Dr Anna Crighton - Canterbury Heritage Awards

CHRISTCHURCH HERITAGE AWARDS CHARITABLE TRUST – ON PAUSE

The Christchurch Heritage Awards Charitable Trust celebrated its 10^th anniversary in June 2021. Over this time the Trust, in conjunction with its family of sponsors and supporters, has witnessed outstanding success of this biennial event. Each event attracted a diverse and exciting range of entries from cabins to mansions, from small to large commercial and public buildings, from rural to urban structures and country houses and the best of the best new builds as heritage of the future. The events were occasions where networking of like-minded heritage advocates and professionals from around Canterbury came together in celebration of this important social event.

The Awards were initiated by myself in 2010 and have been run as a not for profit trust. Their success can be attributed to invaluable sponsorship from several key businesses and organisations over the past 12 years. As the awards are totally reliant on sponsorship it has been increasingly difficult to continue without it. Therefore, the decision has been made to pause the awards for the time being. We are deeply appreciative of the support our previous sponsors have shown and understand entirely that in some cases their time has come to stand aside for others to step up and show the support required to run future awards.

This means a long-term pause for the Canterbury Heritage Awards, as we, the trustees, take time to re-think and re-imagine the awards in a manner that enables a sustainable future and of recognising those who have contributed to the protection and future of historic heritage in Canterbury.

Expressions of interest to support a future event as a key sponsor are invited. Please call Geoff Bone (Event Convener) on 0274 858 185 if you wish to know more.

So, in the meantime, on behalf of the trustees, keep up the good work. You have all either individually or collectively been complicit in keeping our history alive, to be remembered and cherished.

With kind regards
Dame Anna Crighton
DNZM, QSO, JP, PhD(Otago)

September 2022

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Dr. Anna Crighton, QSO, JP, the champion for these awards, has a proven record as a staunch heritage advocate and is committed to the retention and conservation of New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage. In 2011 she was appointed Chair of the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund Trust as well as President of Historic Places Aotearoa. A Christchurch City Councillor for twelve years (1995–2007) during which time she chaired the Arts Culture and Heritage Committee, a Director and Chair of the Christchurch Arts Centre Board (1994–2004), her establishment of the Christchurch Heritage Trust in 1996 of which she is still a director, her role on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Board since 2003, all attest to her long-standing commitment for upholding heritage values.

Anna has a strong personal commitment to community affairs and has been a member of the Theatre Royal Charitable Trust since 2001, is on the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings Advisory Committee. Anna was awarded the Queen’s Service Order for Public Service in 2005. In 2012 she completed her Doctorate at the University of Otago, awarded with distinction.