Western News: September 01, 2022

Thursday September 1 2022 5
Young people awarded for commitment
A GROUP OF young people
have received awards for their
contributions to the community.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel presented
The Duke of Edinburgh’s
Hillary bronze, silver and gold
awards to 70 young people.
Some of the rangatahi will receive
their gold award from the
governor general in Wellington
later this year.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s
Hillary Award is a voluntary
programme of personal, adventurous
and cultural activities
with bronze, silver and gold
categories.
Participants have to complete
four sections – voluntary service,
physical recreation, skills, adventurous
journey – in each level.
At the gold level, participants are
required to complete a residential
project.
The programme was designed
to challenge young people to
leave their comfort zones and
push their personal development.
On top of volunteering work
with the Salvation Army, Local
Hospice and St Vincent De-Paul
centres, these young people
supported refugees and migrant
children.
Mentor and award leader
Chris Allan, who delivered the
programme through his Joshua
Foundation organisation, said
the students were also involved
with sport teams and individual
sports.
“Some of these young people
have achieved regional and
national honours in their chosen
physical recreation,” he said.
“They have engaged in an
arduous 30km tramp in the
Oxford area at a bronze level,
a 50km tramp at a silver level
around the Porters Pass and
Lake Lyndon area, and a fourday
tramp in Arthur’s Pass
national park.”
Established in 2004, the
Joshua Foundation provides
programmes to empower young
people within the community.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Hornby
High School’s Anaru
Jackson was awarded for
his achievements in the
Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary
Award. ​
LEADERSHIP:
Middleton
Grange students
(left) developed
their leadership
skills through
participating in
challenges of the
programme.
Water and environment key
issues for new candidate
ADVERTORIAL
Avonhead resident Dr Laly Samuel will be
standing as an independent in the upcoming
local body elections, vying for a seat on the
Christchurch City Council for the Waimairi ward
and one of two seats on the Community Board for
the Waimairi/Fendalton/Harewood Ward .
An academic and scientist, Dr Samuel has
gained extensive international experience and
recognition, with awards including the Garshom
International Award she received in Norway in
2019. She was also named as one of the finalists
in the Women of Influence Award – International
category New Zealand in 2015.
Originally from India, Dr Samuel moved to
New Zealand with her husband and two children
in 2002. Prior to that they lived in Japan for 11
years, where Dr Samuel worked as a scientist and
undertook post-doctoral study.
After three years in Wellington, during which
Dr Samuel was a team leader at the Measurements
Standards Laboratory of New Zealand (MSL)
under the Crown Research Institute, Industrial
Research Ltd , she moved to Christchurch where
she continued her job with MSL under Callaghan
Innovation, a role she held until 2016, before
deciding to take a break from her professional life.
Always part of her busy schedule, community
work now has an even stronger focus for Dr
Samuel. This involves assisting Indian immigrants
to settle into New Zealand life. She is active in her
local church, St Christopher’s, and along with her
husband helps the Kerala community group with
personal and cultural matters.
She is also a member of the Christchurch
Multicultural Council and the Christchurch
International Group.
With her scientific and management
background, her experience with ethnic
communities, as well as her commitment to
helping the community, Dr Samuel believes that
she will be a competent candidate.
If successful, her main focus will be on
removing chlorination from the city’s water,
with reducing the city’s carbon footprint also an
important issue for her. She supports the new
stadium but was disappointed that solar panels
were not included in the design.
“I am also against the 1.4 per cent annual rate
increase that Christchurch people will have to pay
to fund the stadium’s construction. I believe the
government should contribute more.”
The situation Bromley residents are dealing
with also concerns Dr Samuel.
“The odour and pollution being created is
affecting not just Bromley, but many parts of the
city, and the toxic particles can cause health issues.
“With my international scientific and
management experience, I believe I could
contribute a lot to council committees dealing
with issues like these, and many others.”
Her campaign strategy will include meeting
with people as she believes it is important to
interact with people and discuss their issues.
“I already know a significant number of people
in the Waimairi Ward, and I look forward to
meeting many more, and going on to represent
them after the election.”