Vic and Yvonne Pitman:
For more than 40 years, the Pitmans have been active members of Lions Clubs International, championing worthy causes, raising funds to help those in need, rolling up their sleeves alongside like-minded people and galvanising communities into action. Vic and Yvonne have given a lifetime of dedication to their community through their selflessness and genuine love of helping others.
Originally from Nelson, Yvonne worked for nearly 30 years for the post office, before retiring in 2015. Born in Te Puke and schooled in Northcote, Vic also worked for the post office for 30 years, as well as in real estate and finally truck driving. The couple married in Moutere Church in 1967, have raised three children and lived in Nelson, Rotorua and now Tutukaka.
Their connection with the Lions Clubs started in Nelson in 1977, where Vic became a charter member of Nelson North Lions Club. Yvonne helped form Nelson's first Lioness club in 1982, being their charter president. Both threw themselves wholeheartedly into the Lions lifestyle of community service, involving their young children as well.
Vic is currently a member of Tutukaka Coast Lions, where he is secretary/treasurer. He is also chairman of the Whangārei Rolling Ball Clock project, a former trustee and secretary of the Waikanohe Wahi Tapu in Ngunguru. Vic's marae is Paratene Te Manu in Ngunguru, his iwi is Ngatiwai of Ngapuhi Whanui and his hapu is Ngati Takapari/Patuharakeke/Ngati Pukenga. Yvonne was a founding member of the Whangārei Hatea Lions club, where she has been membership chairwoman for 10 years and is a member of the Tutukaka Coast Lions Club with Vic.
Together, they have been involved in countless community events, fundraisers, organisations and worthy causes. They have campaigned for Camp Quality NZ, raising funds for a Hart Walker for a local child with cerebral palsy, helped with the annual Guy Fawkes fundraiser, assisted with Project Promise fundraisers, implemented breakfasts in schools, assisted with community Christmas meals, initiated and fundraised for the placement of exercise equipment on the Hatea Loop, served as carpark ambassadors, organised Young Ambassador contests, assisted in the annual Relay for Life, and organised the donation of training mannequins for St Johns.
They helped to create the volunteer city centre CCTV monitoring group in 2005, and Yvonne continues to volunteer her time at the Whangārei Central Police Station.
Lynette MacDonald:
MacDonald has been a volunteer for Whangārei Victim Support for more than 17 years, having completed her initial training in 2002. Her commitment to ensuring she offers the best support possible to the people she helps has seen her undertake ongoing training, including homicide training in 2008, and bereavement training in 2014.
In 2009, she was awarded the National Victim Support Merit Award for exemplary service.
Her role at Victim Support has seen her supporting innumerable victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse and traumatic events. She guides and advises the people she helps through trials, sentencing, and victim impact statements, as well as providing an immediate first response service in the aftermath of trauma.
The range and breadth of people she works with reaches every demographic. It is impossible to put a figure on the number of people she has worked with, but it would be well into the high hundreds, if not more.
As a homicide volunteer, MacDonald has supported many families through initial contact through to the High Court trial, and in some cases, parole submissions. She works closely with the Ministry of Justice victim advisors in Whangārei to ensure a wrap-around service is achieved. In one instance, she supported a family for eight weeks for a jury trial which saw her being at the court five days a week from 10am-5pm each day, and has been known to wait with families long into the night while juries deliberate.
She builds an easy rapport with victims, caregivers and support people. She has a wealth of knowledge and walks beside them during their long journey from victim to survivor.
MacDonald has also developed a strong relationship with police and the courts, and is known as a reliable, professional and thorough advisor. In many instances, she not only helps with the writing of victim impact statements, but also stands by them as they read them aloud in court, and if requested, will read the statements herself.
Major Christopher Williams NZCF:
At the age of 16, Williams joined the New Zealand Defence Force as a regular force cadet. This was to be a life-changing experience, and one that would see him commit himself tirelessly to voluntarily serving the Cadet Forces throughout his life. In his various roles within the Cadet Forces, he has instilled the cornerstone values of our defence forces into thousands of young people: comradeship, commitment, courage, and integrity.
His wisdom and personal fortitude continues to shape the lives, develop the minds, and enhance the wellbeing of youth.
He comes from a strong military family, with his late father having been awarded an Arctic Star for service in areas above the Arctic Circle during World War II. He travelled extensively both in his early career with the army and with his time spent working on a tuna fishing boat, from 1983 to 1990. In his early years with the military, he trained to become a chef, and this has continued to be both his passion and his career outside of his voluntary Cadet Forces involvement.
In 1993, Williams was commissioned as a NZ Cadet Forces (NZCF) Officer in the Air Training Corps (ATC) of Whangārei, in the rank of Pilot Officer. Three years later he was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer, before taking a voluntary release from the NZCF in 1997.
Williams soon restarted his voluntary service, being reactivated into the NZCF in the Air Training Corps in 2003.
He put his years of experience on the tuna boat to good use when he changed corps to Sea Cadet Corps in 2011, and was soon promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. In 2013 Williams transferred back to the Whangārei Air Training Corps, with a further promotion in rank to that of Flight Lieutenant.
From there he transferred to the Whangārei District Cadet Unit in 2016, taking the rank of Captain. Within two weeks he was again promoted, to the rank of Major, with an appointment as the Cadet Unit Commander for Whangārei District Cadet Unit.
Eric Hansen:
Eric began his voluntary work while at Auckland University and Teachers' Training College. He coached junior softball and rugby teams at St Paul's College from 1977 to 1979, and during the Christmas holidays he assisted in holiday camps for children from disadvantaged families. In 1978, he joined the Auckland Rugby Referees Association and refereed junior games.
When Hansen moved to Taranaki to start teaching in 1980, he continued his involvement in sport, coaching rugby, soccer and cricket, acting as secretary of the Hawera High School Rugby Club and as delegate to the Taranaki Secondary Schools Rugby Union. In 1994, he was runner-up for the Taranaki Sportsman of the Year Award (Coaching Section).
During the school holidays, he would travel up to Auckland to work as a volunteer at the YMCA school holiday camps.
Hansen enlisted in the New Zealand Army Territorial Force in 1980, and was commissioned as an officer in 1982. He left the army with the rank of Lieutenant in 1987, married his wife Elise in January 1990 and grew their family with the birth of his two daughters, Sarah and Kate, over the following few years.
In July 1996, he was appointed head of social studies at Bream Bay College, transferring to the Northland Rugby Referees Association and refereeing until 2000. he was a committee member of the Bream Bay Hockey Club 2001-2010, where he coached for many years.
In 2007 Hansen was awarded the Macsway Shield for the Most Significant Contribution to Bream Bay Hockey, and later that year won the Bream Bay Sports Award for Sports Administration. He served on the Ruakākā School Board of Trustees and became a parent representative on the Parent-Teacher Association of Bream Bay College.
He believes that community involvement is an integral part of a teacher's life in a rural school, breaking down barriers and allowing teachers to interact positively with parents and students. He encouraged Bream Bay College students to make the most of all opportunities, while helping to create opportunities, including national and international geography trips and cultural exchanges.
In 2013, Hansen joined the Bream Bay Community Patrol, where he was a committee member from 2014, was appointed to training officer in 2015 and was elected as the Northland district chairman from 2017 to 2019. He became an honorary fisheries officer in 2016.
