Tauranga model club wins supreme award

Kids having a wonderful time on the train at Memorial Park. Photo/File

Tauranga Marine Model and Engineering Club won the Supreme Award at the 2016 Trustpower Tauranga Community Awards.

The awards were announced and presented tonightat a function at the Mount Maunganui Golf Club.

Trustpower community relations representative Emily Beaton said, in a statement, Tauranga Marine Model and Engineering Club had been a part of many children's childhood thanks to their maintenance and running of the miniature train at Memorial Park.

"The miniature train is hugely iconic for Tauranga folk, but the volunteers behind it do tend to fly a bit more under the radar."

In the last few years they concluded a $380,000 track extension to their amazing model railway, which totalled more than 40,000 hours of labour from the members.

"It's a real asset for the Tauranga community to have hardworking volunteers like these guys are," Miss Beaton said.

For winning the Supreme Award, Tauranga Marine Model and Engineering Club received a framed certificate, a trophy and $1500 prize money.

Tauranga Marine Model and Engineering Club now has the opportunity to represent the district at the 2016 Trustpower National Community Awards, which are being held in Rotorua in March, 2017.

In total, Trustpower gave away more than $5000 to various community groups during the evening's awards.

Winners at the Trustpower Tauranga Community Awards were:

Supreme Winner: Tauranga Marine Model and Engineering Club

Youth Spirit
Winner: Grahame Woods, Tauranga Boys' College

Heritage and Environment:
Winner: The Rock Papamoa

Health and Wellbeing:
Winner: Under the Stars

Arts and Culture:
Winner: A Night Before Christmas

Sports and Leisure:
Winner: Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Education and Child Youth Development:
Winner: Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club