Nominations open for the Heart of the District Awards

It’s time for local heroes to get some well-deserved recognition with nominations opening today for the tenth annual Heart of the District awards.

Established in 2002 to pay tribute volunteers in the community, the awards are returning after a one year hiatus and Queenstown Lakes District Council arts and events facilitator Jan Maxwell said the break should ensure plenty of nominations.

“We’ve all had extra time to think about who’s deserving of special acknowledgement for their contribution to community life, “she said.

“I’m hoping that we see a record number of nominations this year as we mark the Heart of the District Awards’ first decade.”

There are six categories in the Heart of the District Awards:

-       Arts
-       Landscape and Urban Design
-       Youth
-       Business
-       Environmental/Heritage
-       Social and Cultural

The Awards ceremony also incorporates the announcement of the Civic Awards which are made at the discretion of the Mayor.

“The nomination process is quite straightforward, “Mrs Maxwell said. “Groups and individuals are both eligible and it’s just a matter of filling in a nomination form and sending it to us.”

Every finalist would be celebrated and acknowledged with the gift of a native tree at an evening function at the Memorial Hall Queenstown in mid-April. Those selected to receive an award would also be given a trophy.

“It’s always a special night for finalists and their families,” Mrs Maxwell said. “It’s fantastic to see so many dedicated people rewarded for the time and effort they put into making this community the vibrant place that it is.”

Nomination forms can be downloaded from the QLDC website www.qldc.govt.nz or picked up from any Council office.