17/12/2025
⭐️Community Champion is our Vanessa!⭐️
Yesterday Vanessa Dorreen was awarded the Tararua District Council Merit Award.
Vanessa has had a long involvement with Dannevirke Sports Club as both a committee member and as an enthusiastic volunteer, spending many years running DSC Junior Hockey amongst her many other community, sporting and cultural contributions.
From the Dannevirke Sports Club a huge congratulations Vanessa! Thank you for all you have done supporting sport in our community. ❤🏑
Vanessa Doreen has been presented the District Merit Award by Scott Gilmore - Tararua District Mayor. 🎉🏅
The speech below is Mayor Scott’s full address, recognising the years of dedication, leadership and tireless mahi Vanessa has given to Dannevirke, Norsewood and the wider district.
Those in the room also heard heartfelt reflections from Michelle Mitchell and Kelly Gillard (see more below) — both of whom have had the privilege of knowing Vanessa and serving alongside her in the community for many years. Their words added a deeply personal lens to the impact Vanessa has had, not just through what she does, but who she is. 💞
If you'd like to watch, you can see the recording of the livestream on our YouTube channel - we'll pin the link in comments. 📌👇
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Mayor Scott Gilmore – District Merit Award Speech
Vanessa Dorreen is an exceptional community volunteer whose dedication, leadership and generosity of spirit have made a lasting contribution to Dannevirke, Norsewood and the wider district. Over many years, she has given countless hours to education, sport, arts and community wellbeing, consistently stepping forward wherever support is needed.
Vanessa has been highly active within local schools, serving on both the Norsewood and Districts' School and Ruahine school committees and supporting a wide range of activities including event organisation, fundraising, coaching, gardening and school trips. She has also been a long-standing parent organiser for the Norsewood Playgroup and a strong supporter of local theatre and arts initiatives.
Widely known for her positive and encouraging presence, Vanessa is a familiar and enthusiastic supporter at school and sporting events, including the Dannevirke Ross Shield. She has built strong, lasting relationships with young people and continues to support and celebrate them well into adulthood. Her commitment to community wellbeing extends to her involvement with Norsewood Civil Defence and her role in helping secure a defibrillator for the village.
For the past eight years, Vanessa has been deeply involved with the Dannevirke Netball Centre, contributing extensively to junior development programmes such as Fun Ferns and Future Ferns. She has coached and coordinated school teams, mentored umpires, supported representative teams, and carried out numerous operational roles including canteen, office, uniforms, game timing and prizegivings. She also established a Summer Business House competition. Her dedication was recognised when she was named Cadbury Volunteer of the Month for Netball Manawatū and Dannevirke Netball Centre Volunteer of the Year in 2023.
Vanessa has also served the Norsewood Smallbore Rifle Club for six years, stepping into the scorer role when needed and continuing in this position with professionalism. Her behind-the-scenes contribution was recognised this year with Life Membership.
For nine years, Vanessa has been a key contributor to junior hockey at the Dannevirke Sports Club, taking on roles including Health and Safety Representative, Treasurer, Tuck Shop and Referee Coordinator, as well as coaching and refereeing. Always reliable, she ensured each hockey day ran smoothly.
In addition, Vanessa has been a valued committee member of the Dannevirke Athletic Club, where she improved club systems, introduced new technology, supported athletes and schools, and volunteered at major events such as the Colgate Games. Her service was recognised when she was named Volunteer of the Year at the club’s 2024 prizegiving.
Through her selfless service and unwavering commitment, Vanessa Dorreen has had a significant and lasting impact on her community and is a truly deserving recipient of the District Merit Award.
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Words from the floor
👩💬 Michelle Mitchell, teacher at Norsewood School, spoke of Vanessa — or “Mrs DJ” as she’s known at school — saying:
“As a teacher, you couldn’t want for a better parent to be by your side. If anything needed done, it was Vanessa you asked… It is amazing to see that Vanessa’s selfless giving nature is recognised by our Mayor and community.” 🙏
👩💬 Kelly Gillard from the Dannevirke Athletic Club reflected on the family support behind the scenes:
“Nessa will do absolutely anything for her beautiful two children, Pippa and Shaun. How lucky you both are to have your Mum as your role model. I know she could be a “little” embarrassing on the many sidelines that she dragged you to, but to the kids she was supporting, it never felt embarrassing. If someone didn’t have a supporter, your Mum made sure that they did. To Shaun, Pippa, and dad at home — thank you for lending us your Mum and partner.” ❤
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Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the people who just keep showing up. Today, that commitment was rightly recognised. If you’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Vanessa, please share your stories and support in the comments. 👇
Norsewood and Districts' School Ruahine School Dannevirke Netball Centre Netball Manawatū Dannevirke Sports Club Dannevirke Athletics Club
