Recognition of volunteers

International Volunteer Day (5 December) and Volunteer Awareness Week (3rd week of June) are two key times in the year when the hard work and commitment of New Zealand's volunteers is formally recognised, but volunteers are also acknowledged in other ways.

The New Zealand Royal Honours System

These awards are given for service to the community or nation, and on merit and achievement, in a variety of fields, going beyond the normal requirements of duty or office. The New Zealand Honours System, administered by the Honours Secretariat, is comprised of The Order of New Zealand, The New Zealand Order of Merit, and The Queen’s Service Order and Medal, and a series of gallantry and bravery awards.

Awards are usually announced 2-3 times a year.

• The Queen's Birthday Honours (June) – nominations are due by 1 February
• New Year Honours (December) – nominations are due by 1 August
• Special Honours (eg: bravery) are made periodically

» For more information go to Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.

Twice a year, the Governor-General holds investiture ceremonies at Government House in Wellington and at Government House in Auckland for the people named in the New Year and Queen's Birthday honours lists.  The Governor General also periodically hosts other events to recognise people who contribute to our communities.

» Search the NZ Honours Lists  to see who has been previously recognised.

• Volunteer of the Year Awards
  The inaugural Volunteer of the Year awards were held in 2009.  Organised by Good Magazine and supported by Intrepid Travel, the awards recognised volunteers in several categories. Charities across the country nominated their top volunteers and the New Zealand public was encouraged to visit www.gomad.co.nz and vote for their favourite volunteer in one of the following categories:
  • Emergency services and international aid
  • Family and social services
  • Environment, conservation and animal welfare
  • Health and disability services
  • Sport and arts
    An overall award was also presented.
    » Find out more http://good.net.nz/goodcause/
• Wattie's Volunteer Coach of the Year
  Volunteer coaches make a huge contribution to sport in New Zealand by sharing their passion, enthusiasm and wisdom with their athletes. To recognise this valuable role, Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s (SPARC) and Wattie’s make an annual award.  17 regional awards are made and then national award is presented in late November.
  » For more information go to the SPARC website.
• TrustPower Community Awards
  These awards recognise achievements by volunteers in the previous 12 months. Award categories include heritage and environment, health and well being, arts and culture, sport and leisure, and educational and child/youth development.  Regional awards are made in 21 regions in the months leading up to the national awards. TrustPower sponsors the awards in 19 regions. In the Wellington region, sponsorship is provided by the Wellington International Airport Community Trust. In Waitakere sponsorship is from Infratil. A Volunteer New Zealand (VNZ) board member is one of the national award judges.
  » For more information go to the Community Connect website 
• The inaugural Third Sector Excellence Awards were introduced in June 2007.

For services to community, the OCVS is aware of a number of awards for individuals and organisations at the regional or local level, including:

Citizens Civic or Honours Awards and/or Community Awards
These are provided by territorial authorities throughout New Zealand including Central Hawkes Bay, Christchurch, Far North, Gisborne, Gore, Hamilton, Hastings, Horowhenua, Hutt City, Kapiti Coast, Manawatu, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, North Shore City, Palmerston North, Porirua, Queenstown, South Taranaki, Tawa, Wanganui, Wellington, and Whangarei.

The names and timings of these awards vary widely.  Examples include:

• The Wellys (Wellingtonian of the Year Awards) has a category for Community Service
• South Taranaki Community Awards Citizens Award Ceremony
• Civic Awards ceremony in Gisborne on International Volunteer Day 
• Annual Citizens Awards made by Far North District Council on International Volunteer Day 
• Civic Awards in Masterton on International Volunteer Day

Youth Volunteer Awards
These are presented by Volunteering Canterbury on International Volunteer Day and the Nelson Volunteer Centre opens nominations during Volunteer Awareness Week.

Volunteer Recognition or Excellence Awards
These are presented by Volunteer New Plymouth on International Volunteer Day and by Volunteer Canterbury and Volunteering Waikato during Volunteer Awareness Week. (Volunteering Waikato presents individual volunteer awards in the categories of art and craft, disability, education, environment, health/welfare, service to the community, and youth. There is also a Community Agency Excellence Award.)

These range from highly prestigious/sought-after honours steeped in tradition and history, through to presentations of certificates of appreciation or thank-you cards to all those who contribute as volunteers.

Examples include:

• Order of St John’s honours announced near International Volunteer Day
• National President’s Awards presented in organisations such as  Guides New Zealand
• Osteoporosis New Zealand ‘You Deserve a Medal’ Awards held at Parliament
• North Shore Hospice has annual recognition awards on International Volunteer Day
• Cancer Society (eg: Ohakune branch) presents certificates of appreciation on International Volunteer Day
• WADCOSS VOYA awards during Volunteer Awareness Week (presents certificates and awards) – the Waitakere mayor made presentations in 2006. UNITEC Scholarship also presented.
• Rural Women New Zealand Achievement Award presented by Governor General
• Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
• Retired Persons Association of New Zealand (Inc) presents awards
• SPARC’s thank-you e-cards for volunteers

There are also a number of awards that are not specifically for volunteers, but which recognise excellence in a particular field where the recipient may be a volunteer.

Examples are

• The New Zealander of the Year Awards
  The New Zealander of the Year family of awards is designed to recognise, encourage and reward New Zealand’s most vital resource, its people. Beginning in 2010, the awards will seek out and promote the incredible achievements of individuals and community groups and create a sense of national pride, unity and inspiration through their example as mentors and role models to the wider community. The awards will recognise and highlight the achievements of New Zealanders making a contribution to our country.
• The NZ Workplace Health & Safety Awards (organised by Safeguard magazine in association with the Department of Labour) – has a Sector leadership
  Categories include:
  • Best leadership of an industry sector or region
  • Best initiative to promote or communicate an improved safety culture
  • Most influential employee or elected health and safety representative, who has acted as a champion of health and safety
• NZ Community Safety and Injury Prevention Awards made during New Zealand Safety Week (ACC & Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand)
• Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards - Road Safety Community Award (LTSA)
• Race Relations Commissioner/Human Rights Commission monthly ‘bouquet’ – certificates awarded
• In 2007, the Enterprise Waitakere Business Awards introduced a Community and Volunteer Best Practice category to recognise good business practices in the management of community and volunteer organisations. 

There is also growing media-driven recognition of volunteers through awards, news stories and publicity:

Examples:

• TVNZ's One News runs a series of 'Good Sorts' profiles on Sundays during 2009. Viewers are invited to suggest individuals who do good works in their communities who could be featured. 
  » Watch some profiles or nominate a Good Sort at www.tvnz.co.nz/goodsorts
• SPARC sent ‘Cheers Volunteers’ certificates to all nominees and the best nominees were thanked each Saturday on The Rock, Radio Live and More FM.
• ‘Good Morning’on TVNZ had a weekly/monthly ‘Unsung Hero’ award for deserving person
• The New Zealand Herald and P&O Cruises ran an 'Unsung Heroes' campaign in 2009 and profiled several in the newspaper
• ‘Kapi-Mana News’ in association with Café BB’s  presents fortnightly vouchers to ‘someone who deserves a coffee break’
• TVNZ’s ‘Mucking In’ did garden makeovers for community-minded individuals
• Various radio stations/local television shows do ‘extreme makeovers’ of homes for people (many of whom are volunteers or major contributors to their communities)
• The women’s magazines regularly profile  people who contribute to their communities

• Random Act of Kindness Challenge Awards
• Vodafone NZ Foundation’s World of Difference programme
• ‘Volunteers! – ordinary people making extraordinary contribution’ publication by Volunteering Waikato

Volunteers are also regularly featured in daily and community newspapers.  To be alerted to publicity about the community and voluntary sector, register for the daily media alerts from ComVoices.