Mr Les Hokianga, of Hastings, KSM for services to physical fitness and mental health
Les Hokianga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngā Puhi, Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tahu) founded the Hikoi4Life Trust with the aim of preventing premature death caused by poor mental and physical health, following his father’s death at 49. The initiative began as Hikoi Whenua, with a small contract from the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, before being supported by the Ministry of Social Development and extended to support people into employment. Programmes have been designed for people of all ages, cultural backgrounds and fitness levels to train at their own pace. In addition to fitness, programmes assess needs and connect people with other services.