History group ‘blown away’ by Trustpower Nelson Tasman Community Award
By Jessica Long
History has been made as volunteer educational group, Histrionics, was awarded for its outstanding community engagement.
The group took home the supreme award at the 2016 Trustpower Nelson Tasman Community Awards after its program, The Somme Experience, “went above and beyond” to reach over 400 pupils and connect them with New Zealand’s war history.
Histrionics founders Daryl Page and Barbara Seymour said they were “blown away” by the award which topped an already rewarding experience.
Seymour said it started with a group of people who shared the same passion for war history about three years ago. Now students visit them at the Motueka District Museum to watch and participate in the educational performances.
Photo by MARTIN DE RUYTER.
Barbara Seymour and Daryl Page of Histrionics, front, Supreme Winner with other section winners and finalists at the Trustpower Community Awards.
Seymour said it was important to find new ways to relay war history because there was “hardly any people left to tell the stories”.
“For us it’s all about the local stories and that’s what we focus on every year.”
The community awards, held at the Rutherford Hotel, celebrated 270 million volunteer hours from across the country with the help of this year’s nine other category winners, runners-up, finalists and commendation recipients among nominees from across the region.
For the first time the Department of Corrections acknowledged a community volunteer at the night’s awards. Alan Kissell of Menzshed Waimea was celebrated for his work with offenders.
The shed offers basic wood working skills as part of a community work sentence program. Kissell said it was a humbling experience to take home the award.
He said he was worked with 10 men on projects for the community which they took “immense” pride and ownership in.
The program has been going for about three years, once a week. Kissell said the most rewarding part of the volunteer work was to see the men gain life skills and changes in their personalities or outlook on the community.
“Some of their mothers have seen us in the street and stopped and said what a difference it’s made to the young guys. It’s quite moving to see them come along and develop.”
Nelson College student Keegan Phipps was awarded the Youth Spirit winner. He was recognised for his outstanding efforts as a volunteer at Nelson Central where he helped supervise school trips during his summer holidays tutoring students and assisting teachers.
Phipps has a string of volunteer work to his name. He said to give up his time was one way he could help build a strong, vibrant community. He said he planned to make volunteer work an integral part of his future and is headed for a year-long volunteer job at a Canadian school in 2017.
“I really want to help young people get into volunteering because I think it’s something that really helps define a character, defines a person. Give up some of your time for someone else and you will reap the rewards.”
A huge crowd showed their support for the night’s other winners.
The overall Nelson award winner was given to LANDSAR and Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust was awarded the overall winner for Tasman.
The Heritage and Environment award was given to Friends of the Maitai, the Health and Wellbeing winner was Hospice Nelson Tasman, Richmond Creative Fibre was awarded the Arts and Culture award, the Sports and Leisure award was given to Murchison Youth Council and the Education and Child Youth Development category was awarded to Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Histrionics was awarded a $1500 cash prize and will have the chance to compete for a national award in Rotorua next year at the 2016 Trustpower National Community Awards.
Source: Stuff Article