It is the spirit of generosity that brings us together today, and who better to exemplify this generosity than Kaumatua Takutai Wikiriwhi who opened this occasion for us today. He himself has given immensely to the community and I honour him today.

I also wish to pay tribute to the generosity of Ngati Whatua to be on the paepae welcoming us all into their rohe this evening. Ngati Whatua showed incredible generosity to all living in Aotearoa when they gifted their land to the city of Tamaki Makarau for settlement.



I also wish to recognise and thank the kapa haka group from Auckland Girls Grammar who have given such a wonderful performance tonight – this is also voluntary work, which makes such a valuable contribution to our society.



When I was given the opportunity to be part of the 2009 National Volunteer Awards I literally jumped at the chance.

Who would be able to resist working alongside two organisations with the names of ‘Intrepid Travel’ and ‘Good magazine’?

Intrepid Travel is a company that has been established to create unique, interactive travel experience.  But while developing amazing adventures, they also take their corporate social responsibility seriously – as indeed does Good magazine.   

Good magazine is all about living more sustainable lives – the ‘good life’ – without having an adverse impact on the environment or community.

On top of that I was eager to see for myself this wonderful exhibition curated by Moana Nepia, ‘Ka Mau te wehi: conversations in Maori dance’. 

And true to what I read about it, this is an incredible opportunity to see some of our earliest dance forms dating back to the haka from Parihaka in the 1890s or King Tawhiao’s funeral, through to our powerful contemporary works such as those by Lisa Reihana or the Atamira Dance Collective.

So with all of this inspiration and incentive to attract me here tonight, one would think nothing could possibly get in my way.



But there was one thing, and it was a biggie.

That massive roadblock that obstructed my path was the thought that there would be only one winner tonight.

Because the reality is, this event is literally rich with the wealth of talent and dynamic energy associated with all of the charities and volunteers profiled here tonight.

We are literally overwhelmed with choice.

As we have heard, charities from across Aotearoa nominated volunteers under six categories and tonight an overall winner will be chosen.

I am extremely proud to have the privilege of honouring tonight

• Kate Findlay, whom we have heard won the Emergency Services and International Aid category through her work with ChildFund. 
• Bridgit Bretherton Jones, who won the Family and Social Services category for her work as an advocate and mentor in the critical area of Preventing Violence in the Home.
• Stacey Freeman who won the Environment, Conservation and Animal Welfare category for her work volunteering for the World Society for the Protection of Animals;
• Michael Turner who won the Health and Disability Services category for his role at the New Zealand Spinal Trust; and
• Sandi Morrison, who won the Sports and Arts category for the Arts Regional Trust.

While I am thrilled to have opportunity to pay tribute to Kate, Bridgit, Stacey, Michael and Sandi, I am also conscious of the amazing people who volunteer in these same organisations, and indeed some 97,000 community organizations across our country.

And I can’t help thinking we are all winners through the selfless commitment and dedicated efforts of over one million volunteers who make such a difference to our communities in so many ways.

Next week, Volunteer Awareness Week, is a chance for all of us to look around at the often hidden workforce, making such a huge impact in health, education, housing, environment, law, advocacy, social services and cultural developments.

It is a chance for us to offer thanks and gratitude for the generosity of spirit that characterises those who support our communities through mahi aroha, or mea alofa – work performed out of love, out of caring and compassion, out of a sense of responsibilities and collective concern.

As times get tougher, these helping hands become even more important. There is a power and an aptitude for problem-solving that exists within our communities – we must foster this if our communities are going to show resilience through these hard times.

I heard last night, about a couple who decided that this year, they wanted to make their actions count louder than their words – and so took up the role of driving kaumatua to meet their commitments. 

It was a wonderful gift of love that these two wanted to share – it gave them the opportunity to express their sense of collective responsibility and respect for their elders; while at the same time nurturing relationships that would also be mutually satisfying for all parties.

These random acts of kindness are what distinguishes us as a nation.  Whether it is through the spirit of giving through money, time, or in-kind, we are willing to take on new responsibilities and learning challenges, if it will strengthen our communities.

And of course there are many ways to come to volunteering – it might be that we are directly asked and can’t resist! It might be we suddenly have more free time on our hands, or we may have undergone a life-changing experience where we suddenly feel compelled to give back, to give in return for the blessings we have received.

This year, the theme of Volunteer Awareness Week is youth and the world of good they do by volunteering. Despite misconceptions, I am told that young people are a growing volunteer base - they volunteer in every part of our communities.

They are globally aware and interested in meaningful volunteer work that is directly connected to causes they believe in. The great thing is that evidence shows that people who get involved in volunteering from a young age are more likely to volunteer in later years – so if we support our youth to volunteer now, we are investing in the communities of the future. 

One of the highlights for me this year has been seeing my grandson, volunteer at our local aged care facility – and watching how the experience made such a difference to him. 

We can all experience the rush that comes with being part of the change process – and indeed some 3,362 New Zealanders have in some small way, voted to give back to the volunteers who have changed their communities for the better.

Tonight then, is the opportunity to give special attention to these five winners, and to announce two grand awards, that of the highly commended finalist, and the Volunteer of the Year.

I am pleased to announce that Michael Turner has been awarded the Highly Commended Finalist for 2009.

Michael earned our admiration for the sheer initiative, the can do attitude that showed us all, a little self-determination can change the world!

Michael has faced the challenge of cerebral palsy since 8 years of age. Despite several operations, his physical abilities have deteriorated dramatically, but none of that is sufficient to put him off.

Through his own initiative he has become a vital part of the volunteer service at Burwood Hospital, delivering mail throughout the premises, all the while charming and socialising with all he meets.  The award recognises what the Volunteer Coordinator at Burwood describes as his amazing enthusiasm – a positive spirit which has truly touched the heart of all he comes in contact with.

And the grand prize tonight – the Intrepid Holiday worth $5000; the sponsorship to the winning charity and the $4500 worth of advertising in Good Magazine goes to Bridgit Bretherton-Jones.

Bridgit is awarded the honour of 2009 Volunteer of the Year for her tireless dedication to the clients of Preventing Violence in the Home.

In what might otherwise seem a soul-destroying environment, Bridgit has risen above the crisis of violent assaults, to support both clients and colleagues alike.  She is cheerful and compassionate despite call outs in the early morning frost. 

Bridgit epitimises the younger volunteers that we are celebrating this Volunteer Awareness Week. She is frequently available, even at short notice, and she is known by all as an exceptional, all round young woman. This work can only be described as having the nature of an emergency crisis – but from all accounts Bridgit responds to all situations with a characteristic warmth and impressive commitment.

Finally, I want to just note that this was an incredibly difficult job which my colleagues from Good Magazine and Intrepid Travel and I struggled over – trying to pick the winner amongst winners.

But if there was one thing that helped us through it was the fact that no matter who we chose, we were absolutely confident that the finalists, their charities and their sectors as you have heard tonight, are all exceptional – and what’s more there’s one million other New Zealanders out there who may well be in a position to compete.

And so, again, I remind us of the importance of letting someone we know become aware, just how vital their work is, in making our communities and families stronger.

The community and voluntary sector is the absolute expression of Ka Mau te wehi – meaning awesome, fantastic, worthy of our celebration and praise.

Ka mau te wehi, te wana me te kaha o te whanau katoa.

Tena tatou katoa.