Tauawhi Men’s Centre, in conjunction with Family Works Tairāwhiti and Presbyterian Support East Coast, has hosted the annual Tairāwhiti Men of the Year Awards for four years, since 2014. The awards recognise men in Tairāwhiti who go the extra mile in any sector of the community, including arts, business, sport, industry, health or education. “We particularly look for men who value children, young people and their family/whānau,” Tauawhi Men’s Centre Coordinator, Tim Marshall says. “They’re the men that mentor other men and invest time and energy back into their field or sector.”
As well as each nominee receiving recognition and an award at the prestigious event there is also a Tauawhi Person of the Year award presented. The most recent recipient, Tricia Walsh, received the award having turned her life around after a history of sexual abuse as a child, gang crime, methamphetamine abuse, and imprisonment. She broke the cycle and determined her own fate as a devoted mother, social work student and role model.