The Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Service and Youth Service Awards 2023 were held on Tuesday 8 August at the Riccarton Community Church Auditorium.

The Board presented four Youth Service Award certificates and fourteen Community Service Awards certificates, in recognition of significant voluntary service.

The awards are a way of thanking and honouring volunteers who demonstrate dedication and passion, greatly benefiting the community. The recipients inspire others to make service central part of their lives.

Recipients of the Youth Service Awards

Jakob Burgess has been a dedicated volunteer leader at Kids Camps run by Community Development Network Trust since 2017 and has led a number of children’s programmes hosted at Riccarton Community Church. At the local Riccarton Youth Group he is a leader of high school students and as a talented audio technician, he has offered hundreds of hours passing on his skills to a young group of budding technicians.

Jade Humphrey started Predator Free Riccarton with an aim to eradicate introduced pests through backyard trapping projects. Predator Free Riccarton currently has approximately 300 traps in the community, with orders of more than 70 waiting for collection days that are run at Riccarton Bush.

Cameron Jones generously gives his time as a sailing volunteer and coach, supporting on and off water operations. Cameron has spent many weekends maintaining donated dinghies for the Waimakariri Sailing Club's Learn to Sail programme, where he is one of the main coaches, a club committee junior representative and part of the club's tree planting, beach and river cleanup projects.

Matthew Osborne has been a prominent leader in the wider Riccarton area for over half a decade. He has played a significant role in providing a safe, supportive, and exciting space for local children through his service with the weekly Riccarton after school programme.

Recipients of the Community Service Awards

Alan Aitken has served this community in countless ways. In 1996 Alan founded the Community Development Trust and for over 35 years has served in a variety of leadership capacities at Riccarton Community Church. He was instrumental in setting up the 24-7 Youth Work Network which serves over 80 different schools across New Zealand and has been a trustee for Riccarton High School and the Gloriavale Leavers Trust.

John Chang volunteers with Citizens Advice Bureau and initially joining the North Canterbury Branch in 2004, and then joined the Christchurch West Branch Hornby in 2008. where he has maintained regular weekly shifts ever since. As a reliable and committed volunteer, John has supported clients with the provision of information and advice. It is estimated that John has completed around 900 shifts during his time volunteering with Citizens Advice Bureau.

Jolene Eagar has made an outstanding contribution to the local community through her involvement with the Templeton Residents' Association. Having previously held the role of Treasurer, as Chairperson she is part of a dedicated committee who meet monthly to discuss community needs and concerns, advocates for the community on relevant issues, circulates a community newsletter and runs community events.

Bruce Gibbard joined the Riccarton Community Patrol in 2012 and currently serves on the Patrol Committee. Patrolling a predominately residential area, the Riccarton Community Patrol has become a reassuring sight on the community's streets and Bruce’s work assists police and other agencies in building a safer local community. Bruce plays an integral role in contributing to the patrol’s aim to improve the wellbeing of the community.

Andre Gillies began volunteering with Friends @ 126 three years ago, becoming an integral part of the team and has helped to create a homely environment which gives people a sense of belonging. Andre works more hours than is expected of him, is forward thinking and well organised. For the past year he has run Friends @ 126, guided new volunteers and has supported the fundraising and catering teams, the Food Shed and Hello Hornby event.

Denis Hampton's support for the Hornby community is remarkable. Locals may have seen him standing near the Wycola Shops, proudly waving the New Zealand flag to those who pass by. For many years he has supported the Hornby ANZAC service, has assisted with the annual Hello Hornby event, and every week is out in the community, particularly Wycola Park, collecting rubbish to ensure a clean and tidy suburb is enjoyed by the community. At Hornby Salvation Army, he is part of the weekly Community Cuppa, regularly makes donations to the food bank and collects for their annual Red Shield appeal.

Rod Hickling has been a Member of Halswell Rugby League Football Club for 50 years, having held many roles during this time, as a player, coach and committee member, to name a few. Rod received Life Membership from the club in 1998, was Chairman of the 50th Jubilee Committee and is now a Halswell Rugby League Football Club Patron. He has been involved with Canterbury Rugby League as a delegate, was on the Policy Committee and also served with the Halswell Domain Sports Association.

John Irving has been a dedicated member of the Riccarton Community Patrol for twenty years, reporting graffiti, damage and faults to public utilities and property. John assists with numerous tasks, and liaises with the Police Communications Centre, providing assistance as requested. By helping to prevent, detect and deter crime, the communities living or visiting the areas the Riccarton Community Patrol covers, receive the benefit of John’s service.

Anne Lammerink initially started volunteering with Citizens Advice Bureau at its city office in 1997, transferring to the Christchurch West Branch Hornby in 2011, where she has volunteered ever since. During her weekly shifts, Anne works with a range of clients seeking advice or assistance on a wide range of issues. She has been reliable in attending her regular weekly shifts, totalling more than 1,200 shifts of service. Anne is always willing to do extra shifts for her colleagues, mentors new trainees and was also part of a team who continued working with clients during periods when offices were closed for Covid lockdown requirements.

Kim Moss has been a member of Christchurch South Rotary for over a decade, assisting with community projects and initiatives, has held the role of President and was presented with the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2022. Kim is currently the Greater Hornby Residents’ Association Chairperson, and has been involved in numerous organisations including Cat Rescue, Second Chance Dog Rescue, 126 on the Corner, One Mother to Another, University of Canterbury Student Volunteer Army as a mentor, tutor and leader within the organisation and served on the Southern Environmental Trust Board.

Derek Phelps was a member of the steering committee in forming the Greater Hornby Residents' Association and continues to be a dedicated and committed member of the Association. Starting as a Business Liaison Officer, he built strong relationships between businesses and residents bringing the two groups closer together. and residents that the Association continues to benefit from today. In his role as Treasurer, Derek ensures a strong financial base allowing the Association to continue delivering a strong platform of events and activities for the community.

Tony Whinwray has assisted with numerous activities and programmes in the Riccarton community for over a decade. His service includes assisting at the popular Community Fun Day and Connect events, the local nail care clinic, delivering the monthly Riccarton community newsletter, helping at Common Ground Café and every week is involved with the food co-op, Food for All. Tony is always willing to help, enthusiastic and consistent in what he does.

Peter Williams has been involved with the Riccarton Community Patrol for the past fifteen years, taking on multiple shifts each month. Regularly patrolling the local area, Peter responds to calls for assistance or investigation and reports any suspicious activity or behaviour to police. He also assists in reporting of services that require attention so that the appropriate authorities are informed.

Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers | Initiating their Halswell Domain activity in 2004 after moving from their original site in Spreydon, the Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers runs miniature trains and model boating on Sundays. This popular event is thoroughly enjoyed by the community, providing a space for people to meet and chat informally. They actively welcome volunteers and meet each week to maintain and improve the facility. In a rapidly growing area such as Halswell, Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers provides an opportunity for connections to be established and is highly regarded and appreciated by both Halswell and the wider Christchurch communities.