Waikato Business News staff and readers get Out and About every month and file photographs from the events.
If you have a contribution, email editor@goodlocal.nz
Te Radar, regarded as the face and voice of Fieldays receives the 2023 Rimmington Award for services to Fieldays from life member Barry Quayle. Photo: Stephen Barker.
The Rimmington Award recognises an individual, community group or business that has gone above and beyond to support the Fieldays event.
Te Radar has been the voice and face of Fieldays for more than a decade. He has hosted television and media shows, as well as served as MC for many of our internal events. His exceptional ability to speak off the cuff and his minimal reliance on scripts is a talent that makes our event what it is. He is always willing to go above and beyond, and he works tirelessly for the four-day event and beyond. He is a huge asset to Fieldays and we are very fortunate to have him in the team.
“It is not often that I am lost for words, but when I heard my name called as the recipient, I was utterly flabbergasted and very humbled. I had never expected to receive such recognition and had just thought that I was being treated to a free dinner! Working at Fieldays always feels more like a weird reunion than a job, as I get to catch up with familiar faces over the course of the four-day event. It’s an honour just to be a part of the team,” says Te Radar.
Celebration time for Linda Jones Retirement Village in Hamilton which was named Ryman’s fittest village for 2023. The 11 medallists in the Walking for Wellness event were honoured at a special ceremony, from left Les Christopher, Norma Kerr, Terry Brighouse, Dick Coventry, Susan Harper, village manager Neville Parkinson, chief experience and engagement officer Mary-Anne Stone, resident experience coordinator Kate Terry, Tony Watson, Anne Welsh, Birger Kirsten, Noreen Parsons, David Parsons.
Turning the sod at the Piarere roundabout, from left Sam Uffindell, Louise Upston, Transport minister Simeon Brown, Tim van de Molen, Tom Rutherford, Ryan Hamilton, Adrienne Wilcock and Susan O’Regan. Photo: Mary Anne Gill. See: From Riverbed to Roundabout.
New Zealand Defence Force petty officer Glen Hayes, left, and sergeant Texas Prima went to the Waka Ama champs at Karāpiro to discuss Defence careers. Photo: Jeremy Smith.
Te Toki Voyaging Trust – Waka Hourua members Kiriwehi Grant, front, Hinemanu Barclay-Kerr, Te Ohomairangi-Putiputi Matakātea, Reiata Huata, Paige Rameka, Tevarn Mylove Bennion-Lindsay and Khloe Simon at Lake Karāpiro for the Waka Ama champs. Photo: Jeremy Smith.
NZ National Fieldays Society volunteer Sandra Wrigley receives the 2023 John Kneebone Volunteer of the Year Award from life member Peter Carr. Photo: Stephen Barker.
Named after one of the Society’s founding forbears, the John Kneebone Volunteer of the Year Award honours an individual who has contributed at an extraordinary level to the society. This year the prestigious award was handed over from Neil Quinlan to Sandra Wrigley.
Sandra started volunteering in 2008 and became a volunteer member in 2011. She has been an outstanding help for pre and post-event jobs across different teams and has given her time throughout the year to assist with gardening, painting, and sorting uniforms. During Fieldays, Sandra served as Team Lead for VIP/Mobility car park and was also a First Responder. Her dedication and hard work are highly valued by the team. In early 2023, she stepped into her first governance role by becoming a team member on the Events Committee and has been reappointed this year on the same committee. In 2023, she completed a total of 180 hours of volunteering.
“I am very happy to be the recipient of this award and feel proud to have won among a list of great contenders. I love what I do for the Society,” says Sandra.
