"This year's recipients are selfless, loving and dedicated people who have all impacted our community in unique ways. The positive difference they have made to the lives of others cannot be overstated. It's important we as a community take time to reflect and acknowledge the special place these people hold in our lives."
The Kiwibank Local Hero awards is New Zealand's premier community award, celebrating and honouring those who have made a positive contribution to their region, town, suburb or community.
Altogether 340 specially made Local Hero medals will be presented nationwide over the next few weeks with one national Local Heroes winner to be announced at the New Zealander of the Year Gala Awards in Auckland in February.
The 2018 New Zealander of the Year Awards are to be presented in six award categories: the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year; the Metlifecare Senior New Zealander of the Year; the University of Auckland Young New Zealander of the Year; the Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year; the Sanitarium New Zealand Innovator of the Year and the Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year.
OUR LOCAL HEROES
Audrey Trimmer's community involvement includes roles with the Country Women's Institute, the Whangarei Women's Club, Kamo Home and the National Council of Women. She has also been a volunteer for the New Zealand Blind Foundation for almost 30 years with the foundation's Reading for the Blind programme.
Audrey has been a member of St John Golden Church for four decades and continues to hold multiple roles, including parish council chair, treasurer, keeper of the church archives, building project co-ordinator and seller of the Raumunga complex.
Stanley Bartlett's passion for Northland history has seen him involved with the Parahaki Lodge and serve as Northland archivist for Maori activist sites. He has also been involved with the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Whangarei Museum and the Whangarei and District Historical Society.
As a proud advocate of his community, Stanley has put significant input into the location of commemorative monuments around Northland, including for the first musket battle between Maori tribal groups near Bayleys Beach and the du Fresne memorial in the Bay of Islands.
Russell Rawiri has served for more than 35 years with the Police. He has been an active volunteer for the Hikurangi Friendship House Trust, Hikurangi Business Association, Friends of Waro Lake, Hikurangi RSA, Hikurangi 150th Celebrations, Tae Kwon Do, and Hikurangi Primary School.
Russell has worked extensively with his community, establishing rural watch and neighbourhood watch groups within the district. He has previously been a member of the New Zealand Fire Service, holding the position of station officer.
Maxine Neighbour spent 32 years as an administrator in various schools in Whangarei, resulting in her becoming the first non-teacher to become a New Zealand Educational Institute Fellow. She also co-authored the book Handy Hints for School Administration Staff.
Since retiring in 2006, Maxine has remained involved in community groups as a volunteer. She is a fulltime volunteer supporting a variety of different organisations and causes, including swimming, the National Council for Women, Rotary and Pataua Ratepayers. As a part of her volunteer work, Maxine was responsible for recently bringing the Rembrandt Revisited Exhibition to Whangarei.
Murray Neighbour has held key positions on committees such as Eastern Suburbs Rugby, Whangarei Children's Athletics, Okau Swimming Cub, Pataua Education Trust and the Special Olympics.
In 2000, Murray was awarded an APPA Travelling Fellowship to study the effects of transient lifestyles on children's education. On his return, he published the research paper Developing an Understanding of Transient Pupils. Murray then undertook an extensive research programme covering the whole of New Zealand on behalf of the Principals' Federation.
Charles Flower's involvement with the Kamo Soccer Club began in 1979 as a junior team manager. He progressed to other roles, including junior coaching, fundraising, project management governance as club president.
Leading the Kamo Soccer Club's partnership with Whangarei District Council, Charles pushed to get new changing room facilities at the Koropupu Sports Park. Charles, with help from the council, also secured funding to raise $900,000 to secure community ownership of the asset.
Linda Melville was instrumental in driving the establishment of the Whangaruru First Aid Emergency Trust. The trust's primary objective is to provide an air emergency response service to residents and visitors at Bland Bay, but also covers areas both north and south of the area. As secretary of the trust, Linda has been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service.
Linda was previously a key member of the local Maori community Dream Team, assisting at many functions at the local marae. She also was a fulltime volunteer coast guard radio operator and worked for community civil defence groups.
Ricky Houghton has led He Korowai Trust in Kaitaia since inception in the early 2000s. His work focuses on ensuring people are freed from adversity and given love, hope and a pathway to a better future.
Over the past 10 years, Ricky has saved more than 550 homes from mortgagee sales in the Far North, keeping 6400 vulnerable Kiwis housed. He has overseen services in justice and whanau development for more than 800 families, and created business enterprise worth $10 million using natural resources while taking no personal profit.
Rowena Jones has supported local events such as the Te Hiku Youth Awards, which helps young people develop their strengths, leadership skills, and voice. She has been the driving force behind a jobs in the security programme, as well as setting up opportunities for youth to gain employment through active community engagement.
Rowena was instrumental in establishing the 24/7 camera surveillance in Kaitaia. She also initiated the automotive programme in Kaitaia, and was chair of the Far North Safer Community Council. Despite working fulltime with Police, Rowena always finds time to engage with the community to make a positive impact.
At 82, Noma Shepherd is still busy in community work as chair of the Hundertwasser Park Charitable Trust and as a Justice of the Peace. She is a driving force in the revival of Kawakawa.
Noma is also a published author, locally and internationally. She collected submissions of the local's favourite recipes to make a cook book of Kawakawa favourites, and is currently working on a second edition. She has also written a book called Friends at Kaurinui.
Noma was previously head of the Country Women's Institute for the Bay of Islands and chair of the community board.
Kelvin Attwood has been a committee member of the Maungakaramea Recreation Society for 35 years and runs the local cemetery. He is also on the committee for the Maungakaramea Club, and has played for them at a senior grade level for many years.
Kelvin spent several years on the local school committee, involved in fundraising and events for the school. A modest man who prefers to stay in the background, Kelvin is first person to step up if something needs to be done.
Cliff Colquhoun is founder of the Community Business and Environment Centre, which he started in 1989 to create jobs in the local community. The business consists of a garden centre, recycling programmes, swimming pools, school programmes, cycle hire, transfer stations and more. The success of the project led to Cliff being asked to do yearly discussions at universities about community enterprise.
Blair Peters works as a Kiwi Advocacy Kaimahi for Te Rarawa Anga Mua, with a passion for environmental protection and youth.
A member of the Far North Youth Council, Blair works alongside the Far North District Council to provide community engagement from a youth perspective. She has been a participant in the Future Leaders programme, and has assisted in the development of a peer mentoring programme to support Far North young people with social needs. Blair has also been a speaker at Tackling Poverty workshops and has helped organise a youth cook-off competition and encouraged youth voter enrolment. She has also participated in environmental volunteering with Project Island Song.
Jack Winwood has lived in the community of Okaihau since his early teens, serving for more than 50 years in the fire brigade and helping raise funds to build the station.
Jack is considered the backbone of Okaihau, not only as its deputy chief fire officer but also in organising many events in Okaihau. He regularly helps with community Christmas parades and with a variety of fundraising initiatives.
Seeing the need to feed the homeless in Whangarei, Rochelle Hedges helped create Soul Food What's Cooking Whangarei. As co-creator and supervisor, Rochelle prepares all the food in her kitchen, working many hours at her own time and expense.
Rochelle has helped feed homeless people in Whangarei and also provided them with gifts such as sleeping bags to keep them warm during cold nights.
Geoffrey Mayall has served the Kaikohe Volunteer Fire Brigade for 45 years, and is currently a senior operational fire officer and treasurer.
During his time in the brigade, Geoffrey has also coached various competition teams and been a judge and timekeeper at competitions in Kaikohe, Northland and Auckland. He is always thinking ahead, regularly preparing meals for other brigade members who have worked long hours on callouts.
Decima Severinsen has given her time to various charities, including volunteering with Arthritis Society street collections. She is currently treasurer of the local Northland Bromeliad Group. A life member of the local indoor bowls club, she sponsors the Northland IBC Junior Singles event each year.
Decima served on the Tikipunga Primary School PTA Committee, and was president. She was previously national president of the Education Paraprofessional Association, now known as NZEI, and was instrumental in passing a collective agreement with the State Services Commission for better conditions for support staff in schools.
Maurice Arthur is a lifelong member of scouting, who has been very active member in the Scout Guild. He still regularly attends scouting functions, and meetings, and takes the time to talk to junior cubs at events.
He is also a founding member of fencing in Northland and volunteer coach for teenage fencers and other sword fighters for more than 30 years. He continually inspires and enables his students to push themselves in the sport, with some going on to represent New Zealand in the sport.
The Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre, run by Robert Webb and his wife Robyn, provides rescue, care and rehabilitation for all types of sick and injured birds. The centre cares for approximately 1200 birds annually with the help of hard-working volunteers funded entirely by donations.
Since it was established in August 1992, the centre has cared for thousands of birds with the aim of releasing them back into the wild as soon as they can fend for themselves.
