Community-led change celebrated by community board

Members of Our Kerikeri Community Charitable Trust were recognised by the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board with an appreciation award, presented at the board’s March meeting.

The award was a chance to highlight the work done by the trust in driving community-led change to make a real difference in the community. Our Kerikeri is a group of passionate volunteers who promote positive environmental, cultural, social and economic change. Some of their previous projects include the upgrade of Kerikeri’s key entrance way, and the creation of a large-scale mural on the corner of Masonic Lane and Cobham Road. You can keep up to date with the group’s projects here.

Trust Chair, Anika Dickey, and Trustee, Kirsty Grant, accepted the award on behalf of their hardworking volunteers.

Also recognised at the March meeting were the children of Roddy Hapati Pihema - Hinemoa, Wahapo, Tamati, Matthew, Te Whetu, and Hiki te Raahui o Kopuera Pihema-Wilson - for their volunteer efforts. The children were nominated by Roddy for stepping up to help their community with everything from cleaning the recycling centre and weeding the community garden, to painting over graffiti and joining local working bees.

Past recipients of the board’s appreciation awards have been:

• Hao Yang Liang and Benjamin Lan for their efforts in collecting rubbish on the Kerikeri Domain (March 2024)
• Danny Sherbanowski, a community champion who always joins working bees and volunteers for community activities without being asked (August 2024)
• Anne Corbett, for her mahi at the Friends of Williams House, including her contributions to the Paihia Library Christmas Party last year (December 2024).

In other news, Te Hiku Community Board granted the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s KiwiCan programme $6000 to support its projects in seven local schools during the third and fourth terms of 2025.

The Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board meeting was cancelled due to a lack of business.