Mahi Aroha Awards
Volunteer Wellington Te Puna Tautoko hosted the Mahi Aroha Awards 2024 on Thursday 20th June celebrating volunteers in the Wellington Region. The Mahi Aroha Awards are an opportunity honour the collective energies and mana of volunteers and the contributions they make to our communities.
There were over 80 outstanding nominations this year for three award categories presented by the Honourable Louise Upston, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector.
Congratulations to the 2024 Mahi Aroha Award recipients:
⭐ Mitre10 MEGA Volunteer of the Year Winner – Juliet Clare from Lower Hutt Foodbank.
⭐ Mitre10 MEGA Volunteer of the Year Runner up – Tui Davies from Youthline Wellington.
⭐ Volunteer of the Year Highly commended – Corban Plester from Mountain to Sea Wellington.
⭐ Volunteer of the Year Highly commended – Harita Gandhi from National Council of Women NZ and Wellington Indian Association.
⭐ LEAD Team Governance Winner – Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa / Tu mate Tuatea, me te mate Pōuri o Aotearoa.
⭐ LEAD Team Governance Runner up – Vogelmorn Community Group.
⭐ Employee Volunteer Community Team Winner – Salesforce and House of Science (Wellington Branch).
⭐ Employee Volunteer Team Runner up – Spencers and Kaibosh.
The awards were supported by Mitre 10 MEGA Wellington and LEAD Centre for Not for Profit Governance & Leadership.
Gail Marshall, Volunteer of the Year 2023, spoke about co-founding the Community Comms Collective and the impact of their mahi supporting the community sector.
The Kapa Haka group from Karori Normal School gave a wonderful performance which the guests thoroughly enjoyed.
The Hon Louise Upston Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector was a speaker and presented the awards:
“As we look to the future, I want to confirm this Government’s commitment to seeking ways to enable communities to thrive and be at the forefront of their own successes. This will best happen when community, government and business work together for aligned outcomes that strengthen our society.
Your dedication to your communities is inspiring, and your efforts do not go unnoticed. Whether it's organising events, implementing projects, or advocating for change, your tireless contributions make a real difference in the lives of those around you.”
Pictured: Volunteer of the year Winner Juliet Clare from Lower Hutt Food Bank with Jeremy Prentice Mitre10 MEGA and Honourable Louise Upston Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Photo Credit – Broadmedia www.broadmedia.co.nz...
$3 Raffle Tickets for Miramar Central School
Hi All,
Thanks to everyone who have reached out already, we are now down to less than 2 weeks until the school fair when the raffle is drawn.
We have plenty of Raffle tickets left to sell they are $3 each.
Some Great Prizes, Feel free to message if your interested.
Thanks Max and Lee
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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