Creative Te Puke Forum seeks selfless citizens

Veena Halliwell received the Lorna Treloar Memorial Te Puke Citizen of the Year award last year.

This year will be the 10th time the Lorna Treloar Memorial Te Puke Citizen of the Year award has been handed out.

Initiated by Creative Te Puke Forum in 2010, the award recognises people who have made outstanding contributions to the Te Puke community.

Creative Te Puke Forum's Kassie Ellis says the community response to the Covid-19 pandemic and alert level 4 lockdown could well have thrown up some worthy candidates.

''This award is for someone who constantly gives back to our community in the most selfless way and expects nothing in return, they're just kind hearted,'' says Kassie. ''Covid may well have brought out those qualities in people.''

In the past the award has gone to individuals and, on two occasions, couples.

Last year's recipient was Veena Halliwell. Others to have received the award include Alan Cotter, Shirley McGregor, Syd Honeyfield, Margaret Rex-Benner, Harold Cameron, Gael and Cedric Blaymires, Audrey Baldwin, Christine Clement and Edgar and Dorothy Pollard.

The award honours the memory of the late Lorna Treloar who devoted many years to community service in the Te Puke district. A founding member of the Creative Te Puke Forum and a long-serving chairwoman, she was a driving force behind many community beautification projects in Te Puke.

Her public service included 15 years as an elected representative on the Te Puke Community Board. She was chairwoman for two terms, and her final three-year stint was as a Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor.

She stood down in 2007 at the age of 74 after serving as a tireless advocate for the interests of Te Puke, and died the next year.

Nominations must be made by November 8 and can be emailed to ellis.kassie@gmail.com