Bay of Plenty woman Ayla Dellaway has won the prestigious Sir Edmund Hillary Youth Achievement Award. Photo / Supplied
Bay of Plenty woman Ayla Dellaway has won the prestigious Sir Edmund Hillary Youth Achievement Award as part of the Graeme Dingle Foundation's 22nd Annual Excellence Awards.
On November 7, dignitaries, business leaders, families, and students from across
Aotearoa met at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland for the annual awards.
The
event, hosted by the Graeme Dingle Foundation, celebrates the next
generation of successful young Kiwis - for all they've achieved and overcome, their
personal growth and their futures.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Youth Achievement Award is one of the highest achievements on offer and recognises outstanding commitment and continued success among former Project K graduates.
Project K is a 14-month programme for Year 10 students that focusses on building confidence, teaching life skills, promoting good health, relationships, and encouraging a positive attitude.
This year, the prestigious award went to Ayla Dellaway of Bay of Plenty who, since
participating in the Foundations Project K programme many years ago, has gone on to make a positive impact on the lives of others through drawing from her past
experiences.
Dellaway addressed the audience with a speech in which she shared her deep
connection with the Foundation's work and how it's influenced her life and the lives of others in the years since she was a part of Project K.
"The positivity that comes from being involved with an organisation like this is addictive, so I started volunteering to share my journey as soon as I was old enough.
"The thing about this organisation is that the values and experiences you gain as well as the networks and connections make you crave staying connected with the organisation, so I am, and I think I always will be."
Graeme Dingle Foundation chief executive Jenny Stiles said the National Student Excellence Awards were an opportunity to bring high achievers from the Foundations Network a warm celebration of their individual journeys.
"It is the most incredible feeling to see all [the] award winners standing proudly on the stage, especially this year, as it is the first time we have been able to hold the awards face-to-face since 2019 - it's just so exciting."
Tauranga Business Awards tickets on sale
Tauranga Business Chamber's annual awards will be held on December 2, and tickets are on sale.
Entries for the Tauranga Business Awards People's Choice Award are now open, with the winner to be announced on the night of the awards.
More than 3500 people voted through the Chamber website last year, and emerging business Girls Get Off was crowned the category winner.
Linkt Community Trust and Foodstuffs North Island partner to open a social supermarket in Otūmoetai
A social supermarket has opened in Tauranga.
A partnership between Linkt Community Trust and Foodstuffs North Island, the Otūmoetai Social Supermarket is located at 8 Claremont Terrace, and enables locals experiencing financial stress to shop for their groceries in a supermarket environment for a koha (donation).
It worked on a point system, where products were designated a number of points, and shoppers were given a maximum of points to spend based on circumstances. For example, a single adult was allowed 55 points, and a large family had 75.
Linkt community trustee Lavina Good said the social supermarket was needed in the Otūmoetai community.
"It's designed to help working families cope with the strain of the rising cost of living."
The contribution model meant whānau can save some money on groceries and allocate that money to other important needs, including school camps, swimming lessons and maybe tutoring, she said.
"The social supermarket will be an exciting hub owned by the community of Otūmoetai."
Willa Hand, head of membership experience at Foodstuffs North Island, said it was delighted to have partnered with Linkt Community Trust.
"The social supermarket partnership model works because our team brings retail expertise, we support on all the logistics of setting up a supermarket, training a team to operate it, and sorting replenishment processes, and the local community organisation decides exactly how things will run and what the offering will be for customers."
Then, local Foodstuffs owner-operators provide ongoing support.
"Having strong local leaders who connect deeply with people in their community is what really makes a difference."
This was its fifth social supermarket, with the last being opened in Whangārei in September.
Te Arawa Lakes aquatic weed treatment set to launch
Te Arawa Lakes Trust is ready to deliver their Te Waikai Otaota - Te Arawa lakes aquatic weed treatment plan as part of a multi-faceted approach to restoring the lakes and waterways across Rotorua.
The Trust took over the job earlier in the year and started work in May.
Operations manager William Anaru said it was one of the many biosecurity methods being used by the Trust's Taiao team to "aid in the lengthy battle of restoring the quality of our wai, along with the protection of our taonga species like oura, tuna, kākahi, kōaro, inanga and morihana".
The herbicide Diquat will be used to control aquatic pest weeds on six lakes - Rotorua, Rotoiti, Tarawera, Ōkataina, Rotomā and Ōkāreka - between 14 November and 2 December.
"We are notifying whānau and communities kanohi ki te kanohi [and through] letter drops, text messaging, emails and social media – to help inform those living nearby who are regular lake users.
"To keep our whānau and communities safe, we will place a rāhui on treatment areas which will prohibit swimming, food gathering, and collecting drinking water for 24 hours following control operations."
Pou whakamōhio (signage) will be erected during this time to ensure all lake users are aware of the Rāhui.
The Shine Collective celebrates 10 years
This year marks 10 years in business for strategic communications agency The Shine Collective.
The agency's work has seen Shine recognised with multiple awards by the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand for their PR, communications, and community engagement projects.
Co-directors, Jacky James and Meg Jones, spent their early careers working across the public and private sectors, both in Aotearoa and overseas. The pair says they are clear what great communications – and what being a great employer – looks like.
"People are at the heart of great communications," says Jacky. "We're trusted to work with some incredible leaders, often on projects that affect the lives of thousands of New Zealanders. We never take that responsibility lightly."
"If Covid has proven anything, it's the critical value of communications," Jones said. "And that's what we're all about.
"We're also focused on being a great employer – embracing the whole person, which allows us to better connect with our clients and their audiences."
Bay stores recognised in Top NZ Cheese Store competition
Four exceptional outlets selling locally-made cheese have joined the ranks of the Top NZ Cheese Stores for 2022 and 2023.
This is the third year for the annual accreditation system, which is organised and assessed by the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association in October to coincide with NZ Cheese Month.
There are now 18 retailers around the country that have been awarded the prestigious title of 'Top NZ Cheese Store'.
This year's debutantes include Te Puna Deli, FreshChoice Pāpāmoa, FreshChoice Merivale and Geraldine Cheese Company.
Accreditation was made after a thorough evaluation by specialist food judges Kathy Paterson and Kerry Tyack.
"Cheese demands careful treatment that pays homage to the intricacies of its production," Tyack said.
"Delivering a range of cheese in the very best condition and in a way that recognises each style of cheese's special character is a complex business.
"It's so very heartening to see more effort being put into these aspects of cheese promotion and sale, and its ultimate enjoyment."
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