Finalists 2021

The Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary is a volunteer-led, collaborative group with a mission towards the maintenance and restoration of the beautiful environment of Lindsay Creek. The success of the project is hugely credited to the hard work, passion, and enthusiasm of volunteers to connect with the community and care for our local nature.

Stitch Kitchen aims to build skills and change attitudes when it comes to managing our textile waste, with the goal of enhancing Dunedin’s textile practices. Volunteers input their time, energy, and ideas, and positively bring change to Stitch Kitchen each year to better support the wider community.

In the last year, Kiwi Harvest Dunedin has successfully rescued over 225,000kg of good food that would have otherwise been dumped in a landfill, and instead has provided a pathway to redistribute that food to provide nourishment for the community. The increased service need due to Covid-19 has been wonderfully delivered due through volunteers’ dedication and reliability to the team.

Friend Link is a group that creates connections between people in the community with people who may need support to build friendships, community connections, and a sense of belonging for all people. Volunteers provide important social connections and help contribute towards enhancing their communities into inclusive environments. 

Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust works to support those at risk of suicide, and bring education to share knowledge on how to help someone struggling to work towards reducing suicide within Aotearoa. The volunteers provide support, raise awareness, and help with fundraising events, making them an essential part of Life Matters’ goals for postive community changes.

In the last year, Kiwi Harvest Dunedin has successfully rescued over 225,000kg of good food that would have otherwise been dumped in a landfill, and instead has provided a pathway to redistribute that food to provide nourishment for the community. The volunteers have stepped up to the challenges of Covid-19, and their dedication and reliability has been so important throughout the year.

The Midwinter Carnival is an amazing event for Dunedin that champions the local creative community and celebrates our local seasons in a meaningful way. Volunteers take on many essential roles throughout the event, contributing to overall safety and the smooth running of the Carnival. This year, over 160 volunteers were involved, and through their help, this year was the largest Dunedin Midwinter Carnival to date.

The annual Dunedin Fringe Festival, Amped Music Project, and NZ Young Writers  Festival are maintained and supported through the efforts of the volunteers at the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust. Volunteers are often the face of events, as they often fulfill roles such as ushering, setting up venues, office work, and information stalls. The tremendous effort of volunteers allows the Trust to continue supporting local artists and develop the arts in Dunedin.

Te Whakapiki Reo is an education programme which provides teachings on the craft of flax harvesting and weaving through Māturanga Māori and Te Reo methods. The mahi of the volunteers, Maria and Lucy, have been fundamental to creating this project to be sustainable, culturally appropriate, and environmentally aware, volunteering their time, knowledge, and professionalism into the project.

St Bernadette’s Gymnastics Club is an entirely volunteer-run space dedicated to creating high quality, challenging, and fun gymnastics experiences. Volunteers contribute to the club through coaching, administration, fundraising,. Through their hard work and commitment, the club is able to continue providing opportunities to grow the gymnasts’ skills and gain more confidence in themselves.

Dunedin Parkrun is a weekly 5km walk/run for the community to get out into open space and participate in any way they can. Volunteers help set up, pack down and run the event every week, and the event wouldn’t be possible without their efforts. Volunteering in the parkrun offers people an opportunity to participate and builds a stronger sense of inclusivity and community throughout the run.

The Caversham Harrier and Athletic Club has been responsible for hosting the iconic Dunedin Marathon since 1985, and provides a great opportunity for individuals and groups to work on their fitness, reach their goals, and raise money for a good cause along the way. The volunteers are well known for their friendliness and helpfulness at events, and there is a fantastic commitment to the aims and values of the club, evident with the successful running of the event each year.

Bellyful’s mission is to cook and deliver meals to families with newborn babies and young children who are struggling in need of extra support. Volunteers bring their passion and skills to the heart of the work, and are involved in every branch decision as vital members of the team. The long-term commitment is a huge aide for Bellyful to fulfil their goals in supporting families.

The Sacred Heart School 125th Jubilee Committee was formed to plan events to mark 125 years in the life of Sacred Heart School.  Over 50 volunteers from all different roles within the school and North East Valley community volunteered their skills and time to give back to their community. This provided a fantastic opportunity for many of the children to see the important value of volunteering within their school, and provided a wonderful event to celebrate 1235 years worth of achievements and friendships.

The Buddy Programme is a mentoring service for tamariki which involves weekly outings with an adult volunteer. The programme aims to develop positive relationships, social skills, and high self esteem in the lives of our young people. It is through the wonderful efforts of the Adult Buddies that such positive engagements are accomplished for many, and the aims of the Buddy Programme couldn’t be accomplished without them.

The Midwinter Carnival is an amazing event for Dunedin that champions the local creative community and celebrates our local seasons in a meaningful way. Volunteers take on many essential roles throughout the event, contributing to overall safety and the smooth running of the Carnival. This year, over 160 volunteers were involved, and through their help, this year was the largest Dunedin Midwinter Carnival to date.

The Caversham Harrier and Athletic Club has been responsible for hosting the iconic Dunedin Marathon since 1985, and provides a great opportunity for individuals and groups to work on their fitness, reach their goals, and raise money for a good cause along the way. The volunteers are well known for their friendliness and helpfulness at events, and there is a fantastic commitment to the aims and values of the club, evident with the successful running of the event each year.

The annual Dunedin Fringe Festival, Amped Music Project, and NZ Young Writers  Festival are maintained and supported through the efforts of the volunteers at the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust. Volunteers are often the face of events, as they often fulfill roles such as ushering, setting up venues, office work, and information stalls. The tremendous effort of volunteers allows the Trust to continue supporting local artists and develop the arts in Dunedin.

Angela Fu is well known for volunteering her time and talent to contribute back to her school and wider community. Angela volunteers on Road Patrol and the school library, as a DCAA Chinese teacher, and volunteers her musical talent in her church, Yvette Williams retirement home, and fundraising events. Volunteering her time and skills are an important way to give back to the community, and she seeks to offer her time to help others as they have helped her.

Enrique Garcia’s volunteer involvement over the years has included pool supervision at St. Bernadettes, stacking and delivering firewood for Mercy parish, coaching the Roslyn school 6-8 year olds football club, becoming a Buddy volunteer, running the school Breakfast Club,  leader and team captain at six Edmund Rice camps, and organising the school’s “Shave for a Cure” event to raise $7000. For Enrique, volunteering brings connections with people from all walks of life, and he loves to contribute his time and talents to bringing a stronger sense of community to everyone.

At John McGlashan College, Archie Dunn serves as a service prefect, co-leads the SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving) group, co-leader the World Vision group, and completed the McGlashan Challenge, raising money for Cure Kids and the Himalayan Trust. Archie is proud to have such an active community role, and seeing the incremental positive change has been a huge motivation.

Hailey Xavier highly values justice and community, and this has been reflected in her volunteering efforts for her school and local community. She is highly active in environmental activism and conservation projects, and was a leader to organise her school’s first pride week. She has been a Youth Councilor for two years in which she was able to chair the Race Relations, Elections, Mental Health, and sat on the Pride, Smoke-Vapefree, Arts festival, and Ten Year Plan committees.

The Orokonui Ecosantuary volunteers keep the sanctuary running by cutting back gorse, maintaining the native plant and bird life, and keeping the sanctuary predator-free. The volunteers consistently show their commitment to the work of the ecosanctuary, willing to get involved in whatever is needed to help preserve the local environment.

 Last year, Foster Hope volunteers provided 1800 backpacks, 800 Christmas presents, and 200 items of clothing to children in the Otago region. Through the hard work of the volunteers, the work of Foster Hope has been able to grow, and the continual passion and love into the work they do is evident in the service they provide for all foster families.

With the increasing demand each year, the Foodbank volunteers have reliably put in the important work and energy needed to keep the services running smoothly and keep the community at the heart of their operations. It is because of their hard work that the foodbank is able to help reduce food insecurity within Dunedin. The foodbank simply wouldn’t be able to run without the time and energy provided by the volunteers.

Te Whakapiki Reo, was developed by Maria Kewene-Edwards, and is a demonstration of her skills and knowledge, not only in the content, but also in the management and organisation to get the initiative off the ground. She has put in hours of voluntary time to make a programme that is educational and sustainable, and motivated by a clear vision and passion for the work. It is because of her work and passionate that the programme has been such a success and has opened so many doors for future development. 

Denise Ives began the Breast Room ten years ago to create a space for parents needing free support around breastfeeding, before and after pregnancy. She brings a lot of heart to the organisation, working directly with parents and volunteers to give support, resources, and training. The work of Denise and the rest of the Breast Room crew helps to remove the stigma of breastfeeding struggles and provide free wrap-around assistance for all who need it. 

Kevin Phillips has been actively involved in the Dunedin Swimming Club for 30 years, serving in such roles as coach, treasurer, secretary, and president in that time. Kevin is approachable, knowledgeable, and keeps the club running smoothly with his willingness to support all members throughout the week. He is a major asset to the Dunedin Swimming Club, and is truly appreciated for all his hard work over the years.

Eleanor Doig is the chair of the South Dunedin Community Network, and brings a focus of building a stronger South Dunedin community for the future. Eleanor has worked hard to build up the South Dunedin community, and is often on call to dedicate her knowledge and expertise, even on short notice. Eleanor brings so much to the table and it is through her time, skills, and genuine connections, the South Dunedin Community Network has been able to make real differences in their community.