On Saturday 26 September, eleven North Wellington residents were awarded the North Wellington Volunteer Service Award at an Awards Dinner at the Johnsonville Community Centre.
The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Hon Peter Dunne advised the 80 family and friends who had gathered to celebrate, that the eleven recipients represented over 176 years of voluntary service in the Northern Suburbs.
The recipients for 2015 were:
Alison Bayly Khandallah Croquet Club
Rata Brockie Newlands Paparangi Girl Guides
Peter Gilberd Woodridge Planters
Russell Hing Churton Park Tennis
Bele Hough Johnsonvale Rest Home
Helen Mallon North Wellington AFC
Gail Mudgway Johnsonville Cricket
Warren Sloan Wellington North Badminton Association
Rosemary Spencer Newlands Paparangi tennis Club
Sandra Yeldon Johnsonville Plunket
Lynda Wightman Tawa Bowling Club
The Dinner speaker, Ann Hodson, who has completed volunteer work for the Wellington Branch of the Cancer Society, spoke of the important role that volunteers play in New Zealand society.
The recipients this year came from a variety of organisations and showed the diversity of community organisations that operate in the Northern Suburbs.
Peter Dunne spoke of the gratitude that the community feels for the volunteers and that the eleven recipients were only a few amongst the large number in the Northern Suburbs, who regularly gave their free time in the service of others.
This year the selection of the people to receive the awards was a difficult one and the selection committee again was forced to make some hard decisions on those who were to receive the awards.
Secretary of the Committee, Ray Good, stated that the awards have been presented to residents in the Northern Suburbs since 2001 which was the year of the Volunteer. As far as can be established the North Wellington Voluntary Services Awards is the only group in the country who continue to present Awards annually. Nominations for the Awards are called in June each year.
At the Awards dinner this this year the recipients joined only 169 others who have received the Award, which shows the high standard that the committee requires prior to accepting nominations.
Each award recipient receives a badge, plague and certificate, which details their work in the community.
In his final comments Mr Dunne thanked the organising committee for their efforts and advised the recipients that they were valuable members of the community and the awards they had received were achieved with a lot of effort and person sacrifices.
He also thanked the family and friends of the recipients who allowed these people to continue their work in the community and said that this support was vital to the continued work that is carried out in the Northern Suburbs of Wellington.
Chairman Peter Dunne acknowledged the support the Committee received this year from Johnsonville Community Centre, The Trust Charitable Foundation and the Johnsonville Charitable Trust.
