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A message from Mayor Mahé with |
It’s often said that the nature of a community can be judged by the health of its voluntary sector. Based on the outstanding stories told about the organisations and individuals honoured at the recent Western Bay Community Awards, I think it’s fair to say that our region is truly blessed.
The awards ceremony at Holy Trinity Tauranga featured 34 finalists selected from many more nominations, all of whom are worthy of recognition and a collective vote of thanks for the work they do to make the Western Bay and Tauranga a great place to live.
Western Bay Community Awards 2025 Volunteer of the Year is Donna Pfefferle. Photo / Supplied
A standout for me was that the vast majority of the people involved get no recompense for their efforts – they do what they do for the love of their communities and fellow citizens, and that makes them all the more special.
There were nine category winners on the night – but actually, they were all winners. And because of their efforts, so are all Western Bay of Plenty residents.
Linda Jones receiving the Lifetime Achievement award from Kat Macmillan at the Western Bay Community Awards 2025. Photo / Supplied
In my book, these people and organisations are true heroes of our community – so if you have a chance to support their efforts, please do. We’ll all be better off as a result of your generosity, whether that be in the form of financial help or your own efforts.
The Western Bay Community Awards winners are listed at: www.tect.org.nz/community-awards-2025.