FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Volunteer Wellington hosts the annual Mahi Aroha Awards to recognise and celebrate volunteers and volunteering in our community.

Why nominate?

• The Mahi Aroha Awards are a wonderful opportunity to recognise the contribution and achievements of outstanding volunteers.
• Making a nomination is a special way to acknowledge and thank volunteers who make a difference to your organisation.
• Raise the profile of your organisation by making a nomination.

Who can make a nomination?

• Anyone can nominate a volunteer in the Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wellington areas. It is not necessary to be a Volunteer Wellington member to be a nominator or a nominee.
• Only one nomination per award category will be accepted from a single organisation or individual.
• Individuals can be nominated by the community group they volunteer with or other members of the public.
• Volunteers with Volunteer Wellington are not eligible to be nominated for their mahi with Volunteer Wellington.

Is there a cost to enter the awards?

There is no cost to make a nomination or to attend the Volunteer Wellington Mahi Aroha Awards.

What areas are included in the Wellington area?
The awards are to celebrate volunteering in the areas that Volunteer Wellington operates in – Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington.

When are entries due?
Nominations open on 31 March 2025 and close on 9 May 2025.

How do you submit a nomination?
The nomination forms are online and available to complete now. Nominations must be submitted by midnight 9 May 2025.
. A few tips when using the online forms:
• Provide as much information as possible and answer every question.
• Save the text you have entered by pressing the button at the bottom of the edit screen.
• You can save your nomination form at any stage and return to it. To do that please use the Save the link button so you can return to your saved form later.
• Any supporting material submitted will not be returned.
• Double check the nomination before pressing the Submit button. Once submitted you cannot make any changes to the nomination.
• Nominations must be typed – please do not use any formatting or coloured text as this will be removed by the system.

How will the judging be done?
Judging will be conducted by an independent panel of representatives from the community, fundraising and business sectors.
• The judges’ decision will be final, with no correspondence entered.
• Nominees will be judged on their voluntary work within the nominating organisation and the wider community. These services must be provided voluntarily without expecting any personal or financial gain.
• Please be sure to submit your nomination and provide any supporting information by Midnight 9th May 2025. No additional information will be accepted once the nomination is submitted.

What happens after I make a nomination?
• All nominees deserve to be celebrated so we will send you a special certificate to present to your nominated volunteer. Take a photo and tag Volunteer Wellington and the Mahi Aroha Awards in your social media posts!
• The certificates will be sent by email in May.
• Invitations to the Mahi Aroha Awards evening will also be sent for you and your nominee. Because of space restrictions we will ask that no more than two people from each organisation attend in addition to the nominated volunteer.
• We love to spread the word about the wonderful mahi of volunteers and the impact of the organisations they work with. Our story-telling team may contact you to collaborate with you to share the story of your organisation and its volunteers.
• We look forward to celebrating volunteers with you at the Mahi Aroha Awards evening on 18th June 2025.