Local heroes of Hawke's Bay rewarded for community service

Poppy Renton, who set up the Hawke's Bay Drought Facebook page has been awarded with a Local Hero medal. Photo / Supplied

Kiwibank's Local Hero of the Year Awards has been announced and seven Hawke's Bay people have been confirmed as medallists.

The Local Hero of the Year Award (LHYA) recognises everyday people doing extraordinary things in their local communities over the past year.

A total of 100 New Zealander's received medals for their dedication to making their communities a better place.

This year's winner was Auckland's Everybody Eats founder Nick Loosley.

Through his charity, Loosley has saved more than 30 tonnes of good food from going into landfills and provided more than 30,000 restaurant-quality meals to people - most of whom could not afford to pay.

Sir Graeme Avery was one of seven Hawke's Bay local Local Hero of the Year Awards medallists. Photo / Warren Buckland

The seven Hawke's Bay local hero medallists are Sir Graeme Avery, Poppy Renton, Pauline Mackie, Neen Kennedy, Lynn Cross, Warren Brown and Rebecca Clarke.

Businessman and philanthropist Sir Graeme Avery, 79, was nominated for the LHYA because of his career-long services to health, fitness, food and wellbeing which has seen him in myriad transformational community roles.

Poppy Renton set up The Hawke's Bay Drought Facebook page in 2020 to help farmer's deal with last year's drought and the lasting effects that harsh weather has on the rural community.

The 19-year-old's page, which has more than 5700 members, has connected farmers with each other and the wider community - offering help to those in need, organising feed runs and messages of encouragement.

CHB locals Pauline Mackie and Lynn Cross were awarded medals because of their dedication to their communities, both have also received CHB District Council Civic Awards.

Neen Kennedy is famous around Waipukurau for being mad about recycling and is the founder of website Sustainable Ewe.

The website is devoted to sustainable living in CHB - she recently converted her garage into a dedicated Sustainable Ewe space.

Warren Brown was nominated for the LHYA for the support he gives through bereavement organisation STAROS, which he co-founded.

STAROS supports those who have lost a child or other loved one to suicide.

Rebecca Clark's career in education and passion for improving education in her Wairoa community has gained her a LHYA nomination and medal.

Despite having her first child at 14, Clark finished school and gained a degree while raising her two children and is now a mentor for young Māori women in her region.