No effort spared in helping others

Te Hapua woman Marihi Langford has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award in recognition of the "relentless" work she has done, and continues to do, within the community and with those around her.

"She has put all her efforts into the field of mental health and addiction for the past 15 years. Her passion for working in this field, and in particular Maori, shines through in everything she does," her nominator said.

"She spent most of her life in Auckland giving back to people, and has worked across different organisations to better the lives of Maori suffering from mental health and addiction issues. She followed this passion right through upskilling herself until she gained her Masters degree.

"Her heart has always been in the Far North, and her studies meant she was finally able to go home to help her own people."

She had spent the last four years working as the CEO of Ngati Kahu Social and Health Services, but even that role had not stopped her from giving her all to the community.

"She goes above and beyond for her community and the clients she comes across," her nominator added.

"She works hands-on with all her clients, regardless of her role, and always expects that of her staff. She ensures that the people accessing her service are the number one priority, and that staff are there for the right reasons.

"She recently fought to get funding to run a youth programme in Kaitaia that she has been working on and has successfully launched, and plans on doing something similar around child protection, as there is a huge need for this in our rural communities.

"She brings herself to Auckland monthly to complete a course in child protection so she is able to provide these services in Kaitaia.

"She is also giving back to her iwi, Ngati Kuri, and is the chair of the Muriwhenua Trust Board. She wants to be able to give back to her iwi as well as her community, to provide as much support as possible."

The work she was doing had resulted in some "amazing changes for the better, including organising concerts for Mental Health Awareness Week and working tirelessly to ensure that the day ran well. She helped clients set up their own small businesses, from lawn mowing to selling arts and crafts at the local markets.

"She definitely makes a difference in people's lives, and this is what gets her up in the mornings and keeps her going from one challenge to the next," her nominator said.

"She is known for her passion and commitment, always following through with what she says she will do, going above and beyond, and even involving the whole family in her ventures. Her phone is always on to support people, even if that means receiving calls throughout the evening. She gives people a chance and opportunities to better themselves regardless of their backgrounds.

"If you can show her that your intentions are good and genuine then she will do her best to move mountains in order for you to have a chance.

"I am nominating her because I don't believe that she is acknowledged enough for her efforts, and through trying times this helps people to keep going. I have often said to her that she needs to slow down and give back to herself what she gives to others; her response is always along the lines of 'If this is the only thing that I can do to ensure that our next generation is taken care of then I will keep going'."