Secondary School Achievers Receive Council Awards

Eight secondary school students from the Hurunui will receive grants from the Council recognising their achievements and assisting further study.

The recipients of 2020’s Secondary School Achievers Fund were presented with their awards by Mayor Marie Back, at a special ceremony in Greta Valley last night.

The Secondary School Achievers Fund was established in 2000 to financially assist students with further study at a tertiary level. To date, 119 young people from the Hurunui have received grants from this scheme. The awards acknowledge the student’s hard work and achievements, along with their contributions to the community.

Recipients:

• Annie Leen from Leithfield, working towards a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science
• Bradley White from Waikari, working towards a career as a Youth Worker
• Georgie Lindsay from Amberley, working towards one year of Health Sciences and a Degree in the Health Sector
• Henry Woelders from Hawarden, working towards a Bachelor of Land and Property Management and Valuation
• Lana Bonnett from Amberley, working towards a Bachelor of Architecture
• Renae Fitzgibbon from Cheviot, working towards a Bachelor of Sports Coaching
• Sarah Frizzell from Hanmer Springs, working towards a Master’s in Architecture
• Sophie Rutherford from Culverden, working towards a Bachelor of Veterinary Science

The Hurunui District Council grant $10,000 annually into the Secondary School Achievers Fund. This year’s pool of funding also included (for the third year in a row) another generous $1500 grant from the council’s law firm, Buddle Findlay.

The assessment panel included Mayor Marie Black, Councillors Pauline White and Ross Barnes, one representative from Buddle Findlay – Anna Wishart, one Youth Council representative – John Fairbrother and three independent members – Judy Meikle from Waiau, Gwyn Williams from Amberley, and Bruce Nichols from Cheviot.

Mayor Marie Black said a “failure to act on youth training and employment is a failure to recognize the tremendous wealth of energy, skills and perspectives that our young people can offer.”

"Our council prides itself in its commitment to ensuring that our young people enter into adulthood with the skills and attributes necessary to participate in a growing and constantly diversifying knowledge economy,” she said.

Hurunui Youth Councillor Roderick Murchison said the awards are very important to the youth of the district, especially considering the cost of tertiary education.

“The Secondary School Achievers Awards mean that young people from our district can apply and get financial support to assist them with their studies,” he said.

“It’s great to see so many young people from our district going into many different areas of tertiary study and applying for the Awards.”