CAMBRIDGE NEWS | 1
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2019
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Who’s next? The Cambridge News Person of the Year is back for its third rendition. The award, which is announced in our final edition of the year, celebrates Cambridge’s good sorts and recognises one special person for their contributions to the community or significance in their field. And we want you to tell us who you think should receive the award for 2019. The first Cambridge News Person of the Year was Linda Roil, founder of Kids In Need Waikato. A selfless caregiver who has helped make a world of difference for children living in foster care, Roil credited the Cambridge community as a whole when she was presented the award in January 2017. In January when Jan Nesbit was named the 2018 Cambridge News Person of the Year it was an acknowledgement of a lifetime of achievements and caring for others. In the late 1960s she was the first female ambulance driver in the Waikato, and in the five years leading up to her award she had almost singlehandedly co-ordinated many hundreds of Red Cross journeys transporting Cambridge residents to and from medical appointments in Hamilton. That’s in addition to helping countless new mums through Plunket and helping fundraise for the Foundation for the Blind and the Cancer Association. She rapidly lost her sight in 2008 due to a rare eye disorder. Who would be your 2019 Cambridge Person the Year – and why? If you would like to nominate someone send their full name and contact details and tell us why they should be considered for the award. Email sophie@goodlocal.nz or drop off your nomination to our office at 55 Victoria St, Cambridge. We will accept nominations until noon on Thursday, December 6 and we will announce the winner on December 21.
Your Local Independent Paper
NOVEMBER 29, 2019
Barnett’s new racket
Brian Barnett is already working with Cambridge Racquets Club members. Pictured from left is Riley Williams, Brian Barnett, Gethye Foster, Makayla Hollands, Maeve Barnard and Seth Oranje.
By Sophie Iremonger
Former New Zealand champion Brian Barnett has returned to Cambridge to lead a programme fostering squash talent and promoting life skills. Barnett, who began playing the sport in Cambridge as a 13-year-old, has coached internationally in Europe and also coached former world champion Susan Devoy. The two-part programme he has launched includes one for primary-age and one for secondary school-aged children. “It’s based around leadership skills, creative thinking, and health and wellbeing. So we
have squash, but it’s a whole lot more for kids than just squash,” he said. Based on the work of six Auckland professors, the pilot-tested programme will begin in the New Year with students from his old primary school, Cambridge East. “Generally they’re learning how to use the ball and learn ball movements on the court, but then upstairs we’ve also got drumming, comic book making and dancing. So we’re doing a whole lot more than just the game, it’s life skills too. Planning, creative thinking… they learn to concentrate and express themselves.” Barnett is also an art director and member
of the Epilepsy Foundation of NZ and has written art therapy programmes for people with epilepsy, and a squash programme for youth in South Auckland. He said it was “really nice” to be back in Cambridge working on the court with Cambridge Racquet Club’s youth members. A trial run of the programme in Te Kauwhata saw the club’s membership numbers more than double, and he hopes to see a similar rise in interest in the sport in Cambridge. Ultimately, he would like to see Cambridge become the centre of elite squash in New Zealand.
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