Honoured, Humbled, and Grateful: Hayley Guglietta Receives Kiwibank Local Hero Medal for 2025 (and 2020)
Hayley Guglietta, long-time community advocate and grassroots changemaker, has been named a Kiwibank Local Hero Medallist for 2025—her second time receiving the honour, having also been recognised in 2020.
The Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and Hayley is quick to point out that no meaningful change happens alone.
“It’s a real privilege to be recognised again,” she says, “but I share this with every volunteer, every community group, every person who’s picked up a spade or turned up to a meeting or shared a kai in the garden. This honour belongs to all of us.”
Each year, 100 Local Hero Medals are awarded across the motu to individuals making a real difference in their communities. These are people working quietly and consistently behind the scenes—healing the environment, empowering rangatahi, supporting whānau, and creating opportunities for others.
Hayley’s work through the Avon-Ōtākaro Network, Richmond Community Garden, Ōtākaro Orchard, and the Food Resilience Network has spanned years of dedicated community building—from post-quake recovery to food sovereignty and sustainable urban development.
2024 brought more challenges for Aotearoa, from climate-related pressures to deepening inequality. But in every season, Hayley has stayed grounded in collective action, believing in the power of community-led solutions and the importance of showing up for her hapori.
“Awards like this are wonderful,” she adds, “not because of the spotlight they shine on one person—but because they help amplify the voices of all the people doing the mahi. I’m proud to stand beside 99 other incredible New Zealanders this year, all making our country kinder, greener, and more connected.”
From her first Local Hero Medal in 2020 to this most recent recognition in 2025, Hayley remains steadfast in her commitment to grassroots leadership, shared vision, and the simple idea that together, we can grow something extraordinary.