The Stratford district is home to go-getters, doers, supporters, helpers, organisers, leaders - you name it, we have people in Stratford that will put their hand up for it - and it’s time to celebrate those people through the annual Citizen and Youth Citizen Awards.

Nominations are now open and close on Friday 30 May 2025.

Nominating local champions for these awards is a long-standing tradition for the Stratford district, going back 30 plus years. They identify people in the community who have shown leadership, inspiration, or dedication to a cause, contributing to the overall wellbeing of the Stratford district.

Mayor Neil Volzke says, “When you ask someone what they love about the Stratford district, the most common answer is ‘the people’ and these awards shine a light on that.”

“The people that make up this community are what makes Stratford a special place to live, work and play. It’s no surprise that we continue to receive quality nominations year on year for these awards. I’m confident that our citizen awards will continue to showcase the best aspects of our community for another 30 plus years.”

“I encourage everyone to take the time to nominate those doing great things in our district,” says Neil.

Nomination forms for both the 2025 Citizen Award and Youth Citizen Award (recognising our 12-24 year old champions) are available online here or printed copies can be picked up at Council's Service Centre, the Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre and Wai o Rua – Stratford Aquatic Centre.

Successful recipients will be announced in July 2025, with a celebration ceremony held early August.

Did you know?

• You can view previous recipients on our website here.
• These Awards were introduced in 1991
• 126 citizen awards and 21 youth citizen awards have been presented since they were introduced
• An Outstanding Citizen Award was introduced in 2018. This award recognises outstanding achievement, be it through longevity of service, a past award recipient who has continued to service the community, or someone who has contributed an outstanding service to our community. This award has been presented 5 times to date.

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