About the Community Awards
Volunteers are the backbone behind every New Zealand community, dedicating more than 270 million unpaid hours every year for non-profit organisations up and down the country. TrustPower understands that, which is why we celebrate and reward volunteers through our TrustPower Community Awards programme.
Through the TrustPower Community Awards, volunteers are given the recognition they really deserve. No matter how big or small, if your group, club or society involves volunteers - then the TrustPower Community Awards are for you.
About the Awards
Entering the Awards and the Judging Process
TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award
TrustPower National Community Awards
About the Awards
The TrustPower Community Awards were initially set up with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council in 1994 when TrustPower became a listed company. Since then, TrustPower has established Community Awards in cities and districts right around the country, as a way of giving something back to its customers and their community.
The TrustPower Community Awards are not grants....they are awards which recognise and reward voluntary groups and organisations for the valuable contribution they make to their community. The TrustPower Community Awards are run in 24 districts around the country, in conjunction with local district or city councils.
In 2000, TrustPower initiated the National Community Awards. At the TrustPower National Community Awards the Supreme Winners from the regional Community Awards share ideas and experiences and compete for the title of TrustPower National Community Awards Supreme Winner.
Entering the Awards and the Judging Process
Any voluntary group or volunteer-based not-for-profit organisation is eligible for the Awards, which recognise past achievements or work undertaken by volunteers over the previous 12 months.
The Awards cover five categories:
Entries for the Awards are open for around 10 weeks in each region. ANYONE can enter a voluntary group or not-for-profit organisation for the Awards - and best of all it only takes a few minutes of your time.
For more information about when entries are being accepted in your region or to enter a group for the Awards, please see our Regions and Nomination Forms page.
A panel made up of representatives from the local community, the Council and TrustPower will judge the entries, based on , meet to decide who the recipients of the TrustPower Commnity Awards will be, based on set criteria including voluntary input, effectiveness of activities and the impact on the district. For more information on judging criteria please see the Community Awards Guidelines, which can be downloaded here.
The Community Awards are then presented at a formal function, to which representatives of all nominated organisations are invited. All recipients take home a framed certificate with category winners receiving $500, runners up $250 and the Supreme Winner receiving $1,500, a trophy and an all-expenses paid trip to the TrustPower National Community Awards.
TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award
Run in conjunction with the TrustPower Community Awards is the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award. This Award is open to all year 13 students to recognise and reward service to their school and community. The winner of the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award receives a certificate and $500 prize money - $250 to keep themselves and $250 to donate to a voluntary group or organisation of their choice.
The Spirit Awards started in 2009 and so far more than 50 amazing young people have been recognised and celebrated through the Awards. To read more about the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Awards, including meeting the amazing 2011 winners, click here.
TrustPower National Community Awards
The inaugural TrustPower National Community Awards were held in 2000 and have grown to become a prestigious national event.
The National Awards are held over three days. The venue for the Awards alternates each year from the North to the South Island, with the Awards always being held in provincial New Zealand. The 2011 TrustPower National Community Awards are being held from 23 - 25 March 2012 in the Ashburton district.
Invited to the National Awards is two representatives from each of the organisations named Supreme Winner at the regional Awards, along with their region's Mayor and his/her partner, or an alternate Council representative. Other attendees include politicians, representatives from leading voluntary sector organisations such as Volunteering NZ and national media.
At the National Awards each of the participating organisations gives an eight minute presentation on their group and its activity or project. Each group is judged on this presentation, along with a 1,000 word summary provided prior to the event. The groups are judged by their peers, with peer judging making up 50% of the final score and the other 50% coming from an independent judging panel.
The Supreme Winner at the TrustPower National Community Awards receives a trophy, framed certificate, $2,500 prize money, a $500 voucher for any Exult workshops or resources and the increased profile and recognition that comes with this national success.
However the National Awards are not just about winning. All the participants benefit from the opportunity the National Awards provides to network, share ideas and be inspired by other volunteers. Throughout the National Awards' 11 year history we have countless examples of this information-sharing resulting in ideas from one end of the country starting up as successful projects in another area, or of groups that had never heard of each other now working together for a common good.
To see a list of winners from 2010 TrustPower National Community Awards, held in March 2011, including photos from the event, click here.