As a school sports department we are indebted to the students, staff and community volunteers who ensure that our sports teams are administered, officiated and coached on a weekly basis. This week is National Volunteer week so I would like to take the opportunity to thank these people publicly and would ask that players, parents and supporters do the same when they see these people at practices or games. See below for more information on the week from Volunteering NZ:
National Volunteer Week is held annually in the third week of June. This year from Sunday 15 to
Saturday 21 of June, we celebrate the volunteering community and the invaluable contribution
volunteers make in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Volunteerism offers an environment for sharing knowledge and skills in a way that benefits the
surrounding community. The energy of volunteers in Aotearoa is felt throughout our local, national
and global society.
This year we celebrate National Volunteer Week in Te Reo Maori with the whakatauki (Maori
proverb) “Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te tangata”, which translates as “With your
contribution and my contribution the people will live”. The whakatauki refers to the three baskets of
knowledge from Maori legend: kete tuauri, kete tuatea, kete aronui. These baskets of darkness, light
and pursuit reflect the ways in which volunteers contribute to the future of their communities, with
the knowledge and energy that they possess.
We are proud of New Zealand’s leading role in the efforts made by our volunteers. The sense of
unity that is created from this is celebrated throughout National Volunteer Week as together we
celebrate, raise awareness and encourage more effective volunteering in Aotearoa.