Kaitaia's Ricky Houghton truly NZ Local Hero of the Year

Ricky Houghton, whose long service to the Far North has earned him the title of New Zealand Local Hero of the Year.

A Kaitaia man who spent part of his childhood in a mental hospital and was told that his future was in jail was last week named New Zealand's Local Hero of the Year.

Ricky Houghton received the title at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year awards in Auckland on Thursday night.

As chief executive of Kaitaia's He Korowai Trust since it was founded 17 years ago, his mission has always been to free people from adversity and give them love, hope, and a pathway to a better future.

So far the trust has saved more than 550 Far North homes from mortgagee sales, keeping 6400 people in their homes, and has provided justice and whanau development services for more than 800 families. A papakainga project in Kaitaia has so far provided homes for 17 adults and 43 children, while the former Kaitaia Hotel has been converted into emergency housing.

Yesterday the trust formally launched a training scheme, Students Without Education, Employment — Training, Achieving, Succeeding (Sweetas), to help Kaitaia youth into employment.

Mr Houghton has made no secret of his inauspicious start to life. From the age of 8 he had spent five years in a mental health institution, and was repeatedly told that he was destined for jail.

"All those years ago I promised myself that if ever I got a chance to make a difference, then that is how I wanted to spend my life. I wanted to show people that I was never going to be the person they always said I was going to be," he said.

He had wanted to be remembered as someone who had always advocated for the downtrodden and less fortunate.

"I look forward to the day when Maori can take their rightful place, when children can reach their full potential and true ability, when we can live life to do the things we want to do, our way," he added.

Te Tai Tokerau MP and deputy leader of the Labour Party Kelvin Davis was delighted to see Mr Houghton recognised for his tireless work for the people of the Far North.

"His focus has been on helping some of our most vulnerable people and their whanau enjoy safe, rewarding lives," he said.

"Ricky and his team have had a huge impact in the Far North, from giving whanau the skills to manage finances, working in restorative justice for that community-led response to crime, and now they are working with Northtec to give our rangatahi the skills they need to find decent jobs.

"Ricky's push to make sure people have warm, dry homes has been outstanding. The trust is providing emergency accommodation, helping many people into their first homes, and has saved hundreds of whanau from losing their houses."