Katie Deere
By her own admission, Katie Deere is an import to Rangitīkei and Marton.
Originally from South Auckland, she ended up meeting her husband, Joseph, and moved to Marton 14 years ago.
It was a bit of a culture shock for her to move away from the hustle and bustle of the city of sails and her family, friends and colleagues, to a place at that time she couldn’t even tell you where it was. So it took a while to adjust to the new environment that she found herself in, as she and Joseph began to build their family together.
A naturally bubbly and outgoing person, Katie joined the Tūtaenui Playgroup when she became a mum, and soon found herself volunteering to help with the running of the group, fostering the relationships that she built with other mums who attended, and she remains friends them now.
Once her children were school aged, they started attending St Matthews School, which at the time had a small roll of children (approximately 20 – 30 students). The school welcomed her and her family into their community with open arms, and Katie says that that love, care and inclusion compelled her to want to help.
Being a small school, resourcing and funding is harder to come by, and so Katie got stuck in by mowing the fields when she could, applying for funding for things such as the school van, and a mural on the wall of the school (which was partly funded by Council’s Creative Communities Scheme). Her involvement with the school continues to this day, and she’s as passionate about it now as she was when she and her children first stepped onto the grounds.
It was also at this time that Katie realised the added pressure to families for the cost of school uniforms, so she set up the Marton Uniform Exchange (now Rangitīkei Uniform Exchange). Parents who had kids that no longer needed their school uniforms could donate items to the exchange for other parents to make use of.
The scheme has been aided by Marton Christian Welfare who collect donations, Marton Lions who provided funds to purcahse new items needed, Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa who store the uniforms collected, and Rangitīkei District Community Hubs who help with uniform alterations and repairs. It has proven very popular across all of Rangitīkei, and has helped to remove cost barriers that families have in getting their kids the uniforms that they need (including sports uniforms).
Katie received her award from Mayor Andy Watson at the Centennial Park netball courts, which has become a second home for her and her family.
Katie is most known for her work with Rangitīkei Netball, and the Marton Bears. A netball player herself since she was at school, Katie became the chairperson of Rangitīkei Netball not long after her daughter started playing nearly six years ago. Since she has come on board, the organisation continues to grow and develop, inviting new schools to take part in the Saturday morning netball games, and recently added a player development programme that sees tamariki get specialised coaching and representative playing opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t receive.
It’s not just about player development at Rangitīkei Netball, but also umpires, coaches, facilitators, even people who operate the control boxes. Katie’s vision for Rangitīkei Netball is holistic, ensuring that all the families, tamariki and volunteers involved feel included, supported and connected.
Katie beems with pride and her passion for Rangitīkei Netball is evident when she speaks about the community she’s helped to create. Whilst it takes others to buy into what has been built, Katie is the one with the bricks and mortar.
She is widely recognised by the community for her relentlessly positive attitude, and is a true embodiment of what a volunteer should be. Passionate, selfless, and consistently goes above and beyond to support people either through her club, school and wider community.
Congratulations, Katie.