Celebrating the heart of Aotearoa, the inaugural New Zealand Volunteering Awards 2025 honoured outstanding volunteers and programs making extraordinary impacts in their communities.
10 October 2025. The spirit of volunteering shone brightly as Volunteering New Zealand, supported by Rosterfy, hosted the inaugural New Zealand Volunteering Awards. The awards were presented by Rosterfy Co-Founder Shannan Gove alongside Minister Louise Upston, who oversees the government’s community and volunteering initiatives. Their recognition highlighted the essential role volunteering plays in building strong, connected, and compassionate communities.
A day filled with energy, aroha, and pride, the Awards provided an opportunity to celebrate people and programmes that highlight that compassion, commitment and connection are still among the strongest forces in communities.
The awards were created to shine a light on those leading and innovating in the volunteer sector, not for recognition’s sake, but because their efforts truly change lives. From more than 60 nominations across Aotearoa, the judges recognised finalists whose mahi touched everything from environmental restoration and youth empowerment to health, wellbeing and community transformation.
While every nomination had a story worth celebrating, a few stood out for their extraordinary impact, vision, and leadership.
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Picture this: a bright orange van pulls up on a city street. Inside, washing machines hum softly, steam rises from a warm shower, and nearby, kōrero flows freely between volunteers and guests. This is Orange Sky Aotearoa in action.
With more than 500 volunteers, Orange Sky goes beyond laundry. They’re washing away stigma and creating genuine human connection. Over the past year, they’ve delivered more than 3,000 loads of laundry, 2,645 showers, and 3,364 hours of conversation. Their volunteers have built a community grounded in respect and belonging. As their nomination beautifully captured: “Every role is valued, every contribution has purpose.”
When Orange Sky was named Volunteer Programme of the Year, they accepted the honour with characteristic humility and gratitude.
“This recognition belongs to every one of our dedicated tūao (volunteers) and the awesome team behind the scenes who've helped build this kaupapa. Every load of laundry, warm shower and kōrero that brightens someone’s day is made possible because of you.”
In Wellington’s Grenada Village, you’ll often find Gary Mitchell. As co-winner of the Emerging Leader in Volunteer Engagement award, Gary has built something extraordinary: a network of 400+ volunteers working in predator control, marine protection and stream restoration.
Under his coordination, his team has removed 19,000+ pests, cleared over 250 tonnes of waste, and planted thousands of native trees. But his real achievement? The way he brings people together. From youth to seniors, new volunteers to seasoned conservationists — everyone is invited, included, valued.
His nomination said:
“Gary isn’t just coordinating volunteers. He’s growing leaders, building ecosystems, and exporting a model of sustainable service.”
Just north of Auckland, what was once a neglected patch of land is now alive with birdsong, purpose and community. That living transformation is thanks to Nicky Shave, the other co-winner of the Emerging Leader award, who started Restoring Rosedale Park with no ecological background, just a deep sense of possibility and community-minded heart.
In three short years Nicky has turned that vision into one of New Zealand’s most inspiring restoration projects: 5,000+ volunteer hours (Jan–Jun 2025 alone), nine schools, three ECEs, three retirement villages, composting systems, fish surveys, pest control, scientific monitoring, and all led as a full-time volunteer.
Her nomination read:
“Everyone who comes to the site knows they matter. They leave with knowledge, confidence, and a sense of purpose.”
One team member put it simply:
“Congratulations to our fearless leader Nicky — your vision and leadership are inspiring, and we are so proud to see that recognised.”
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While the day belonged to the winners, it was also a celebration of every finalist who pours their heart into volunteering.
Bellyful NZ’s Chief Executive, Sheena Revington, reflected on her organisation’s finalist recognition:
“It was really special for Bellyful to be a finalist in the Volunteer Programme of the Year for Filling Bellies, Filling Minds. Congratulations to Orange Sky, it was inspiring to be recognised among other charities doing fantastic things in the volunteer space.”
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand also shared their gratitude:
“We are incredibly honoured to be named a finalist in the 2025 New Zealand Volunteering Awards.”
Each of these organisations represents countless stories of compassion, teamwork and resilience proof that when people come together, extraordinary things happen.
Volunteering NZ’s CEO, Michelle Kitney, summed up the spirit of the day beautifully:
“The finalists and winners demonstrate what’s possible when organisations centre around people and purpose. We celebrate their contribution, as well as the whānau, communities and teams behind their success.”
And as Bennett Merriman (CEO of Rosterfy) reminded us:
“Modern volunteer management must be inclusive, data-informed and responsive — and these winners reflect that future.”
This first-ever celebration was more than just an awards ceremony. It was a reflection of who we are as a nation. It honoured the quiet heroes who give their time, energy, and aroha to make life better for others, often without seeking recognition.
From folding laundry to setting traps, planting trees, or cooking meals, every act of service strengthens the fabric of a kinder, more connected Aotearoa.
To every nominee, finalist, and winner, ngā mihi nui. Thank you for showing us what it means to lead with love and purpose.
Your stories don’t just inspire us, they remind us that each of us has a role to play in building a better tomorrow.
Orange Sky Aotearoa – Positively Connecting Communities 🏆
Bellyful NZ – Filling Bellies, Filling Minds
Red Frogs New Zealand – Safeguarding a Generation
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand (Rapa Taiwhenua) – Nurturing Courage and Community
Waikato Bay of Plenty Cancer Society – Supporting with Compassion
Gary Mitchell – Predator Free Grenada Village 🏆
Nicky Shave – Te Hononga a Iwi / Restoring Rosedale Park 🏆
Beth Jobin – NZ National Fieldays Society
Stephanie Harlan – Alzheimers Tauranga
Verena Pschorn – Volunteering Northland
Congratulations to every finalist and winner.
Your leadership, creativity and compassion show what’s possible when people give not for recognition, but for love of community. You are the heartbeat of volunteering in Aotearoa.
The stories celebrated at the New Zealand Volunteering Awards reflect what’s possible when great people meet great systems. But for many volunteer managers, turning that inspiration into lasting impact can be a challenge, especially when it comes to securing the investment needed to grow and sustain volunteer programmes.
At Rosterfy, we’re passionate about helping organisations turn insights into action.
Our resource, Building a Business Case for a Better Volunteer Experience, guides leaders step-by-step through creating a case for investment, with templates, ROI calculators, and evidence frameworks designed to help you:
Map your current vs. future state and show what’s possible with the right tools in place.
Demonstrate return on investment through data on reduced admin time and higher retention.
Build confidence in solutions by aligning needs to proven technologies.
Present clear next steps that turn vision into action.
Because great volunteer programmes don’t just happen. They’re built intentionally, with care, data, and systems that put people first.
Across 77+ countries, Rosterfy powers over 150 million volunteer hours, helping nonprofits, governments, and events recruit, train, engage, and retain their volunteers at scale.
To explore how your organisation can build programmes that thrive, visit www.rosterfy.com.
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