Sir Graham Lowe, of Silverdale, KNZM, for services to youth and education
Sir Graham Lowe was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 for his services to the community, following his rugby league coaching career in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Sir Graham founded the charity The Lowie Foundation, which initially partnered with the New Zealand Institute of Sport, and now operates through The Lowie Foundation Ltd and Lowie Institute Ltd to deliver a programme for teenagers struggling with school or looking for a vocational pathway to employment. The Graham Lowe Certificate in Foundation Skills Level 2 programme, also known as ‘Kick for the Seagulls’, has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, using the language of sport as a hook to engage students back into education and improve their academic achievement. As part of the Youth Guarantee Scheme, it is delivered free to 16 to 19 year olds. The programme is based around the 12 Principles for Success, common-sense philosophies which Sir Graham has developed throughout his own career. A pilot course was run in Kaitaia in 2014 and a 21-week course was trialled with NorthTec at Ngawha Prison in 2015. To date, more than 200 young men at Ngawha and other sites have graduated the course with a Level 2 Certificate in Foundation Studies. The Lowie Foundation received the 2018 Corrections Partnership Award. Sir Graham has delivered seminars to youth in various centres around New Zealand.