Former Prime Minister Helen Clark to visit Whanganui

Helen Clark speaking at the opening of the Whanganui UCOL campus in 2008.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark will be in Whanganui next month to speak at a 10th anniversary celebration for UCOL's campus.

The dinner will be on Friday, August 24.

Clark was Prime Minister and a speaker at the opening of UCOL's Whanganui campus in 2008.

UCOL campus manager Bronwyn Paul said the institution sent an invitation to Clark and was thrilled she had accepted.

"We're just so fortunate that Helen was really keen to come back ... and has managed to fit it into her very, very busy schedule.

"I certainly hoped that she would and I know how passionate she is about education and how passionate she was in getting this campus open."

The other speakers at the time of the opening in 2008 were activist and politician Ken Mair, as well as Mark Simmonds, who was the chairman of a regional committee.

Whanganui River iwi leader Archie Taiaroa was supposed to speak but had to attend the Mangatepopo Gorge disaster where six students and a teacher died in flash flooding.

At the time of UCOL's opening in 2008, Clark said the Government had invested $25 million in the Whanganui campus.