Kiwibank Local Heroes Medal Recipients for
Central Otago
Bob Robertson of Queenstown
Bob is one of the longest-serving firefighters in one of the oldest fire brigades in New Zealand. Bob was recently honoured for his 50 years as a Queenstown firefighter with the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellowship Award, Double Gold Star from New Zealand Fire Service and a Queens Service Medal. Bob has been the Chief Fire Office for nearly 25 years and is still yet to decide when he will hand in his helmet.
Fi Sawer of Queenstown
Fi Sawer works at the X-it Youth Centre in Queenstown which offers a programme of activities for young people aged 12-24 years who are living in the community. The centre aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for youth to spend time together as a peer group. Fi puts in countless hours of work supporting these programmes and providing a safe and nuturing enviornment for young people. In 2008 she was named Queenstown’s Ultimate Community Champion for her contribution to young people.
Ian Rietveld of Omakau
Ian Reitveld makes a huge contribution to the wider Central Otago community.
He was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Omakau School for 12 years and has been a key member of the Omakau Volunteer Fire Brigade working alongside the Council and DOC as the Blackstone Warranted Rural Fire Officer.
He is responsible for coordinating and training all the volunteers for the Blackstone crew. He is a member of the Central Prospects Advisors Group a government initiative for councils that the Central Otago District Council took up. This role involves gathering the views of community members and working towards outcomes.
Ian has also been doing at least a shift a week as a volunteer ambulance officer since September 1999 and has ensured he is as highly trained as possible.
He is now a fully qualified ambulance officer which means he is able to put in lines and administer life saving drugs. He is the First Response man based at Omakau. This means Ian is a huge asset to the ambulance service as a whole in Central Otago.
Ian has also taken on a roll of mentorship, beginning with Omakau Primary School. He would work with Central Otago REAP and provide at risk boys an opportunity to work and learn alongside his staff and make whatever they would like.
His nomination had a testimonial that reflects many people’s opinions of Ian. A young man named Phillip Pyle, Phillip has this to say of Ian ‘Today I am doing great and I know it is thanks to the great example that Ian is.
He demonstrated patience, respect, motivation and a great attitude towards hard work. He is involved in so many organisations but never talks about what he has done for them... I am grateful to Ian for giving me the chance to turn my life around.”
Jeanette Anderson of Queenstown
Jeanette has been a long serving volunteer with Wakatipu St Johns. This tenure has been 18 years long and she still continues to this day. She does at least 36 hours a month at the station on shifts that start at 7pm and go through until 7pm. St John wouldn’t be able to run without her. Jeanette has also worked at Lakes District Council as a nurse for almost 20 years. She is a real asset to the Queenstown community.
Julie Yeo of Queenstown
Julie is much revered in the Queenstown community. She is always willing to help anyone and everyone and with whatever it is they need helping with. Julie volunteers her time preventing family violence in the community for the Wakatipu Abuse Prevention Network as well as being employed at Happiness House, a drop-in centre that provides clothes, household items and social services to people in the community.
Julie also teaches the Teen Abuse Prevention Programme to Wakatipu High Students. This provides information on substance abuse, peer pressure, family violence and sexual abuse.
Madeline Lawn of Queenstown
Madeline is all for the families of Queenstown and is willing to help in any way she can. Madeline has spent nearly 20 years with Queenstown Plunket both as a room supervisor and a Community Karitane. This lead to an always developing passion for child and infant well being, where Madeline even to this day is learning to extend her skill in regards to this passion.
To further her help towards young families Madeline has held a range of workshops to help the families with parenting. These have included home cooking, networking for young families to create a support system and delivering home cooking to struggling families. Madeline’s influence has touched the very core of family life, giving confidence and reassureance to many, many families in the Lakes District.