Exceptional people deserve to be celebrated. Horowhenua District Council would like to show their most outstanding volunteers how valued they are by presenting them with Civic Honours, and to reward rangatahi achieving big things with Youth Excellence Scholarships. Nominations are open now for these special recognitions, and HDC are calling on the community to nominate remarkable people in our hāpori.
Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “Civic Honours are an opportunity for everyday heroes to be celebrated and thanked for their contribution to groups, clubs and their community. There are many people volunteering in Horowhenua who deserve acknowledging in a special way – whether they have been influential working quietly in the background in a cause helping others, championing positive change or leading charitable organisations. There is a range of volunteers in our community who are deserving of this prestigious award. We want to hear who you think should be honoured in this way.”
“Youth Excellence Scholarships reward remarkable young people excelling in a range of fields. These young people are not just tomorrow’s leaders, they are today’s champions for positive change in our community, setting a great example to their peers and showing impressive aspirations for the future. It is our pleasure to reward them for their efforts and can-do attitudes.”
Nomination forms and full eligibility criteria for Civic Honours and Youth Excellence Scholarships are available online by visiting our Civic Honours page or our Youth Excellence Scholarships page.
Paper copies of the nomination forms are available at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, Shannon Library, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, at our Civic Building or by calling Customer Services on 06 366 0999.
Nominations close Friday 15 September 2023.
Volunteers of any age can be nominated for a Civic Honour. Nominations can be made based on the quality of their commitment, or by the length of their service to the community.
There is limited criteria for Civic Honours nominations. The service carried out by the nominated person must not be in a professional capacity or in the course of their paid employment, and all nominations must be made by two people living in Horowhenua or by two executive officers of an organisation. Unsuccessful nominations from previous years can resubmit their applications.
Since 1995, annual Civic Honours have been presented to volunteers across a range of community service categories at annual award ceremonies:
- Community, cultural or religious affairs
- Service to youth, recreation or education
- Service to conservation
In 2004, Horowhenua Youth Excellence Scholarships were established to reward young people’s efforts and contributions across four categories:
- Community Services – for recognition of outstanding service to the community
- Excellence in Sport
- Excellence in Academia
- Excellence in Art and Culture
Talented Horowhenua residents aged between 12 and 24 years old can be nominated for one of twelve $250 scholarships to help them advance in their area of achievement. Nominations need to show a clear link to one of the categories listed above, and be supported by a person familiar with the young person’s success. Award winners will be decided by the Community Funding and Recognition Committee which includes five Councillors.
We look forward to receiving a range of nominations for both Civic Honours and Youth Excellence Scholarships. Civic Honours and Scholarship winners will receive their accolades during an exclusive awards ceremony in November 2023.
