Norm Hewitt - Supporting Waitakis Alcohol-Related Harm Initiative

When most people hear the name Norm Hewitt, it will bring an image to mind - be it Rugby, Dancing with the Stars, or his intrepid journey to Borneo and living with the Iban Head Hunters.

 

The image of Norm that attracted Lynn Sinclair, from the Waitaki Boys’ Community Association, was his very public fall from grace due to an incident fuelled by his abuse of alcohol, and how he fronted up and gave a very emotional apology to his family and New Zealand a decade ago. “Many of us can learn from this example and need to start facing up to the harm alcohol is having on our young people, our community and society” Lynn said. “I don’t think people realize the work Norm has done, and projects he has been involved in, since retiring from top-level rugby”.

Representatives of the three Oamaru high schools enlisted the support of Network Waitaki and a number of other organisations to get Norm to Oamaru. Sergeant Tony Woodbridge and Waitaki Community Safety Officer Alison Banks are also involved. “Alison and Tony will support Norm in developing his presentations to Waitaki Boys’ High School, Waitaki Girls’ High School and St Kevin’s College, making sure he has correct information so that it is relevant to Waitaki” she said.

 

Alison Banks said that Norm was not coming to Oamaru to fix the issues we are having around alcohol-related harm, but wanted to be used as a lever to assist with the initiatives already in place. “The fact that the parents of all schools involved have joined forces to address their concerns is encouraging. At the end of the day, it is not the schools’ problem - it is up to the parents and the decisions they make involving alcohol, its supply, and their children”.

 

Norm will be speaking to parents and the wider community at a public forum held at Waitaki Girls’ High School on the 1st of July, and supporting Terry O’Neil at the Waitaki Boys’ High School - St Kevin’s Rugby match on the 3rd of July.

 

Sergeant Woodbridge said that he will be giving Norm local examples to support the theme at the public forum addressing “Working together to change the drinking culture”. “A culture is something we except and if we work together we can change the so-called binge drinking culture and the damage caused by excessive and binge drinking. It is about education and drinking to enjoy, not to get drunk and destroy”.

 

Norm is involved in a wide variety of projects. His main focus is with communities and young people throughout NZ, in conjunction with the Royal New Zealand SPCA, and the newly-formed Nga Mauri Papa Pounamu Foundation. Norm also supports a number of charitable organisations, including Books in Homes, the Cloud 9 Children’s foundation, and Tamaiti Whangai. He is an Ambassador of Outward Bound and is the patron, together with his wife, of the Upside Down Education Trust.

 

Over the last couple of years Norm’s activities have also included working with the NZ Army in their Alcohol Cultural Change initiative, facilitating a community communication relationship, and working with a number of companies on leadership and team-building.