2024 Western Bay Community Award finalists

Category winners will be announced at the Western Bay Community Awards in March. Photo / Baycourt

The Western Bay Community Awards announced the finalists for the 2024 awards last month.

Thirty finalists have been announced for the 2024 Western Bay Community Awards.

The awards host six categories and more than 100 nominations were received for event excellence, sustainable future, diversity and inclusion, heart of the community, youth spirit, and volunteer of the year. The people’s choice award will be run online in February and the winner announced at the awards ceremony, alongside the lifetime service award winner, which is chosen from all category nominees.

The community will be able to learn more about each finalist when the online showcase of all finalists goes live in the new year, consisting of a video introducing finalists from all award categories. The community will also have the opportunity to cast their vote in the people’s choice award from the full list of finalists.

The Western Bay Community Awards are delivered in partnership with Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, Tect Community Trust, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Category winners will be announced at the Western Bay Community Awards on March 21.

Event excellence award

Anzac Bay Waipaopao Summer Kick-Off Festival, Flavours of Plenty, Tauranga Fish & Dive Club-Placemakers Kids Fishing Competition, Papamoa Light Up the Waterway Matariki-Te Ara ō Wairakei Stormwater Trail, 2023 Zespri Aims Games.

Sustainable future award

ARRC Wildlife Trust, Live Well Waihī Beach, Ngāpeke Permaculture Project, Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust, Taking Back our Beach

Diversity and inclusion award

Bay of Plenty Sports and Cultural Club, Kai Aroha, Multicultural Tauranga, STEAM-ED Charitable Trust, Wish4Fish

Heart of the community award

Katch Katikati, Kura Kai, Mums4Mums, Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard, The Incubator Creative Hub

Youth spirit award

Blessing Pasi, Kate Dekker, Isla Willacy, Liam Shanahan, Mason Bollee

Volunteer of the year award

Aidan Kuka, Bryan Winters, Mary Dillon, Melanie Gearon, Sam Fellows