On Saturday, Mayor Guppy and a team of Council officers surprised some of the city’s local sports volunteers with random acts of thanks, as part of National Volunteer Week.

In addition to the “Cheers to our Volunteers” billboards on display around the city, Council wanted to acknowledge some of the wonderful volunteers in the local community, with a focus on those adults (often family members) who coach and manage children’s sports teams, rain or shine during the winter months.

Initially planned for a week earlier, the initiative was postponed due to a change in Alert levels and a number of sports events being cancelled.

But on a very cold and frosty Saturday morning, the team hit the sports grounds and netball courts, handing out envelopes with a personalised thank you message from Mayor Guppy, H2O Xtream family pool passes, and free coffee vouchers from the H2O Xtream Café enclosed.

“It’s important to acknowledge the hard work and tireless support these people give to our children’s teams. Coaches help foster a love of sport, teamwork, a set of skills for life, and maybe a future New Zealand star! Volunteers are a valuable part of the local Upper Hutt Community and we hope this small gesture helps show how appreciative we are of the work they do to support our children” says Mayor Guppy.

© Scoop Media