Nelson Chosen as Hub for Honouring Coastguard Volunteers

23 November 2011

Nelson Chosen as Hub for Honouring Dedicated Coastguard Volunteers

Hundreds of Coastguard's dedicated volunteers from around the country will descend on Nelson this weekend to attend Coastguard New Zealand's Annual Conference.

Officially opened by local MP, Nick Smith, this Friday, the conference serves not only to honour the extraordinary efforts of its many dedicated volunteers but also provides a platform to take this year's key learnings and successes and look to employ new strategy and activities for 2012 to continue to help keep Kiwis safe at sea.

The conference, which comprises of various workshops and training sessions for Coastguard volunteers, also includes the presentation of the 2011 National Coastguard Awards on Saturday night - an evening which will see the extraordinary efforts of Coastguard volunteers acknowledged and recognised by their peers.

Coastguard New Zealand President, Colin Small, says with units established in the far north and extending to as far south as Bluff, the annual conference provides a great way for volunteers to get to know their fellow colleagues and further develop their skills with Coastguard.

"With 71 units spread around the country, many of our volunteers often don't get the chance meet one another. The conference workshops allow them to not only get to know their peers better, but also pick up tips and skills from each other which they can use to up-skill themselves moving forward. Sunny Nelson is a stunning part of New Zealand and we are very lucky to be able to enjoy our celebrations in this gorgeous region."

The annual awards will see some of Coastguard's volunteers awarded for their commitment to the organisation and outstanding performance across five categories including Air Patrol Volunteer of the Year, Rescue of the Year, Operational Volunteer of the Year, Rescue Vessel Volunteer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. This year will also see a Special Commendation Award presented.

"Coastguard volunteers risk their lives every day in an effort to save others at sea and they don't ask for anything in return. We are looking forward to further acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of some of our outstanding volunteers with these awards," says Mr Small.

Coastguard is New Zealand's primary provider of marine search and rescue services. It is made up of highly-trained volunteers who put themselves in harm's way on a regular basis to ensure the safety of people at sea. This year 2,224 brave volunteers brought 6,996 Kiwis safely back to land and devoted a significant 348,346 hours to keeping New Zealander's safe on the water.

ENDS

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