Civic Award winners announced

The 30th Palmerston North Civic Awards has honoured three Palmerston North citizens for their outstanding and long-serving contributions to the community.

Professor Emeritus Nan Kinross, Yvonne Stirling and Rae Patten were presented with Civic Honour Awards by Mayor Grant Smith at a ceremony last week (30 October).

“The Civic Honour Awards are our city’s highest recognition for voluntary service, and the recipients have spent decades as unsung community heroes,” Mayor Smith says.

Professor Kinross, who turned 92 on October 30, was recognised for her unstinting service to MASH (Manawatū Accommodation and Sheltered Housing) Trust, Soroptimist International of Palmerston North, the Manawatū County Club, Brightwater Trust Board, U3A (University of the Third Age Manawatū), and SeniorNet.

Mrs Stirling was prominent in setting up the Hospital Volunteers in 1977 to ease the isolation of long-term patients and the daily Trolley Run mobile shop. Forty-one years later and she is still an on-call member of the hospital volunteers.

For the past 15 years, Mrs Stirling has been a volunteer with Sport Manawatū’s Green Prescription programme as a member of the walking activity group. A member of St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Awapuni, she has supported the EZZE Meal shop team providing for housebound clients.

Mrs Patten began her community work in the 1950s with Central Baptist Church.

After her own seven children left home, she took in and looked after teens “who needed a helping hand”, making sure they experienced “a home away from home”. She also helped the resettlement and integration of refugees into New Zealand life.

Mrs Patten was also recognised for her involvement with the Edwards Pit Park beautification project, the Roslyn Reach Community Garden, and Stroke Central, Palmerston North. Afflicted with a hearing disability for most of her adult life she is also an active member of the Hearing Association Manawatū.

Mayor Smith says although none of the recipients contribute to the community with any thought of reward, it’s a shame people of this calibre had to wait so long for this kind of recognition. In future, he would like to see more nominations for people earlier in their volunteering career.

ENDS

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