From L-R: Ereti Mitchell, Colleen Toomey and Jo WalshCongratulations to FANZA board member Colleen Toomey who has been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Air New Zealand UK New Zealander of the Year Award for her expertise and selfless contribution to multiple organisations which support NZ-oriented arts and literature within the UK. Colleen has promoted New Zealanders tirelessly through her roles with FANZA and previously KEA, and has for years used her network to connect and support countless New Zealanders in all branches of the arts.
The other finalists are Ereti Mitchell, for 14 years of voluntary service as the President of the NZ Society Scotland and her lifetime of fundraising efforts on behalf of NZ interests in Scotland and Jo Walsh, for her voluntary leadership of so many cultural and event-based initiatives showcasing New Zealand, Māori and Pacific Island communities and talent within the UK.
Previous winners include Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Lady Alexandra Smith, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas and Peter Gordon ONZM. The Award, established by the New Zealand Society in 1999, will be presented at the annual New Zealand Society UK’s Waitangi Day Charity Ball on Friday 8th February 2018.
