CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE THE CLUB

2022/2023 has been a busy year for the North Harbour Club, having navigated the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its disruption on our large scale events, whilst ensuring that the Club is well positioned for the future. That said, we are thrilled to be in a position to celebrate 27 years of community contribution and the AIMES Awards.

Once again we were blown away with the level of applications for the AIMES Awards, especially with the range of achievements and the success that these young people have had over the past 12 months. The ability of these young people is nothing short of inspiring, and we are extremely lucky to have such a wealth of talent in our North Harbour region. For the Club, its members, and its sponsors, it is an honour and a privilege to acknowledge the achievements of these talented individuals so early in their careers, and we will watch with interest from the side lines as they continue to develop and grow.

The judges have once again done an outstanding job this year selecting our recipients. It is a lengthy process and requires a significant amount of time reviewing applications, conducting interviews and meeting to make what can only be an extremely challenging task, picking the winners. On behalf of the Club, I would like to express our appreciation to those who give their time so freely and professionally - from the school contact, the shortlisting, interviews, through to the award functions themselves.

I would especially like to thank the chair of our judging panel, Andrew MacDonald, a 2010 and 2012 AIMES Education Award Winner, along with fellow judges Aidan Bennett, Courtney Davies, Dean Flyger, Shane Cortese, Sue Kohn-Taylor, and Tom Ashley. It’s fantastic to see a number of our Alumni play such a pivotal role in the judging process.

Our Club would not exist without the ongoing support and engagement from our Members and Sponsors, both over the last 27 years and into the future. Our membership base includes Individual Members, NeXt Members, Corporate Members, and the recently introduced Valued Long Service Members. Our membership continues to grow, reinforcing the impact and reach of the Club in our community. Our key supporters are our family of sponsors covering many aspects of club activity. These include our AIMES Letter sponsors, and sponsors covering the Ross Finlayson Award, AIMES Emerging Talent Awards and Scholarships. We also have valued sponsors for our AIMES Winners Network, Charity Lunches, the Business Hall of Fame, our BEN Breakfasts, and the NeXt Leaders initiative. Our Event support sponsors are also extremely important. Thank you all so very much for your ongoing generosity.

Of course, this Club would not run effectively without the passionate support and effort from our Operations Team who tirelessly keep things ticking over behind the scenes. I would also like to thank my fellow Trustees for their support throughout the year, along with our dedicated sub-committee members, who all give up their time freely to ensure that the Club continues to go from strength to strength.

For myself this past year has been a whirlwind experience moving from the role of Vice President to President. I have been very honoured and humbled to lead this incredible Club with its focus on excellence and supporting the future leaders of our region and indeed our country.

As you digest this amazing compilation of talent and enjoy reading about all their achievements, consider the many hours that have gone in to creating and producing this fantastic momento that you can take away with you tonight. As such I would also like to express our sincere thanks to Aidan Bennett and the team at Benefitz for their continual support, effort and professionalism.

Finally, thank you for your ongoing support and attendance at events and fundraising efforts that are the backbone to making this Club great. Great leaders often don't set out to be leaders, they set out to make a difference, so I ask you to make a difference and wear your North Harbour Club membership with pride.

Mike Atkinson, President North Harbour Club & Charitable Trust.

The North Harbour Club was established on the 18th May, 1995.

Originally, a group of North Shore business people met and established a constitution with the objectives below:

1. To promote the North Harbour region.

2. For business establishments of the region to meet and network for the good of the region.

3. To form a Charitable Trust to raise funds and present scholarships to the youth of the North Harbour region through the annual AIMES Awards.

To be eligible for an AIMES Award, recipients must display excellence in the areas of the Arts; Innovation; Music; Education; Sport and Service to the Community. Now in its 28th year, the North Harbour Club continues to be an association of North Harbour/North Shore leaders in local affairs, business, education, sport and social development.

Members of the club, who are all residents or have their businesses on the North Shore and North Harbour region, have, among other stated aims, the desire to promote excellence by encouraging and providing financial assistance to the young people of the North Harbour region who have significant ability in their chosen field and display personal characteristics which make them worthy of our support.

The annual AIMES Awards are the highest profile initiative of the North Harbour Club, but the objectives are five-fold:

1. To establish and maintain a club of non-political character for Members to meet through regular lunches and social activities.

2. To establish a Charitable Trust, known as The North Harbour Club Charitable Trust, to promote and develop local talent in the fields covered by the AIMES Awards.

3. To support cultural, sporting and recreational activities in the region.

4. To foster a spirit of pride in the region.

5. To foster a ‘good neighbour’ and ‘good citizen’ ethos in the region.

In October 2015, the North Harbour Club also assumed responsibility for the North Harbour Business Hall of Fame (previously Enterprise North Shore Business Hall of Fame). The 14 laureates already inducted were acknowledged and are now laureates under the new Hall of Fame.

Established originally in 2004, it celebrates exemplary efforts in North Harbour business and the community and is part of the club’s ongoing programme of rewarding success.

Visit: www.northharbourclub.co.nz