Whanganui's people's champion Gary Reid to be honoured in new scholarship for social sector students

Jodie Karaitiana and the late Gary Reid have been staunch advocates for people on low incomes and benefits.

A Whanganui man who devoted nearly 20 years to supporting low income workers and beneficiaries will be honoured by a new scholarship.

Gary Reid, who died on May 17, set up the Whanganui Peoples Centre in 1999, working without pay for the first 18 months.

He provided advice, support and advocacy for low income workers and beneficiaries and worked with a range of community and government organisations.

Now some of those organisations, and individuals associated with them, have teamed up to honour Reid's work through the Gary Reid Memorial Scholarship, a $1000 grant to be awarded to a different recipient each year for five years.

The contributors are Volunteer Whanganui, Whanganui Peoples Centre, PARS, CLAW, Balance Whanganui, Jigsaw Whanganui, Victim Support, Whanganui Community House, Chester Borrows, Gail Bennett and Gloria Campbell.

Scholarship selection panel convenor Sandra Rickey said the scholarship would be awarded to a Whanganui resident studying in the area of social work.

"Gary gave everything to the People's Centre," Rickey said.

"Many people in the Whanganui region benefited from him and the Centre in achieving successful outcomes. A memorial of some sort seemed fitting for a man who had given everything to the people of Whanganui.

"The scholarship is to help a social sciences student who is facing significant challenges in undertaking their programme of study. We've deliberately left the criteria wide."

The scholarship winner would also have their name engraved on a trophy which would be held by the People's Centre.

A panel of Rickey (Volunteer Whanganui manager), Judy Karaitiana (Whanganui Peoples Centre chairwoman) and Tim Metcalfe (Jigsaw Whanganui executive officer) will select the winner after an interview process for shortlisted candidates.

Applications close on October 31 for the 2019 academic year scholarship.

Application forms will be sent to secondary schools and are available from Volunteer Whanganui in Community House, 60 Ridgway St.