Congratulations Murray Edridge & Wellington City Mission
We celebrate Wellington City Missioner, Murray Edridge, who received an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Award at an awards ceremony last Thursday night at Te Papa.
The awards noted his generosity of time and talents and his help with community agencies providing advice on initiatives like the Social Supermarket, which is now being replicated across New Zealand.
His generosity extends to the community, including his engagement with Wellington City Council, through the Pōneke Promise, and the Mayoral Taskforce for Social Housing.
In accepting the award, Murray said, “This feels quite undeserving for me. The people who are deserving are the amazing team of people that I have the privilege of leading at the Wellington City Mission.
“Our aspiration as an organisation is to not be needed. But unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. Because we know that people are doing life hard in our city and in our community. It is an enormous privilege to serve them in the way that we do.
“Our commitment as an organisation is to serve people with dignity and respect and without judgement, irrespective of how they present themselves to us. I hope that we do that, and I hope we continue to do that. And whatever we can do for people who need our support is worth doing.
“So, to the team at the Wellington City Mission, I give my thanks and my honour.”
Murray is the 12th City Missioner and is the first lay person in the role.
He has a long history of community service as a volunteer firefighter, honorary auditor, coaching, hosting international students and church leadership roles.
He has also held senior roles in Barnados, Ministry of Social Development, and the Genesis Youth Trust, working with young offenders and their whānau in Auckland. But first and foremost, he is a passionate and committed Wellingtonian.
The Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Awards (APW’s) are an annual recognition of amazing Wellingtonians, members of various communities in Wellington, who have made outstanding or lengthy contributions to Wellington and our people.
Other recipients included:
Rhona Carson
Bruce Greenfield
Hiromi Morris
Scott Kennedy & Malcom Vaughan
Mukesh Jeram Patel
Judy Siers
Robert Whitaker
Kura Moeahu
Dan Henry
Brenda Watkin
Ross Davis
Mark Dunajtschik and Dorothy Spotswood
Tom Law
Tagaloatele Emeritus Professor Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop
