Final Gary Reid Scholarship awarded to two Whanganui recipients

Decadia Pakinga (left) and Mareesha Gibbs were jointly awarded the 2023 Gary Reid Memorial Scholarship. Photo / Bevan Conley

Two Whanganui parents have received a welcome boost towards attaining tertiary qualifications thanks to the Gary Reid Scholarship.

Decadia Pakinga is in the final stages of qualifying for a certificate in health and wellbeing at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui and Mareesha Gibbs is working towards a postgraduate diploma in kaitiakitanga (professional supervision) at Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

Both are single parents and, when the scholarship selection panel could not decide which application best met the criteria, they divided it between them.

Each receives $500 and their names will be engraved on the plaque attached to the glass scholarship trophy.

Reid, who died in 2018, dedicated more than 20 years of his lifetime to supporting people facing financial hardship and founded the Whanganui People’s Centre in 1997.

Scholarship sponsor and Volunteer Whanganui manager Sandra Rickey said the 2023 award would be the final one.

“The aim of the scholarship when it was established in 2019 was to commemorate Gary and offer support in his memory.

“Over five years it has benefitted seven recipients and I think Gary would have approved of them all.”

Rickey said the original aim was to award the scholarships in March each year when recipients would be commencing their studies but Covid-19 restrictions had changed the schedule.

Pakinga, a mother of seven children, said she had faced health challenges and one of her children had needed surgery while she had been studying.

“There were times when I felt like giving up and getting this award makes me glad I didn’t.

“I’m completing my last placement assignments.”

Gibbs said she had also experienced moments of fatigue during the year.

“I’m determined to push through and become the best version of myself.

“I appreciate this award and appreciate Gary.”

Judy Karaitiana, along with her daughter Jodie, worked with Reid to help establish the Whanganui People’s Centre in the 1990s and Judy still serves as board chairwoman.

“Needs have changed since we started but the relationships that Gary established back then are still benefitting the organisation today,” she said.

“The culture at the Ministry of Social Development is so much different now. The staff are very understanding and willing to help as much as they can. When he started, Gary was mostly advocating for people’s benefit entitlements but there’s a big focus on helping people with housing now.”

The Gary Reid Scholarship has been supported by Volunteer Whanganui, Whanganui People’s Centre, PARS, CLAW, Balance Whanganui, Jigsaw Whanganui, Victim Support, Whanganui Community House, Chester Borrows, Steph Lewis, Gail Bennett and Gloria Campbell.

Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.