Award for work with air cadets | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Sumner man Noel Francis Lynch has won a Civic Award for his work with the New Zealand Cadet Corps in Christchurch.

Lynch joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1953 and his long career included periods as a technical supervisor and instructor before moving to hold various appointments in the New Zealand Cadet Force. He retired in 1989, but did not let the minor administrative readjustment get in the way of him continuing his work with young people.

For 16 years he has worked with and for the New Zealand Cadet Corps in Christchurch. Lynch was Commanding Officer of the Cadet Forces before his retirement, and now has an active role in training and administration.

Lynch was a key member of the Cadet Force Trust, an organisation developed to obtain the building used by the cadets at RNZAF Wigram, their major base in the city since the demise of the King Edward Barracks in Cashel St. He is now secretary for the trust.

Lynch said he enjoyed the involvement with the different young people coming through the cadets.

"There has been bad publicity about the youth of today, but there are a lot of bright young people coming through that you don't hear about," he said.

However, due to failing eyesight, Lynch's role within the cadet corp is lessening.

He now spends a lot of time playing croquet in Sumner and has been the local secretary of the club since 1998 and has recently been elected as the vice-president of Canterbury Croquet.

Twenty-eight of Christchurch's most community-minded citizens received official recognition of their work at the 2004 Civic Awards ceremony at the Christchurch Town Hall last week.

Christchurch City Council promotions co-ordinator, Julie Battersby said the recipients of this year's awards were a wonderfully diverse group.

"It's a celebration of all the essential work that goes on behind the scenes in Christchurch that we too often take for granted," she said.

Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore was at the awards ceremony and presented each of the recipients with a framed award certificate and boxed medallion.

Civic Awards are presented annually by the council in recognition of voluntary service that benefits the city of Christchurch and its people. This service can be in a number of areas including recreation, youth activities, social welfare, educational services, cultural, religious and community affairs.

Nominations for this year's Civic Awards were called for in July and considered by the former council's community services committee, prior to council endorsement in September.

Other recipients were Jacinta Buist, John G Burrell, Josephine Mary Clarke, Graeme "Sandy" Davis, Gordon Leslie Freeman, Gladys Maude Fuller, Gladys Gardener, David Malcolm Gardiner, Gilbert Alexander Glausiuss, Sue Grigor, Pat Hetariki, Diane Marie Madgin, Ana Martin, Margaret Elizabeth Miller, Anne Morgan, Justine Mary Mouat, Edward David Moyle, Terence McGowan, Theresa Lorraine Perry, Pani Ruwhiu, Robert Sanders, Clyde L. Sugden, Murray Swann (AKA Miss Mole), Gavin Tavendale, Te Rawhiti Family Centre, Val Thompson and Brenda Grace Visser.