Local Heroes Announced!

Thank you Aotearoa for sharing so many wonderful stories about the Kiwi's that are making a difference in our communities.

With almost 600 nominations in the Kiwibank Local Hero category, you have shown how important these people are to the well-being of the country.

Our 48 regional judges have now completed the difficult task of determining who will receive a Kiwibank Local Hero medal at one of sixteen regional ceremonies across New Zealand.

Once again, the standard of nominations was very high and we congratulate all of the medal recipients listed below.

We also extend our gratitude to all nominees and nominators for making a difference and ‘Honouring the Best of Us’.

- Please note that this is not a ticketed event. Please send all RSVP's to: office@nzawards.org.nz and please indicate the medallist and/or nominator name. 

All events start at 5:30pm with the ceremony commencing at 6pm. 

Region: Hamilton/ Waikato

Venue: Waikato Museum - 1 Grantham Street, Hamilton

Date & Event Invite: 17th November, 2016 

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Ernie Lepper

Ngaire Lepper

Petrina Toimata

Philip Hawthorne

Sharnay Cocup

Dede Downs

Murray Craig & Joan Craig

Fran Thompson-Stevens

Jim Evans

Sharni Budd

Sharon Jefferies

Eric Edwin James

Gary Hinds

Jennie Turner

Carol Armstrong

Anna Casey-Cox

Ariana Paul

Perry Taituha

Region: Rotorua/Taupo

Venue: Princes Gate Hotel - 1057 Arawa St, Rotorua

Date & Event Invite: 18th November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Noel Hyde

Garry Adlam

Jill Walker

Deep Rajput Thakur (Deep Kumar)

Ann Clausen

Judge Craig Coxhead

Val Hoogerbrugge

Tyson Taikato

Anita Westley

Megan Wheeler 

Claire Baylis

Denise Martin

Debbie Hamilton

Region: Gisborne

Venue: Bushmere Arms - 673 Matawai Road, Main Road

Date & Event Invite: 21st November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

William Charles Aston

Timothy Marshall*

Walton Walker

Gavin Maclean

Arish Naresh

Maureen Potroz

Catherine Macdonald

Norma Hooks

Christine Parkin

Karangawai Kururangi

Pura Tangira

Evan Parkin

Mary Bayley

Prue Roberts

Anne Swan

Frederick Smith

Bryce Simpson

Rex Stewart

Alison Ross

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Tauranga

Venue: Classic Flyers Museum - 9 Jean Batten Drive, Mount Maunganui

Date & Event Invite: 22nd November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Bill Kerrison

Ryan Topperwien*

Sally Durham

Chris Duggan

Kate Meads

Sheila Ewart

Steve Jeffares

Campbell Hill

David Garland

Michael Brown

Yvette Nora Lamare

Steve Ellingford

Janice Tetley-Jones

Anna Lea Johnson

David Hiika Hiakita

Pete Atkinson 

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: New Plymouth

Venue: Devon Hotel - 390 Devon Street East, New Plymouth

Date & Event Invite: 23rd November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Elaine Gill

Alistar Jordan

Carolyn Murphy

Nigel Thomas Austin

Frances Hume

Anand Rose

Linda Wilkinson

Gary Brown

Hohepa Te Moana

Joanne Brimelow

Michael Fenton

Dr. Christine Fenton

Mathew Hickey

Graeme Northcott & Marise Northcott

Lyal French-Wright

Sam Galloway

Andrew Judd

Adelle McBeth

David Bentley

Region: Manawatu

Venue: Caccia Birch House - 130 Te Awe Awe Street, Palmerston North

Date & Event Invite: 24th November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Cheryl & John Palliser

Merenia Donne

Kelly Scarrow

Tina Ngata

Robert Martin

Carla Donson

Isabelle Maloret

Angie Rogerson*

Mark Jackson

Keith Smith

Norma McCarthy

Charles Quirk 

Brian Noel Green 

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Hawke's Bay

Venue: Art Deco Masonic Hotel - 2 Tennyson Street, Napier South 

Date & Event Invite: 25th November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Shirley Duthie

Ken Keys

Pauline Tangiora

Deborah Grace

Eric Murray

Hyung Ho Jeon

Kiri Gilbert

Glenis McDonald

James Laver

Levi Armstrong

Phillipa Wright

Caren Rangi

Karen Trewick

Jessica Bennett

Karen Valu

Debra Melling

Pat Magill

Region: Auckland

Venue: MOTAT Aviation Hall - Meola Rd, Auckland

Date & Event Invite: 30th November, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Simon Carryer

Alan Breslau

Orquidea Tamayo Mortera

Sonia Faulkner

Lisa King*

Robb Henry

Jamie Beaton

Mike King*

David Letele

Heather Laanbroek*

Nadia Lim

Michael Meredith*

Delwyn Breslau

Senthil Perumal

Sue Crawshay

Robert Bruce

Lillian Grace

Nikki Denholm

Ramon Narayan

Alan M. Lyth

Rodney Wayne

Jenene Crossan

Jennifer Gill

Laura Howard

Rachel Petero

Hartley Holder

Katherine Corich

Parshotam Govind

David Tims

Amanda Fraser Jones

Morgan Sobanja

Gwenda Holster-Dowler

Matua Witika

Tricia Clarkson

Simon Thomas

Stephen Theobald

Eliza McCartney

Sam Hunt

Marty Smith

Gary Diprose

Sian Simpson

Bob Kerridge*

Kahurangi Taylor

Grace Annie Hight Benson

Hurimoana Dennis

Shauna Eldridge

Joshua Losefo

Joseph Fa'afiu

Jasmine McPhee

Mike Lloyd & Megan Lloyd

Samuel Kau

Sarah Colcord

Hayden Smith

Mike Carter

Iris Marie Donoghue

Liz Manley

Julie Lee

Jeffrey John Paterson

Peter Clifton-Sprigg

Richard Carrington

Gail Paul

Kelly Kidd

Evelyn Cassie

Lizzie Marvelly

Julie King* 

Tim Seabrook

Liam Malone 

Mark Webster

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Wellington

Venue: Parliament Building - Grand Hall, Wellington

Date & Event Invite: 5th December, 2016 - 5:15pm 

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Shari-ana Clifford

Major Campbell Roberts

Stacey Shortall

Alex Bengree

Teresa Tepania-Ashton

Gary Mitchell

Eva McGauley

Phillip (Levi) Faamau

Tracy Wellington

Shona Murray

Anna Guenther

Marianne Elliot

Taina Tangaere-McGregor

Christine Langdon

Pengbo Jiang

Mark Jordan

Justine Fleming

Sam Hart

Anna O'Meeghan

William (Bill) Lindsay

Jillian Boyd

Cathy Howell

Helen Kelly

Charlotte Watkins

Amy Fanning

Roz Brown

Robert Charles Francis

Rawiri Smith

Joy Cowley

Ian Stewart

Jacqui Sutherland & Alastair Sutherland

Corey Regnerus 

Josh Robertson 

Russell Leech

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Greymouth

Venue: Shantytown - Rutherglen Road

Date & Event Invite: 6th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Don Neale

Sue Asplin

Mary Howden

Wayne Costello

Nick Meissel

Merv Grewar

Rob Daniel & Anne Daniel

Fiona Pollard

Debbie Forbes

Athol Olsen & Vern Abbott

Lyall Delore

Claire Bryant

Paul Maunder

Tim Moreton

Region: Christchurch

Venue: Addington Raceway - 75 Jack Hinton Drive, Addington, Christchurch

Date & Event Invite: 7th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Philip Bagshaw*

Rosemary Ensor

Andrew Brown

Amber Arkell

Christopher Walsh

Don Babe

Paula Wilkinson

Margaret Buckley

Dr. Rex Yule

Dianne Collins

Ally Palmer

Deborah McFarlane & Joshua Bird

Ian Ford

Shelly Johnstone

Tristan Roberts

Judy (Tussock) Rendel

Margaret Kelso

Dr. Matthew Morris

Gregor MacDonald

Dr. Anna Crighton

Janice & Stan Tricklebank

Nicholas Sears

Nicola Hockley*

Sophie Pascoe*

Jen Crawford

Pastor Murray Johnson

Robyn Wallace

Vicki Buck

Michael Curtis

Wendy Thompson

Collette Brown

Pam Ormandy

Ashleigh Cottier

John Thompson 

Duane Major

Adam Gard'ner

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Blenheim

Venue: Marlborough Convention Centre - 42a Alfred Street, Blenheim

Date & Event Invite: 8th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Daniel Smith

Geraldine van Wijngaarden

Litty Newman

Bruce South

Wayne Gander

Sara Hunter

Linda Holdaway

Wendy Reynolds

Greg Pask

Denise Lloyd

Gina Anderson

Janette Walker

Sam Morgan

Caro Bartlett

Rose Shallcrass

Region: Nelson

Venue: The Petite Fleur - 168 Redwood Road, Appleby, Nelson

Date & Event Invite: 9th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Ian Watts

Gillian Wratt

Megan Rutledge

Miaolin Li

Haden McCrorie

Mark Wentworth

Alan Kissell

Henk Visker

Anne-Marie Fowke-Stayner

Jennifer Amosa

Paul Le Gros 

Chris Paulsen

Region: Dunedin

Venue: Wains Hotel - 310 Princes St, Dunedin

Date & Event Invite: 12th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Graeme Gale*

Scott Weatherall

Evan (Lox) Kellas

Heather McGregor

Michael Paardekooper

Ashleigh Smith

Charlotte Aarden

Hayden Paddon

Peter Watts

Keryn Tubbs

David Brown

Anna Claire Katherine Hoek-Sims

Kevin Moore

Nikki Cockburn

Peter Lewis

Unicrew /Sleep Out Team Dunedin

Carly Laughton

Gordon Thomas Divers

Holly Robinson

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Invercargill

Venue: Kelvin Hotel - 20 Kelvin Street, Invercargill

Date & Event Invite: 13th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Lindsay Wright

Marion Miller

Christine Sutherland

Graeme Humphries

Paul Ruddenklau

Reginald McLeod

Neil Douglas Boniface

Stephen Jones*

Fred Inder & Alva Inder

John Husband

Shirley Pratt

Carla Werder

Jessica Hamill

Karen Purdue

Ebel Kremer

*Previous medal recipient is ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.

Region: Northland

Venue: Toll Stadium - Okara Drive, Whangarei

Date & Event Invite: 15th December, 2016

Kiwibank Local Hero Medal Recipients:

Jeffrey Peter D'Ath

Ash Holwell

Te Amohaere Rudolph

Joe Nol

Lynette MacDonald

Tony Solomon

Bastienne Kruger

James Powdrill

Carolyn Wessel & Johannes Wessel

Millan Ruka*

Yvonne Pitman

Vic Pitman

Joan Wyatt

Rosemary Isabel Waters

Glenis Anne Sutherland

Stuart Blair Clark

Valerie McGregor

Patricia Brott

Puke Marama Nikora

Janet McLean

Ezekiel Raui

Trevor Bedggood

Dwane Kokich

Mike Bradshaw

Shirley May

Samuel Kevin Prime 

*Previous medal recipient in ineligible for a second medal but will be considered for the National Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award which will be announced at the Gala on 22nd February, 2017.