Speech: Employee Volunteering Awards

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

Thank you Amy and David for the warm introduction and thank you to Volunteer Wellington for inviting me to speak about tonight’s awards.

I am delighted to be a part of this wonderful new event.

As most of you will know, this week is National Volunteer Week.

Around the country, we have a full calendar of events, activities and celebrations designed to promote and recognise the dedication and achievements of volunteers. 

This evening’s ceremony is a major highlight.

I would like to acknowledge Judy Kerr and Volunteering Wellington, as well as Liz Koh and the Nikau Foundation who have worked hard behind the scenes to organise this event and to make volunteering happen.

I commend your dedication to promoting the benefits and the value of voluntary work.

I would also like to acknowledge KPMG and the Wellington City Council and thank them for their continued support of the voluntary sector.

I extend a special acknowledgement to the volunteers, businesses, government departments and community organisations.

You have helped in your communities and many of you took part in the Nikau Foundation Corporate Challenge.

I hope you will make the most of this chance to meet and share your inspiring stories with like-minded people.

“Ma whero, ma pango, ka oti te mahi” – with red and black, the work will be complete. This whakataukī or Maori proverb refers to the amazing results that can be achieved when people work together.

I believe that volunteering comes naturally to Kiwis.

About a third of all New Zealanders get involved in their communities through volunteering for an organisation, providing millions of volunteer hours a year and making a significant economic contribution.

This investment of time, effort and energy not only helps our country to function, but also contributes to the strength and wellbeing of our communities, making them better places for us all to live.

Businesses that support their staff to contribute to their community can benefit from heightened employee engagement and morale.

People are attracted to companies which provide an opportunity to give back to society and are more likely to stay for longer.

While out in the neighbourhood, employees take part in work that gives them a different perspective on their own communities.

In the process, they can develop new relationships, skills and insights that can enrich their own lives and be brought back into the workplace.

Tonight marks the final stages of this year’s Nikau Foundation Corporate Challenge.

It is a chance to acknowledge the efforts of more than 700 Wellingtonians who have donated 4,300 hours of work over the last four months.

Now in its eighth year, the Corporate Challenge encourages business to allow staff to take a day off to volunteer in their local community.

The contest is organised by Volunteer Wellington and kindly funded by the Nikau Foundation.

The challenge is for 50 business teams to work with local community groups to complete a total of 50 community projects, in the period from February to June each year.

I was impressed to hear that this year’s teams have already beaten the target, even though the challenge continues until the end of the month.

From cooking to construction, each project is a brilliant example of the combined efforts of business and community groups.

In sharing and spreading your stories we build up trust and networks that our communities can rely on.

Great things can happen when we join with others to lend a hand, backed by the support of those around us.

In the past we have celebrated the conclusion of the Nikau Foundation Corporate Challenge in an informal way, but this year is different.

Volunteer Wellington’s brand new Employee Volunteering Awards programme is designed to give public recognition to the employees that put their hand up to help out, as well as the employers and community groups that give them the time, resources and opportunity to do so.

The Awards shine a spotlight on five important aspects of successful corporate volunteering:

• an innovative project
• a well-organised programme
• a strong partnership between a business and a community group
• dedicated people
• and someone deserving of ‘pavlova’.

My warmest congratulations to all of tonight’s winners.

Ladies and gentlemen will you please join with me in giving our Corporate Challenge participants a round of applause.

The Wellington community is better off because of your generosity.

I would like to leave you with another whakataukī: “He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata” - goodwill towards others is a precious treasure.

Thank you very much for your time today.

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.