The International Friendship Club, Victoria – award finalists

We are excited to announce that the International Friendship Club at Victoria University has been nominated for the Health and Wellbeing Category in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2021.

The student club, started by the Anglican and Ecumenical Chaplaincies, was nominated for its service to the health and wellbeing of the student community. Terry McGrath, ISMNZ and ISANA NZ, nominated IFC Victoria for the award for its kaupapa and efforts to foster friends across cultures and nationalities within the student body at Victoria University. In his submission to the Wellington Community Trust, Terry said, “the group helps to build engagement and relationships amongst domestic and international students in an open and friendly learning environment. It contributes to wellbeing and reduces isolation of students who are away from home and are in need of friendship. During the COVID Lockdown the club went online for its regular event and that became a great isolation buster for many of the participants.”

Daniel Luey, from the Anglican Chaplaincy, is pleased that the club is considered a finalist for the award. He, with Max Rideout (Ecumenical Chaplaincy), founded the club in 2019, and has seen the club grow from a dozen students to a thriving group of 30. There are isolated people, both domestic and international, at the university and IFC Victoria is a place to connect them together. Seeing genuine friendships being formed between domestic and international students gives him great pleasure. He hopes to see the club grow further and have students taste and experience the love of Jesus.

He and the club’s Student Executive team will attend the Awards Evening at the National Library on Wednesday, 14 July. Whether the club is awarded the prize or not, the reward is seeing students known and loved and providing them a place to which they can belong.

Story by Daniel Luey