Handy Landys club members celebrate their Blue and Golds Award from Lincoln University. Photo: Supplied / Lincoln University
A Lincoln University club which stuck in to help rural communities hit by Cyclone Gabrielle has been awarded for its volunteer efforts.
Handy Landys has been recognised at the University's Blue and Golds Awards with the Voluntary Contribution of the Year accolade.
While deserving, the award is not what fuels the club: it is their desire to give back to the rural communities many of them come from.
Former club Chair Hamish Goatley said many of the club members are well-versed in getting their hands dirty.
Members of the Handy Landys club work in Hawke's Bay. Photo: Supplied / Lincoln University
"People join Handy Landys to make a positive difference in rural communities," Goatley said.
"Many of the club members come from rural communities and have witnessed the damage of natural disasters."
Apple-picking, fixing fences and shovelling silt are a few jobs the club have done across Te Matau-a-Māui, Hawke's Bay orchards and farms.
Current club chair Emily Irwin said the club's reach is not limited to natural disasters, with members involved in other clubs across the Lincoln University community.
"It is great to see the developing social environment, as members stay in touch outside of club events and encourage others to become involved."
More hands on deck left not only farmers better off, but also the farming industry.
"Many of us intend to be a part of these rural communities upon graduation and realise that assisting the rural community is beneficial for the current, and future health, of the sector," Goatley said.
This also gave the club the ability to help a greater population of people, with a wider skillset to do so.
Irwin said the club was limited to the capabilities of its 15 members, so if a job went beyond that, they would hand it over to other industry bodies.
The beginning of 2024 will see the club networking at events like club and market days at Lincoln University to grow.
In the meantime, they will be keeping a watchful eye on weather alerts and be ready to help.