Former Rotorua woman Emma Rigby has been acknowledged with one of the United Kingdom's top honours for her outstanding services to the community.
She was awarded a British Empire Medal in the United Kingdom Queen's New Year honours after a decade of giving back to the local community of Enfield in London.
Rotorua-born Rigby is the founder and director of award-winning social enterprise business Love Your Doorstep, established after the London riots in August 2011.
The day after the riots ended at the end of her street in Enfield, Rigby vowed to make her community better.
She created an online platform for people to connect, enhance community spirit and help local entrepreneurs to thrive.
Love Your Doorstep helps more than 750 businesses, charities and community groups, and Rigby and the enterprise have won several awards in the past decade.
When the Covid-19 lockdown started in March 2020, Rigby co-ordinated a community rapid response to help those needing food and medical supplies.
She helped pull together more than 70 charities and mobilise hundreds of volunteers.
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Advertise with NZME.She was also the driving force behind a community patrol scheme in response to a wave of muggings and robberies targeting local secondary school children.
Rotorua-born and raised Rigby is the eldest daughter of Neville and Ali Nicholson, who still live In Rotorua.
The mother of two went to Selwyn Primary, Kaitao Intermediate and Western Heights High schools and has lived in Enfield since 2003.
Rigby said she was "in shock" when she first learned of her British Empire Medal and it was a "great honour".
"I'm very lucky to be doing a job I love, and to be recognised out of the blue is overwhelming and humbling.
"Over Love Your Doorstep's 10 years, it very early on became clear to me that an organisation like mine could really help a community thrive. It's bringing together different groups of people to make the community we live in a better place.
"I'm a big believer in what you give you get back."
Rigby has also launched a domestic abuse campaign, #LovelsKind, with profits from T-shirt sales going to local women's charities.
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Advertise with NZME."Domestic abuse was through the roof and the charities were overrun. I wanted the community to stand together to show support and it has worked incredibly well.
"We now have local secondary schools getting involved and it's inspiring their students."
Rigby said her future plans include projects focused on the art and culture scene, young people, unemployment, crime and community infrastructure projects.
Rigby's mum Ali said her daughter had always been passionate about giving back to the community.
"We have been pretty excited about her BEM, as it was very unexpected. Emma is a very hard worker and a very driven person who is passionate about what she does.
"It has nothing to do with money, it's about her wanting to help people, particularly those who need it the most, and this is a huge achievement. We are so proud of her."
Dad Neville said: "What Emma has achieved is just remarkable. She has done some incredible things but it's never been about money for her.
"It's about just doing some good to make a difference in other people's lives."
Nicholson said all their children had benefited from a great education system in Rotorua.
"I also think that living in a great community like Rotorua, our children learned from a very early age that community is everything. And Emma very much lives by that philosophy.
"I think we're just ordinary Kiwis and our quintessential Kiwi approach of wanting to give back has always underlined everything Emma has worked hard to achieve. And we are extremely proud of her."
Nicholson said he and his wife hoped to travel to London to be there when their eldest daughter received her BEM gong in June or July.
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Rotorua mayor and family friend Steve Chadwick said she was not surprised by Rigby's involvement in social enterprise and community outreach.
"Emma has always been an amazing networker, as were her parents."
Chadwick said the seeds of what Rigby had achieved were clearly first grown in Rotorua.
"Growing up in a community the size of Rotorua you get to know people making a difference, and by knowing how to network and how to use those networks, you can get out there and do some outstanding things such as Emma has done.
"We're all very proud of Emma, she has wonderful community values and she's a fabulous role model for the community of Rotorua.
"Some people in life are passive onlookers, while others do things. Emma is very much a doer and her British Empire Medal is not only justified, but it's not unexpected."
Awards for Love Your Doorstep
• 2021 Stroeous Awards Global Positive Impact Brand of the Year
• 2017 National FSB & World Pay Community Business Award
• 2014 FSB Enfield Business of the Year Award
• 2013 Enfield Innovation Competition
Awards for Rigby
• 2021 O2 Everyday Business Heroes Awards joint national winner
• 2021 British Empire Medal in the United Kingdom Queen's New Year Honours
• 2019 first New Zealand citizen to receive a British Citizen Award
