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UK New Zealander of the Year Award
February 3 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
The New Zealand Society (UK) has revealed the four finalists for its prestigious UK New Zealander of the Year Award 2023.
They are Marianne Harper, Dr Tom Dawson, Craig Fenton and Miles Kirby. The judging panel felt each of them brings “a wealth of generosity, knowledge, energy and initiative into deepening the already strong links between Aotearoa NZ and the UK”.
The award will be presented at the annual New Zealand Society UK’s Waitangi Day Charity Ball in The Ballroom of The Waldorf Hilton in Aldwych, London, on Friday 3 February.
The accolade was established by the New Zealand Society in 1999 to recognise and honour New Zealanders or British nationals who have gone above and beyond their daily or professional lives to make a difference in presenting the most positive image of New Zealand within the UK. It symbolises the continuation of the close relationship between the UK and New Zealand.
The nominees:
Marianne Harper, for her tireless work for the New Zealand Women’s Association and the New Zealand community in the UK. Marianne has modernised the NZWA and taken it through some difficult times, making it equipped for the future.
Dr Tom Dawson, for his contribution to sustainability and the environment. Tom delivers a positive impact and is part of a much larger team trying to save the world, it’s people, flora and fauna. He founded Revolution-ZERO which has been displacing single-use medical textiles with more effective, net zero, reusable and circular (no waste) alternatives for the UK NHS. This initiative has been recognised internationally and collaborations are being forged across the world including in NZ, Kiribati Islands, Mozambique, US, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland and Kyrgyzstan.
Craig Fenton, for being a dedicated and inspiring leader, Craig is always kind in offering time, insights, connections and support for fellow kiwi, kiwi exporters and businesses, especially those that work across the U.K., Ireland and European markets. Craig has certainly put New Zealand on the global map. His nomination focusses on his extracurricular activities. Outside of work Craig is very generous with his time, knowledge and supports many New Zealand charity organisations based offshore. He and his family support and give to so many initiatives and events that involve the NZ Community, including Te Papa Foundation, Auckland University Alumni, Kea New Zealand as well as the broader NZ Inc whānau at NZ High Commission and NZ Trade and Enterprise. Craig also supports his local communities via the work he does with music industry, nurturing many young and entrepreneurial future leaders.
Miles Kirby for his services in the hospitality industry promoting Aotearoa New Zealand. From providing food for the New Zealand cricket team to opening a New Zealand style restaurant group Miles lives and breathes our culture ethos and our mana daily. Miles has also been involved in helping entrepreneurs, young kiwis and is involved in NZ community initiatives.
