Community Fruit Harvesting wins Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year Award for 2016
Community Fruit Harvesting has won the Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year Award, given as part of the Kiwibank
New Zealander of the Year Awards 2016.
The awards, which were held in Auckland last night, are now in their seventh year and are a celebration of New
Zealanders and what Kiwis stand for.
The Mitre 10 Community of the Year Award recognises team work, perseverance and enthusiasm and it acknowledges groups
that consistently strive to improve social, economic, cultural or environmental outcomes in their region.
Community Fruit Harvesting began as a local initiative on Auckland’s North Shore in 2011. Auckland founder and
co-ordinator Di Celliers realised how much fruit from backyard trees in her community went to waste. She acted on this
and built a network of like-minded neighbours who worked to pick, preserve and distribute surplus fruit to struggling
families, and since then Community Fruit Harvesting has amassed teams of locals from Kaipara to Wanaka to help the
cause.
“What we do at Community Fruit Harvesting is hugely rewarding and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have achieved as a
team,” said Ms Celliers. “It’s wonderful that with Mitre 10’s help, our team can gain recognition for our hard work
helping others across New Zealand.”
Mitre 10 chief executive Neil Cowie said it was an honour for Mitre 10 to sponsor the award and he was delighted to see
Community Fruit Harvesting being acknowledged for its tireless work.
“At Mitre 10 we are proud to call ourselves a locally owned and operated business and we know just how important strong
communities are. Working together, taking initiative and getting things done are all big parts of how our stores and our
people operate, and Community Fruit Harvesting has displayed these values perfectly.
“All three finalists should be immensely proud of how they’re helping their communities and I look forward to following
their progress,” Mr Cowie said.
Other finalists for the Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year Award include youth art development initiative Zeal
and South Alive, a community initiative seeking to rejuvenate south Invercargill.
Other award winners announced at last night’s ceremony include Richie McCaw, who won the award for Kiwibank New
Zealander of the Year and Lydia Ko, who won the University of Auckland Young New Zealander of the Year award.
Past winners of the Community of the Year Award are: Victim Support, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ, the
town of Paeroa, Gibbston Community Association of Central Otago and the Victory Village.
About Mitre 10
Mitre 10 is a New Zealand co-operative with 81 locally owned and operated stores nationwide that employ close to 5,000
team members combined. It is the country’s largest home improvement and garden retailer and one of the fastest-growing
trade merchants. Mitre 10 has been a household name since 1974 and has been voted the most trusted home improvement
retail brand in New Zealand five times.
About the New Zealander of the Year Awards
The annual Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards recognise the efforts of New Zealanders to improve their
communities. With categories for young New Zealanders, senior New Zealanders, innovators, local heroes, and communities,
the awards seek to acknowledge a diverse range of Kiwis making a difference.
ENDS