to be the way a community survives and said it was a great way to meet new people.
“It’s all about encouraging youth and to see them all come through to join sports and participate is just so great.”
The centre is a multi-purpose facility for sports such as volleyball, basketball and netball, and is also set up for meetings and events.
Nairn used to play rugby and was secretary of his rugby club at 19, but now enjoys playing golf.
Another achievement was establishing driver safety guidelines and education programmes for the log transport industry.
He organised nationwide roadshows including the “Share the Road” road-safety campaign delivered in rural schools.
“We took a logging truck into rural schools and showed the kids what they could see from the cab so when the trucks were working around the rural schools and the kids were on their bikes they could be aware of them,” he said.
Bruce Nairn has been given a Queen’s Service Medal for his services to the community and sport.
The popular programme was delivered to schools across the central North Island.
As treasurer of the Tokoroa Hospice Trust, he helped fundraise for equipment and support for palliative patients and their families.
Nairn said he was surprised to receive the Queen’s Service Medal and said he could have never done it without his boss supporting his volunteering passions.
“I also have to thank my wife for supporting me because you can’t do it on your own.”
