Motueka volunteers celebrated at entertaining event

October 21st, 2014

Ten special volunteers working in the Motueka area were recognised at the annual Volunteers Awards, held in entertaining fashion last Saturday.

The event, organised by Vision Motueka and backed financially by Harcourts Motueka, also celebrated the hundreds of volunteers who support the community through work in over 60 community groups.

Representatives from about half of those groups attended the afternoon function. Those receiving awards had been nominated by 19 of the groups, with the top 10 receiving a carved and inscribed plaque made for the occasion.

The 10 awards were judged by Greg Jones from Harcourts, based on information supplied by their nominating groups about their work in recent years.

Greg Jones and his colleague Graham Durrant were the MCs for the event, each presenting awards and reading citations for five nominees.

Entertainment was provided initially by Ukelele Crazee. Part way through, three school Speech Contest winners - Jade Alborn, Keaton Fry and Piers Comins - presented their speeches, which caused much laughter among the appreciative audience.

After the awards had been handed out, Linda Bartlett entertaining the audience with her strong playing of some country-rock favourites.

The Lioness and Lions groups served refreshments, and Rankeilor Arnott contributed one of her amazingly yummy afternoon teas.

The Crafty Tarts group made floor and table floral arrangements to brighten the hall and together with Mark Wentworth's skills for lighting and sound, a fun afternoon was enjoyed by all.

And overseeing all of this was the chief planner and organiser, Linda Glew, Vision Motueka's secretary and champion of local volunteering. Her cool attention to detail and methodical preparation made the day.

Following are the award winners:

Jennie Askew, Motueka + District Historical Association

Jennie is a founding member of the Motueka and District Historical Association and from day one 33 years ago she has been treasurer. She also has doubled as secretary for a few years.

Her strength is in her knowledge of the history of the district which she shares not just with members but also gives talks at the drop of a hat or when the speaker doesn't turn up. Almost every Tuesday since 1990 when the Research Room was set up, Jennie has turned out to help others learn about their family and local history.

Her expertise in the archives field is with the many photographs we hold, patiently recording what they are about and who is in them. Jennie has turned her hand to a myriad of other jobs that have come up in the association of years such as Christmas floats, stalls to advertise the group, making the tea at meetings, photocopying, learning visual skills

Anne Classen, Motueka Arts Council

Anne has been treasurer of Motueka Arts Council for over 10 years. She has been the manager of all finances for the Council's considerable transactions with its various projects, particularly the winter workshops. Over 20 workshops are held each year and up to 300 people attending. The income, payment of tutors, materials, advertising and venues etc make a considerable number of transactions involving a large amount of money.

Anne supports and participates in many of the activities and projects the Arts Council manages, keeps track of accountability and timing for grants received. She is also a member of Potters Patch and St Thomas Church, volunteering time and skills to those organisations.

Liam Goodman, Motueka High School Breakfast Club

Liam a Year 9 student at Motueka High School and helps out with the school's Breakfast Club - in which those students who miss out on breakfast due to perhaps running late, training early for sport or in a family facing hard financial times.

Despite his disability he helps regularly and in general shows huge commitment to volunteering.

Joy Duncan, Woodlands Retirement Home

Joy has volunteered at Woodlands Retirement Village and Resthome for over 20 years now. Without fail Joy turns up every Friday around 9am, sets up for circle bowls where the residents sit in a chair and play this game. Joy goes around and says hi to every staff member and resident and reminds the residents of the activity she will take.

Joy is a joy to have around for residents and the staff, freeing up their time to spend with a hospital residents. She also gives up her time once a month on a Sunday morning to come in and play the game with them.

Margaret Faulkner, Keep Motueka Beautiful

Margaret has been a long-term active member of the Keep Motueka Beautiful committee. She has been involved with a wide range of projects. These have included plantings and maintenance along Cemetery Road, also at the Kumaras/Raumankuas coastal area, and along the Motueka Wharf frontage.

Recently she has assisted in the committee's projects in the Inlet Estuary and wetlands, at the Elevation Cafe and Information Centre.

Margaret is also president of the Motueka Horticultural Society, a volunteer at the Hospice Shop since 1990, and a knitting volunteer and committee coordinator for Operation Cover Up.
Toby Stewart, R.S.A.

Toby is one of those people who just work away quietly in the background, always with a smile and a 'can do, will do' attitude.

He is the person to go to at Abbeyfield, where he looks after small maintenance issues and gardening and all on a voluntary basis.

Sue Krammer, S.P.C.A.

As an entirely of volunteer based organisation with no paid staff, the Motueka SPCA achieves as much if not more than many similar organisations with vastly better resources.

This is in most part due to the incredible amount of time and effort put in by Sue, looking after over 60 cats and kittens in her home and yard and managing the feeding, cleaning, veterinary care and adoptions.

Sue is constantly available to the people of Motueka and surrounds at all times of the day, night and weekends so that people can drop off unwanted pets, or for people looking to adopt. Over the years she has put an amazing amount of time and care into nursing many sick kittens and pets back to health.

Pam Smale, Victim Support

Pam has been a volunteer for Victim Support in Motueka for 22 years, and for most of this time she has been also chair of the local group committee, a small group of people that support Victim Support volunteers in the Motueka and the Golden Bay region.

Pam organises fund raising in the Motueka area for both victims and volunteers and you'll quite often find her filling in the gaps of a roster when there's nowhere else to do it.

Pam also volunteers for the local hospice, delivering beds and other equipment along with her husband. To support her husband in his work with Abbeyfield and Rotary, often providing catering for meetings that they have. She also volunteers at swimming events.

Gladys Taingahue, Nga Watene o Motueka

Nga Watene o Motueka (Maori Wardens) is very fortunate to have someone like Gladys to help and handle the finances for the roopu. Gladys has put in many hours to support the organisation and many others.

She is a part of many organisations, and has very passionate organisational abilities that she shares with them all. This is all done voluntarily. She puts in many hours of work with our local police force, and she is also a local Maori priest.

Mark Wentworth, Events go-to man for Motueka's performances!

Mark's is famous throughout the district for helping with lighting and sound requirements for community events and school performances.

His knowledge has been a great help to Imagine Theatre and Motueka High School, but mainly it has been the recent renovations to Memorial Hall and the building's subsequent use that Mark has become so much appreciated.

His drive has enabled him to get help from sponsors and the Tasman District Council to achieve results for a modern venue at Motueka. He has also contributed over the years to the Motueka Recreation Centre, assisting with the Christmas in the Park sound setup and the Rugby World Cup fanzone set up.

Often these projects involve all night sessions carrying heavy equipment, and overseeing the work of others, all with no expectation of award.

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