When Mark Cleary was Principal of Colenso Highschool in the late 1990s he oversaw the establishment of the first Teen Parent Unit in the country helping teenage mothers to continue schooling, supported with childcare.
This is one of many ways in which Mark has gone into bat for rangatahi throughout his career and the reason he was recently awarded The Civic Award for Meritorious Contribution to the Napier community.
“I see our society as very uneven and unequal and I see a lot of inequality,” he says. “I am motivated by wanting to level the playing field.”
The foundation principal of William Colenso College from 2004 to 2008, Mark’s first voluntary role, while still a principal, was as a trustee for Ka Hao Te Rangatahi o te Matau a Maui Tikitiki a Taranga. This programme focused on equipping rangatahi with knowledge and skills to lead, influence and make positive choices for themselves and their whanau.
The co-author of Bullying in Schools: what it looks like and how to manage it, Mark is currently a Kaihapaitaiohi (Lay Advocate) for Te Kooti Rangatahi (the Māori Youth Court). He will often find himself at Flaxmere’s Te Aranga Marae supporting and representing the views of the offender and their families. “It’s a place where people leave feeling heard,” he says of Te Kooti Rangatahi.
Rather than retire after a long and fruitful career in education, Mark continues to advocate for others. He is a secretary for the Napier Pilot City Trust (an advocacy group working for social justice) and is one of the main drivers behind its annual Unity Day. He has been involved in developing the trust’s relationship with Napier City Council, and advocating for a child-friendly citywide approach.
“I believe solutions lie within communities if people are properly resourced,” he says. “The only way for initiatives to be successful is to build capacity from within.”
Alongside Mark, seven hardworking and humble heroes were honoured at the 2022 Napier City Council Citizens’ Civic Awards Ceremony, held at the Napier War Memorial Centre earlier this month.
The other recipients are Heather Brown whose voluntary work includes helping to found the Ethnic Association, now the Multicultural Association Hawke’s Bay. During lockdown she dedicated many hours to triaging needs and food parcel distribution.
Graeme Findlay has been an inspiration and mentor to the next generation of the Bay’s hockey players and cricketers. He currently co-coaches Taradale High School’s 1st XI girls’ team, and co-coaches the Hawke’s Bay senior men’s and u18 girls’ teams. In 1999 he helped form what is now one of the region’s largest clubs, the Bay Independent Hockey Club.
Keith James voluntary work relates to his faith, including being involved with St John’s Cathedral parish for over 50 years. He is also an Art Deco Guide, Faraday Museum of Technology volunteer and driver for Mahana, the day programme for Dementia Hawke’s Bay.
Tofilau Talalalei Taufale is associated with organisations such as the Hawke’s Bay Youth Futures Trust, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Development Strategy for Economic & Social Growth, St Joseph’s Māori Girls College, and led the award winning not-for-profit USO Bike Ride, promoting health and wellbeing through cycling.
Jenny Too is the current New Zealand Chinese Association Inc national president, and served five years as Hawke’s Bay Chinese Association president. She co-founded the Multicultural Association Hawke’s Bay Inc, and provided invaluable assistance during the lockdowns.
Isabel Wood is one of Grey Power Napier’s key volunteers, and has been secretary of her branch for the past seven years. She is the immediate past president of the Taradale Senior Citizens Association.
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