SENIOR NEW ZEALANDER OF THE YEAR
Recognise those aged 60 and over who have made a positive contribution to our great nation. This award provides New Zealanders of all ages the opportunity to express their appreciation and admiration for the achievements of our senior New Zealanders. Nominees will have contributed to the welfare of our nation through excellence in their chosen field; they will present a significant and positive image of aging and be a role model to the wider community.
Whether it be in business, sports, arts, education or community involvement we invite you to nominate New Zealanders 60 years of age and over for this prestigious award.
2012 Winner - Malcolm Cameron
2011 Winner - Alison Neill
2010 Winner - Sir Eion Edgar
To read more about the winners please click here.
2012 Countdown Senior New Zealander of the Year
Malcolm Cameron
Malcolm Cameron of Dunedin is passionate about giving young people as many chances as necessary until they connect with their dreams and is concerned with the lack of job prospects currently available to them. Despite being unemployed himself with no funding, but very capable, Malcolm through networking in the community with local businesses founded the Malcam Charitable Trust in 1985.
He has since achieved considerable success in working with at-risk and disadvantaged young people. Through establishing the Trust, Malcolm has created programmes that not only introduce young people to the world of employment, but also include community service components, education, life skills and challenging outdoor activities in the Otago Region.
The impact of the Trust is staggering. Over 80% of the young people involved in the programme go on to full time employment. The Trust touches the lives of 40 to 50 thousand people a year and over 400 000 hours have been donated in voluntary time collaborating with other organisations to help build and maintain their presence in the community.
Malcolm is a serial social entrepreneur who is always scheming up new ideas to address needs in the community, linking up with people who can help these ideas blossom and mentoring and supporting young upcoming social innovators.
Malcolm with the support of his family and staff has always maintained that he has been lucky and privileged to have had the opportunity to create the Trust however his goal remains to this day that he wishes that there was no need for the Trust to exist.
2012 Countdown Senior New Zealander of the Year Finalists
Pat Magill
Napier
Pat has made an immense contribution to the community sector in Napier and Hawkes Bay. In the 1980s he was part of a group that invited several academics to study and make recommendations to develop and expand the community sector in the city. This lead to the development of Citizens Advice and 200 Neighbourhood Support groups in Napier. Pat also set up the Napier Pilot City Trust as a vehicle to undertake many of the other recommendations. Pat has worked tirelessly over the last 30 years with everything involved with the trust. He has led or assisted to organise an amazing range of events including an annual Unity Week celebration, Unity Walk, Pilot City Awards, Robson Lecture, Treaty of Waitangi workshops, community seminars, court support and children’s holiday programmes.
Don Mckenzie
Waiheke Island
Since losing his sight at the age of five, Don has dedicated his life to helping those in need despite being unable to do many of the things we take for granted.
Don has given his time and commitment to countless organisations, having served for more than 15 organisations in the physiotherapy, blind and disabled sectors throughout his lifetime. Don worked as a physiotherapist, owning his own practice for 40 years and even now at the tender age of 71 he is still helping the locals of Waiheke Island by treating their different aches and pains.
He has helped others with vision impairments through serving on the board of the Royal Foundation of the Blind for 28 years and being the Chair for 18 of those. He is currently the Chair of the Vision 2020 Trust which is committed to the prevention of blindness and vision loss in New Zealand.
Malcolm Cameron
Dunedin
Malcolm is the founder of the Malcam Charitable Trust, a major provider of Youth Development and Transitional Support Programmes in the Otago Region. Malcolm is a social entrepreneur and a leader in creating partnerships and developing management systems that support new community initiatives. He has given support and mentorship to other young social innovators and community groups and has worked hard to weave together community, government and business organisations to ensure young people have opportunities for work and education.
The Countdown Senior New Zealander of the Year 2012 winner will be announced at a public gala Awards event in Auckland on Thursday 16th February 2012.
2012 Countdown Senior New Zealander of the Year Semi-Finalists
Jim Blair
Upper Hutt
At 80 years old, Jim is the past president of Athletics New Zealand and has been involved at local, regional and national levels of athletics from 1947 to the present day.
Many of the organisations that Jim has been involved with have been in aid of promoting active lifestyles for people of all ages. He has spent three years as the Chairman of the Wellington Track and Field Committee, been a member of the IAAF Veteran Committee, and is currently the Delegate for the NZ Masters Association to Athletics New Zealand
Jim has influenced many older people to become active again and participate in sporting endeavours. He is a firm believer that physical fitness reduces health problems, assists recovery from illness and maintains an all around quality of life for older people.
He is also a current life member of the Petone Football Club in which he returns to the field as a player occasionally.
Roy Bartlett
Auckland
Roy is the co-founder of StarJam, an organisation that creates performance and limelight opportunities for young people with disabilities. He helped create the culture and champion the values that have formed the backbone of the organisation leading it from success to success. He has had a major involvement in the production of twelve stage shows. Importantly, he has managed all the back of stage activities ensuring casts up to 100 children with disabilities are sensitively cared for while being involved in marathon rehearsals and pre-show preparation which typically lasts 12 hours in one stretch. His typical working week involved a minimum 40 hours unpaid as office manager and fundraiser.
Diana Fisher
Lower Hutt
Diana is a volunteer who works with victims of crime and trauma assisting them in gaining control of restoring their lives. She provides personalised emotional and practical support and information to victims and their families ensuring that timely and effective advocacy, crisis support and information are made available to them. Her work empowers victims, assisting them to implement their own programme for recovery. She establishes working relationships with Police, Court personnel, community agencies and local Iwi. She is highly respected and is a pivotal key person between the Court, Police, and Victim Support. She is dedicated and extremely competent with Court work.
Tony Brady
Oamaru
Tony has made a huge contribution to the Oamaru community through his involvement in various economic, social and environmental organisations and schemes. He worked as an accountant for 56 years at his own firm and supported many people to start businesses which have flourished and make Oamaru successful. In recognition of his contribution to the profession he is a fellow chartered accountant despite not having a formal qualification. Tony has been the founder and/or member of countless organisations ranging from education related to church related to sport related. Of particular mention is the Silver tui award from Scouts, an award usually reserved for career scouts, and the Benementi Papal Medal, awarded by Pope Benedict for contributions to the church. Recently the Waitaki Bacon Lady at the Otago Farmer’s Market commented that she knew Tony and when asked how she knew him, she replied “Tony Brady? Build a bronze statue of the man, everyone in Oamaru knows Tony!”.
Neil Hatcher
Hastings
Neil is a remarkable man with considerable drive and tenacity, which he has used in Community Service of many types over the years. Most notably is his dedication to the Flaxmere Age Concern group. Neil became the Chairman in 1996 and under his leadership the group has grown to have a major input into the lives of Senior Citizens of Flaxmere. As well as being a capable leader Neil has always assisted personally with all the different activities offered. In addition to his age concern work, Neil has also been involved with the Central Region D.H.B. Clinical Services Reference Group, the Hawke’s Bay Consumer Reference Group Advisory committee, the Positive Ageing Forum for Hastings District Council, the Health and Disability’s Consumer Reference Group Advisory committee and as a volunteer with I.H.C.
Joe Rodriques QSM C.A.
New Plymouth
Joe founded an innovative health scheme known as the Taranaki Community Health Trust in 2009. The aim of the trust is to enable Taranaki patients of limited means, who have been unable to have their elective surgery needs met by the Public Health system to be financially assisted to have their operations done using the Private Health System. To date, seventy surgical operations have been completed, much to the delight of the recipients, and applications for assistance are rolling in. The concept of the scheme is unique to New Zealand and is benefiting so many people in the Taranaki community. Joe has also been instrumental in the establishment of a brand-new Youth Hostel in New Plymouth, has written and published a Spiritual Well-being Toolkit and has been instrumental in the establishment of a Social Golf Croquet club.
Eric Weir
Waverley
Eric is a longstanding member of the Waverley community and has made great contributions of his time, skill and no doubt his finances for many years. After his wife’s struggle with cancer and her last wish for him to do something to support Hospice Wanganui (where she spent her last days) he set up the Farming Friends of Wanganui Hospice Charitable Trust. This is a fundraising scheme where Eric uses his skills as a stock buyer to provide a sustainable and reliable source of income for the Hospice. The scheme involves purchasing cattle and calves, grazing them on a variety of farms at no cost and selling at a profit when fattened. Individual farmers integrate a couple of Hospice cattle with their own herds so after the initial purchase and transport there are no extra costs to the Trust, allowing maximum benefits for the Hospice. The Trust has grown to have about 250 cattle grazing on hundreds of farms throughout the region and provides the Hospice with a guaranteed income of $50,000 per year. Interestingly, a second nomination was also received for Eric outlining his massive contribution to the Waverley Waitotara Sheep dog Club; a man of many talents!