Meet Your 100
Kiwibank Local Heroes

Simon Trye runs marathons head to toe in full firefighting equipment. The Kerikeri local works for the Royal New Zealand Airforce as a crash firefighter and has become a well-known runner, pacing the streets in his training gear. In 2020 he ran a half marathon to support Kids Can, carrying his full equipment and raising $16,000 from individual supporters. Simon also won a Guinness World Record for the unusual acclaim of running the fastest half marathon in a firefighter's uniform and breathing apparatus. The plan for 2021, before the Covid-19 lockdowns, was to run a full marathon in Auckland for Starship hospital; that plan has been waylaid, but he’s still training, winning local fame and respect.

An inspiring cycle instructor and teacher, Richard Hamer is also a champion for local kids. A keen mountain biker, his proactive approach has seen him building bike tracks, teaching adults and fundraising to buy bikes for those families who cannot afford them - this mahi has directly enabled hundreds of children to have a go at cycling. Richard’s love for the Eastern Bay of Plenty is well-known, and he “cycles the talk”, championing road safety in the area. He’s ordinarily found doing one of two things: riding his bike, or driving a van load of children and their bikes to a new adventure.

Gary Mitchell’s fierce protection of the environment has motivated hundreds to join him. He wants to see New Zealand predator free. Witnessing increasing pest numbers in his Wellington neighbourhood, he established three, local Predator Free groups; together with 386 volunteers they’ve killed 11,000 pests using 400 traps since 2016. For more than 20 years he’s mobilised communities in Aotearoa and abroad to clean-up their beaches, organising more than 200 events that have removed hundreds of tonnes of rubbish. Gary does this all on top of his day to day life as a Police Custody Officer; he's committed to helping prisoners and young offenders turn their lives around. Gary’s energy is boundless and he is determined to improve the world around us.

Within days of the first Covid-19 lockdown Michaela Wellauer was creating connections in her community. She and friend Jason created the Whakatāne Matters page on Facebook. This page became the centre for mental health check-ins, business advice, Covid-19 updates, humour, love, manaakitanga, and gave local retailers the opportunity to share products and services. The daily messages kept the community going. Michaela is a business owner and part of the Whānau on Wheels initiative that provides bikes for whānau who cannot afford them. She is actively involved in the Onepu Mountain Biking Park and local biking groups and provides prizes and donations to initiatives supporting tamariki and cycling throughout the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Dame Areta Koopu, Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāti Kahu, is a veteran social worker and activist. She is a former Māori Women's Welfare League President, a Human Rights Commissioner, a Waitangi Tribunal member, a mother and a grandmother. Her work is esteemed throughout Aotearoa, and her role in establishing kohanga reo and promoting te reo Māori in schools has had a long-lasting positive impact. She has spoken up for women and their place in society; she has been vocal about the importance of access to good health services for women, especially cervical cancer screening. Dame Areta serves on the Māori Women's Development committee, which helps finance and empower Māori women to go into business. Known for her momentum and energy, she believes there’s a solution for everything.

Juanita Willems leads by example. The coordinator for Foster Hope Otago is often found working alongside volunteers to sort out backpacks, pyjamas and toiletries for young people in need. The 100% volunteer-based charity supports children in care with essential items, and has assisted 1800 children in the region. After becoming blind herself, she is now the coordinator for Blind Citizens Network Otago. To achieve all this Juanita has had to learn braille and find new ways of working. In addition to her voluntary work, Juanita has set up her own charity, Darkness into Light, to support children with disabilities. Juanita has overcome huge challenges and is admired for her ability to always find a way.

Dave Letele’s, Ngati Maniapoto, Samoa, life has been one of rise and fall, and in sharing the tough times he’s motivated thousands of New Zealanders to get fit and healthy. Known for his own weight loss story and setting up the Brown Buttabean Motivation (BBM) programme in Manukau, Dave’s gyms provide a space to get fit, and is entirely free. Understanding the financial barriers many people face, Dave also started the BBM foodbank with the support of corporate sponsorship, signing a lease for a permanent standalone foodbank to help up to 700 whānau per week with food parcels. More recently, he has opened a community kitchen to help educate whānau and vulnerable people. His determination to see people well has led to the expansion of BBM with a new site in West Auckland. Dave has created a non-judgmental atmosphere to encourage physical wellbeing through activity, giving a push-start he’s helped thousands to lose weight and live well.

Robert Gordon is known for his consistent and committed volunteering in New Plymouth. After retiring he and wife Lorraine decided they wanted to volunteer together, and joined the team at Meals on Wheels. Robert drives and Lorraine drops the meals into clients, they’re an effective team, and enjoy working in tandem. Combined with their work as volunteers for the New Zealand Red Cross, their years of service and care throughout the region was recognised by the New Plymouth District Council in 2020, with the couple receiving an award for their service to the community.

Belinda Hodson is a staunch advocate for thyroid health and awareness in Aotearoa. A qualified, registered health care practitioner, she suffers from thyroid disease and works to promote better support and care for those adults and children living with a thyroid condition. The administrator of the Thyroid Association of New Zealand (TANZ), Belinda has petitioned the government for increased education and treatment for thyroid patients. In 2020 Belinda gained 3650 signatures before handing her petition over on Parliament's steps, and in 2021 she spoke at the Health Select Committee. Beyond this advocacy, it’s Belinda’s leadership that is empathetic and professional that is so appreciated by the many TANZ members she supports.

Owen John Pomana rallied food, sleeping bags and blankets for Auckland’s vulnerable during Covid-19 lockdowns. The former body builder and Navy officer has his own lived experience of homelessness, when life took a downturn and he became a drug addict while living in Australia for 12 years. His life has been completely transformed, now an evangelist, preacher and community organiser, he spends his days helping others. Primarily working with Humanity NZ to feed Auckland’s homeless community, Owen also works directly with homeless people on suicide prevention strategies, helping those who are often on the fringes of society.

Supporting families with autistic children is Theresa Tongi’s passion. When her second son was diagnosed with autism the former Policewoman left her career of 12 years to support her four children, two of which have autism. She knew it was going to be all-consuming and she wanted her family to thrive, but she wanted others to too. With husband Pat they set-up AutismConnex, an autism support network for families in Taranaki. In the five years they’ve been running they’ve connected with and supported 80 families. In addition to this AutismConnex has fundraised $50,000 to build Theresa’s dream facility - a purpose-built space that caters to the physical needs of autistic children.

Inspiring hundreds and thousands of people with her frank, honest and supportive kōrero, Nicola (Nix) Adams has become a role model to many. The death of her young son led her to drug use and then the loss of her marriage and two older children. Nix’s vulnerability in sharing her story and her determination to turn her life around has made her famous on social media; she has 422,000 Facebook followers. She uses her platform to help people by raising awareness about mental health, domestic and sexual abuse. She empowers and uplifts others with her mahi. She is now co-host on Māori TV show, Terei Tonight, which has catapulted her further into the public eye, but Nix’s greatest achievement is being back with her two children.

A passionate dancer, Brylee Mills wasn't going to stop when she lost her arm as the result of a car accident at the age of six. Her unwavering belief in herself, and the strong support of friends and whānau, helped her realise her dream. Being the first disabled dancer to train at Brent Street Performing Arts Centres full time programme in Sydney, Brylee has gone on to dance and choreograph professionally all around Aotearoa. Brylee has taught and educated young dancers all around New Zealand, empowering and inspiring them to be the best versions of themselves.
A mentor and public speaker, Brylee shares her story to empower others to overcome their own obstacles and still achieve their dreams. She is passionate about advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities and educating tamariki about how they can be part of a more inclusive Aotearoa.

Emma Corbett spends her days as a public servant and her nights designing disability garments.   Her fashion innovations create tailored solutions for amputees and the disability community. Having worked previously in the disability sector, and studied fashion overseas, Emma is uniquely positioned to create clothing solutions for those with individual needs. She’s recently designed a product to help amputees protect against the coldness of a lost limb. The limb warmer helps relieve the physical and emotional discomfort of a lost limb. Emma knows there is a lack of products available for low blood flow, and with her creativity and knowledge she wishes to change that.

Miriama (Midi) Rapana is a community connector. In the Northcote, Birkdale and Beachhaven neighbourhoods she is a well-known support person, career finder, motivational speaker, financial mentor and she brings her community together with her famous barbecues. She offers an open-door policy to anyone that needs assistance with housing, food, transportation and finance, or simply a cup of tea. Her guidance has encouraged many to upskill and find new employment and she has been a bridge between local people and government agencies. Her openness, relatability and selflessness is valued by her community - she thrives when those around her are happy, safe and feel cared for.

Latham Martin rolls up his sleeves and helps whenever he can. As well as being a district councillor, the former Westland Deputy Mayor and the president of the Lion’s club, he is constantly looking for ways to develop connections in his community. Only in his twenties, Latham overcame a serious accident in early 2021, which saw him lose a lot of blood and walk a lengthy recovery. Since then he’s been public in his encouragement of blood donation through the New Zealand blood service. It’s his positive and giving nature that has helped him get well and to continue his mahi growing the communities of Hokitika.

Giving and compassionate, Katrina O’Brien believes in paying it forward. The owner of a family trucking business, Katrina also cooks for Meals on Wheels in Taihape and runs her own community support programme, Pay It Forward Taihape. Katrina gives food parcels to families and puts together careful packages of baby gear for new mums gifted by others. She’s passionate about connecting people with the resources they need, and once a call has come in asking for support she tirelessly rings her networks and suppliers to deliver what is needed. Katrina is known for being non-judgemental and a safe person to go to for help, and she truly looks after the tight-knit community of Taihape.

Karamea Matthes runs the One ear Out campaign, encouraging pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings when crossing train tracks. Karamea’s son Keenan was struck and killed by a train in 2017 while wearing headphones. An advocate for the installation of safe level crossings, she speaks to schools, sports clubs, and at weekend markets to help change the public’s behaviour. The One Ear Out campaign literally advises people to just wear one headphone - not two - to keep one ear out while crossing roads and tracks. Karamea does not want anyone to experience the loss she and her family have faced over the last few years; she wants people to get home safely and does this mahi in honour of her son.

Lisa Phillips began her career in education, but quickly saw that some young people were not achieving because of substance abuse. She turned her energies towards retraining in health, with a focus on addiction. She is a passionate believer that addiction support is crucial for recovery and saw that a recurring barrier to accessing that support was cost. A comprehensive assessment starts the process of linking clients with the appropriate support, but the assessment alone can cost $800. To remedy this Lisa offers her professional skills to undertake assessments free of charge, with her compassion, she is changing lives.

Taipari Mahanga gives from his heart, he is committed to people. Kanohi ki te kanohi – face to face connection underpins Taipari’s work with his community. He wants to see people connect, korero and and take time to share kai. Using matauranga Māori in all aspects of his work, he is known as a teacher, Kapa Haka tutor, te reo speaker and mental health worker. He gives up his weekends to teach kapa haka, and his classes are open to anyone seeking to learn the art, regardless of culture or background. He is guided by Te Ao Māori to support Waitaha’s communities and is sought-after for his knowledge.

For 27 years Graeme Neylon has shown serious determination and perseverance in serving his community. On the Buller District Council for nearly three decades, the former Deputy Mayor and Chairperson of the Inangahua Community Board, Graeme is still working for the Buller community. He has been steadfast and hardworking throughout his career, and is known for getting the job done. He is currently Co-chair of the West Coast/Tai Poutini Regional Skills Leadership Group and is on the Board of Trustees for the West Coast PHO. Graeme’s immense loyalty and dedication to his community and its development has earned him the respect of his council peers and locals alike.

Brendon Warne is determined to stamp out P in Aotearoa. His personal journey has taken him from meth addiction to drug-free campaigner. He began sharing his story and saw the power that it had to affect lives. Working with a group of former addicts, he established the Anti-P Ministry - a space for people to share their addiction experiences, listen and tautoko each other. The Ministry is now a nationwide organisation with almost 7,000 members, walk-in clinics, online support groups and an app to help members track their recovery. After more requests for face to face support, the Ministry crowdfunded a mobile clinic, and in 2020 took it on the road to help addicted New Zealanders, no matter where they are.

"Xavier Mika is an extraordinary young person, he’s been volunteering at Love Soup since he was 11. Love Soup is a food rescue programme helping supply people with nourishing meals.
For the past five years Xavier’s not only developed his skills for making kai, but also for looking out for others. After the first Covid-19 lockdowns he was aware that lots of families were without work and money, so when he got back to school at Whangaparaoa College, he started a free lunch programme for students after an encounter with a fellow student. Teaming up with Julie King from Love Soup, he is now making 350 lunches a week for and with his peers from rescued or donated food, and the lunches are offered freely and without question. Xavier's programme has since been picked up by two schools and the Orewa community centre has begun to use the service. "

Eli-Ana (Eli) Maiava has used her initiative to create a heart for her community. Whare Manaaki is a kaupapa Māori, community space located in the middle of Greymouth - and it was Eli who got it running. She noticed that while Hokitika marae, Arahura, was well used, there was not a dedicated community space for whānau near Greymouth. With funding support from Te Putahitanga, Eli sought to create a hub for local activities and events, a place to gather, a space for Māori to connect. Whare Manaaki now hosts speakers, provides links to community services and offers educational support to schools wanting to integrate tikanga Māori into their activities. Eli’s mahi has built unity in her community.

Tony Gaeta is the founder of the World Marudao Karate Organisation. He has taught karate to hundreds of tamariki in Aotearoa, focusing on the martial art’s values of perseverance and respect. A not-for-profit organisation, Tony offers self defense classes, and provides a comfortable environment for women, recently holding lessons for Muslim women and the Poneke Women’s Rugby Club. During lockdown Tony took his classes online seven days a week to ensure his community kept learning and stayed focused. A tireless fundraiser, Tony has helped to raise and donate over $145,000 for Wellington Children’s Hospital’s many services and units; known for his community spirit he was busy running errands for those that were unable during Covid-19’s restrictions.

Arriving in New Zealand in 2001, Mustafa Derbashi has supported  those new to New Zealand. With a passion for people and an understanding of the needs of Middle Eastern families culturally, physically and mentally, Mustafa knows what a huge adaptation it is to transition into a new bi-cultural environment. He has worked with refugees in Dunedin, particularly Syrian men, through an integration programme he designed which aims to reduce family violence in the refugee community, improve spoken English, provide guidance on New Zealand parenting, and help men find employment. He has provided interpreting support to those engaging with various agencies from Police to local government. From organising cultural nights, festivals, to school youth camps, Mustafa loves to help people to recognise their skills and potential.

Tara Shepherd is a remarkable 19 year old. She is a proactive climate change campaigner and has been instrumental in cleaning up and creating long-term environmental solutions for the Buller Region. Tara launched a nationwide petition calling on the government to fund a full remediation of the Hector landfill that was exposed by cyclone Fehi in 2018. Her successful campaign saw one million dollars provided to the Buller District Council by the Provincial Growth Fund. An Otago University student, Tara has used her holidays to support the intermediate clean-up phase following the Westport floods and instigated local initiatives such as a free fridge degassing service with the council.

Social entrepreneur, Jacinta Gulasekharam, has led open, frank conversations to help end period poverty. Advocating for free access to period products, Jacinta has made this a reality by co-founding Dignity in 2016, an initiative that gives free products through a buy-one-give-one  scheme. 40,000 products have been made available to people in need so far, and her work on the The Positive Period campaign won the Government’s agreement to fund free products in schools. Jacinta is a 2021 Wellbeing Impact Award winner and Edmund Hillary Fellow, and as a young Sri-Lankan Kiwi, she is committed to being an inclusive voice in her advocacy for period equality in Aotearoa.

Christopher (Chris) Efford is unwavering in his support of young people, even when he’s stretched across multiple jobs. By day Chris works for the Ministry of Social Development as the West Coast Area Youth Manager, and in every other spare minute he’s doing all he can to encourage rangatahi. The Chairperson for the Grey District Youth Trust, and Area Youth Manager for St John Youth on the West Coast, Chris is a natural leader. Skilled in creating experiences and connections for young people, Chris helps run the Greymouth Youth Council, Greymouth LGBTQIA+ Youth Group, and in 2022 he will coordinate the National Youth Festival.

After recovering from a 14-year battle with an eating disorder, Kristie Amadio is now sharing her story and skills with others. In 2017 she created Recovered Living, the world’s first eating disorder service that offers both 24/7 live-in care and online support. The model has been so successful that Kristie and her team have worked with more than 500 clients internationally. The next chapter is Recovered Living NZ, a not-for-profit residential treatment centre in Christchurch. Putting her entire life savings into buying a home for the centre, it will be the first of its kind in Aotearoa. Kristie is a selfless and unstoppable pioneer, ensuring people with eating disorders can recover and experience a full life.

Channey Iwikau, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, takes care of those around him. A wonderful father and loving uncle to all, Channey strives to give back to his community. A trustee on the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, a pou for Whānganui Iwi and Ngāti Hauā, he is a trustee for Te Kura o Ngapuke, and a kaiawhina for many local rugby teams and kapa haka rōpu. Channey is not only the face of an iwi, but he is also the voice for those who are unable to speak out. He is a leader and warrior for families, prepared to make sacrifices to ensure others are safe and well. A role model, he inspires his people with his commitment to Te Ao Māori.

Creating spaces to connect and grow is at the heart of Murdoch Ross’s work in Whangarei. With limited mobility and speech as a result of cerebral palsy, Murdoch has overcome many obstacles to serve his community. In the 1980s Murdoch floated the idea of a new community centre and got work underway on its build after much fundraising and sponsorship from the community. He then spearheaded the build of a new medical centre, which has served the community well over decades. In 2013 Murdoch encouraged the local community to establish a community garden and orchard on Ross family land between the Community Centre and the Parua Bay village. Murdoch’s vision and leadership has been central in creating community spaces in Whangarei.

Janelle Beazeley has been a stalwart figure in local Kapa Haka for more than 43 years. She has volunteered for the Waitangi Cultural Society, the Kapa Haka committee that manages all kapa haka within Te Tai Tokerau, for most of her life. In 2008 she was recognised as a Life Member of the committee after 30 years of service. She has encouraged many young people into further education, and believes that we should never stop learning. When Janelle retired she went to work for her marae, hapu and iwi and has been active in the development of a succession plan that will support whānau into the future. In addition to being a JP, she is a mother, grandmother and recently, a great-grandmother.

Maurice Brownlee has been a source of great support for Maungakaramea. Connected to numerous voluntary organisations throughout the decades, he has offered steady, practical and financial support for many. He helped build the Tangihua Lions lodge, by both using his farm as security to secure a loan for the build, and by using his hands; once that job was complete he turned his attention to designing and building a complementary confidence course; he set-up the Maungakaramea axemen’s club; and he was a school committee chairman for eight years - his interests lie in supporting all aspects of the community. He and his wife Jacqui have gifted thousands of dollars in-kind to the Mid-Western Lions club and to Mid-Western Rugby by donating cattle.

John Oliver is Hawke’s Bay born and raised. For the past 49 years John has served the Otane Volunteer Fire Brigade. Joining the brigade at the age of 20 he has served his last 31 years as Chief Fire Officer. John’s dedication has earned him numerous accolades over the years including an Honorary Life Membership to the Otane Volunteer Fire Brigade and a Central Hawke’s Bay Civic Honours Award for his voluntary work. With his ingenuity he developed the Otane District Water Tanker, a mobile service offering reprieve to rural communities struggling through the harsh summer months. His passion for the Otane community has seen him leading the development of the community netball and tennis courts and overseeing all maintenance for the Otane Arts and Crafts Centre.

Tom Manley has given more than 30 years of his love and dedication to Hoani Waititi Marae. The father and koro has supported the marae and the kura in numerous roles - he has been the kaitiaki whenua, the coach and manager of the netball, rugby and league teams, and everyone knows he’s the first to set-up the equipment for sports and kapa haka practices, while also being the last to lock-up. Reliable and caring, his calm manner makes those around him feel confident. He’s also become Hoani Waititi Marae’s unofficial babysitter, having cared for many of the tamariki that have gone through the kura. Whatever is needed, Tom, “the mahi man” gets it done.

Tony Collins is a keen protector of the environment.  A retired plumber, Tony has been a volunteer for many years in Taranaki, supporting the Rotokare Scenic Reserve by trapping and clearing rats. Travelling around the region to check 14 traps each week, he’s been rewarded for his efforts by seeing a steep increase in birdlife in the area and the proliferation of more native plants and flowers. Donating his skills, Tony gives as much of himself as he can to increase New Zealand’s biodiversity. He is also the Chair for Forest and Bird North Taranaki and he and wife Anne were recently recognised by the New Plymouth district council, with an award acknowledging their volunteer work together as a couple.

Dr Glen Davies is helping people live better lives with diabetes support. With 2400 Facebook members attending weekly meetings to learn about their bodies, Glen’s work is about encouraging lifestyle changes. In 2021 he and his team assisted 120 patients to reverse their type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Glen also arranges large-scale public nutrition events to reach more people. Connecting with Māori has been difficult through conventional methods, however Glen’s approach has been to engage directly, arranging meetings in local marae, to great success. This mahi has seeded the beginnings of change within communities, with the establishment of communal gardens and a greater focus on whole foods.

Anne Collins is a lover of nature and works hard to keep it in harmony. Alongside husband Tony, she volunteers for the Rotokare Scenic Reserve, which is a large reserve of hill-country and extensive wetlands home to native forests, Kiwi, Ruru, Tui, Miromiro and Kārearea. The community-owned and driven project has been aided by Anne’s determined rat trapping and careful bird feeding. She is the North Taranaki Forest and Bird Secretary, and recently received an award from the New Plymouth District Council in honour and recognition of her voluntary efforts, alongside her husband Tony.

Delivering Meals on Wheels, Lorraine Gordon’s knock at the door is much appreciated by the elderly she serves in her community. Upon retiring she decided to volunteer alongside her husband Robert, and the pair give hours of their time each week to get deliveries out punctually. A steadfast, reliable part of the Meals on Wheels whānau, she and Robert have been driving and serving meals for nearly ten years. Lorraine is also a well-known knitter, generously donating baby clothes to households in New Zealand and overseas to keep newborns warm. In 2020 both Lorraine and Robert were recognised by the New Plymouth District Council for their services to volunteering.

Faye Dravitski has a special way with horses, and she shares her love of them with others through Riding for the Disabled. For more than 23 years she has been the backbone of the charity that supports people with disabilities to ride: taking new-comers under her wing, teaching grooming, how to saddle, to bridle the horses and how to lead them. She builds confidence in riders. She repairs broken equipment and tends to all the practical needs to run the programme, and in her 80s she does all this with patience and positivity. Faye is an inspiration to her New Plymouth community.

Debbie Griffiths walks alongside those in her community who are struggling with poverty, isolation or homelessness. For 15 years Debbie has worked at Visionwest Community Trust, assisting whānau by providing intensive support and budgeting advice for those in need. She has a natural rapport with people and gains the trust of those facing life’s big challenges. A true community connector, Debbie also works with those recovering from alcohol and addiction, and volunteers for Surf Lifesaving. Investing herself totally, Debbie is able to pinpoint her clients' underlying needs, and knows she is on the journey with them for as long as it takes.

For 34 years Richard Craig has been a volunteer for Coastguard Kaikoura, and is its longest serving volunteer. Richard was president for 16 years, and remains Coastguard Kaikoura’s Health and Safety Officer, he has been honoured with a Coastguard Kaikoura lifetime membership. In 2006 he was integral to the work that fundraised $700,000 for the rescue vessel that the coastguard uses today. He shares his vast knowledge of the ocean with new crew members and helps to train volunteers, giving up his weekends whenever needed. Richard is also a passionate supporter of marine health, and cares deeply about the environment; he is an active member of The Kaikoura Marine Guardians, The Kaikoura Salmon Enhancement Society and Te Korowai.

For the past five years Ray Lowe has been giving people the chance to get on the water and fish. Volunteering for charitable trust, Wish4fish, Ray has helped those with a disability have ocean experiences on Wish4fish’s purpose built, accessible catamaran. He joined the charity after seeing founder Bryce Dinneen on TV talking about his goal to create a fishing apparatus that would allow him, a tetraplegic, to fish independently. Ray took up the challenge and put hundreds of hours into developing the piece of equipment, called the Striker, which is now an integral part of the boat that has been life changing, and enhancing, for its users.

Bryce Dinneen has been pushing the limits since he was small. An active sportsman throughout his youth, a spinal injury changed his life and he became tetraplegic. Determined to ensure he and others could have outdoor experiences, he set-up Wish4Fish to help people living with a disability get out on the water, and feel the joy of the sea. Bryce fundraised $2.4 million to have a catamaran built that is fully wheelchair accessible, with an accessible shower, toilet and elevator. For ten years Bryce has been providing free trips for beneficiaries, the disabled and their caregivers; he’s determined that access to Aotearoa’s beautiful ocean should not be off-limits for anyone.

Ranbir Kaur Saini is a recognised face in the Aotearoa community through her work towards empowerment as a registered social worker. Ranbir migrated to New Zealand in 2003 as an IT professional but switched to social work to follow her passion of providing practical support and advocate the not-so-privileged members of her community. Working at the Sikh Women’s Association, Otahuhu for over a decade, and known for her compassion and care, Ranbir provides selfless service to support women and families experiencing domestic violence, and new immigrants. She is an active member and facilitator of many projects across the city, including: Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Positive Parenting, Auckland Diabetes and with Counties Manukau Police. Health, Safety and Wellbeing underpin her community work, and she is especially focussed on bridging the cultural gap by helping immigrants settle into a new life and culture in Aotearoa. Approachable and proactive, she assists the elderly connect to support services. Recently, she lent a helping hand during the COVID-19 lockdowns to support with food parcels and transport, but also went the extra mile by providing emotional support to the isolated individuals.

Simon Strombom is ensuring those that served for New Zealand are remembered with dignity. The former army major founded the New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA) to restore and maintain every service memorial in the country, and has assisted in setting up the Cook Islands Remembrance Army and Australian Remembrance Army. Within three years it grew from a local Porirua initiative to a New Zealand-wide movement, with more than 3,500 volunteers. To date, NZRA have restored 65,000 service graves throughout New Zealand in over 250 cemeteries and have placed 22 headstones on unmarked soldier graves. Thinking of the environment, Simon has also come up with a creative solution to reduce harm from plastic memorial poppies and working closely with community pottery groups has developed a long-lasting, sustainable option – permanent ceramic poppies. The eye-catching new poppies will be attached to memorial graves and those without service information for easy identification, and so future generations can pay their respects.

Sarah Page is the founder of The Kindness Collective, a grassroots charity that partners directly with businesses and other charities to do more for communities. Established in 2014, The Kindness Collective’s kaupapa is to maintain the dignity and mana of those that access its support. In the past year, with an army of volunteers, the collective has donated 459 pieces of furniture 2,000 toys, 17,300 Easter Eggs, $13,457 of toiletries, 23,000 pieces of clothing and baby items, 27,000 nappies and more than $150,000 worth of food and grocery vouchers. Vouchers are important, they offer choice, and being able to choose freely sends a powerful message of respect to those that use its services. Sarah works full time, but finds a way to do extraordinary mahi for New Zealanders.

Alice Mander is a young activist on the move. Studying law at Victoria University, she has been a vocal student politician: she spearheaded the new National Association for Disabled Students, worked for the Victoria University Feminist Organisation, for CanDo - the Disabled Students Association, and has hosted the Disability Pride Week Panel. Her lived experience with disability gives her a clear insight into the considerable disparities that exist in society. Her thoughtful writing on this subject matter has found her audiences through The Spinoff, AttitudeTV and student magazine, Salient.

It was a straight-forward decision for Sulendra Raju (Raj) to resource his community in a time of devastation. The successful building company owner leapt to action when the Papatoetoe tornado struck in June 2021. Raj asked his large team of builders to down tools on all other jobs and help those in need. Debris from backyards was quickly cleared, 100 tarpaulins were fixed to leaking roofs, and essential repairs were made to ensure people could get back into their homes. Raj’s company covered these repair costs. It was a big effort with many hands doing the mahi; Raj’s generous spirit has made a powerful impact on his community.

Jignal Bhagvandas has shared her passion for dance with hundreds of young people. The founder of Aaja Nachle, now one of New Zealand’s largest Indian dance school, Jignal has taught more than 1000 children to be confident and comfortable in their own culture and identities. The school began when she herself was at college, and now has 15 teachers on board and a fulltime management team. Jignal trained as a doctor and now sits on the board of Aaja Nachle, and its linked charity, Arogya Mantra. Arogya Mantra delivers free bollyfitness classes to those in need in the South Asian community, as well as offering free medical screenings. Her charity has enabled many free çcultural community events, hundreds of free school workshops, $10,000 in research scholarships in migrant health to medical students, and launched the countries first Asian dance company, due to perform at the Auckland Arts Festival in 2022. Her charity is grassroots driven, the people who directly benefit from its services are given leadership roles.

Ethan Reille is an unstoppable force in his community. Young, articulate, honest and kind, he has both local and national leadership roles. A Waitaki District Youth Council Chairperson, a student representative on the Waitaki Boys’ Board, a Safer Waitaki community member, and a local AA council youth cadet, he has a full timetable. Ethan’s passionate about social justice and is an advocate for youth mental health, homelessness, the housing crisis and the Pasifika community. He was chosen to be one of the Hive 15 members, a group of young people selected by the Ministry of Youth Development to engage with central government politics. Ethan’s energy is helping build safer, fairer and healthier communities.

Nicole Thornton has been vocal about Crohn’s disease since she was a child. It’s a difficult condition to talk about, but Nicole has spoken publicly to help raise awareness about the painful illness that causes inflammation of the intestines. Diagnosed with the disease at eight, she began lobbying for better access to toilets for those with a medical condition at the age of 12. Her campaign, I Can’t Wait, helps those with Crohn’s and Colitis access toilets in retail spaces. By creating a card system that entitles the bearer to use employees’ toilets, she has created a solution for urgent situations. With 200 businesses participating in I Can’t Wait, the campaign has brought confidence to those with Crohn’s and Colitis.

Dr Khurram Malik is driven to change the powerlessness, decriminalisation and stigma of those marginalised in our community. Originally from Pakistan, Khurrum was influential in fighting against harsh penalties enforced by the country's blasphemy law. Now a qualified social worker, he dedicates his life to helping those with a marginalised voice. Since arriving in New Zealand in 2009 he has supported former refugees, the disability community and has worked in mental health and addiction services. He set-up the international charity, Humanitarian Organisation for Poverty Eradication (HOPE), which works across Pakistan, Thailand and New Zealand to safeguard the human rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and those whose lives have been traumatised by disasters, poverty, persecution or discrimination. His charity also works more locally, in the South and West Auckland collecting and distributing food to marginalised communities.

Flying is an everyday part of life for Melanie Salisbury, so it seemed only natural to start a fundraiser in the air. Melanie decided to highlight and raise money for the NZ Returned Services Association, Starship and the NZ Warbirds Association through her company Aviation Tours.  The Poppy and Stars Flight took a plane down the length of the country guided by 34 volunteer pilots carrying a giant poppy and star artwork. The Poppy and Stars Flight stopped at numerous small towns throughout the country where locals added their touch to the artworks and held events raising $15,600 to be shared between the three charities.

Anahera Hose spotted a hole in the education on offer in her region and fixed it. With a lack of tertiary education providers that offered NZQA accredited qualifications nearby, many in Anahera’s community found it hard to get properly trained for employment. She established Te Awanui a Rua Charitable Trust, which works with tertiary providers to create NZQA accreditation for marae based programmes - giving students the education and skills they need to find employment, while helping them learn about their culture. Anahera’s leadership has built relationships across the region and won the sponsorship of local businesses. The trust now runs numerous programmes, short courses and wananga for rangatahi to become self-sustaining.

Swanie Nelson, Ngāpuhi, is a community innovator whose uplifting leadership style is infectious. She began the Ōtara Kai Village in 2020 with the purpose of connecting people through food.  Offering a medley of services the village grows fresh vegetables for families, cooks hot meals, and provides good, rescued food through its foodbank. It’s a vibrant, fun and social space attracting people from all economic backgrounds. A social worker for three decades, Swannie knows how to build relationships, and her flair for working with rangatahi has seen bike races and basketball challenges held at the village. Swanie’s emphasis on zero waste led her to start the Pātaka Kai food pantries, now a nationwide network of hundreds of community pantries providing free, take-as-you-need food.

"Born in Rotorua, Jessamine (Jess) Bradley has been deeply connected to her community throughout her life. Working in tourism since a young age, Jess has always been people-centric and resourceful, and enjoys every day working for the multi-award winning Kaitiaki Adventures. Covid-19 has thrown in some new and unique challenges, however Jess has continued to find solutions to keep her colleagues working while also serving the environment and her community.

Jess has been an integral part in three hugely successful environmental initiatives: Project Whakahaumanu (Revive & Restore to Health) to restore and protect the whenua of Te Wehikura, Te Kaingahu and Waipapa 1A3; Te Maunga ō Tarawera (Mount Tarawera) conservation programme, eradicating wilding conifer and restoring the heritage landmark; The Kaitiaki Kurawai, a water catchment system used on Urupā to enable whānau to seamlessly observe tikanga on wahi tapu (sacred sites) whilst mitigating plastic degradation. These initiatives have not only created work opportunities to keep her tourism employees afloat, but they have helped raise awareness and appreciation for iwi and eco-tourism collaborations and its fundamental benefit to the wider community and tourism industry."

Denis Wood runs The Shed Project, a place for the disabled community to learn on the Kāpiti Coast. Beginning life in 2014, The Shed Project offers a raft of workshops and skills training to  build inclusion and employment for local disabled and disadvantaged people. Carpentry is the main craft on offer, with participants learning to build furniture and develop their own creative projects. Feeling part of the community can be very difficult for the disabled, but by creating dedicated opportunities to socialise and work The Shed Project changes this. Selling their products through the shed means participants can gain income while building confidence in themselves.

Dynamic and energetic, Megan Fairley sees the positive in life. The former Cadbury factory worker decided to arrange farewell tours of the iconic site before the factory’s closure in 2018.  Ticket sales from the tours raised $8000, which was donated to I Am Hope, a charity supporting young people’s mental health; the donation equated to 70 free counselling sessions for tamariki and rangatahi. Megan is a dedicated fundraiser, devoting every Saturday morning to collecting gold coin donations at the Farmer’s Market car park, which this year have totalled over $9000 that has gone back into community and children’s charities. Megan is focused on creating more societal awareness of the importance of mental health support.

Adam Latoa starts his days bright and early, volunteering each morning at Visionwest foodbank. The youth worker arrives every weekday at 6.45am and does much of the heavy lifting needed to run the foodbank before starting his day job at 9am. Adam began volunteering with Visionwest during the first Covid-19 lockdown and never stopped. At the end of his work day he returns to the foodbank for another afternoon shift. Adam’s extraordinary contribution comes on top of his job helping rangatahi living on the streets. Through his dedication, energy and kindness he has helped feed more than 1000 families in the last year.

Jason Lougher’s understanding and compassion for his community shone at the time when it was most needed. The Whakaari/White Island eruption had recently taken place, then the first Covid-19 lockdown occurred and the people and tourism sector were hurting. As a local business leader Jason knew how important it would be for the community to have a place to connect, and with his friend Michaela, set up the Facebook page, Whakatāne Matters. The page quickly became a space to air feelings, find out about Covid-19 and to promote businesses that were struggling. From this Jason saw the need to start the first-ever regional online shopping mall, so that Whakatāne retailers without websites or digital shopping capability could sell their products through Level 3.

Food is the business of Rahul Radhakrishnan, whose restaurants fuel the bellies of children. Since Covid-19’s impacts on the country, Rahul has established several food initiatives to help, he’s: delivered unused fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs from his restaurant to the elderly, produced about 1500 $5 lunches for essential workers, run a special fish and chip fundraiser for Marfell Community School’s special needs unit, and held Indian buffet fundraisers for the Cancer Society. In wishing to support children, Rahul has initiated the ‘Feed our Tamariki’ programme with support from the Ministry of Education, inviting 50 primary-school aged children from low decile schools in and around New Plymouth for lunch once a month. The initiative aims to increase the children's wellbeing, by giving them an experience to help build focus on the importance of education in their lives. In 2021 he received a Citizen’s award from the New Plymouth District Council.

Ngatuakana (Tuakana) O-Rangi Wichman is a dynamic resource in her community. For 25 years she has run a foodbank, regularly making deliveries to families in her car; she sources and redistributes clothing to those who need it; volunteers at Auckland’s Habitat for Humanity Restore Shop, and has assisted in building Habitat for Humanity houses in Fiji and Nepal; and lends her services to Radio Rhema. She wants to see families financially independent and spends a lot of time sharing budgeting advice, and walks alongside them in that journey. She has an incredible ability to relate to people - from the very young, to the very old - and is a vital source of inspiration to those around her. At 89 years of age she is not slowing down.

Trish Grant’s mahi is to speak up for those who are intellectually disabled. Part of IHC’s advocacy team she is a dependable and selfless advocate, who helps smooth out life’s difficult edges for those with a need. Working with health and housing providers, she strives to support her clients to be equipped for all they want to achieve; she’s specially focused on ensuring people with a disability are able to join their community and live with independence, Trish’s work has been essential for so many young people wanting to find their first home. Knowing that it's not always easy, Trish prepares her clients for the reality and challenges they may face with support and honesty.

Mandy Walker seizes the day and gets things done. Mandy is the Operations Manager at Whakaatu Whanaunga Trust, a small social service organisation in Ōpōtiki. Mandy and her team have built a kaupapa that focuses on inclusivity and creating a non-judgemental environment so that people can feel secure in asking for help. Her pragmatism has seen her develop and implement a practical solution for the housing crisis; responding to the dire need for homes in the region, she set up a transitional housing project, He Kainga Taupua. Sourcing three relocatable houses, arranging their transportation to Ōpōtiki and employing rangatahi to rebuild and refurbish them, she has created transitional homes for families in need. With an additional three houses waiting on site for completion, her energy will get the job done. Mandy also coordinates the Essential Housing Repairs programme through the TPK Māori Housing Network, and works alongside whānau toward being housed on their whenua, as well as now working with her team to deliver social housing provisions.

Bridget Palmer is a conservation hero whose dedication is helping save the North Island Brown Kiwi. Many projects and care and protection techniques have been initiated under Bridget’s watchful eye. For 19 years she’s been a conservation officer for the Department of Conservation, she volunteers with the Whakatāne Kiwi Project, trains teams of new conservationists and works with tamariki to give them first-hand experiences in the bush. Bridget’s engaging personality and enthusiasm rubs off and she has rallied community members to assist with the trapping of possums in the area through the HALO Project. In 2019, Bridget’s commitment to mentoring was recognised when she won the ‘Kiwis for Kiwi’ Trainer of the Year award.

Recreation and physical activity have been central to Andrew Leslie’s life, work and wellbeing. After a serious mountain bike accident, the CEO of Recreation Aotearoa learnt that physical activity was essential for his recovery. Spending several months in the Burwood Spinal Unit, Andrew was told he may never walk again. As he commenced his rehab it became apparent that his determination to walk, run and cycle again was spurring him on. One by one he met all of his milestones, from walking on crutches, to walking unaided, until he was back on his bike. Andrew has now turned his mind to making recreation more accessible for all and is working with the Department of Conservation to create a Great Walk that anyone can use.

Michelle Hartley is the other half of Eat a Rainbow, the culinary team gifting meals to families in need. The core values that underpin Michelle, and business partner Momo’s work, are to do good with food. The pair known for giving hundreds of frozen meals to charity each year increased their awhi during Covid-19, setting a goal to deliver 1000 frozen meals to their community. It was a big task, but through public donations Michelle and Momo were able to gift hundreds and hundreds of meals to those struggling financially. During a difficult time Michelle and Momo’s efforts provided comfort and sustenance.

​​Activist, politician, husband, father, and grandfather, Hone Harawira is also a community leader and volunteer. Using his voice to bring attention to issues affecting Māori, his life and career has been influential in New Zealand society. Known for being a strong supporter of the Far North, Hone serves some of the poorest people in Aotearoa. His recent contribution to the area is his Open the Curtains Trust, with a purpose to uplift whānau who are disconnected by ‘opening the curtains and letting the light in’. The trust works by assessing whānau needs, helping parents with budgeting advice and encourages unemployed family members to take pride in their communities by gathering kai, helping their neighbours and tidying their properties.

Donna Turtle Sarten, known as Turtle, wants to keep New Zealand children warm at night. Give a Kid a Blanket, is the charity she set up with her partner Bernie Harfleet, to provide blankets and bedding for families in need. Starting life in 2015, the charity was established after she read a coroner's report that said a child’s damp bedroom had contributed to their death. Since then it has gifted 140,000 items of warmth to families and children. Turtle is also an artist whose subject matter confronts serious social issues such as family violence and poverty; her work raises awareness and promotes discussion with new audiences.

Wendy Morrison is a self professed workaholic, and can’t stop finding new ways to help. The well-known local figure works full time as the General Manager for Mediaworks Wairarapa and outside of this role her every moment is filled. She is a marriage celebrant, a mentor to teen parents, a supporter of the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, fundraises for the Wairarapa Cancer Society, Wellington Free Ambulance and recently, Plunket Wairarapa, is the emcee for numerous charitable events and organises everything from firewood to food donations to support her community. She has been the Chair of the Wairarapa Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairwoman for the Relay for Life for the Wairarapa Cancer Society.

​​Caroline Herewini is a human rights advocate, committed to ending all forms of violence against women and children. She is the Kaiwhakahaere (Chief Executive) and driving force of Te Whare Tiaki Waahine Refuge Charitable Trust for over 20 years. The trust's point of difference, from non-indigenous refuge services in Aotearoa, is in its foundations underpinned by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Caroline is a founding member of the Everywoman Treaty Global Coalition, International Network to End Violence Against Women and Girls and Breaking Silent Codes- a movement of indigenous women trying to stop violence against women and children throughout the Pacific. She has been a keynote speaker and presented in international conferences in Mexico, Washington DC, United Nations (New York), Canada, The Hague, South Africa, East London, Taiwan and Australia. From her office in Porirua she remains committed to train social workers and fields emergency calls, keeping women and children safe.

Sam Gibson is an avid conservationist and communicator about wild places. A biological scientist Sam believes in order to understand our ecosystems we must collect observational data throughout seasons, investing time in research. Using matauranga Māori and western ecological thinking, Sam has developed new monitoring methodologies that use traditional mahinga kai species - natural food resources such as the abundance of Pikopiko and Tawa fruit on the forest floor and Kohia in the trees - as tools to observe deer, possums, rats and other introduced pests. He is a founder of the Eastern Whio Link project, which alongside Matawai Marae, is successfully combining matauranga Māori and western ecological practice to bring 25,000ha of public conservation lands back to a point of abundance and diversity.

Sian Neary is tenacious and creative in her work resourcing rangatahi. For ten years she’s been working at the Graeme Dingle Foundation and is its Auckland General Manager; responsible for 42 staff working across 36 schools, the foundation’s work supports 9000 young people in the region through outdoor learning and mentorship. On call 24 hours a day, Sian will drop whatever she's doing to help young people facing life challenges. Covid-19 put new pressure on the organisation, but Sian’s leadership meant its many programmes not only kept running, but developed fresh ways to share learning; partnering with TVNZ and the Ministry of Education, her team produced the Tamariki Talks TV series, teaching tamariki new skills and values through the Papa Kāinga home learning channel.

Lawyer turned social entrepreneur, Deborah Manning always knew she wanted to make a positive difference to the world. Nine years ago she left her career to find a solution to New Zealand’s dual problems of food insecurity and food waste, and launched KiwiHarvest. Overtime KiwiHarvest expanded and rescued more than 6.6 million kilos of food, which was redistributed to families in need, diverting 17.5 million kilos of carbon equivalent emissions from landfill. However, to connect food supply with food demand required better storage and nationwide infrastructure. Her solution was the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) which now helps join the dots between those able to supply donated food and those needing it. Since launching in July 2020, the NZFN has redistributed over 3.9 million kilos of food to food hubs countrywide. Together, KiwiHarvest and the New Zealand Food Network have provided food for more than 28 million meals to people in need across Aotearoa.

Kelvin Watt knows that a common purpose brings people together. The Covid-19 lockdowns pushed the Regional Manager for the Graeme Dingle Foundation to create innovative solutions to community needs. Kelvin launched two new pilot programmes in the past year, Career Navigator Community (for jobseekers), and Stars Teina (for intermediate students). In addition to trialing the new programmes he ran the successful Future Work Conference for school students, allowing them to hear from 75 businesses across 40 industries, and giving a first-hand insight into the many career opportunities on offer. Taking on additional programmes means finding extra staff, resources and funding, but Kelvin overcomes these challenges with a smile, because he is genuinely committed to empowering self belief in rangatahi.

Getting things started is one thing, but maintaining momentum takes drive, and Ted Culley has that. For more than a decade he’s been a volunteer and fundraiser for the Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough, and a long-term supporter of its Kiwi Can programme. The programme focuses on developing resilience and integrity in school aged children. Ted’s seen first-hand the direct impact the programme has had on children’s lives, and its positive results have led to nearly 60% of schools in Marlborough now participating. Ted is so passionate about Kiwi Can that he’s jumped out of a plane, twice, raising $60,000 for the cause.

Supporting rangatahi into secondary school is one of Nicole Geyser’s jobs. The Year 13 student at Marlborough Girls' College is a Stars Peer Mentor, the Stars programme matches older students with Year 9 arrivals. It’s more than a buddy system, the programme is designed to build trusting relationships between students that foster wellbeing, hauora, and the confidence to reach out in times of need. Despite Covid-19's impact on education, and a significant knee injury, Nicole’s consistent dedication to the programme and her leadership in 2021 has overseen more than 200 junior students partnered with senior mentors. Nicole’s unflappable support of others is an inspiration to her peers.

Gavin Evans is a Lego Community Ambassador and trustee of Lego Users Group (LUG) South. The Southland group comprises fans of the building blocks, whose passion spills over into support for the community. One of its many charitable endeavours, LUG South donates thousands of Lego blocks to children at Southland Hospitals each year, ensuring sick children have access to fun toys. The LUG South Charity founded by Gavin also provides food and petrol vouchers for families at this time of need. A full-time delivery truck driver, and on top of family life, Gavin coordinates the annual Southland Brick Show, which brings together 90 exhibitors from around the country and draws 6000 visitors, as well as many other smaller events. He takes most of his annual leave each year for the event, which not only shows off the artistry and skills of the makers but also raises money for the charity's ongoing work in the community.

Professor Michael (Mike) Plank is an internationally recognised mathematician at the University of Canterbury. Mathematical modelling has played a vital role in understanding and responding to Covid-19; in the early stages of the pandemic Mike led researchers at the university and Te Pūnaha Matatini to develop models to help estimate the scale of the health impacts for New Zealand. This work helped the government formulate a response to contact tracing, border management, testing, and outbreak control. He's become a known voice, and go-to media expert on the virus. Mike was recognised as key member of the New Zealand research team that won the Prime Minister’s Science Prize for the mathematical simulation of Covid-19 infection modelling and communication work.

Liam McLeavey was just 14 when he came up with his first business idea to support his community. Get-Go was created to bring together employers, government departments, education organisations and students to tailor job seekers’ skills to employers’ needs. The largest labour market development programme ever seen in Horowhenua, Get-Go received $800,000 in capital investment from the Government. Liam’s energy and vision is sought out by numerous government working groups, he has represented New Zealand internationally at the Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh, and was recently selected as a 2020 Global Teen Leader, joining a select group of 32 young people from 18 different countries.

Phil Gayton is the force behind volleyball in New Plymouth. Over the last five decades Phil has driven the expansion of the game in Taranaki. It is his passion. Formerly a PE teacher for 44 years, Phil’s enthusiasm for sport quickly spread to community work, and he established the well-known Sunday night Social Volleyball league, and the Taranaki Outdoor Pursuits and Education Centre – which see's thousands of students through it's courses each year. He is Chairman and President of the Spotswood Volleyball Club, Chairman of the Spotswood College Alumni Trust, and as a sportsperson has represented the Taranaki region at both local and national competitions. Since 1987 he’s been the organiser of local and national beach volleyball tournaments. Phil’s volunteer work has given thousands of people the chance to learn, play and enjoy volleyball.

Hiria Tareha does so much for the women of Wellington, and much of it is unseen. Hiria is the General Manager of Te Whare Nukunoa, the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust. The trust provides up to three months of short-term accommodation for women and much needed wrap-around care to rebuild their confidence, physical and emotional health. It is a women-only space. Hiria has worked for the trust’s kaupapa with tireless commitment and in 2021 was able to expand its support through a contract for services with MSD, increasing the number of beds from five to 14. Hiria ensures the complex issues and life experiences these women bring with them are met with compassion and understanding at Te Whare Nukunoa, she considers this mahi a privilege.

Following the Westport floods, Samara File turned her home into a donation hub to support her community. Juggling family and work, it was a busy and all-consuming time. Totally new to running a donation centre she sought advice from others around the country who had experience with similar disasters, this prompted her to look for ways to collaborate with other charities and NGOs. The hub also became a listening space, where stories of recovery and loss from the community were shared. Samara saw a need, and without a thought for the cost to herself, gave 110% to help her community get on its feet again.

Kylie Jonita Miringa Poihipi, Te Whānau ā Apanui, is a hands-on leader within her iwi. A central figure in Te Whare Rauora (Healing from Meth programme), Kylie makes herself available 24 hours a day and gives her support whenever it is needed. Kylie ensures tikanga Māori is at the forefront of Te Whare Rauora and encourages participants and supporters to take part in every aspect of the programme, which starts each day with a karakia. She is a sought-after kaikaranga and shares her knowledge of this art to empower other wāhine. A deep listener, Kylie’s integrity and fluency in Te Reo Rangatira mean she is a respected participant at hui, communicating with kaumatua, kuia, pakeke, rangatahi, taiohi and tamariki with wisdom and ease.

Te Warihi Hetaraka’s life has been in service to his people and his culture. An esteemed tohunga whakairo, teacher and mentor within Te Tai Tokerau, he has passed his knowledge on to those around him. Te Warihi was Pou Whakahaere for more than ten years at Te Puni Kōkiri, he is a cultural leader, advisor and artist of great mana and received both the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Arts Award in 2007 and in 2014 the Creative New Zealand Kingi Ihaka Award. Sharing matauranga Maori is his life's work and he passes it onto others he works with - especially tai tamariki and tamariki, the valuable knowledge systems of Whakairo, Raranga, Kapa Haka, Te Reo, Waka, Maramataka and Rongoa. In 2021 he was involved with revitalisation of the Wai 262 claim for Ngati Wai.

Rereata Makiha (Papa Ral) is a leader who inspires, finding innovative ways to share knowledge. Renowned as a proponent for the revitalisation of Te Reo, a specialist in ancestral Māori knowledge, and a bastion for innovative Mahi tiaki Taiao - environmental work, Rereata has dedicated his life to Te Ao Māori. He was instrumental in the Te Reo Māori movement as a broadcaster and reporter from the early 1970s, and has led in the revival of whare wananga teachings and traditional practices related to the environment. Recently Rereata has been part of the revitalisation of the use of the Maramataka - Maori Lunar Calendar and has intentionally built communities across Aotearoa that are implementing environmental projects that bring korero-tuku-iho - oral traditions to the forefront of their mahi.

Cameron (Cam) Smith is the Founder and CEO of Take2, a programme giving people in prison a second chance. Take2 provides a three-year programme that includes one year of intensive web development and life skills training, followed by two years of reintegration support to successfully re-enter the community. Working with a number of philanthropic organisations and tech firms, Cam successfully raised funding of $1.5 million for the programme, leaving his full-time job to make it happen.
Take2 aims to reduce reoffending rates, create post-prison professional employment, and increase the representation of Māori and Pasifika in the tech ecosystem. Cam has fiercely chased his vision, persuading prison operators and the Department of Corrections to approve the pilot, a New Zealand first. Now the programme is beginning its expansion in the prison system due to its popularity and success, with the pilot programme having the highest engagement rate and lowest absenteeism rate of all programmes operating at the prison

For nearly 10 years Matt Dagger has been running Kaibosh Food Rescue - saving surplus food and getting it to people who need it most. Kaibosh Food Rescue has become a household name in Wellington. Its 150+ network of volunteers are part of a community with two goals in mind: zero food waste and zero poverty. Matt has played a key role in supporting other food rescue organisations around the country, and recently established the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance - a group of 22+ food rescue charities working together to support one another’s mahi and skills. Matt is the Chair of the alliance. Admired for his kindness and energy, Matt’s work has raised awareness and action about food waste.

Panapa Te Wheru Ehau, Ngati Uepohatu, Ngati Porou is a father of four from Ruatoria. He is focused on projects that increase the wellbeing of whanau and whenua in the greater Waiapu Valley and Te Tairawhiti. He is a Co-Founder of a number of socially focused entities. These include Hikurangi Enterprises – sustainable economic development, Hikurangi Bioactive – natural health products from local native species, Rua Bioscience - a pharmaceutical business producing cannabinoid-derived medicine, and Te Mahere Whakauka - a nationwide network of 40 Maori-led enterprises helping to create jobs, grow food, plant natives and create housing solutions.

"Rebecca (Bec) Roper-Gee’s energy and passion is to keep her community fed. When the government announced the Healthy School Lunches Programme in 2020, Bec and her co-director Phillipa Weir, started Nourish Ōraka. Opening in May 2021 it employs 11 locals - mostly mothers who struggled to find work that would fit within schooling and childcare hours.
Nourish Ōraka delivers 350 lunches to the school each day, with any leftover lunches donated within the community. Bec’s first career in environmental management has had a huge impact on Nourish Ōraka, and all its meals come in reusable and compostable materials, some going back to the local community garden - a first in the region. "

Marty Price contributes his time to more than a dozen volunteer organisations in Nelson. Marty is currently Team Leader and one of the four co-founders of the Richmond Community Patrol; he delivered emergency food parcels via to Kai With Love during lockdowns, and he lends his ears and offers emotional support to men living with depression. He's worked as a Liaison patroller for the Police, as a Urban Search and Rescue, and MIST first responder, street ambassador and District Support Officer. As a DHB Needs Assessor he has the right listening skills and empathy for this important mahi. His exceptional community service, friendly outgoing nature and willingness to share his time without hesitation, have cemented his standing in the region.

Everything Sophie Weenink Smith does is about the wellbeing of people and the planet. She arranged her first beach clean-up at the age of 13, motivating 200 volunteers to join her and in doing so discovered that she could change the world. Sophie is the Under 25 representative for the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum and is a Youth Ambassador for Kohine Maia, a Sport Tasman initiative to improve girls’ mental health by being active. She has helped raise thousands of dollars for Giving Aroha to support the homeless community, and during Covid-19 lockdowns organised meal rosters to deliver food to people living on the streets. Sophie devotes every spare second of her time to create change.

Wendy is a data-savvy entrepreneur and the founder of Perfectly Imperfect. The charitable trust stands behind the motto, “ugly is delicious”. She and her large team of volunteers help rescue post-harvest, fresh food that does not meet market standards. After discovering 45% of fresh fruit and vegetables are left behind on the farm because they look abnormal, Wendy set about finding a way to get this nutritious food to people's plates. Doing the hard labour themselves, Wendy’s team glean produce from the fields of cooperating growers; it is then redistributed to foodbanks and directly sold to consumers through a low-cost subscription model. By building partnerships with growers, Perfectly Imperfect not only prevents waste, but has created new markets for locally grown produce.

Momo Martin is a culinary hero in Taranaki. Running two food businesses alongside partner Michelle Hartley, she feeds hundreds in her community with her heart and her hands. Providing free, delicious frozen meals through their company Eat a Rainbow, Momo is committed to nourishment through healthy, naturally colourful food. Gifting hundreds of meals to families in need through Gabby’s Starlit Hope and Roderique Hope Emergency Housing, Momo has removed incredible stress for families who are between homes or living with sick children -  simply with a freezer full of good food - gifting a meal that can be shared together.

With flair and vision Bridget Graham has transformed an historic building into a community hub. Chairperson of the Friends of the Onehunga Community House, Bridget led the incredible fundraising of $981,000 to restore the once well-used community house to its former glory. Now a fully repaired category one heritage building, it’s a focal point for all sectors of the community, meeting a range of cultural, social and recreational needs and connecting people in the neighbourhood. A comfortable space, the once derelict building is now used by 3000 Onehunga residents each month. Bridget’s perseverance has brought the heart back to the community once more.

Offering time and emotional support, Erin Scarlett O'Neill helps families struggling with addiction.  Her support group, Brave Hearts NZ, Manawa Kaha Aotearoa, assists the relatives of those living with addiction issues. With a lived experience in her own family, Erin was compelled to start the group; she felt families needed more nurturing during this difficult time. In its five years, Brave Hearts has helped hundreds of families. Beginning life in Tauranga with 60 parents, Brave Hearts is now a nationwide network of face to face and online meetings. Encouraging families to be strong, it offers much needed empathy, and Erin has helped many parents support their children into rehabilitation, with the ultimate goal of living addiction free.

Charlie is a role-model and an advocate for young people in the LGBTQ+ community. The Year 13 student at Palmerston North Boys High School has lobbied for a healthier environment for LGBTQ+ students where they can be themselves. Taking on board his feedback the school library now has rainbow stickers on books with LGBTQ+ content and Charlie’s significant achievement came when he challenged outdated rules at his school. The largest impact of this was on the School's Ball. After many discussions with the schools administration, Charlie became the first student to wear a dress to the ball and advocated for students to be able to bring same-sex partners, challenging traditional values of PNBHS. Charlie said his leading confidence came from students, who felt they had no voice, thanking him for the work he has done and enabling the LGBTQ+ youth community to believe that one day students will not need to hide their identity, free from shame and outdated rules. Charlie is a courageous role-model, and simply wants people to be free to express themselves.

Tayla Jane Nasmith was just 12 years old when she set up her charity, Mummy’s in Need. Now 20, she is still running her charity that works alongside Police, midwives and other organisations to support whānau experiencing hardship. Tayla fundraises for and collects donated baby and children's clothes and necessities such as nappies, toys, strollers, prams and bassinets for expectant mothers of all ages. She is especially focused on providing for first-time mums and ensuring they have all they need to care for their newborn. 9000 children have been helped through her nine years of work. Tayla’s intelligent and selfless approach is supporting mothers and babies throughout Aotearoa.

When Michelle Wi lost her job at Waitomo Caves because of Covid-19, she threw herself into a new mission: cleaning up an overgrown section in her hometown of Te Kuiti to grow food for local food banks. The community garden, which opened in July 2020, is called Maara Kai Roopu. Michelle sourced contributions from local companies and recruited volunteers to clear the plot, plant trees, put in vegetable beds, plant flowers for bees and other beneficial insects, set up compost bins and install signs in te reo Māori. She is now working with the local Menz Shed to build a chicken coop and wants to engage local schools and senior citizen groups to make this a true community hub.

A former gang member and methamphetamine addict and now an ordained pastor, Brendon Warne is committed to getting New Zealanders off meth. His group, the Anti-P Ministry, began by using guerilla tactics to cut off the meth supply in Aotearoa, kicking in doors and running dealers out of town, but now reaches out directly to addicts. The Ministry is now a nationwide organisation with almost 7,000 members, walk-in clinics, and an app to help members track their recovery. After more requests for walk-in clinics, the Ministry crowdfunded to set up a mobile clinic, and in August 2020 took it on the road to help addicted New Zealanders get help, no matter where they are.

In July 2000, at age 27, Nick Chisholm was playing rugby when he suffered a series of mini-strokes. After spending time in a coma and enduring days of seizures, he was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles, except for those that control the eyes. People with locked-in syndrome are conscious and can think and reason, but are unable to speak or move. However, Nick discovered that through exercise he can regain limited use of his muscles, and he now trains other stroke sufferers and people with traumatic brain injuries to do the same. He also talks to schools and community groups about staying positive no matter what life throws at you.

Music therapy is a small but growing profession in New Zealand, and Kimberley Wade is working right at the heart of it. She is the founder of Southern Music Therapy, which provides music therapy sessions for people with disabilities and in 2010 she co-founded the Cantabrainers Choir which allows people living with a long-term neurological condition, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease or traumatic brain injury to sing in a safe, supportive group environment. Kim is passionate about music therapy and has presented her work at symposia and conferences for Music Therapy New Zealand, New Zealand School of Music, and MENZA (Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa). She has also collaborated with Creative New Zealand in providing accessible concerts for people with disabilities.

At age 16, Chercara Strydom was struck by the number of whānau in her community who struggled to provide essentials. In response, she created Care for Families and began sourcing second-hand items and creating care packs to distribute. Since then, Chercara’s own parenting journey has led the group to focus on supporting those with premature babies and baby losses, and it works with hospitals, neonatal units and social workers to ensure the care packs reach those who need it the most. Chercara now works alongside numerous volunteers who are fully trained and provided with ongoing support, and also takes on students completing the service component of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award programme.

Despite being not yet 20 years old, Courtney McLauchlan Bignell is already inspiring others with her generous, community-minded spirit. In 2018, while a student at Otumoetai College in Tauranga she organised a candlelight vigil for murdered British backpacker Grace Millane, and in 2020 she was behind a successful quiz night fundraiser for victims of the Australian bushfires. She also founded a Facebook support group for people self-isolating due to Covid-19 which was supported by several community organisations and helped organise birthday celebrations at a local homeless women’s shelter.

In 2007, after the death of her three-year-old daughter Kenzie from spinal cancer, Auckland woman Nic Russell founded Kenzie’s Gift, a charity that helps young people and their whānau navigate serious illness and bereavement. The organisation provides grief kits, online resources and free one-on-one therapy sessions with mental health professionals, with the aim of better mental health outcomes for these children later in life. Despite many health challenges of her own (including stage 3 breast cancer, cardiomyopathy and Parkinson’s disease), Nic has continued to work tirelessly on Kenzie’s Gift for the last 13 years, helping thousands of young New Zealanders.

Despite a full-time job as a doctor, Jignal Bhagvandas spends another 40 hours a week running her charity Arogya Mantra, a non-profit initiative that aims to promote a healthy lifestyle to Auckland’s South-Asian community. Arogya Mantra offers community dance and fitness classes (including “BollyFitness” with instructions in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Punjabi), as well as guest speakers such as doctors, physiotherapists or dietitians discussing common health problems for the South Asian community, and workshops from Diabetes Auckland, Kidney Health New Zealand or Breast Screening Aotearoa. Each month free medical screenings are carried out by Auckland medical students supervised by registered doctors and nurses. Classes are now run in three locations across Auckland, to hundreds of participants.

After graduating with a BSc (honours) from the University of Auckland, many were surprised to see Mustafa ‘Mussie’ Sheikh head straight for a job at the counter of KFC. But for Mussie it made perfect sense – the job would free up his time and earn him enough money to start Bread, a charity that aims to ‘protect young dreams’ by supporting kids living in poverty. Now Bread is three years old and helps hundreds of kids at low-decile schools. The cornerstone of the organisation is the six-month-long mentoring and study programme, which assists with goal-setting, career-planning, university and high school preparation, research skills and positive thinking. Bread also supplies jackets, shoes and sweaters to kids in need.

Together with his wife Pam, Ian (Monty) Montgomery runs the Okiwi Bay Holiday Park and Lodge and the local convenience store, but does so much more than that for his community: for more than 20 years Ian has been at the helm of all emergency services in the area. It began when the couple moved to the Bay, and Ian was the only person in the community to hold an advanced first-aid certificate. He was soon known as the man to turn to in an emergency and went on to help establish the Okiwi Bay Voluntary Rural Fire Force, St John’s First Response, a helipad for rescue helicopters, and the local Civil Defence.

Hazel Hape’s career has been dedicated to improving the lives of women and children. She has led the Tauranga Women’s Refuge for more than 20 years, which offers a 24-hour crisis line, educational programmes, counselling, and a safe house. She also represents the voices of women and children at a governance and strategic level. In 2005 she briefly left the Refuge to work on the Glenn Inquiry, an independent inquiry into domestic abuse in New Zealand, she has taught social work at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, holds many board and advisory positions, and in 2014 was the New Zealand delegate to the UN Commission on Status of Women. Hazel has also inspired and trained many rangatahi to become social workers.

As a criminal lawyer with more than five decades of experience, Nigel Hampton has been involved with many high-profile cases, including in relation to the Pike River Royal Commission and the collapse of the CTV building. He has been chair of the New Zealand Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, was the first Disciplinary Commissioner of Counsel at the International Criminal Court at the Hague, and Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga. He’s a judicial officer for World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby, on the boards of charitable bodies, and is New Zealand patron of the Howard League for penal reform. He also helped establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission board, to redefine the way possible miscarriages of justice are identified.

After spending most of her life struggling with the physical and psychological trauma of severe burns sustained as an 11-month-old, Donna Gregory-Marshall has recently embraced her scars, built self-esteem and resilience and supports other burn survivors on their journeys to self-acceptance. She is now a peer support person and mentor to the New Zealand burns community, and regularly shares her story, models her body for burn resources, and provides education to health professionals, including running sessions in the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit at Middlemore Hospital. In 2019 she was chosen as a New Zealand representative at the Phoenix World Burn Conference.

After Hugh Renton’s father Paul, a prominent Hawke’s Bay farmer and rugby player, died of suicide, Hugh was determined to use the life-changing event as a force for good. Hugh is using his connection to top rugby players – including All Blacks Sam Cane and Dan Coles – to raise awareness of suicide risk and mental health issues, and in particular to support Hawke’s Bay farmers, who have been plagued by drought in 2020. Hugh understands the respect that many farmers have for rugby players and each week posts on social media a video of a rugby star sharing their own stories of challenging times, and offering support and understanding of all the pressures farmers are currently facing, a source of solace and inspiration.

"Duncan saved my daughter’s life last night when she had a fall of a 2 m cliff into the dark in Piha. He rescued her - off duty and carried her out of the crashing waves - into safety. She described him as an ‘8-meter man that came out of nowhere to save my life’.
Duncan is a senior lifesaver, working way past his duty and rescued many life’s on our Wild West Coast Beach Piha.
We are incredibly thankful to have a wonderful hero like this in our small community."

Beyond taking care of her own family and working as a postie (which sees her bike as much as 80 kilometres a day), Bridget Kitchin of Westport commits 30–40 hours each week to lead her local division of St John Youth. She goes out of her way to create development opportunities for rangatahi in her community, especially those that would not otherwise have the opportunity to access them. In her time with St John she has supported youth to participate in community service roles including spending time with elderly, participating at community events and conservation projects. She also supports St John’s team of leaders to develop their own skills.

Determined to see more Rangatahi from his region pursuing tertiary
education, Liam benfell created the Tū Rangatahi Youth Foundation.
Despite currently studying towards a Bachelor of Law majoring in Māori
and Indigenous studies at the University of Waikato, Liam travels the
bay of plenty, visiting a number of schools to inspire and encourage
hundreds of young people to attend University. The Tū Rangatahi Youth
Foundation support rangatahi with scholarships, tools for enrolling in
University and provides a forum for what university is really like for
Māori students. Liam also holds the positions of Deputy Chair for Te
Taumata o Rehuaariki (Rotorua’s Reo and Tikanga advisory Council), Pou
Tikanga for Te Whakahiapo (The University of Waikato Māori Law
association), Chairman of the University of Waikato Honour Society and a
position as a panelist for the Young Maori leaders Education Forum.

Despite a full-time job as a social worker and a family of eight children of her own to care for, Soli Leau-Bradnock saw families in her community struggling to make ends meet and wanted to help. In 2019 Soli reached out to the region, requesting donations of food, second-hand clothing, shoes and bedding, and opened Helping Hands Putaruru. What started as a small shelf in her office has turned into an entire room of clothing and household goods, which Soli sorts through and connects with local whānau. Soli now manages a team of volunteers and Helping Hands has expanded to include food parcels, blanket drives, and fundraising raffles as well as providing a safe space for people to talk and share their story.

Youthline provides free phone counselling to thousands of young New Zealanders each year, and Kerryn Scott is one of the dedicated staff which allows this work to happen. Kerryn works in Triage, ensuring the vulnerable youth that calls Youthline are taken care of and supporting the volunteers that answer the calls. In addition to her paid role, Kerryn spends many hours doing voluntary shifts, supporting the triage team at high-volume times, and is a volunteer mentor, training new Youthline volunteers. Kerryn constantly monitors the national roster for gaps, and regularly takes up extra shifts to ensure that young New Zealanders are able to access support when they most need it.

Daryl Gowers says that while he’s not great at fixing things, he’s really good at pulling things to bits, and since 2017 he’s used that skill to raise almost $100,000 for the Gisborne East Coast Cancer Society. After working hard and saving money in Australia, he returned home to Gisborne and realised he could help people clear out old appliances and lawnmowers from their backyards or garages by picking them up in his trailer, taking them home and stripping them down, then selling the scrap metal and giving the proceeds to charity. The money raised helps people in Tairāwhiti diagnosed with cancer get to appointments, access services, and pay for resources.

Matt Brown’s chain of Christchurch barbershops, My Father’s Barber, are places for men to get their hair cut or beard trimmed, but also safe spaces for men to connect and unload without judgement and regularly have workshops with guest speakers, community and support, an antidote to toxic masculinity. Matt regularly offers haircuts at the Christchurch City Mission, is a mentor at Christchurch Men’s Prison, and partners with domestic-violence charities. In 2018 Matt partnered with the Ministry of Social Development for the 'It's not OK campaign' to increase awareness about the role of barbers in creating safe spaces for men, and recently he held a seminar at Koukourārata marae with a kaupapa of talking about men's mental health, suicide, and family violence.

Sabidah Gillespie is a long-serving volunteer member of Shakti Ethnic Women's Support Group in Christchurch which endeavours to raise awareness of family violence and supports women out of dangerous situations and into safety and self-reliance. After the March 15 mosque attacks, Sabidah worked tirelessly with Shakti and other agencies supporting women, children and whānau who lost loved ones. She visited them, supplied them with food parcels, drove them to appointments, and connected them to agencies for necessary support. Sabidah is also a prominent member of the Canterbury Malaysian Society, an active member of Rotary Club and Multicultural Society, and is a very well-respected member of the Islamic community in Christchurch.

Growing up in South Auckland, Anita Vaafusuaga left school at just 13. After watching many of her own children and grandchildren also leave school early with no job lined up, Anita was motivated to leave her job in her mid-fifties and start a packing and logistics business that would employ youth in her community at scale, focusing on those who have left school early with few or no qualifications. Her company, DNA 1st, aims to provide stable employment for rangatahi, offer a stepping stone into the workplace, and to help put a dent in the youth unemployment rate in Auckland. Since starting her company in 2012 she has employed almost a thousand young people, 95% of whom are young women.

For the last 14 years, Angela Carmichael has run The Shed, a much-loved drop-in facility in Motueka that offers daily activities, mental health resources, and a safe space for support for her local community. Despite frequent budget cuts, staff losses, and her own daily struggle with fibromyalgia, Angela’s commitment to The Shed is unwavering. She has helped countless families, coaching them on how to be compassionate, empathetic and patient with their loved ones, and that spirit of compassion has spread to the wider community. As well as providing tangible support, Angela is dedicated to removing the stigma of mental illness and regularly uses her platform in the community to educate the public through newspaper articles, talks, and conversations with local businesses.

Warren Brown’s day job is at a construction company, but his true passion is running STAROS, a bereavement organisation founded by Warren and another parent that supports those who have lost a child or other loved one to suicide. STAROS began as a support group in 2012 and in 2016 was formally established as a trust. The support group still runs every week between two locations in Hawke’s Bay, while the Trust supports other communities to establish their own bereavement support groups, as well as to raise public awareness of suicide, including recognising early signs of risk of suicide in Hawke's Bay and around Aotearoa.

Adam McLean’s contribution to his community is music. Based in Mount Maunganui, he runs Bay Music School, which facilitates music classes in schools and fundraises to sponsor kids whose family can’t cover the tuition fees. Many schools have reported that kids who previously had behaviour difficulties in class are thriving, now that they have music as an outlet. In 2020 local artists such as Tiki Taane performed at a gig to raise money for Adam’s music development fund, which provides instruments for music students. During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown he boosted spirits in his community by doing free gigs on Facebook Live, and he also works with local suicide prevention groups to raise awareness.

For more than 45 years Teresea Olsen has led Kokiri Marae, a marae-based, non-profit health organisation that supports those who are most vulnerable to poverty, violence and health issues. Kokiri Marae provides holistic support services such as whanau health, immunisations, food banks, Māori women’s refuge, and social services, They also provide advocacy and support to whānau dealing with mainstream services. During level 4 lockdown in 2020 Teresea created a pātaka (food bank) and used her workforce to distribute sanitation packs and food to whānau in need. Her staff checked in with the elderly in the community to ensure they were well looked after and set up a drive-through flu vaccination clinic and doorstep vaccinations for those who were most vulnerable to Covid-19.

Sunita Torrance is an activist, advocate and critical ally for the LGBTQI+ community in Taranaki. She is best known for being the force behind Rainbow Storytime New Zealand which sees drag queens run storytime sessions for children in public libraries and other community centres. The sessions have themes of self-acceptance, anti-bullying and diversity, and have been so popular that the two drag queens that front the sessions tour the rest of the country. In late 2019 Sunita was part of a group that announced they would stage Taranaki’s first Pride festival, a celebration of the region’s LGBTQI+ communities that would include workshops, a parade, seminars and other events.

Tokanui is a small community of about 160 people in the Catlins, and Sandra and Selwyn Earwaker are known as the people who keep the village moving – all with a smile on their face. As well as raising their three children, farming full time, and Sandra’s teaching job, the pair are behind a range of community events and services, from running the golf club and swimming pool, fundraising and coaching kids sports, to managing the local memorial hall. For 22 years Selwyn has been a volunteer ambulance officer in Tokanui, meaning he’s on-call three days a week and is responsible for recruiting and training the other officers. This commitment saw him recognised with a long-service award from St John in 2020.

Bruce Allan is passionate about Peel Forest. Born and raised in the mid-Canterbury High Country, he’s been a dedicated community volunteer for the last 30 years, supporting the local people and protecting the environment. He has been a Peel Forest volunteer firefighter, a committee member of the Peel Forest Timpson Charitable Trust, the Peel Forest Hall Committee, Project Peel and the Orari River Protection Group. He has been a science advisor to the Rangitata Landcare Group and Mackenzie Guardians, and chair of the Peel Forest Outdoor Centre Trust. As a volunteer trustee, he has been a vital part of Centre planning, vision and management, enabling thousands of New Zealanders to partake in outdoor and environmental programmes.

After having her first child at age 14, Rebecca Clarke was determined not to follow the path of many teen parents she saw around her in Wairoa. She finished high school at Wairoa College, then went on to complete a Bachelor of Business Studies, Accounting and Finance at Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), all while raising her two children. Since graduating, Rebecca has embarked on a career in education, working as a senior lecturer at EIT and facilitating Young Enterprise Scheme programmes. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors. She is passionate about improving education for her community and is a mentor for many young Māori women in the region.

Maxine Hooper is a dedicated volunteer to a range of Ashburton charities and social organisations, but her heart has always been with Riding for the Disabled (RDA), which she has dedicated over forty years of her life to. Maxine is currently the head coach of the Mid-Canterbury RDA, a past member of the NZRDA Training Team, and has arranged countless fundraising events to enable RDA to continue to operate. Beyond this, she works at Ashburton Senior Citizens and is a past volunteer with Victim Support and Community House Mid Canterbury. For decades Maxine has been a tireless advocate for her community, and especially for the elderly and disabled.

After 18 years working in a number of industries, including multimedia, banking, healthcare, fashion and hospitality, and while raising two young children, Marlena Martin retrained as a social worker and since 2018 has led the Kawerau Future Leaders programme. Marlena is passionate about the strong sense of whakawhanaungatanga in Kawerau, and the kaupapa of Future Leaders, which is about unleashing the potential of our rangatahi through support, mentoring and resources. Most recently she led a group of Kawerau Future Leaders as they developed and implemented a programme called ‘Connecting our Community with Kai’, which helps provide local whanau with food, as well as promoting relationship-building and nurturing a community spirit.

After 12 years of drug addiction, homelessness and incarceration in Australia, followed by several years travelling the world visiting prisons, war zones and drug rehabilitation centres, Owen Pomana is now an evangelist, preacher and community organiser who spends his days helping others, primarily working with Humanity NZ to feed Auckland’s homeless community. During the Covid-19 lockdown periods in Auckland, Owen found ways to increase the support to those in need, rallying the community to boost donations and distribution of food, blankets and sleeping bags. He also works directly with homeless people on suicide prevention strategies, spending valuable time with those who are often on the fringes of society.

Luke Gray is an occupational therapist at Whakatane Hospital with a passion for working with youth and seeing people grow and succeed in whatever they want to achieve. He is also a youth leader at his church, and a participant in Future Leaders, a programme that supports rangatahi to contribute to their community. Luke’s focus is on supporting young people’s mental health, and he was especially cognisant of the need for this during Covid-19 lockdown. Luke made sure he was available to his community (he considers all of Whakatane to be whānau) for chats, and worked with other Whakatāne Future Leaders to distribute boredom buster packs for local whānau which included snacks, te reo Māori and mental health resources and activities.

Peter Simpson has been a valued member of the New Zealand Red Cross since 2012, and he is currently the Deputy Team Leader of the Hamilton Disaster Welfare and Support Team. He is one of the most deployed members of the team, having served during seven deployments, including the Christchurch mosque shootings, Kaikoura earthquake and Whaakari/White Island eruption. Within the team, Peter has created a culture of care and taught team members the importance of looking after their welfare, personally and professionally. He has run training sessions on personal preparedness, resilience, personal development and mindfulness. Peter’s service to the Red Cross is all done in a voluntary capacity while carrying out full-time work as a cytogeneticist at Waikato Hospital.

Carolyn Press-McKenzie and her animal-rescue organisation HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) have saved thousands of animals’ lives since forming in 2008. HUHA runs two animal sanctuaries around Wellington, campaigns to end animal abuse in various forms (for example, medical testing, battery farming, backyard puppy breeding), and completes large-scale animal rescue missions. During level 4 lockdown in 2020 many smaller charities saw their donations dwindle as New Zealanders were under pressure. At the same time, job losses meant that many could not afford to feed their pets. Carolyn rallied volunteers to contact New Zealand manufacturers and were able to deliver more than $120,000 of pet food to food banks and small animal charities through Aotearoa.

After two of his close friends died by suicide as teenagers, James Wards wanted to find a way to help young New Zealanders forge meaningful relationships, improve their mental health, and ultimately reduce New Zealand’s youth suicide statistics. Knowing that many teenagers were playing video games in their spare time but that it can lead to isolation, he created Your Corps, which aims to create community through multiplayer video-gaming events. The group creates live events for adolescents during weekends and school holidays, using libraries and other community spaces as venues. Up to 20 computers are networked together, allowing the rangatahi to spend time sharing an activity they love, develop lasting social connections, and find a safe space to talk.

After a childhood surrounded by gang culture, violence and alcohol and drug abuse, Karen Hepi knew she wanted to forge a different path. After living in Australia, she returned to Northland to study Community Development and Social Work and landed a job at Te Kotahitanga e Mahi Kaha Trust to develop the He Poutama Rangatahi (Transition to Employment) programme. Karen also sits on the Far North Youth Council and is an advocate for methamphetamine-free communities and for at-risk youth. Her superpower is the ease with which she makes meaningful connections with rangatahi at risk. She is also a coach for Kaikohe Future Leaders, and to top it off, is currently studying for her law degree, with the aim of becoming a judge.

Micah Roughton is the longest-serving member of the New Zealand Red Cross’s Disaster Welfare and Support team in Hamilton. He’s an innovative and skilled leader who is always thinking about ways to progress the team and increase engagement, and his passion for training has increased overall team attendance. Micah’s passion for providing psychosocial first aid saw him work alongside senior leadership to create a local response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the Whaakari/White Island eruption. As well, Micah is a volunteer firefighter with Waikato Volunteer Operational Support.

In 2018 Abigail began helping her friend Steve Dunne redistribute surplus food from local
suppliers to those in need of extra support. They would use Abigail’s house as an inwards goods depot, then load up their vans and head to local parking lots to distribute the food parcels to anyone in need. The supply and demand quickly outgrew its humble beginnings, so in early 2019 Kai with Love moved to a local church, and Abigail established a team of volunteers to help run the service. She worked tirelessly to rally the community, designed a logo and created a Facebook page to promote the service, which now feeds hundreds of Richmond whānau each week.

Tania Bristow is passionate about promoting Māori entrepreneurship in Te Tai Tokerau. Along with AUT and CoStarters this wāhine toa founded Te Kōrau, a wānanga-based business development programme for aspiring rakahinonga (entrepreneurs), and she’s a member of Kura Reo ki Whirinaki. As well as running te reo Māori, entrepreneurship and leadership classes at Whangārei Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Tania is a leader on the Future Leaders programme, showing rangatahi how collaboration with local government, iwi and businesses can bring positive impacts to their communities: currently, she is working with Future Leaders to organise a Youth and Diversity Summit, and during Covid-19 lockdown, the group delivered care packages to whānau in need in their community.

Suzee Ross contributes to her Kaikohe community in a variety of ways, but her influence is most felt in the arena of sports. In 2016 she helped establish Mid North United Sports, with the aim of creating new opportunities for local rangatahi to participate in sport at a local, regional, and most recently international level. Suzee has been instrumental in Mid North United Sports achieving many awards for its contribution to youth in sport, community impact, suicide awareness, and supporting families in need. She is also a part of a group that worked to reinstate softball, tennis, and basketball into Kaikohe, leading to many Tai Tokerau youth travelling within New Zealand or overseas, with many gaining university scholarships or representing New Zealand.

Seventeen-year-old Emma Jones is a talented musician, high academic achiever, and the first student volunteer in Southland to receive gold, silver and bronze medals for more than 500 hours of community service. She has raised funds for trips to national music competitions, staged performances to showcase student art in the community and held charity events. She also participated in an outreach group that saw local students and music therapists to sing to and spend time with elderly people in her community, and worked as a peer support leader to coach students NCEA music theory. Through the GirlBoss leadership programme, Emma developed learning videos for NCEA music, which more than 150,000 students have accessed; an incredibly valuable tool, especially during level 4 lockdown.

Cristina (Crissy) Shiels, along with her husband George, is the force behind Pass it on Manawatū (PIOM), an innovative charity that the Shiels run from their home in Hokowhitu. PIOM is a re-gifting group, where people can donate items and those in need can collect them. From the beginning there has been no assessing of people’s needs: Crissy says that no matter what your income, everyone can do with an unexpected gift to put a smile on their face. The group now has a Facebook page with more than 5,000 members, and the Shiels' house is packed to the rafters with items to give away, including food, plants, books, clothing or bicycles, all of which Crissy sorts through and prepares for collection.

Former youth worker Debbie Munroe, better known as Whaea Debs, is the force behind the Waka of Caring, a centre for the homeless community in Manurewa. The Waka began in 2014 with Debbie spending her own money and rallying for donations from locals to make soup and put together care packages from her home three nights a week. Now she runs a team of volunteers and provides for numerous homeless people each week, as well as for families impacted by Covid-19. As well as providing tangible support in the form of food and clothing, the Waka’s value also lies in being a safe and welcoming space for a group that is often on the fringes of society.

After more than ten years of working in youth health in Nelson, in 2017 Lee-ann O’Brien created Whanake Youth, a holistic youth services organisation that supports local rangatahi through an array of programmes, including counselling services, health clinics for young people and their whānau, drop-in youth groups, and her Wicked Tooth Fairy project, which connects young people to dentists and is now a model for dental services around the country. Lee-ann is a tireless advocate for her community, and there are few young people in Nelson that haven’t benefited from her work, whether through food parcels delivered to whānau, securing funds to purchase clothing, providing transport to meetings or appointments, or taking groups on overnight tramps.

Growing up in a farming family, 19-year-old Poppy Renton knew the stress that external factors such as droughts can have on farmers, so in early 2020 she set up the Hawke’s Bay Drought Facebook page, which now has more than 5,000 members. The community grew rapidly, with offers of help soon coming from around the country. The movement led to the ‘Rapa Feed Run, the Farmers’ Drought Shout, and the Collective Hug. Poppy’s page has connected farmers with each other and helped connect rural and urban communities. When Covid-19 lockdown hit, Poppy again swung into action. Hawke’s Bay farmers received donations of stock feed, as well as meals, groceries, and messages of encouragement: an example of how one simple act can have far-reaching consequences.

Neen Kennedy is famous around Waipukurau for being absolutely mad about recycling. She is a founder of Sustainable Ewe, a website devoted to sustainable living in Central Hawke’s Bay, and she recently converted her garage into a dedicated Sustainable Ewe space, giving people a venue to exchange seeds, swap preserving jars and purchase homemade Bokashi buckets. These buckets are the result of Sustainable Ewe’s latest project, The Great Bucket Rescue, which takes 15-litre food grade buckets that were headed to the landfill and converts them into home-composting units. Neen is also a member of the Central Hawke’s Bay Food Basket team, which redistributes food to those in need, and is the first to raise her hand when volunteers are needed at the council’s waste management centre.

Joshua Peauafi is a young leader from the Hutt Valley who is interested in the changing nature of cultural identity in New Zealand, and how Pasifika and Māori youth in particular can operate between various roles, responsibilities, and cultural realms. In 2020 he presented his paper “Innovative Cultural Understandings: The Plastic Polynesian Conversation” at Involve, Aotearoa’s national health and youth development conference. He is a board Member of the Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust and the Central YMCA, a mentor for Upper Hutt City Council, and is currently Senior Advisor, Social Action, Safe, Strong Families and Communities, Māori, Communities and Partnerships at the Ministry of Social Development. Joshua has been a guest speaker at Te Awakairangi Youth Development Network, Aspiring Leaders Forum and the Victoria University of Wellington Pasifika Students Association.

Danika Revell has a plan to end period poverty (an inability to access sanitary items) in New Zealand by 2030. In just three years her charity The Period Place has grown from a bold idea to a national organisation and in that time has staged education events, given away period supplies and successfully petitioned the government to provide free period products in schools. In September 2020 The Period Place partnered with The Warehouse to roll out permanent period product donation boxes in every branch of The Warehouse and create distribution partnerships with local community groups. Danika predicts that hundreds of thousands of products will be donated yearly, getting The Period Place that much closer to reaching its goal.

Peter Tolan is a well-respected business partner, project manager and chartered accountant who is best known in Marlborough for his capable chairmanship of the Marlborough Hospice Trust. He first joined the Hospice Trust in 2004, became its treasurer in 2010, and was named the trust chair in 2014. The Trust raises over $700,000 from the community each year and financially supports Hospice Marlborough to provide specialist palliative care in the Marlborough community. Peter has been a dedicated and committed chair of the trust, and in 2020 he was awarded a Marlborough District Council Civic Honours Award for his services.

Mike Newman is known as the friendliest butcher in Marlborough. He started his business, Meaters of Marlborough, in 1976, and still serves his customers every day. More than that, he is known for his generous support of community organisations, sports groups, and local whānau. He is well connected to his community and will often donate vouchers or meat packs to families with bereavements or who are going through hard times. Numerous local groups rely on donations from Mike for their fundraising sausage sizzles, and in 2015 the Marlborough College Old Boys’ Association made him a life member in recognition of his generosity. He also supports the Blenheim Food Bank with storage, butchery services and delivery.

Ivette Cameron has been using her financial management skills to support community organisations in Picton and Marlborough for more than 40 years. She is a committed volunteer who has held treasurer roles in a raft of local organisations, including the Marlborough branch of Scouts New Zealand, Picton Volunteer Ambulance, Top Town and Telethon Event Committees, the Picton Christmas Parade, Picton Maritime Festival Trust, Picton Garden Club, Picton Flower Ladies and the Anglican Church Fundraising Committee. Ivette is known for her humble generosity as much as her financial prowess, and her thousands of volunteer hours of mahi have helped countless beloved community events take place.

When Chrissi Clement saw that members of her community in Ngongotaha were struggling to access the essentials, she wanted to offer them a ‘hand-up rather than a hand-out’. So instead of distributing food parcels, Chrissi helped start the Trinity Centre Pantry, which allows locals to purchase groceries at around half the normal price, or in exchange for work credits. Chrissi’s commitment to the Pantry has seen the centre flourish: there is now a second-hand children’s clothing store, a toy library, monthly community lunches, and a community garden that grows produce and provides seedlings to locals. The centre is now run by around 50 volunteers, primarily those members who have enjoyed its benefits, and supports around 400 whānau in Ngongotaha.

Erica Austin was nearing the end of her Masters of Architecture degree at the University of Auckland when the Christchurch earthquakes occurred. She finished her degree and moved south, excited to participate in the city’s rebuild. She is interested in how cities can build ‘social architecture’ to ensure the physical environment is vibrant, inclusive, and unites and engages its inhabitants. Since arriving, Erica has thrown herself into a wide range of creative, community and entrepreneurial projects, and considers herself a ‘Christchurch ambassador.’ She has been an invaluable member of the teams at FESTA (Festival Of Transitional Architecture), the Ministry of Awesome, Gapfiller, TEDx Christchurch, PechaKucha, the Christchurch Arts Festival, WORD Christchurch, and LINC (Leadership in Communities).

Abdul Aziz Wahabzadah has been hailed as a hero by law enforcement, politicians and the public for his actions on 15 March 2019, when he risked his life to chase down the terrorist behind the Christchurch mosque attacks. Abdul was worshipping at Linwood Mosque when the killer entered the mosque and opened fire. Despite the clear risk to his own life, Abdul chased the offender from the room, while grabbing an EFTPOS machine to hurl at him. Abdul’s quick thinking and bravery saved many lives and helped law enforcement to quickly identify the killer’s car and capture him. The country celebrated Abdul’s actions again in August 2020 when he read a powerful impact statement at the killer’s sentencing.

Taimi Allan has translated her professional experience as an actor, and her lived experience as a person who survived both mental "illness" and addiction (including months in psychiatric hospitals, and Electro Convulsive Therapy) to lead Changing Minds. Changing Minds utilises the arts as a basis for opening positive conversations around mental health and celebrates the strengths of those who experience mental health and addiction challenges. Where many NGOs use a medical model to treat mental health and addiction issues; Changing Minds turns to storytelling as a strategy for people to unpack their distress, provide self-support, create resilience, and build public empathy. Beyond Changing Minds, Taimi works at a strategy, policy, and governance level, is the first person with lived experience to serve as deputy chair of the country's Suicide Mortality Review Committee, has been appointed to the inaugural Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission of New Zealand, and walks the talk by leading with kindness and compassion.

When the Highland Home Christian Camp needed a new coordinator, Rebecca Gray immediately put up her hand – despite being just 19 years old, and living and studying two and a half hours’ drive away in Wellington. In the year since taking on the role Rebecca has led a team to put on four successful camps, each of which sees more than 50 tamariki and 20 young leaders attend. Rebecca works hard to ensure everyone is welcome, personally developing behaviour plans to ensure campers with extra needs can be welcomed. During level 4 lockdown in 2020, Rebecca and her team created an online camp, utilising Google Classroom, Zoom and a Minecraft replica of the campsite, as a way of fostering social connection during a challenging time.

Originally from Auckland, Nicole Pereira and Vita Vaka are now pillars of the Marlborough region, and especially of its Pasifika and youth communities. They moved to the region in 2016 after hearing from local youth that there was little to do in Blenheim and since then, the pair have made it their mission to change that. Their group BCre8ve is about ‘creativity with a purpose’ and sees Nicole and Vita running creative programmes for Pasifika youth that aim to help participants improve their self-esteem and give them a sense of cultural identity through singing, dance, poetry and performance. Nicole and Vita also offer mentorships to local high school students and run a support programme for Pasifika parents called Talanoa Ako.

When Faiza Abukar came to New Zealand as a Somali refugee, it was her relationships with neighbours and local groups that made Wellington feel like home, and now Faiza is returning the favour. She is behind a huge range of community activities and events and loves to meet new people and connect them to community organisations. She helped establish a multicultural kids theatre group at the local library, organises annual Eid celebrations and Saturday art activities, helps get local low-income kids to code club and volunteers with the local Playcentre. She helps a local Christian group to run community dinners that bring people from different faiths and nationalities together, often cooking the food and doing henna for people during the event.

Three days before New Zealand went into level 4 lockdown, despite a full-time workload, an imminent transition to online teaching, and increased research workload, Dr Shyamal Das of the University of Otago saw a need for large-scale hand sanitiser production and kicked into action. Along with his six research students, he volunteered hundreds of hours to produce 1,200 litres of hand sanitiser for essential workers. Dr Das completed and maintained all the regulatory guidelines, responded to users, produced online presentations on hand hygiene, and consulted with other institutions to produce their own hand sanitiser. Dr Das’s sanitiser was used by dozens of essential services across Aotearoa, including Dunedin Civil Defence, the Dunedin and Canterbury Police, Fire and Emergency, and St John Ambulance Service.

Lynn Cross is best known by his community as someone willing to roll up his sleeves and help out, and over the last fifty years, he’s done just that for a host of Central Hawke’s Bay organisations. Lynn has been a Jaycees member (including serving as president twice); chairman of the Waipukurau branch of St John’s ambulance; committee member, treasurer and chairman of Lakeview Kindergarten; scout leader for Waipukurau Scouts, member of Waipukurau Lion's Club, a volunteer driver for the Blind Foundation, a St Mary's church volunteer and member and secretary of Central Hawke’s Bay Community Patrol. This phenomenal commitment saw Lynn recognised with a Civic Award presented on behalf of the Community by the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council in 2019.

Ongaonga is a central Hawke’s Bay village of just 50 people, and Pauline Mackie has been at the very heart of it for decades. In 2019 her service was recognised with a Central Hawke’s Bay District Council Civic Award. Pauline served as president of the Ongaonga Historical Society for 18 years which, under her leadership, established the village museum. As co-founder of the Ongaonga Playcentre, she was involved in a number of community projects designed to teach children life skills and also ran Central Hawke’s Bay’s Riding for the Disabled for more than 25 years. She is passionate about the Ongaonga community and continues to serve as a local tour guide, telling stories and relating the history of the area to tourists.

Dorothy Anderson remembers fondly her first visit to New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park in 1928, and now, at age 98, she gets to visit it regularly in her capacity as a volunteer of New Plymouth’s TSB Festival of Lights, which runs for five weeks each summer. Dorothy is the longest-serving volunteer of the Festival, which was officially launched in 1993, although lighting installations have been a feature of the park for more than 60 years. Dorothy has also been a member of the Friends of Pukekura Park, as well as a member of the Friendship Force of New Plymouth. Her volunteer work has been recognised with a Citizen’s Award in 1998 and the Friendship Force Wayne Smith Medal in 2011.

Friendship Force is a voluntary organisation and its objectives of improving international relationships through cultural exchanges has been a passion of Dorothy’s since joining the New Plymouth organisation as a Foundation Member in 1984. Since then, Dorothy has hosted forty exchanges involving more than one hundred Friendship Force Ambassadors and has been the Exchange Director for seven Inward and ten Outward exchanges. Many of these involved Third World countries where English was not spoken. Dorothy was President of the New Plymouth Friendship Force Branch for twelve years and also held the posts of Secretary (7 years) and Vice President. In recognition of her contribution to this organisation, Dorothy was made a Life Member of the New Plymouth Friendship Force Club in 2001 and is currently Patron of the New Plymouth branch. Dorothy has attended almost all NZ Conferences and was frequently involved in leadership roles as a panelist or workshop leader and has also attended four World Conferences.

In 2020 alone Wiki Todd has volunteered hundreds of hours as a St John First Responder, caring for hundreds of patients in the isolated, rural community of Kaeo, near Kerikeri. As well, Wiki is a respected Māori Warden in the Kaeo community, helping whānau in need, victims of domestic violence, and vulnerable youth. Wiki is also a member of the Kaeo Primary School Board of Trustees, secretary of the Whangaroa Health Services Trust, member of the Cavalli Volunteer Rural Fire Force, and a tireless worker at her local marae. A very modest person, Wiki says she is simply carrying on the community work her parents bought her up to do.

As the 2020 Sir Paul Holmes Broadcaster of the Year, Bryce Casey is a national treasure.
You might know him as a radio and TV powerhouse but Bryce’s work goes way beyond entertainment. In addition to spending two decades at The Rock hosting the night show and, more recently, the Morning Rumble, he is also a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, regularly participating in interviews, speeches and fundraisers to support the cause. In 2019, Bryce set the world record by bowling for 58 hours straight, raising a whopping $366,000 for Mike King’s I AM HOPE Foundation. He’s also spoken candidly about his wife’s devastating miscarriages, shedding light on a taboo subject matter many New Zealanders struggle with every day.

Sir Graeme Avery’s career across health, fitness, food and wellbeing has seen him in a myriad of transformational community roles, from co-founding the North Shore Bays athletics club in 1977 to chairing the New Zealand Food and Wine Tourism Network. In 2019 he established the Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre, now the Eastern Institute of Technology Institute of Health and Sport (EIT ISH). This world-class facility is a real community space, with a goal of supporting every community, individual and elite athlete to be the best they can be. The institute also provides cutting-edge training facilities and is a forum for sport and health science education and scientific research and scholarship.

In his almost twenty years with Coastguard Tūrangi, Allan Turia has seen the organisation’s role stretch far beyond maritime assistance to embody kaitiakitanga (guardianship), working collaboratively with the Department of Conservation (DoC) and the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board. With Tūwharetoa, Allan has helped develop a cadet programme that encourages people of Tūwharetoa descent to volunteer for Coastguard. In turn, Coastguard provides transport across the lake to access the marae and acts as support during iwi events, such as waka ama races. Allan and Coastguard Tūrangi also assist DoC with the upkeep of the protected Motutaiko Island, a place of spiritual significance to Māori: each quarter Allan transports DoC staff to the island to check on endangered species and look after the land.

Kaye Power has been the president of West Coast Netball for 25 years, and her presence is felt at every part of the organisation: she is the registration secretary and the uniform convenor; she supports the finance team and sits on raffle tables, and always helps out with clean up. She can still be found down at the courts most Friday afternoons supporting the junior netball programmes where she knows most of the children by name (and often their mothers and grandmothers too). Kaye has also been involved with Plunket for more than 40 years, and has been an active member of the Women’s Institute for more than 30 years, and is a regular volunteer at her local church shop.

Since 2018 Aaron Hendry has been the Youth Housing Team Leader at Lifewise, working to tackle youth homelessness in Auckland. Aaron and his team of 12 support and mentor around 30 young Aucklanders at a time, often spending their days walking alongside rangatahi who have experienced trauma and rejection and helping them rebuild their mana and forge a brighter future. Outside of Lifewise, Aaron is a board member of the Massey Community Trust and youth minister of the Massey Community Church. He also uses his position for advocacy, regularly contributing to media reports, and produces a blog and podcast series called When Lambs are Silent, which sees him discuss youth issues with researchers, academics and politicians.

Makasini Tulimaiau has turned her own experience as a parent of a child with a disability into a career as the Pasifika Liaison for Lifewise’s Health and Disability Service, and a valued member of her community. Although she represents health services, her demeanour is more cultural than clinical. She goes out of her way to accommodate people, shares her own personal experiences, and on her own time attends events such as the Pasifika Autism Support Group. She also runs whānau workshops with Taikura Trust, which supports those living with a disability with accessing vital services. Makasini understands first-hand the challenges Pasifika people can face accessing support in New Zealand, making her a determined advocate for her community.

Libby Hakaraia is a champion of Māori storytelling and community-led development, who established the Māoriland Film Festival in 2016 as a platform to celebrate indgenous cinema in New Zealand. Held annually, the population of Ōtaki more than doubles with visitors who contribute over $2 million to local businesses during the five-day event. At the centre of the festival is the Māoriland Hub, open year-round for Māori and indigenous filmmakers and creatives. Libby heads a team of nine full-time employees based in Auckland and Ōtaki as well as 24 rangatahi filmmakers across Aotearoa in part-time positions.

Bev Raine is a true community leader. For the best part of three decades, she has dedicated herself to improving life in Taranaki and developing the next generation of community leaders. She has been a chair, trustee, or held an administrative position with community groups as diverse as YMCA Taranaki, Taranaki Women's Refuge, Taranaki Elite Athletes Foundation, New Plymouth Catholic Women's League, Taranaki Jazz Club, and Netball Taranaki. For 26 years Bev was the manager of the Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management and was the first woman in New Zealand to be a registered officer within this group. She was also part of the fundraising group that raised $1.3million for new pool and stadium complexes in the region.

While thousands of New Zealanders run marathons each year, few of them wear gumboots while doing it. But Jack Keeys’ approach to life is to find something and work out how to turn it into a force for good. So this year, he’s running the Auckland Marathon in Red Bands to raise money for Melanoma New Zealand (Jack was diagnosed with melanoma in 2019 and both his father and stepfather died of cancer) and the Rural Support Trust. Along with his mum Tina, Jack is part of the Hauraki District Council’s 'Elephant in the Paddock' campaign which aims to raise the awareness of mental well-being in rural communities. It encourages people to talk, to listen and find common ground and support.

At just 17 years old, Aigagalefili (Fili) Fepulea'i-Tapua'i already has many strings to her bow: she is head girl of Aorere College in Papatoetoe, a published poet and renowned orator, and a passionate and determined climate activist. She is a co-founder of 4 Tha Kulture, an indigenous environmental activist group that worked alongside the School Strike for Climate, and in 2020 has petitioned the government for a green response to Covid-19, prioritising a renewable economy and meaningful partnerships with communities, tangata whenua and Pasifika. In 2019 Fili won the Storytellers New Zealand High School Public Speaking competition, and in 2020 was selected as the New Zealand representative at the Global Young Leaders Conference in New York.

Robert Tuahuru Edwards has spent his life serving his people. In 2000, after decades working around the Bay of Plenty, Robert returned to Ōpōtiki, becoming chairman of his local hapū and eventually of his iwi, Te Whakatōhea, which he led through fifteen years of economic growth. Alongside the mayor of Ōpōtiki, Robert helped transform the town into a bustling aquaculture industry; many locals are now employed in mussel farming in the area. In 2018, Whakatohea Māori Trust Board won the Horizon Business Excellence award for economic development. Robert is a great nurturer of the next generation, passing on his knowledge of marae and iwi history and mentoring aspiring directors and trustees as they work towards joining company boards.

Hokitika’s Regent Theatre is a category II historic building built in 1936 in an art deco style, and a vital part of Hokitika life. It’s safe to say that it wouldn’t survive without contributions from volunteers like Bruce Hackett, who is usually at the theatre five days a week since retiring three years ago. In that time he has helped plan and install the new cinema system, produced cabinetry for cinema equipment, helped with warden duties at events, and he recently began conservation work on the buildings heritage windows. As well as his work at the theatre, he spends many hours each week at the Westland Industrial Heritage Park, in particular working on the small gauge railway.

Michelle Fannin is known as the ‘go-to’ woman of Taihape. Her commitment to community organisations is legendary, and her presence can be felt at almost every local event. Currently, she is the coordinator of Taihape Older and Bolder, the co-chair of the Taihape A & P Association Committee, a member of the St John Area Committee and an employee of both Work and Income Taihape and Heartlands, the Taihape Service Centre. She is also in her third term on the Taihape Community Board. Being involved with such a wide range of organisations, she has networks throughout the community and has a knack for bringing people on board to ensure every event is a success.

As Executive Director of Qtopia, Alice Andersen’s role is to celebrate, educate and advocate for New Zealand’s rainbow youth and their whānau. In the last twelve months alone she has designed, developed and delivered Qtopia’s education programme to more than 2,000 people in Aotearoa and Australia and helped establish international best practice for how schools can support gender diverse students with her mahi alongside Christ’s College, as they supported their first out transgender student. Through Qtopia, Alice provides a safe and welcoming space for hundreds of rainbow rangatahi and leads the change in how their whānau, communities, healthcare systems and schools care for them.

Dan Henry is the driving force behind Predator Free Miramar, a volunteer community effort to rid the Wellington suburb of rats and other introduced predators, and bring back native birds and plants. In just three years Dan has built a community of more than 1,000 households who have collectively removed more than 10,000 rodents from the Miramar peninsula. Dan has spent countless hours sourcing donations for traps, spreading the message at community events and recording data. Dan sees that beyond the massive environmental benefit, Predator Free Miramar has helped unite the community over a positive mission. Now that Miramar is almost completely predator-free, Dan has created a detailed document to help other neighbourhood groups create their own groups.

Te Tai Tokerau has a dog whisperer, and her name is Summer Johnson. She has spent 15 years running animal rescue services, and her work is entirely voluntary, funded only by locals. Summer is based at a vet’s office in Kawakawa, but spends most of her days in her van, driving around, rescuing lost pooches, delivering kennels or pet food, and helping owners get their pets neutered. Her efforts saw the local dog pound’s disastrous record of euthanising more than 70% of its impounded dogs drop to below 20%, and she also fundraises to help people pay to get their dogs out of the pound. Every year Summer runs Bark in the Park, a festival that encourages responsible dog ownership.

After an ‘incredibly happy childhood’ and twenty years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Chris Kelly wanted a chance to give other New Zealand kids the loving, happy upbringing that he had. Since 1995 he has been a foster parent and senior caregiver at Dingwall Trust in Auckland, where he has cared for more than fifty children. Chris was also instrumental in founding the South Auckland Caregivers Association, a support group for foster parents and caregivers. Chris is known as a superb advocate and supporter of young people in care, and in 2013 the Governor-General presented him with the Excellence in Foster Care Award.

When Andrew Dunn’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1980, most New Zealanders and their families were left to struggle with the diagnosis by themselves. Andrew saw a need for support, and began the first volunteer group in Wellington, and went on to be a founding member of the organisation that is now Parkinson’s New Zealand. He has been actively involved in four regional divisions during the Society's thirty years, has served on the National Board, and was made a Life Member of the Society in 1996. Today New Zealand has 16 regional volunteer groups, as well as a clinical services team that hosts seminars, events, exercise classes and social activities, continuing Andrew’s vision of connecting people with up-to-date information and support.

In 1976, after her son sustained a severe brain injury, Alison McLellan helped form the Head Injury Society (now Brain Injury Association), a support and advocacy group. Since then Alison has been a dedicated member, long-time volunteer, and for the last 25 years an administrator and liaison officer for the group. Her value lies in her lived experience of the challenges of living with brain injury, as well as her deep knowledge of ACC and public health services and her ability to guide and advocate for those navigating rehabilitation and compensation. She is a skilled communicator and educator who has facilitated support groups, presented at workshops and supported regional associations as they have established over the last forty years.

After Vicki-Anne Parker lost her house in the Christchurch earthquake, she remembers being touched by a hand-knitted red-and-black scarf sent to her by a stranger living in Auckland. The effect of that small gift during a hard time was the motivation behind Vicki-Anne’s charity, NZ Gifts of Love and Strength, which sources donations and provides care packages to victims of severe trauma. The organisation was established after the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 when Vicki-Anne provided care packages and three meals a day to 31 families affected by the shootings. Since then Vicki-Anne has supported New Brighton Primary pupils who lost their classrooms in a fire and a Christchurch family who suffered a fatal house fire.

At age 57, Spady Te Pou decided it was time to give back to his Waihau Bay community, which had supported him for years, so instead of heading for an early retirement he put his hand up for a volunteer firefighter and medical first responder role. Eighteen years later, he shows no signs of slowing down, and now leads a team of six volunteers. While Waihau Bay has a population of just 300, Spady has seen a range of emergencies over the years, including armed offender call-outs, fatal car accidents, and a fisherman impaled by a marlin’s spike. For Spady, it’s all about being there for “one big Waihau Bay whānau”.

Hayden and Pia Tunnicliffe are co-supervisors of START Taranaki, a support programme for young men in the youth justice system, many of whom have experienced neglect, family violence and trauma. Pia and Hayden’s role is highly demanding: they are on call 24 hours a day, must manage the complex behaviours of the rangatahi, and lead a team of 10 youth workers to coordinate a 21-day wilderness programme and a five-day noho marae. During this intense experience, START staff work with rangatahi, their whānau and social workers to develop a transition plan for success in the community after the programme. Pia and Hayden believe in and see the strengths of the rangatahi, become a surrogate whanau, building them up and offering them long-term support.

After a diagnosis with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 27 turned Josh Hickford’s life upside down, he has invested much of his life helping other New Zealanders impacted by cancer. Once in remission, he completed an Ironman event and raised $32,000 in seed money for an app called Ripple, a cancer support platform developed in conjunction with the Cancer Society of New Zealand Taranaki Centre. Ripple launched in late 2019 and is a place where people can ask questions, anonymously if they wish, or track down existing forums and read over them. It also allows people to get in direct contact with others in similar positions – something Josh wished he had access to during his cancer diagnosis.

After the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, Otago University student Amal Abdullahi was happy to hear conversations about racism taking place around her. However, she was concerned that within a short time, they would fade away and no real change would occur. So, she approached Dunedin’s OAR FM about creating her own radio show, Headscarves and Good Yarns, which would be a forum for conversations about race and diversity in New Zealand. On the show Amal talks to community leaders, as well as anyone who considers themselves an outsider and wants to share their story. Amal volunteers for the Dunedin Multi-Ethnic Council and works in international student mental health for Silverline, which won the Ministry of Health Youth Volunteer Award in 2019.

On paper Robert (Blue) Newport is the careers advisor at Okaihau College, but in reality, he’s a selfless and committed champion of rangatahi in his community. His area of Northland has few employment opportunities, and Robert has been instrumental in helping its young people see their potential and pursue greatness. On his encouragement, many of his students have left the area to gain further qualifications then returned to serve their community and encourage others to do the same, an example of how Robert’s legacy will be felt for generations. He has also served as Rotarian for years, been chair of his local community board and the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail Trust, and was recently appointed to the Northland Conservation Board.

After almost a decade as a well-regarded qualified investigative interviewer and informant handler with New Zealand Police, Julia Vahry went on to create a life insurance company – with a difference. From the start, her business Vahry would be as focused on positive community outcomes as on turning a profit. Julia teaches basic financial literacy skills, including tips for managing KiwiSaver and how to get wills up to date. In 2019 Vahry ran a breast cancer awareness fundraiser and in 2020 embarked on a mission to make Hamilton – where Vahry is based – the blood donor capital of New Zealand, through a partnership with the New Zealand Blood Service, local business people and members of her community.

Gary Martin gets as much of a thrill from seeing a kid bob underwater for the first time as he does from a student breaking a national record. Together with his wife Shona, he runs Enterprise Swim Club and Martin Swim School, which began in 1973 from a local school pool and then from a Para pool at Shona’s parents’ house. As well as taking lessons and coaching his own swim teams to great success (his students have broken more than 200 national records), Gary has managed and coached New Zealand teams to Oceania and World Championships. He was awarded the Swimming New Zealand Honours to Service Award and is a life member of the New Zealand Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association.

Ron Heemi has spent his life making connections with people in his community, especially rangatahi. In his early years, Ron was a tutor for Mangatu Blocks, which created work opportunities and training for Mahaki people. Ron’s role was to collect the rangatahi and take them to farming stations to learn fencing, shearing, docking and other agricultural skills, setting them up for future jobs. Living in Te Karaka later in life, he became part of the Māori Wardens organisation and volunteered as a security guard at local marae. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, he worked with Turanga Health to encourage members of the local rugby team to get checked, work that led to a nomination for Tairāwhiti Man of the Year.

Janet Bodle knew she wanted to be a teacher from her first day of school, and went on to devote her life to education for the past fifty four years. In more than five decades of teaching, she has significantly expanded support for learning difficulties and was among the first in Tairawhiti/Gisborne to be trained in Reading Recovery and SPELD (dyslexia training). Janet was also invited to set up the Reading Assistance Programme by the local Reading Advisor. She taught ESOL (English speakers of other languages) prior to the establishment of the local ESOL Programme, set up an interagency liaison to support students and schools with learning and behaviour needs, and established Professional Development for dyslexia, grief, ADHD, and an autism spectrum disorder. Seeing the need for culturally responsive programmes Janet and two colleagues invited local experts to introduce waka ama and mau rakau into schools in her district. As a trained speech and drama teacher she volunteered the last forty five years to adjudicating speeches in the district and advising schools in the speech making process. Janet continues to serve her educational journey as part of the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour Service.

Pam Kay believes that everyone who plays a sport also contributes to its administration. So when her children began swimming lessons at Gisborne’s McGlashen Pool in the mid-1960s, it was only a matter of time before Pam started volunteering as a coach. She was instrumental in fundraising for a heated indoor pool in Gisborne, spent decades as an instructor, timekeeper and committee member, and in 1988 she was awarded life membership to the Enterprise Aquatic Swim Team. She has also coached, refereed and been a committee member for basketball clubs in her region, fundraised for a new wharf at Tolaga Bay and to send a man who had a kidney transplant to the World Transplant Games in Manchester, England, and hosts a monthly roast lunch for up to 80 people as a way of bringing her community together.

As Senior Station Officer at Waikato Volunteer Operational Support (which provides emergency services to the wider Waikato region), Craig Meads provides leadership and guidance to station officers, is accountable for all brigade operations, uniform, and checking and testing of equipment to ensure the brigade is ready to support its community when required. Beyond this, Craig is available to attend callouts and continue his training and professional development, as well as juggling a full-time job and family. During the recent revamp of the station, Craig provided logistical support and even completed much of the building and painting work himself. He is a committed and dedicated leader who has now given 25 years of service to his community.

In 2015 Shannon Te Huia established Pūniu River Care, an iwi-based initiative aiming to improve water quality and biodiversity by planting trees along the banks of the 60-kilometre-long awa. The organisation is completely rooted in te ao Māori and aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the environment as well as the strength and capacity of its people. The project ran a horticultural course through Wintec so local people could learn about native plants, and now has 30 local people running a 2.5-hectare marae-based nursery that produces 500,000 plants each year. Pūniu River Care collaborates with a range of organisations, including the Department of Corrections prisoner training programmes, schools, iwi, community groups and research organisations.