Whanganui Community Awards

Love Whanganui? It’s time to nominate your community heroes!

If you know someone who’s made an outstanding contribution to the community over the last year, nominate them for a 2020 Whanganui Community Award! 

The focus of the Whanganui Community Awards is on community wellbeing.

Whanganui Community Awards nominations are now closed

Award categories

There will be individual, organisation and youth awards available in each category.

Environmental

Proactive contributions to initiatives that protect, promote or revitalise our natural environment including promoting sustainability.

Social

Contributions to the community through actions promoting and supporting social inclusion, encouraging a community sense of belonging and generally increasing quality of life in the community.

Arts, Heritage and/or Culture

Contributions that enhance and increase community participation through creative, cultural, arts and heritage activities.

Nominations relating to a sport or commercial business will not be accepted.

The awards panel

The Mayor will choose a judging panel of two elected members and two community representatives at the start of each year. This panel will review the nominations and advise the Council of the award recipient outcomes.1

How to make a nomination

Eligible nominees

Nominees must:

  1. be a resident2 of Whanganui; or an organisation based in Whanganui.
  2. Have added value3 to the Whanganui district through an environmental, social or arts, heritage and/or cultural initiative during 2019 or 2020.
  3. Nominations are not limited to events and may include exceptional actions taken. Comprehensive supporting information will assist the awards panel to make their decisions.

Rules

  1. All nominations for a Whanganui Community Award MUST be submitted using the official Whanganui Community Awards nomination form.
  2. Nominations are confidential between the nominator, the awards panel and Whanganui District Council.
  3. A maximum of nine awards will be presented each year.
  4. The focus of the Whanganui Community Awards is on community well-being and nominations relating to a sport or commercial business will not be accepted.
  5. If the nominee has received payment or other remuneration then the awards panel will determine whether, in its view, the nominee’s action was carried out as part of their remunerated responsibilities or was sufficiently beyond the call of duty to warrant special recognition.
  6. Elected members and employees of Whanganui District Council, community boards and central government are not eligible unless they are being nominated for contributions in their personal capacity.
  7. Elected members or community board members can nominate up to two recipients each year, but if they are members of the awards panel they may not vote in categories where they have nominated a recipient.
  8. Nominations received after 5.00pm on 14 January, 2021 will not be considered.
  9. If a recipient is subsequently found guilty of an offence punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or more that person will be notified immediately and their name will be removed from the Community Awards Honours Board without delay.
  1. Nominations and award recipients will be advised during the public excluded section of a Whanganui District Council meeting.
  2. Whanganui District Council has the discretion to present awards to non-residents where their contribution has made a significant impact to our community.
  3. This includes projects that have been underway for a significant period of time but completed within the eligible 24 months.
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