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Editorial: Unsung Heroes Deserve Plaudits

22/6/2015

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It's a safe bet that the vast majority of volunteers in our community are not doing it for accolades or recognition. Which is lucky, as the hours of dedication and hard work they put in to helping others can go largely unnoticed by all except those directly involved. But every now and then we as a community get to say thanks and give these otherwise unsung heroes a moment in the spotlight.

Last night was one of those moments, with the Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards being handed out. The finalists, selected from a record 62 entries, came from a range of sectors but are united in their efforts to make Rotorua a better, cleaner, healthier, happier and more educated place.

The supreme winners, the Youth in Emergency Services programme, is a deserving winner. Since it was piloted in Rotorua more than two years ago, we have reported on its progress and the impact it's had on participants.

The young people involved gain self-esteem, leadership skills and a sense of caring for others as well as first hand experience of what the various emergency services actually do. The skills they gain can help them into the workforce.

The community benefits from the volunteer work the young people do, while those running the programme no doubt get satisfaction from seeing the young people enter the programme and come out the other side. It's a real win-win.

Well done to all our volunteers and in particular last night's category winners.

Over the coming weeks we plan to shine that spotlight on a few more of you. It's the least we can do.

- Rotorua Daily Post

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Supreme Winner at the 2015 Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards were Youth in Emergency Services, (from left) are Trustpower's Graeme Purches, Julie Hill, Blair Gilbert and Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick The Hits' Paul Hickey and Phil Muldoon.
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Youth Project Scoops Supreme Community Award 

15/6/2015

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An initiative that opens doors for young people to volunteer or follow a career path in the emergency services has been named the supreme winner at the 2015 Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards.

Youth In Emergency Services started as a programme at Lake Okareka but now encapsulates the whole of Rotorua and has been taken up by other districts. The five-week course is run by the Ministry of Youth Development and Rotorua emergency services. Last night's awards, at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, resulted in more than $5000 being given to community groups.

As well as the group awards there were also five Rotorua Lakes Community Awards presented. There were given to Cheryl Campbell, Phil Muldoon, Tony Baker, Diana Adlam and Terry Beckett.

The Youth in Emergency Services group will now go on to the Trustpower National Community Awards, being held in Dunedin in March.

Trustpower community relations representative Jess Somerville said what started as a great idea, within the Youth in Emergency Services working group, had grown into a very successful pilot programme being rolled out in other communities. 
"This programme is clever on so many levels," she said. "It's giving youth an insight into the importance of our emergency services, the value of volunteering for the greater good of the community and it is helping to bridge many of these youth into the work force too. "Rotorua residents can be proud in knowing that this programme started in Rotorua thanks to some very driven volunteers and this is a real testament to the value people put on community here."

The 15 youth attending the course are exposed to five different emergency services including fire brigades, ambulance and search and rescue. The programme culminates in a combined weekend camp where the young people respond to a series of emergency scenarios. They are then supported to become volunteers in a service of their choice.

Blair Gilbert, who helped design the project, said he was lost for words at the win. "It's unbelievable," he said. "This is about all the emergency services that make it what it is. It's a combined effort. We've worked with job seekers this year and got them active in their communities. The other benefits are that the emergency services are working together." Mr Gilbert finished his role with the Ministry of Youth Development yesterday and said it was a high note to go out on.

Mr Muldoon, who is the chief fire officer with Lake Okareka Rural Fire, said the idea for YES came many years ago when the pair were on a conference. It was now being modelled across the country, with a project currently under way in Murupara with Ngati Manawa.

Winners

Heritage and Environment: Progress Ngongotaha-Kokiri Ngongotaha Inc, runner-up Rotoehu Ecological Trust

Health and Well Being: Linton Park Community Trust, runner-up Aroha Mai, Cancer Support Services, commended New Zealand Brain Injury Support Network and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Rotorua Support Group

Sport and Leisure: Rotorua Community Menz Shed, runner-up Crankworx Rotorua

Education and Child/Youth Development: Te Waiariki Purea Trust, runner-up Ko Te Tuara Totara o Fordlands, commended English Language Partners Rotorua.

Supreme Winner: Youth in Emergency Services

Youth Spirit Award: Pearlina Taliauli, John Paul College, runner-up Jessica Gordon, Rotorua Lakes High School, finalists Ashleigh Whitmore, Western Heights High School, Victoria Thompson, Rotorua Girls High School, Cody Broad, Rotorua Boys' High School.

Rotorua Lakes Community Award: Cheryl Campbell, Phil Muldoon, Tony Baker, Diana Adlam, Terry Beckett.

- 
Rotorua Daily Post

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Awards to Rotorua’s Unsung Community Heroes

13/6/2015

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Winners of the annual Rotorua Lakes Community Awards announced at an awards ceremony at the Energy Events Centre last night were “unsung heroes”. So said Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick as she acknowledged the five local recipients of the award,

They were: Cheryl Campbell, Phil Muldoon, Tony Baker, Diana Adlam and Terry Beckett. The winners were announced alongside recipients of the 2015 TrustPower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the Rotorua Lakes Community Awards and the TrustPower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards provided an important opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of local volunteers, whose hard work was not always recognised.

“The recipients of this year’s awards have been the city’s unsung heroes for many years but have somehow managed to quietly slip under the radar,” Mrs Chadwick said.

“They go about their business diligently, without any expectation of praise, however we need to let them know their work is appreciated and we value their commitment to making our community better.”

Cheryl Campbell has spearheaded Rotorua Professionals McDowell Real Estate’s annual fundraising for the Child Cancer Foundation for the past 15 years. As coordinator of the ‘Paint the Town Red’ campaigns, she organised auction items and donations for the annual breakfast and auction which has raised almost $300,000 for Child Cancer.

Phil Muldoon has been a firefighter with the Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force for 20 years, and fire chief for 15 years. In 2012, he instigated the Youth in Emergency Services (YES) programme. In 2013, a working group, of which he was involved, was established to deliver the first YES pilot programme in Rotorua. The pilot programme was so successful that the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civil Defence asked for it to be rolled out to other small communities across New Zealand. Muldoon was deployed to Canterbury to assist with major bush firefighting in 2012, and Australia as a crew leader to assist with rural fire fighting at the end of 2013. His fundraising efforts resulted in the Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force taking possession of a new first-of-its-kind 4WD rural fire appliance in 2013, and he is now fundraising for a new fire station at Lake Okareka.

Tony Baker has been a Rotorua resident for over 65 years and during this time has been involved with a number of community groups, and is a life member of both the Rotorua Car Club and Rotorua Stock Car Club. Baker’s involvement with Rotary since 1969 has been acknowledged with a Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club of Rotorua and a Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary District 9930, covering Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Waikato. He is also a current committee member of the Rotorua Ulysses Motorcycle Club, a member and tutor of the Rotorua SeniorNet (president for four years) and trustee of the Rotorua KartSport Development Trust.

Diana Adlam has for past 15 years given her time to support the running of Parkinson’s Central Plateau. She has held various positions, including chairwoman, secretary, treasurer and funding officer. Now retired from an active role on the committee, Adlam is always volunteering for events and fundraising activities. She is also an active volunteer for the Rotorua Salvation Army.

Terry Beckett, a marine biologist and keen fisherman, has worked tirelessly for the Tarawera community since early 2000 to improve the water quality of Tarawera. He was a member of the first working party for the Lake Tarawera Action Plan, and is a current member of the working party for the Tarawera Lakes Restoration Plan. He is also a very active member of the Lake Tarawera Ratepayers’ Association (LTRA) committee. Since a LTRA grant was provided in 2005 to assist a summer student from University of Waikato to measure surface water inflows and collect nutrient samples, Terry has continued this work with a quarterly sampling programme. He does this work voluntarily, working with a professor from the university.

This entry was posted in General News, Steve Chadwick on June 15, 2015 by Phil Campbell.
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