Hekia Parata
National List MP
Media statement
16 September 2016
Hekia Parata congratulates high-achieving youth of Porirua
National MP Hekia Parata has congratulated the winners of the 2016 Porirua Youth Awards at a ceremony held last night at
Pātaka Museum.
“Porirua is brimming with talented, committed, and high-achieving youth so it was great to be able to recognise and
celebrate 13 of them last night,” says Ms Parata.
Ms Parata founded the Porirua Youth Awards in 2010 to recognise and encourage youth of Porirua aged between 12 and 19
years old who excel in art and culture, education, environment and community work, and sport.
“The awards are now in their sixth year and the calibre of winners is higher than ever. Daniel Hillier, one of the
excellence award winners, is a champion amateur golfer who became the youngest ever player to win the New Zealand
Amateur Championship in the 122-year history of the event,” says Ms Parata.
Along with Daniel, there were two other excellence award winners who each received a cash prize of $1500 to help them
towards their goals.
“Each of this year’s winners is a great example of what young people can achieve with hard work. Congratulations to them
all.”
The winners of the 2016 Porirua Youth Awards are:
NameAgeAwardCategoryCassidy Abbot12Arts/CultureCommendedGabrielle Embury16Environmental/CommunityCommendedJayden Ford12SportCommendedTe Punawai Hotu17Arts/CultureCommendedMatt Oliver18Arts/CultureCommendedThi Anh Thu Phan18EducationExcellenceDaniel Wrench17EducationCommendedHannah Creary18EducationCommendedTalitupe Smith17EducationCommendedTeresa Rayner17EducationCommendedMatisse Uluilelata17EducationCommendedNoa Woolloff18Environmental/CommunityExcellenceDaniel Hillier18SportExcellence
ENDS