Civic Honours Awards 2023

2023

Nga Tohu Honore a-Hapori

Civic Honours Awards

August 30 2023

HERETAUNGA HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL

ORDER OF CEREMONY

5.00PM   Welcome Drinks,
Assembly Ballroom – Municipal Building

5.30PM   Karakia/Kaumatua Mr Jerry Hapuku
Waiata: Kahurangi NZ Maori Dance Group

5.45PM   Address to Recipients of Civic Honours Awards
Her Worship the Mayor:   Sandra Hazlehurst

5.50PM   Guest Speaker
Pastor Warren Heke

6.05PM   Presentation of Awards
Hastings Ambassador Henare O’Keefe and
Hastings Councillor Malcolm Dixon

Individual Awards
Linda Margaret Ward (Arts and Cultural)
Pamela Thomson (Arts and Culture)
Keita Tuhi & John Matthews (Education and Youth)
Anthony ‘Tony’ Dench (Health and Welfare)
Patricia Kerei (Health and Welfare)
Robert Smith (Health and Welfare)
Wiki Mulholland – Posthumous (Health and Welfare)

6.25PM   Performance
Kahurangi NZ Maori Dance Group

6.30PM   Continuation of Awards
Hastings Ambassador Henare O’Keefe and Hastings Councillor Malcolm Dixon

Group Awards
Hastings Sikh Temple / New Zealand Sikh Society Hastings Inc. (Health and Welfare)
Hawke’s Bay Surf Lifesaving SAR Squad (Health and Welfare)

7.20PM   Karakia
Kaumatua Mr Jerry Hapuku Waiata: Kahurangi NZ Maori Dance Group

7.30PM   Ceremony Conclusion

MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Henare O’Keefe, Hastings
Ambassador

CONTENTS

Order of Ceremony   1
Message from the Mayor   3
Pastor Warren Heke Guest Speaker   4
Linda Ward (Art and Culture)   5
Pamela Thomson (Arts and Culture)   7
Keita Tuhi & John Matthews (Education and Youth)   9
Anthony ‘Tony’ Dench (Health and Welfare)   11
Patricia Kerei (Health and Welfare)   13
Robert Smith (Health and Welfare)   15
Wiki Mulholland – Posthumous (Health and Welfare)   17
Hastings Sikh Temple / New Zealand Sikh Society Hastings Inc. (Health and Welfare)   19
Hawke’s Bay Surf Lifesaving SAR Squad (Health and Welfare)   21

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MESSAGE FROM
THE MAYOR

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2023 Civic Honours Awards – our long standing annual event which recognises the champions in our community.

The Civic Honours Awards is a highlight in our year. We’ve been celebrating the outstanding work our community does for more than 30 years.

It’s a chance to acknowledge and honour the hard working, selfless people who give so generously of their time and energy to help make Hastings the great place it is.

The ways the recipients have served our community are many and varied, and all have made a positive impact to others’ lives.

Tonight is about expressing our thanks to them and their families for their effort. The positive change you create is inestimable.

Congratulations to our Civic Honours Award recipients tonight. We are very grateful for your tireless work for the people of Hastings.

On behalf of the Hastings District, I thank you all for your hard work in making our community the best small city in Aotearoa!

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GUEST SPEAKER

PASTOR WARREN HEKE
(Nga Puhi, Te Arawa)

Pastor Warren Heke (Nga Puhi, Te Arawa) is the visionary behind the award winning nationally recognised integrated Community Hub – Kuku Mai. Warren is a passionate believer in long term trust relationships at every level – with kaimahi, tangata whai ora, peer organisations, government agencies, and local government. Warren and his team don’t shy away from the most difficult cases, always holding hope for those who may have lost all hope.

Warren has pastored Hastings Church for over a decade and through its social service arm, Connect Community Trust, he continues to find innovative ways to express his faith mission, caring for the most vulnerable in our City.

Warren is happily married to Sarah – a registered, mental health-credentialed, Nurse. Together they have raised five neuro-diverse children.

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LINDA WARD

AWARD FOR ARTS & CULTURE

Linda Ward

Linda Ward has been an active member of the rural Waiwhare community for many years, involved in the likes of Country Women’s Institute, Playcentre and the primary school.

She was also the Waiwhare Sports Club and Bus Company secretary and produced the Waiwhare Wire – a publication to inform and inspire the district.

In 1987 the first edition of the “Waiwhare School Cookbook” was published comprising recipes from local families. She spent many hours collating these recipes, a second edition of the book was published, and much money was raised for the school enabling extra teaching assistance.

In 1992 she was the main organiser of the Waiwhare School reunion and authored a historical book “Waiwhare School 1952 – 1996” to ensure the school’s position in the district’s history was preserved.

She joined other local contributors and her late husband David as members of the RD9 historical committee, to produce the 2002 “West to the Annie”, putting in many hours of extensive research.

Proceeds of the book sales were later donated to the development of the Knowledge Bank in 2009, to which she now freely provides her considerable computing expertise.

Her skills and grasp of local history have been invaluable to the ongoing growth and success of the Knowledge Bank.

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PAMELA ‘PAM’ THOMSON

AWARD FOR ARTS & CULTURE

Pamela Thomson

Pamela Thomson has been a member of Keirunga Artists for more than 20 years and has been on the Keirunga Garden Creative Hub board.

She worked tirelessly in many capacities over the years including being board secretary, treasurer, membership secretary and exhibition organiser.

She also worked to raise funds for stage three of the rebuild of the Artist’s Studio.

Pam continues to work for Keirunga artists, even going so far as to ensure that her daily walk takes her through the grounds and past the building to check that nothing is amiss.

She works quietly behind the scenes and has never expected any kudos for her work – she has always been willing, efficient and well-organised.

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KEITA TUHI + JO MATTHEWS

AWARD FOR EDUCATION & YOUTH

Keita Tuhi & John Matthews

For the past 40 years Keita Tuhi and John Matthews have volunteered for their community across Heretaunga every day – uplifting and inspiring the rangatahi and others they work with.

With their knowledge of the oral history of Kahungunu they ensure it is preserved and kept safe, and they have generously shared what they know with very many people over the years.

They give this wairua freely on a daily basis, including in the beautiful, ancient art form of raranga (flax weaving), running wananga on making kete, potae, putiputi, whariki, puipui and more.

Keita is also recognised for her expertise and knowledge of Kapa Haka, tutoring teams of all ages to regional success in competitions.

This pair is indeed a taonga who are helping keep cultural knowledge and tradition alive for generations to come.

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ANTHONY ‘ TONY’ DENCH

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

Anthony Dench

For nearly 40 years, Tony Dench has worked as a fire brigade volunteer – putting in 23 years with the Havelock North branch and 15 years with Waipawa.

This has earned him a 25-year Gold Star and Long Service Good Conduct medal.

He has made a huge contribution to the efficient running, training and turning out to calls at all hours of the day.

He has also demonstrated his inventor skills – coming up with the “Denchie Branch” a class foam firefighting device still used by brigades today.

A past president and life member of the Hawke’s Bay Fire Association (currently the secretary) and past president, life member and former secretary of the Wellington Provincial Association, his dedication to serving his community has been exemplary and at one time saw him awarded a Rotary award for service to the community.

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PATRICIA KEREI

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

Patricia Kerei

Patricia Kerei is a long-standing and valued member of Age Concern Flaxmere. As well as being the office manager, she is a field worker who cooks and prepares meals for members and organises guest speakers for social days.

She liaises with police and other community organisations regarding elderly concerns and assists members with the likes of accessing doctors, Ministry of Social Development and emergency housing, including providing transport to appointments.

Working 18 hours each week and on call on the weekends, she has also helped with fundraising for Blue Ribbon and Pink Ribbon breakfasts and high teas.

A book she compiled “Keeping Mobile” was picked up and modified for use by Land Transport NZ and Patricia has organised mobility scooter workshops throughout the country.

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ROBERT SMITH

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

Robert Smith

Moth Plants are an invasive weed species that spread and smother other plants and native bush, and Robert Smith is a member of a local group that’s working to eradicate it.

Hawke’s Bay STAMP (Society Totally Against Moth Plant) is part of a nation wide network of volunteers working to remove the plant and educate the public about them.

Robert is dedicated to this cause and not only gets rid of them himself, he educates others about the noxious plant, disposes of the pods, poisons the big plants, and distributes leaflets about them.

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WIKI MULHOLLAND

POSTHUMOUS

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

Wiki Mulholland
(Posthumous)

Wiki Mulholland was an advocate for young people throughout her life, and became known nationally for her passionate advocacy for better access to cancer drugs.

Her work to improve and extend the lives of people with cancer, along with her tireless efforts to help others in many other areas, was recognised with a posthumous Public Service Medal in July this year.

In her younger years, after leaving Hastings Girls School (where she was head girl) in 1995, she went on to be a member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Advisory Forum and represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth South Pacific Youth Advisory Forum from 1999 to 2002.

After completing a BA (Political Science) at Victoria University she returned to Hastings and was employed as the Hastings District Council’s first ever youth coordinator from 1999 to 2002.

During that time she accomplished many project including establishing the Hastings Youth Centre that opened in 2000, the first Hastings Youth Expo, the Children’s Day celebration in Flaxmere, the Hawke’s Bay Youth Workers collective and she helped get Hastings’ first skatepark built.

After being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 2018, she headed a campaign to get the drugs Ibrance and Kadcyla funded – ultimately achieving success when Pharmac announced both drugs would be funded in 2020.

Throughout the journey, until she sadly passed away in November 2021, she alongside her husband Malcolm Mulholland, founded Patient Voice Aotearoa.

Over her life she dedicated hundreds of hours of voluntary work that has stood the test of time and still makes a difference in people’s lives today.

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HASTINGS SIKH TEMPLE/NEW ZEALAND SIKH SOCIETY HASTINGS INC.

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

NZ Sikh Society of Hastings (group)

Through times of need – particularly the Havelock North water crisis, Covid-19 lockdowns and Cyclone Gabrielle – this community organisation has been there to assist others.

During the water crisis they were involved in supplying free donated water bottles to the community and during the cyclone and Covid started delivering food parcels to all members of the community who needed it.

Every Sunday, free food parcels are provided to homeless people and others in need can also get in touch for free food and other items.

The organisation donates funds to international and national welfare group and causes such as St John Ambulance and people in times of crisis such at the Christchurch Mosque attacks.

Language classes are run for anyone to learn Punjabi at no cost, helping coming generations stay connected to their cultural roots, and the group supports families if young people from the Indian community have an untimely death – ensuring their remains reach their homelands and family.

Community togetherness is supported through the likes of organising community game – including sports and other events.

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HAWKE’S BAY SURF LIFESAVING SAR SQUAD

AWARD FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

Hawke’s Bay Surf Lifesaving SAR Squad (group)

Made up of surf lifesaving lifeguards from four Hawke’s Bay clubs – Waimarama, Ocean Beach, Westshore and Pacific, the squad is on call 24/7 to assist with rescues.

During Cyclone Gabrielle they pulled in additional lifeguards and rescue equipment, and on the first day were out with inflatables – some of the first people out rescuing people from rooftops in Esk and Pakowhai.

They also went to other areas, and it is estimated rescued more than 190 people, including many family pets in the first 48 hours of the emergency.

In the following days and weeks, they assisted the Coastguard, Police, USAR and Civil Defence with sea searches and assisted local communities with river crossing at Rissington and Dartmoor.

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PHOTOS BY DUNCAN BROWN

Photos from tonight’s ceremony and the award recipients’ portraits can be viewed, shared on social media, and purchased as digital files at www .duncanbrown.co.nz/sales. For prints or canvases, please contact Duncan on 021 213 8811 or [email protected]

HERETAUNGA HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL

TE KAUNIHERA A-ROHE O HERETAUNGA

HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL
207 Lyndon Road East, Hastings 4122   Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156
06 871 5000   [email protected]   hastingsdc .govt.nz