Western News: November 12, 2019

WESTERN NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Tuesday November 12 2019 7
News
Entertainer honoured with local hero award
• By Matt Slaughter
KATHLEEN HOOD has spent 40
years putting smiles on the faces of
Christchurch’s elderly.
The 86-year-old entertains residents
at Middlepark Rest Home,
Upper Riccarton, Elmswood Retirement
Village, Bryndwr, and has
previously done so at The Princess
Margaret Hospital.
This volunteering work has
earned her a Kiwibank New Zealand
Local Hero of the Year Award,
which she and other Christchurch
local heroes will receive at a ceremony
on December 3.
Mrs Hood tells jokes, reads poetry
and runs a quiz each time she
visits retirement homes.
She said this brings joy to their
residents and the quizzes include
historic questions, which bring back
memories and often start nostalgic
conversations between them.
“It’s really good because the questions
I ask are relevant to their age
and their experiences in life. They
do really enjoy it.”
Mrs Hood said her favourite thing
about what she does and the reason
she has been doing it for so many
years is it brings happiness to people
who sometimes need it most.
“The best thing for me is giving
to these older people. Some of
them have had very lonely lives
and when they come into the rest
home they’re a wee bit nervous.
She said when she entertains
residents “there’s a lot of laughter, I
can even tell a few risque jokes and
they enjoy all that.”
Mrs Hood said not even health
issues were able to stop her volunteering
for long.
“I did have two challenges with
cancer but I have had surgery and
I’m really fine now, everything’s all
good.’’
She said she was back in front
of retirement home audiences “as
soon as I could get back behind the
wheel.”
Mrs Hood is proud to receive a
local hero award this year.
“I never ever expected it and
when it came everybody around
me, my family and my friends
were all saying well deserved. It’s
very humbling and it will be to be
among people who have done marvellous
things in the community on
the night of the awards.”
But Mrs Hood said winning
awards is not why she volunteers
her time.
“If you ask any volunteer, it’s not
for accolades or recognition, you
don’t do it for that, it’s just for the
love of doing it, I suppose.”
She hopes her efforts will inspire
her children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren to volunteer in
their communities.
Kiwibank Local Hero
winners:
Kenneth Clearwater,
Ahmed Tani
Ian Thomas
Jan Murphy
Michelle Sharp
George Wright
Paul Chamberlain
Susan Foster-Cohen
Gabrielle Huria
Elle Perriam
Yvonne Hiskemuller
Bridget Kelly
Timothy David Baker
Alexandra Poetsckhe
Gavin Reed
Marlene Ingram
Paul O’Brien
Gamal Fouda
Jo Johnson
Paul Munnerley
Anna Manson
Kimberli Schuitman
Zhiyan Basharati
E Wen Wong
Hayley Guglietta
Kathleen Hood
Peter Zhou
INTERACTING: Kathleen
Hood has received a
Kiwibank New Zealand
Local Hero of the Year
Award for providing
entertainment to retirement
home residents.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN ​
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