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Heather Lister of Forrest Hill, Auckland

As a teacher at Forrest Hill Primary School, Heather has become actively involved in both the school community and wider community. At school she is the netball coordinator and has volunteered as a coach and umpire for over 8 years. She also set up the walking school bus and is actively involved in organising this. Heather is an amazing leader demonstrated through the work she does with Brownies, leading the local group completely voluntarily and producing a wonderful range of activities for the group.

Mavis Harris of Whangaparaoa

Mavis is an outstanding musician and accompanist; she uses these skills in many ways to help the community of the Whangaparoa peninsula and the North Shore. Mavis' resume as an accompanist spans more than 30 years and involves playing for individuals and groups, entertaining at resthomes and community charities, North Shore Male Choir, Manly and Red Beach Methodist church services, the Peninsula Players Theatre Group, and North Shore Ladies' Choir – to name a few. She also accompanies youth who are sitting music exams or entering musical competitions. All of Mavis’ work is voluntary – to keep up with her schedule as a 20 year old would be hard, so it is even more impressive that Mavis has just celebrated her eighty-second birthday!

Bob Davis of Greenhithe, Auckland

Bob Davis aged 74 of Auckland is currently the International Chairman of The International Military Music Society, a position that has always been held by top ranking people from Europe. This is a voluntary organisation in 40 countries using music as a means of international goodwill.

He founded the NZ branch in his retirement. In the last year, Bob has visited 16 countries on 4 continents at his own expense. Much of this is to set up tours for NZ bands including the Edinburgh Tattoo.  Bob has hosted and organised several tours for international visiting bands and has been instrumental in organising over 100 charity concerts, parades, Tattoos and commemorations throughout NZ.  Not only has his work been voluntary but he has underwritten a considerable amount of funds to cover the costs of these events.

David Barton of Birkenhead, Auckland

As a sufferer of dystonia, a neurological movement disorder that causes muscles in the body to contract or spasm (involuntarily) , David was the founder of the NZ Dystonia Patient Network. In 1992 David initially wrote a small group newsletter for sufferers to provide them with information and support. From small beginnings the newsletter grew to become a large support group that is now an incorporated society with over 300 members. The aims are to support dystonia patients with information, advice and networking opportunities, to increase awareness about dystonia and to encourage and facilitate research, with the aim of seeking better treatments, prevention and a cure. Twenty years later David is still actively involved with the society and is the first point of contact for all new members. In addition to this work,

David has also made a huge contribution to the youth of New Zealand by identifying a need for updated math textbooks while he was teaching at Rangitoto College in 1984. While still teaching full time he wrote his first textbook, Sigma Mathematics, which led to being the first of what is now the most widely used series of math textbooks in New Zealand. With the swing from print to digital classroom materials, David has responded by producing innovative and interactive resources for maths teachers and students. Although David now produces Maths resources as his job, initially he did this on the side of his teaching job and all his work for the Dystonia Network has been voluntary.

www.dystonia.org.nz