Congratulations to our local winners, runners-up, and finalists of the 2026 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards!

Our local winners have now progressed to the regional stage. Regional winners will be announced in November.

Winners and runners-up

Arts and Culture

Winner: Upper Hutt Musical Theatre
Runner-up: Carols in the Park – Upper Hutt City of Song

Education and Child/Youth Development

Winner: I Have a Dream Upper Hutt
Runner-up: UHub Upper Hutt

Health and Wellbeing

Winner: LaddersUp
Runner-up: Wesley Thrift Shop

Heritage and Environment

Winner: Upper Hutt Repair Café
Runner-up (joint): Forest and Bird Upper Hutt
Runner-up (joint): Mahinga Kai Composting

Sport and Leisure

Winner: Upper Hutt Roller Skating Club
Runner-up: Upper Hutt City Football

Rising Star

Winner: Upper Hutt Food Week
Runner-up: Ngā Manako ō Pūrehurehu

Supreme Award

Winner: Upper Hutt Repair Café

Upper Hutt Finalists (full list)

• 22 (City of Upper Hutt) Squadron Air Training Corps
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Carols in the Park – Upper Hutt City of Song
• Citizens Advice Bureau Upper Hutt
• Crafting Threads of Aroha
• Forest and Bird Upper Hutt
• Heretaunga Bookfest Charitable Trust
• Heretaunga College Girls’ Football Team / Heretaunga College Relay for Life
• Hutt Valley Singers
• I Have a Dream Upper Hutt
• Kickstart
• LaddersUp
• Mahinga Kai Composting (4 A Better City Charitable Trust)
• Maidstone Intermediate Student Referees
• Ngā Manako ō Pūrehurehu
• Nourish Trust
• Pinehaven Potters
• ReloadFX Upper Hutt
• Seniortech Skills Upper Hutt
• Silverstream School Trappers
• Stockdale Farm
• The Graveyard Shift
• The Hub Social Coffee Shop & Op Shop
• Timberlea Community House
• UHub Upper Hutt
• Upper Hutt Autism Group
• Upper Hutt City Football
• Upper Hutt Community Badminton
• Upper Hutt Community Patrol
• Upper Hutt Food Week
• Upper Hutt Foodbank
• Upper Hutt Housing Charitable Trust
• Upper Hutt Junior Rams RFC
• Upper Hutt Menzshed
• Upper Hutt Musical Theatre
• Upper Hutt Piano Trust
• Upper Hutt Repair Café
• Upper Hutt Roller Skating Club
• Wellington Naturist Club
• Wesley Thrift Shop

About the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards

Every year, we team up with Wellington Airport to recognise the work of community groups in Upper Hutt. The focus of the awards is to celebrate volunteers for their valuable contribution to society.

In the first round, the Wellington region’s five councils (Wellington City, Porirua, Kāpiti, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt) recognise their local volunteer organisations in six different categories.

For the second and final round, winners from each region progress to the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards (WARCA) for the overall award in their category, and the opportunity to be named Supreme Winner. The winners are announced at an annual celebration dinner. 

The awards have been run since 2004, recognising hundreds of community groups across the region. Nominations are open during April and May each year, and there is $50,000 in awards and prizes to be won.

Source: Upper Hutt City Council

19/08/26