Youth Volunteer of the Year - Madeline Tew

The Volunteering Mid & South Canterbury Youth Volunteer Awards were presented in the Ashburton District on Tuesday 24 October at our annual Youth Volunteer Awards celebrations.

There were four categories and we received nominations in the Community, Culture and Sports categories.

There were 18 amazing youth volunteers from Mid Canterbury were nominated. It wasn’t an easy job to choose category winners or runner uppers.

Our over all Youth Volunteer of the Year was 14 year old Madeline Tew nominated by Kai for Kids Charitable Trust.

Madeline Tew is a quiet studious young lady. She approached our organisation Kia for Kids at the start of the years to offer her time to volunteer in our kitchen after school.

Madeline turns up every week on time to our kitchen to perform a variety of tasks asked of her.

She shows initiative and a good work ethic. She is efficient and very capable. Madeline is reliable and takes pride in her work.

She has been volunteering at Kia for Kids for three terms now and is keen to after the holidays.

Madeline brings her friend Summer along to volunteer as well, which is productive and invaluable for Kia for Kids.

She shows enthusiasm and grace. Madeline speaks politely and is a pleasure to work alongside in the kitchen.

As well as volunteering with Kai for Kids she is a volunteer with St John, Children’s Day, Rubbish collecting, Ashburton Toy Library and Netball coaching.

As well as volunteering at Kia for Kids Madeline volunteers at a variety of other organisations in Ashburton which shows she is a kind and caring young lady. Who shows compassion and empathy towards others.

Anthea Moore from the Ashburton Toy Library said this about Madeline in her nomination.

Maddie Tew has been volunteering regularly at the Ashburton Toy Library since October 2022.

She volunteers with us on a Saturday morning for two hours roughly once a fortnight. While she is at the Toy Library, she is working alongside the librarian and checks off toys that are being returned by members to record if there are any missing pieces with the toys.

Her calm demeanour helps her get through the piles of toys to check off, all the time with a large smile.

She is a conscientious volunteer who is happy to do any job at the Toy Library that needs doing, from cleaning toys to tidying the toys on the shelves. She always keeps busy finding jobs to do. In the ten months Maddie has been volunteering at the Toy Library, we have noticed her gaining in confidence, greeting the Toy Library members, discussing toy returns with them and showing them where to find toys that their children may like to choose to take home.

The Ashburton Toy Library value having Maddie regularly volunteer at the Toy Library as we know she manages to schedule it in with her other volunteering, St John Youth Cadets and sport.

Kia for Kids in their nomination of Maddie said Madeline is an exceptional teenager who I can see will be a very valuable member of society and will be a great role model to other young people around her.

Congratulations Maddie you are very worthy of this recognition in being awarded the 2023 Youth Volunteer of the Year trophy.

Check out our Facebook pages for the stories and photos of all our nominees.

The awards were sponsored by Mayors Taskforce For Jobs and Speights Ale House Ashburton