2015 Civic Honours Award Recipients

Long and meritorious voluntary service benefiting the community has seen 12 people officially acknowledged at the 2015 Horowhenua Civic Honours Awards. The annual event was hosted by Horowhenua District Mayor Brendan Duffy at Te Takere in Levin.

Recipients were:

Civic Honours plus 50 Years Service Awards:

• Elizabeth Guy -Elizabeth's (Betty's) voluntary service has seen her involved with Koputaroa School, the Country Women's Institute, Horowhenua A.P. & I. Association, the Levin Tennis Club, and over 45 years service to St Mary's Anglican Church including contributing to its Meals on Wheels service. Also, for the past five years Betty has also been a volunteer support crew member for the Horowhenua Community Health Shuttle.
• Colin Lawrie - Colin is the first in the Levin Volunteer Fire Brigade's history to receive a double Gold Star for 50 years voluntary service with the New Zealand Fire Service. Over and above attending brigade call-outs, he has put in hundreds of hours every year completing administrative tasks such as fire reports, health and safety monitoring, training and fundraising. In 2008 Colin received the Queen's Service Medal.

Civic Honours:

• Carroll Cumming - Soon after moving to Levin in 1966 she became involved in the community, first with junior soccer through the interests of her children. Nearly 20 years ago Carroll began assisting with the Horowhenua Hospital's hydrotherapy pool and did so until it closed in 2006. Ever since, Carroll has been campaigning to see another hydrotherapy pool established. In addition, Carroll has been heavily involved with the Arthritis Support and the Breath Easy Support Group as part of the Asthma Foundation. Also, just last year she joined the Horowhenua Pink Ladies Support Group to help support women with breast cancer.
• Joan Cumming - Joan will turn 90 on her next birthday and up until a few weeks ago she was still volunteering at the Levin Clothing Bank that she started 30 years ago. She and her team have made clothes from donated fabrics, therefore providing new clothes for less fortunate families.

Certificates of Recognition:

• Linda Fletcher - for services to heritage, genealogy and the RSA. Linda is a former local journalist, now working as the Heritage and Communications Coordinator at Te Takere.
• Murray Easton - Levin's own piper, who for over 50 years has played the bagpipes at various District events, services and ceremonies.
• Jim White - for 11 years Jim has been the driver, treasurer, and manager for the Foxton Horse Tram, as well as volunteering as a Foxton Beach warden, Neighbourhood Support committee member, and Foxton Beach Community Centre driver.
• Robert and Ann Wright  - who have made an outstanding contribution to supporting people with diabetes in Horowhenua for over 30 years. Rob also volunteers for the Horowhenua Health Shuttle, is a Masonic Village volunteer driver and Levin Adventure Park childrens' train driver.
• Colleen Hanratty - for 32 years of voluntary service providing secretarial duties for Civil Defence, now known as Emergency Management.
• Bill Bodell - for 19 years of voluntary service to ensure the Foxton Easter Sunday Fair is a success every year.

Mayoral Award:

• Kevin Brown - for services to cultural affairs and education at Manawatu College for 44 years, as well as fostering relationships between Foxton, Horowhenua, and Japan.