The power of young people has been acknowledged at the recent Whau Youth Awards.
Awards for their mahi (work), leadership and talent went to nine rangatahi (youth) and one local hero.
The annual awards, supported by Whau Local Board, honour rangatahi who live, work, play, and study in the Whau – Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay, New Windsor, New Lynn, Avondale, and Kelston.
Whau Local Board chair Kay Thomas says: “Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. Their efforts and wonderful work in our communities deserve to be seen and celebrated.
“We’re proud to support the Whau Youth Awards this year again. Rangatahi are the future of the Whau and we look forward to seeing what these exceptional young people do next.
“My heartfelt thanks go to the Youth Board for the volunteer work they put in to deliver all aspects of the event, including everything from gaining sponsorship, graphic design, making connections with schools and working through the nomination process,” adds Kay.
“They invested months of work to deliver a wonderful event and we’re very grateful for that.”
Winner of the Arts Excellence Award, Allegra D’souza, says it was a humbling experience to be recognised alongside other talent in the Whau.
“Being acknowledged for my achievements at the Whau Youth Awards was encouraging and heartening, especially to see the achievements of my peers being recognised. To see the talent in the room and be a part of that was such an honour and then to be the recipient of an award at the ceremony is something I’m very grateful for,” says D’souza.
Whau Youth Board is a group of eight rangatahi from the Whau, ranging from ages 14 to 21. They hold two major annual events including the Whau Youth Fest and the Whau Youth Awards. Whau Youth Board also helps with other community events to get young people more engaged with democratic processes.
The board aims to uplift, connect and advocate for the youth of the Whau. If you want to volunteer to get involved with the Whau Youth Board, please email them at whauyouthboard@gmail.com.
EXCELLENCE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR AWARDS
ARTS EXCELLENCE AWARD:
Devonte Tama’ali’i
Allegra D’Souza
SPORTS EXCELLENCE AWARD:
Isys Tobia-Pita
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
POSITIVE CHANGE MAKER:
Malia McGuire
Umi van Dalen
PASIFIKA LEADERSHIP:
James Tuaa Solomona
MAORI LEADERSHIP:
Waimarie Ned-Senior
HAPORI WHANUI AWARDS
RESILIENCE: Mecedez McCarthy
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT: Evan Huang
LOCAL HERO: Jess Beatie
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