Winners named at inaugural Impact Awards Ceremony

Shaquille Shortland, Sophie Handford, Shay Wright, Jazz Thornton were celebrated for outstanding contributions to their impact areas that are making for New Zealand

Inspiring Stories is excited to announce the four winners of The Impact Awards, celebrating the nation’s most inspiring young people. Winners of the Climate, Inclusion, Enterprise, and Wellbeing categories were honoured at the Impact Awards Ceremony on Wellington’s waterfront.

Inclusion:
Shaquille Shortland, Founder and Director Tuapapa Maori Language Academy & Consultancy
Climate:
Sophie Handford, National Coordinator School Strike for Climate NZ
Enterprise:
Shay Wright, Co-Founder Te Whare Hukahuka
Wellbeing:
Jazz Thornton, Co-Founder Voices of Hope & Jessicas Tree

“In light of the huge socio-economic challenges we face, there has never been a more important time to be investing in New Zealand’s future. The diversity and calibre of applicants for The Impact Awards was exceptional, and we’re excited to celebrate four young New Zealanders who have demonstrated significant courage and leadership in their mahi,” said Guy Ryan, CEO of Inspiring Stories.
Winners were chosen by a group of judges and experts in each field, with category winners receiving $5,000 in prizes to support their project and amplify their impact.
Sophie Handford took the Climate Award prize thanks to her work as one of the national coordinators for School Strike for Climate NZ. This organisation made national headlines when it encouraged tens of thousands of students across New Zealand to leave school on strike and put pressure on the government to take climate change seriously.
Shaquille Shortland won the Inclusion award for his dedication as founder and director of Tuapapa Maori Language Academy & Consultancy which is a kaupapa Māori driven social enterprise dedicated to education in Te Ao Māori, social development and youth leadership.
Shay Wright is the co-founder of Te Whare Hukahuka, a group of Māori social entrepreneurs passionate about using innovation as a way to positively impact the lives of indigenous people, which saw him take the Enterprise award. Te Whare Hukahuka aims to prove that businesses can be owned and managed by native communities, while also creating positive social outcomes and respecting the environment and enhancing New Zealand's culture.

Jazz Thornton co-founder of Voices of Hope a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide hope for those struggling with mental health issues by promoting mental well-being, empowerment and recovery, swooped the prize for Wellbeing. Jazz is also the director behind the award winning film Jessica's Tree, a series that challenges society by providing insight and revelation about what it is to be suicidal, where to find hope and how we can make changes to prevent this in the future.

“It is encouraging to see the quality of young people in New Zealand willing to take initiative and challenge the status quo, so it’s important to take a step back and celebrate those Kiwis doing so at the highest level. The first Impact Awards Ceremony was a huge success, and speaks to the extraordinary calibre of our country’s young change-makers,” concludes Ryan.

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The Impact Awards
www.theimpactawards.nz
The Awards Ceremony is a premier celebration of inspiring young New Zealanders making a difference for our future in climate, wellbeing, enterprise, and inclusion. It attracted 400 delegates, including CEOs and senior leaders from business, government and community sectors.
Judging: Each Award Category was judged by a panel of judges. The panel is different for each Award Category. Judges included people with relevant domain expertise; a representative from the relevant Award Category sponsor(s); and a representative(s) from Inspiring Stories. The identity of the judges will not be made public.

About Inspiring Stories
https://www.inspiringstories.org.nz/
The team at Inspiring Stories have built an impressive track record, supporting thousands of young New Zealanders to build their entrepreneurship and leadership capability, and their ideas to make a difference. Inspiring Stories is also the organisation behind Festival for the Future, the Future Leaders programme, The Impact Awards, and the speaker bureau – Inspiring Speakers.

Alumni have gone on to win NZ International Youth Leadership awards, been shortlisted for Young New Zealander of the Year, and represent our nation on the world stage. The organisation was founded by former Young New Zealander of the Year Guy Ryan, and operates with staff in six regions.

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