Rabobank Good Deeds at Whareama School

The Country and Rabobank's Good Deeds team at Wareama School. Photo / Ro Duncum

This year Rabobank and The Country ran a competition to find a worthy rural project for the Good Deeds Initiative.

The winner would not only receive $5000 toward their community project, but also a working bee made up of volunteers from Rabobank and The Country.

The lucky recipient of this year's prize was Whareama School, near Masterton.

The kids had many projects lined up so The Country's Rowena Duncum and the team at Rabobank rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in.

Listen to Rowena's interview with Rabobank's Matt Hood, the parent who nominated Whareama School Sarah Tatham, and principal Darren Kerr.

Rabobank's Lower North Island regional manager Rua Crofskey attended the working bee and said it provided a fantastic opportunity for the bank to support Whareama School and the local community.

"The school did a wonderful job hosting us and we were able to make some really good progress with the various projects," says Crofskey.

"It was great to get together as a team and give something back to a rural community that supports our business."

Check out the Good Deeds team in action in the photo gallery below.

Image 1 of 14: The Whareama School pupils perform the Ko Wairarapa haka.

The Country's Executive Producer Rowena Duncum also had a great day.

"It's not often you get the chance to walk into somewhere in rural New Zealand, then walk out again some five hours later thinking 'We've made a real difference here.'"

"The smiles on the kids faces as they saw their projects coming to fruition, then even bigger ones, as their projects reached completion some 6-7 months after commencing, was truly something to behold," says Duncum.

"Hearing Principal Darren Kerr, a teacher for 22 years, say this was one of the best days of his teaching career really summed it up."

Duncum feels that Rabobank and The Country really did make a difference at Whareama School, "that will benefit generations to come."