Kiwibank Local Heroes Medal Recipients for Bay of
Plenty
Andrew Turner of Tauranga
Andrew Turner from Tauranga has one mission for his life, ‘to reach, revive, rebuild and realease people. Andrew and his wife have pursued this by running marriage and family counselling for the past 8 years in Tauranga and Andrew has spent 17 years working with youths. In 2002 Andrew founded the Mission Centre Church and through this he has been able to reach families in his community giving them a safe place to come and feel welcomed and loved. Andrew has spent countless hours helping out in his community, all unpaid except for his teaching role at Tauranga Boys College. Andrew’s love for people, motivates him to do this and he endeavours to support people in any way possible.
Gaynor Hyde of Ohope
Gaynor Hyde is actively involved in her local community of Ohope Beach. She is a Committee member of Whakatane Stroke Group where she works to fundraise and raise awareness for Stroke affected people in the area. With this group Gaynor has been the coordinator of annual trips for Stroke sufferers taking on the responsibility to organise transport, activities and making sure everyone is safe – no mean feat when Stroke affected people often have very limited movement.
Gaynor is also the Neighbourhood Watch support person who keeps the community informed on important information, carries out checks on elderly within her community and she even drops off home baking to the elderly residents who are on their own.
Nola Fanning of Mt Maunganui
Nola Fannin has been a valued member of Mt Maunganui Lioness Club for the past 3 years and although she is the oldest member of the club she is, in many areas, one of the most active. Nola was awarded the District 202L Quiet Lioness Award in 2008 for being the most active Lioness in a club – the Lioness who is always present and the first to volunteer when help is needed.
Nola also works with the Night Owls in Mt Maunganui, is a volunteer at the Bayfair Police Office and also attends courses for the Night Owls with the Police Department.As a volunteer at the local Op Shop, one of her talents is dressing up people for job interviews as cheaply as possible and making sure they feel good about themselves.
Perry Keyte of Welcome Bay
Although constrained to a wheelchair, following an accident at age 31 which left him paralysed from the chest-down, Perry ably assists the running of a very popular and appreciated DROP-INN activity centre for the young people of Welcome Bay. Perry’s commitment to the youth of Welcome Bay began in 2000 when he initiated and ran a Friday night activity programme, which continued under his leadership until early 2006.
Later that year, in response to requests from the parents of the youth with whom he was previously involved, he actively supported a community-based initiative to establish the Welcome Bay Community Centre Incorporated Society.
Perry has since been a major contributor and a driving force behind the Welcome Bay Community Centre which is positively impacting the Welcome Bay area.
It is estimated that Perry has devoted nearly 3,000 hours of voluntary service to the Centre. Currently, 70 to 90 youths will “drop-in” to the centre on a Friday night and this largely due to Perry.
Rhonda Connor of Whakatane
Rhonda Conner gave away her respectable paid teaching position to re-train in alternative education, as a way of helping the children she saw being alienated from traditional learning. Rhonda then went a whole step further and in now running Te Ara Kowhiri Alternative Education Centre in Kawerau, built out of a rugby clubroom in the middle of a sports field and catering for kids aged 13 to 15.
She has transformed the lives of the families of ‘her’ young people by making them proud of their sons and daughters. Rhonda is often called upon and works with local police and other community leaders to stop kids getting in trouble and joining gangs.