The Trustpower national community awards will be held in Dunedin this weekend and the Te Wairoa Pa Haka Festival will be one of 24 entries from throughout the country competing for the national title.

The Trustpower Community Awards are run in 25 regions around New Zealand to recognise and reward the outstanding contribution voluntary groups and organisations make in their communities.

Te Paea Whakatope, from the Pa Haka Festival organising committee says she was humbled that the festival won the Wairoa community awards and is a little nervous to represent Wairoa at the national awards in Dunedin this weekend.

“I’ve seen the judge’s handbook, which has a description of all the projects that are up for consideration for the national title, and I’m just really humbled that Pa Haka is also being considered alongside some of these other awesome projects.”

“We have to do an eight minute presentation about our project and we’ve decided that we will share the real stories about our participants, the whanau and the marae who actually make the Pa Haka festival a reality.”

“They are the true reason why Pa Haka is so successful and it’s their stories we will be taking with us to Dunedin.”

“We’ll be presenting with Mayor Craig Little and he’s been giving us some really good advice, helping us to understand what we can expect at the national awards weekend.”

“We had a practice and run through of our presentation with Mayor Little earlier this week, and what was really cool is that local MP Stuart Nash dropped in unexpectedly to wish us luck,” says Ms Whakatope.

Local MP Stuart Nash says “I had an appointment with Craig and he suggested that I pop in and have a listen and maybe offer some last minute advice.”

“Wairoa can be certainly proud of the team going down to Dunedin this weekend. After listening to their presentation, I know I am.”

“Pa Haka is about building community resilience and strengthening whanau and marae.”

“I really enjoyed listening to Te Paea and Naomi and encouraged them to remember who they represent. They represent Wairoa, a resilient and proud community and that they go with the best wishes of not only me, but the people of Wairoa”, says Mr Nash.

Mayor Craig Little says “I have no doubt that Te Paea and Naomi will do Wairoa proud this weekend.”

-Ends-

For more information:

Kitea Tipuna
Communications Strategist
Wairoa District Council
(06) 838 7309

31 October 2018

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