Young people of Upper Hutt celebrated
Upper Hutt’s Young Achievers Awards ceremony for 2014 celebrated the achievements of the city’s youth at Expressions
Arts and Entertainment Centre.
Upper Hutt, 22 May 2014 — On Monday 19 May, Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre hosted Upper Hutt’s Young
Achievers Awards for 2014, highlighting the significant achievements that youth in the city had made over the past year.
Local NZ’s Got Talent star, Renee Maurice, kicked off the night celebrating the young people of Upper Hutt. The awards
night was an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements, both big and small, of young people from around the city.
Guests and nominees were also entertained by performances from the Worship Centre Church Youth Group and the kapa haka group from Maoribank School. CEO of Inspiring Stories, Guy Ryan the night’s guest speaker, spoke about the power of unleashing the potential of all young people.
25 locals were nominated to win in the categories of Be the Change, this year’s Youth Week theme, Social Hero, Cultural, Leadership, and the Mayor’s Award.
Thomas Yates took the Cultural and Supreme awards for excelling in the field of music, his selection as a United Nations Youth Ambassador, and for using his talent to support others. This award was presented by His Worship the Mayor, Wayne Guppy, who also
spoke about how the awards have now officially become Youth Civic Awards.
Karlee Lumby won the Be the Change award and Hope Robinson won the Social Hero award. Jeli Mendoza won the Leadership Award and the Mayor’s Award was won by Kyra Thomson.
Nominee Grady Murphy, who received a Mayoral Commendation for the Social Hero category, was later awarded one of six Giving Back awards at the national Youth Week Awards, held at Parliament on 20 May.
Upper Hutt City Council’s Community Development Advisor, Sofia Robinson said, “It was great to have a whole night
dedicated to celebrating all the positive things that our young people do, and the diversity of nominations show that
making change, big or small, is highly valued in our community.”
About Upper Hutt City Council
Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and
community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and
leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of
the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.
For more information on Upper Hutt City and the City Council, go to www.upperhuttcity.com
ENDS