Youth Spirit Award Goes to Murchison Student

A Murchison student who is on the Tasman Youth Council, teaches youngsters first aid and planted trees in Nepal is the winner of the 2012 TrustPower Nelson Tasman Youth Community Spirit Award.

Rimu McGrath, from Murchison Area School, is the student representative on the Board of Trustees, serves on the student council, has been in Area School tournaments for the last four years for netball and volleyball, plus mentors junior students.

She has been part of St John’s Youth programme for five years, teaching young people valuable life skills such as water safety, home technology, camping and more.

Earlier this year Rimu spent 18 days in Nepal as part of a trek called Youth to Everest, comprising senior school students from throughout New Zealand. They planted 600 trees for a restoration project and visited the school that Sir Edmund Hillary built.

The Youth Community Spirit Award, run in partnership with the TrustPower Nelson Tasman Community Awards, is jointly run by the electricity company and the Tasman District and Nelson City Councils.

The competition was tough this year, with seven of the local high schools putting students forward. Runner-up was Brittney Benson from Nayland College and the other finalist were Chris Goodyear (Waimea College), Andrew Baxendine (Nelson College), Anna-Kate Goodall (Motueka High School), Elise Cautley (Nelson College for Girls) and Rupert Wockner (Garin College).

TrustPower spokeswoman Teresa Partridge says Rimu is “a remarkable young lady who has a strong social conscience, a deep passion for her community and its people.”

Rimu receives a framed certificate and $500 prizemoney, with $250 going to her personally and the rest to a community group or organisation of her choice. Rimu nominated the St John Youth Division.