Community Connect
Welcome to the seventh edition of Family and Community Services' e-newsletter.
ISSUE 7 • JULY 2009
E-news from Family and Community Services
Inspired Choice for Peter Blake Leadership Award
Alfred Ngaro was awarded a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award at a ceremony aboard HMNZS CANTERBURY on 26 June in Auckland.
The award, which goes to six winners each year, recognises young leaders of considerable potential, and encourages them to keep developing this potential and make an even wider contribution to society.
With capabilities as diverse as the communities he serves, Alfred Ngaro is a respected leader in number of community-led development projects encompassing education, health and social issues; such as youth development, anti-violence campaigns, and positive parenting projects. He convenes the national leadership function for Inspiring Communities, a national initiative which focuses on unleashing the ingenuity and creative solutions within communities.
His strength in uniting groups with diverse interests and providing creative solutions is demonstrated with his key role in the proposed Tamaki Transformation Project. Described as the most innovative social renewal project in New Zealand, this government-led project involves major changes to the East Auckland communities of Point England, Glen Innes, and Panmure – where fifty-five per cent of the homes are state-owned and due to be modernised.
In brokering effective team-based working relationships between government officials and community groups, Alfred's transparent leadership and determination to bring people with him on the journey have helped to promote trust, and to create space where unlikely people are able to work together.
Alfred was formerly the Pastor of a multi-cultural church and manager of the Tamaki Community Development Trust. He is well known and esteemed in Tamaki. Alfred chairs the Auckland District Health Board Pacific Health Committee, has chaired the Pacific Advisory Committee of the Auckland City Council, and presents at many national conferences and workshops. Locally, he is a member of the Tamaki College Board of Trustees and retains strong connections back to the Cook Islands through his involvement with early childhood development programmes.
Alfred has also worked with Family and Community Services as one of the faces of the Campaign for Action on Family Violence, as a SKIP educator and has developed a programme on fathering with SKIP. He is also the NGO representative on the Pacific Advisory Group to the Family Violence Taskforce.
