Stratford District Citizen Awards: Allen Topless has an unwavering love for his community

Allen Topless is one of this year's Stratford Citizen Awards recipients. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Allen Topless is well-known, in Makahu and much further afield, for his kind, gentle nature and unwavering love for his community.

Since Allen and his wife Sylvia moved to the Stratford district in 1974, Allen has always been quick to lend a hand when anything has needed to be done in the community the couple call home.

One of this year’s three Stratford District Citizen Award recipients, Allen is still busy giving his time and skills to the Makahu community, even though he and Syliva have “retired” to Toko.

Allen has been involved with Makahu School for over 50 years now, having lent a hand to various school initiatives since they moved to the area. In 1980, he joined the school committee, and was there in 1989 when ‘tomorrow’s schools’ came into effect and Boards of Trustees were introduced across the country. He became chairman of that board, remaining in the position until 2002 and remaining on the board as a member until just last year.

Over that time, Allen and Sylvia’s four children and seven of their grandchildren have attended Makahu School, as well as five foster children who have spent time with Allen and Sylvia over the years.

“Some of the children were only with us for a short time, maybe six months or so, but they all went to the school while they were with us. It’s a good school, and it was really good for all the kids we had who went there.”

Allen and Sylvia are well-known in the Makahu community for making sure newcomers are welcomed and supported as they settle in, and helping with community wellbeing through organised events at Makahu Hall over the years.

Makahu Hall itself has also benefited from Allen’s efforts over the years, with Allen playing a key role in making sure the hall is well-maintained and suitable for the many events that take place there, from coffee mornings and playgroups to 21st celebrations and weddings.

In the early 2000s, the hall underwent a major rebuild, and while Allen credits the late Don Hopkirk as being instrumental in that project, Allen himself was also a key part of it all, providing plenty of support and even labour as the project took shape.

Allen describes the hall as being “the glue that keeps the community together”, but many in the community would argue it is Allen himself who keeps the Makahu community together.