Love Whanganui? It’s time to nominate your community heroes!
Published on 24 February 2020
The Whanganui Community Awards are back and nominations are now open to the public. You can ensure your outstanding community heroes are in the running for an award, by nominating them for recognition in 2020.
Mayor Hamish McDouall says, “Many in our community will remember the Wanganui Community Awards that were launched in 1983 and ran until 2007. During this time, more than 90 people in the Whanganui community were recognised for outstanding voluntary community service.
“Now that Trustpower’s community awards programme has been terminated, there’s an opportunity for Whanganui to have its own awards again.”
He says the Whanganui Community Awards will focus on community well-being, with categories recognising environmental, social, arts, culture and heritage initiatives for individuals, organisations and youth.
The public is encouraged to participate by making nominations that recognise deserving candidates whose “contributions uplift and enrich our community.”
The Categories
There are three categories for the awards:
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.
A maximum of nine awards will be presented each year, with individual, organisation and youth awards available in each category.
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.
The 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 recipients.
The Whanganui Community Awards selection panel for 2020 will be Mayor Hamish McDouall, Cr Charlie Anderson, Cr Helen Craig, Jay Rerekura and Carla Donson.
Making a nomination
Pick up a nomination form from any of the Whanganui libraries, or Whanganui District Council Customer Services at 101 Guyton Street.
Return your nomination form to: The Mayoral Office, Whanganui District Council, PO Box 637, Whanganui 4541
Or email to awards@whanganui.govt.nz
You can also make a nomination online https://www.whanganui.govt.nz/community-awards-2020
Nominations close at 5.00 pm on Friday, 3 April 2020.
ENDS