Not all heroes wear capes. Many are the dedicated volunteers who quietly give their time, energy, and skills to make our communities stronger and more connected.
Across the Tasman District, these special people can be found supporting sports clubs, helping community organisations run smoothly, caring for our environment, assisting at events, and lending a hand wherever it is needed. Often working behind the scenes, they make a lasting difference without seeking recognition.
Each year, our Outstanding Community Service Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate these remarkable individuals and thank them for their years of service.
If you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to their community through volunteer work, now is the time to nominate them. We are looking for people who have dedicated 20 years or more to a range of voluntary activities that have benefited the Tasman District.
Successful recipients will be recognised at a special awards ceremony later this year.
Nominations close on Monday 31 August. Complete the online nomination form here(external link).
Annually
Nominations close on 31 August annually.
These are invited from the public.
Click here to complete the Outstanding Community Service Award Nomination Form(external link)
You can save the form and complete it later if you need to.
Nominees must be residents of Tasman District to qualify. They must have been involved in a range of voluntary activities that have benefited their community for 20 years or more. NOTE: Fire Service Personnel must have served 35 years to be eligible.
Outstanding Community Service Awards Guide (pdf 5.3 MB)
A committee comprising the Mayor and other members of Council meets to evaluate the nominees and their contributions. These awards are presented at a special ceremony with the Mayor.
For more information please contact us
Mary Nicholls has dedicated much of her life to serving Motueka, making a significant contribution to the arts, sport, and activities for older adults, and is a recipient of one of our Outstanding Community Service Awards.
Nominator, Deputy Mayor Brent Maru, first met Mary in the late 1980s through her involvement with the Motueka Amateur Roller Skating Club. Mary took on the role of treasurer and served the club with commitment and care for more than a decade.
Through her involvement with the skating club, Mary became instrumental in the development of the Motueka Recreation Centre, where she later worked as the Centre Manager. During her time there, the Centre became a vibrant hub for both sports and the arts.
A passion for the arts has remained constant. Mary helped instigate the original Motueka Street Flags project and has served on the Motueka Arts Council, including more recently as Chair.
Her dedication to the community does not stop there. Alongside a good friend and fellow nominee, Chris Hickson, Mary stepped up to support the Motueka Senior Citizens Club, now known as the Motueka Over 50s Social Hub. Thanks to their efforts, the group has been revitalised into a welcoming place for activity, friendship, and connection for people aged over 50 in Motueka.
In her professional roles, Mary has remained committed to supporting people, working as a tutor with the Abel Tasman Education Trust, continuing a lifelong dedication to learning, wellbeing, and community service.
For decades, Malcolm McConochie has been a steady, generous presence in the Rotoiti community – someone who simply gets on with helping others, never seeking recognition.
Malcolm is a recipient of one of our Outstanding Community Service Awards.
Whether it’s organising a truckload of gravel for a school playground or lending a hand at local working bees, Malcolm is known for stepping up without fuss.
His commitment to the community runs deep. Malcolm has been at the heart of countless fundraisers and local initiatives, always advocating thoughtfully and constructively for the things that matter most. His calm, practical approach has also been invaluable in emergencies.
As a lifelong volunteer in fire and civil defence, including more than 20 years in leadership with the local fire brigade, he continues to mentor younger members as Deputy Chief.
Malcolm’s contributions extend to education and governance, including time on the Lake Rotoiti School Board of Trustees and local farming and community organisations. Through Lake Station, he has opened his land for events that bring people together and raise funds that go straight back into the community.
On a wider stage, Malcolm has held significant national leadership roles in the farming sector, reflecting the respect he has earned through his integrity and dedication.
His quiet service has made a lasting difference, strengthening both the local community and beyond; and no matter where Malcolm goes, his firefighting kit is in the back seat, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
For more than 60 years, Motueka’s Jim Fry has been a quiet but constant presence in supporting the health and well-being of his community and is well known as the founder of Fry’s Pharmacy, which he established in 1964.
As a recent recipient of one of our Outstanding Community Service Awards, Jim’s commitment to caring for others began early.
In his late teens and early 20s, he volunteered with St John Ambulance, providing support at rugby matches and community events, and often stepping in to drive the ambulance when needed. He also set up and staffed the first aid tent at Kaiteriteri Beach during busy summer seasons, helping keep holidaymakers safe.
Community service has always been at the heart of Jim’s life. He joined the Motueka Jaycees at just 18 and later became a charter member of the Motueka Lions Club in 1964.
In his 61 years with Lions, he has served as Club President five times, received the Melvin Jones Fellowship in 2008, and was honoured with Life Membership in 2024, along with a leadership award.
Jim also served the community through local government, elected to the Motueka Borough Council in 1975, where he completed three terms, including two as Deputy Mayor.
His involvement has extended across many areas, including long-standing service with the Motueka Highland Pipe Band, work as a Justice of the Peace and Coroner, and efforts to support local healthcare and road safety initiatives.
Jim’s lifetime of dedication has left a lasting mark on the Motueka community.
In the air, on the ground, and underground, Greg Pickford has been a driving force behind countless community and conservation projects across Tasman District for more than 50 years.
Greg is a recipient of one of our Outstanding Community Service Awards.
With a passion for caving, he has been a member of the Nelson Speleological Group since 1975, holding numerous leadership roles. Over the years, Greg has built ladders, led trips, explored and mapped caves, and helped build the club hut on Tākaka Hill. He’s also been involved in LandSAR (search and rescue), serving as cave rescue advisor for 40 years.
When not underground, Greg is soaring in the air as a gliding enthusiast and leader in the Nelson Lakes Gliding Club, having helped design and build their special glider winch launching system.
Back on the ground, he is an active member of the Keep Richmond Beautiful group, leading working bees and maintaining tracks in Kingsland Forest; and as a member of Native Bird Recovery Richmond, Greg’s built hundreds of predator trap boxes while also assisting with weeding and planting.
But Greg Pickford’s outdoor pursuits don’t end there; he’s a member of the Friends of Flora and Friends of Snowden’s Bush groups, has helped upgrade several backcountry tramping huts, and even organised construction of the first mountain bike track in Kingsland Forest.
With more than five decades of tireless service, Greg’s passion and commitment have left an incredible mark on our environment and community.
For many, retirement is the opportunity to kick back and enjoy life in the slow lane, but not for one of the latest recipients of our Outstanding Community Service Awards.
Scientist Colin Hooker and his wife Barbara, who was a doctor, retired to Motueka from Wellington in 1999, and since then, there’s been no sign of slowing down.
Not long after arriving, the couple joined a local 50-plus walking group, enjoying many memorable outings over the years. Colin later stepped into the role of group president.
He became a tutor, supporting learners in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and contributing to the Adult Learning Support programme in Nelson, where he also served on the management committee.
In 2004, Colin joined SeniorNet, supporting older people to build confidence with technology. He led iPad courses and created a monthly group for iPad and iPhone users to connect and learn together, remaining an active member until 2024.
Music has been another important part of Colin’s community involvement. He joined the Motueka Music Group committee in 2011 and became President the following year – a role he held until 2024. During this time, the committee organised annual concert programmes and cared for the Chanel Arts Centre and its grounds.
Colin continues to embrace an active lifestyle, attending regular exercise classes, Zumba, and line dancing, as well as spending time in the garden – he and Barbara also host a fortnightly music group in their home.
Colin’s ongoing dedication and enthusiasm are great examples of community spirit in action.
Chris Hickson has spent a lifetime caring for others, both through her professional work and her many years of voluntary community service, and she has now been recognised with an Outstanding Community Service Award.
Deputy Mayor Brent Maru, who nominated Chris, first met her when he was a young boy and she was a supervisor at the Motueka Roller Skating Club. When the club needed a hand from parents, Brent was sent home with a note for his mum – written on a lolly bag! That marked the beginning of a long-standing connection between their families.
Chris’s involvement with the skating club grew into a wider community contribution. She was among a dedicated group who supported the development of the Motueka Recreation Centre, later becoming one of its very first staff members.
Her working life spanned a variety of roles, including time with Nelson Marlborough Health, supporting young people through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Over the years, Chris has offered care, guidance, and support to young people, those facing challenging times, and, more recently, the senior community of Motueka.
Now living in Whakatū/Nelson, Chris has remained closely connected to Motueka. She returned to lend her support in saving the Motueka Over 50s Hub and, alongside her long-time friend Mary Nicholls – who we’ll introduce in a future article – helped organise Motueka’s first Ageing Expo, a hugely successful event.
Chris Hickson truly reflects the very best of community spirit
“I don’t do it for the recognition” was the humble reply from one of our latest Outstanding Community Service Award recipients when told she was in line for the award.
Cheryl Elsey is truly a Golden Bay local legend. Born and educated in Tākaka, Cheryl now runs her business ‘Good-to-go’ with husband Ian and their family of cats. But her community service involvement is nothing short of impressive.
Cheryl has been a member of the Golden Bay Promotion Association for more than 40 years, both on the committee and as chairperson.
In the sporting world, she has a close association with the Golden Bay Swimming Club, where she was a volunteer coach for several years.
Cheryl is the founder and heart behind SANDS Golden Bay, an organisation supporting parents and families who experience antenatal and neonatal deaths.
But Cheryl’s community care doesn’t end there. She runs Baby Loss Awareness Week events, including the Wave of Light event at Pōhara Beach.
She created the nationwide Empty Arms support group for those with no living children, as well as organising knitters making items for premature babies at Nelson Hospital and beyond.
Her kindness extends further, and with her coffee cart, she went to farms hit by last year’s floods with free coffee and cookies, as she does for firefighters at emergency scenes.
Cheryl supplies meals for those alone at Christmas and for local families after surgery or facing hardship.
There’s plenty more on Cheryl Elsey’s list of community involvement, and we’re sure you’ll agree that she deserves every bit of recognition she receives.
A real can-do person with more than four decades of dedication to the Motueka and Riwaka communities, Carol Fowler is another recipient of our 2025 Outstanding Community Service Awards.
She’s been a dedicated volunteer in the community since the day she arrived in the District more than 40 years ago.
Carol’s early contributions were with the Riwaka Rugby Club – running the kitchen and helping with fundraising while also serving on the PTA and Board of Trustees at Riwaka School.
As her son grew older, she became involved in supporting high school sports, particularly the touch rugby and rugby teams, and that connection grew into employment as the district truancy officer, which she supplements with voluntary work at every opportunity.
In nominating Carol Fowler, Marieann Keenan and Edna MacLean say she goes the extra mile for families and individuals, way beyond her job description and paid employment, often finding food, housing, and clothing for people in need. She quietly uses her wide range of contacts to ease people’s way.
During last year’s floods, Carol set up a food hub at Motueka High School while dealing with her own flood damage, organising and delivering relief aid across the District – along with husband John, she has always helped in civil defence emergencies.
Carol is best summed up by Marieann and Edna as selfless, non-judgmental, kind and funny. They say the people she works with love and admire her energy, compassion and humanity.
Carol Fowler is 100% one of life’s good buggers.
He’s been called the quiet hero of Collingwood, and in the first of a series of articles about Tasman’s unsung heroes, we meet Bevan Langmuir.
Bevan was one of our 2025 Outstanding Community Service Award winners for his decades of steadfast contributions to the Collingwood community in Golden Bay.
He’s given 37 years of dedicated service as an active member of the Collingwood Volunteer Fire Brigade, serving as Fire Chief for five years, taking on the great responsibility that goes with being a leader and organiser.
Bevan’s put in unseen hours and tireless effort over all those years attending hundreds of Wednesday night practices, the behind-the-scenes work that keeps emergency services strong. The number of emergencies he has attended, like fires, car crashes, floods, and more is countless.
In his award nomination, Joyce Wylie and Glenis Robertson agreed that it’s people like Bevan who keep valuable emergency services strong.
Balancing service and work, he gave his time freely while working full-time as a builder and previously as manager of Pākawau Motor Camp.
But behind every quiet hero there’s always a support network, and behind the scenes credit must go to his wife Denise, their three children and grandchildren for all the interrupted family events and times when Bevan has responded to the call of the siren and the pager.
His long-standing commitment to the Fire Service and Collingwood community is extraordinary. Joyce and Glenis say Bevan Langmuir’s dedication has kept the Collingwood community safe and strong, and they are truly grateful.
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