Community Impact | Recognised, But Still Waiting
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Young Onset Dementia Collective receives Minister of Health Volunteer Award
The Young Onset Dementia Collective has been honoured with the 2026 Minister of Health Volunteer Award, recognised as 'Winners of the Disabled Health Category'.
On the surface, it’s a moment of celebration. And it absolutely should be.
This award, as described in the Government’s announcement, recognises those who are making a meaningful difference - helping to create a health system that is more accessible, more personal, and more connected.
That is exactly what this group does. Every week.
More Than Volunteering
At Fair Food, our group shows up not as recipients of care, but as contributors.
They prepare food, sort produce, work as a team, and deliver real output, supporting a wider community effort that feeds people and reduces waste.
This is not simulated activity. This is real work. Real contribution. Real purpose.
As we’ve shared before in “Volunteering at Fair Food: Where No One Is Defined by Dementia”, this group has already attracted attention for quietly challenging assumptions about what people living with younger onset dementia can do.
This award simply brings that truth into sharper focus.
The Impact Reaches Far Beyond Our Group
Michelle Blau, General Manager of Fair Food, says the impact of the group is felt far beyond the walls of the Fair Food kitchen.
“One of our long-time volunteers, Dot, recommended this group for the nomination because she's so impressed with the kai the team makes each Monday,” said Michelle.
“Fair Food has been able to open our kitchen on Mondays because this team of 20 people are so reliable and skilled. Each week, around 100 people receive a nutritious meal at a tough time in their life.”
“Their sense of community, care for others, infectious laughter, and boundless generosity boost the energy in our Hub.”
“They will never let their disability isolate them when they have so much to offer, but they shouldn't have to work so hard to be included when they have so much to give.”
Michelle says the impact of the group reaches some of the community’s most vulnerable people.
“The food cooked by the Young Onset Dementia Collective goes to single mums who are navigating cancer, to whānau in family violence shelters, mental health crisis support teams, and social services that work with street whānau.”
Those words matter because they reinforce something we already know within this community - that people living with younger onset dementia still have enormous value, capability, empathy, humour, and purpose.
The issue has never been lack of ability. The issue has been lack of opportunity.
The People Behind It
This recognition belongs to:
the individuals living with dementia who continue to show up, contribute, and support one another
the volunteer support team, who stand alongside them enabling participation, ensuring safety, and making it all possible
and Fair Food, whose openness, trust, and commitment to community created the space for this to happen in the first place
Without Fair Food, this opportunity would not exist.
For our community, this award means something deeper.
It says:
you are still capable
you are still valuable
you still have something to contribute
At a time when many people living with younger onset dementia are being quietly excluded from meaningful participation, often placed into systems designed for much older people, many in this group is doing the opposite They are showing what’s possible when the right environment exists.
But there is a hard truth behind the celebration and this is where our story becomes more complex. There is an uncomfortable irony at the heart of this recognition.
Here we have a group of people, living with a progressive neurological condition, navigating systems not designed for them, facing limited, often inappropriate support options … yet they are the ones volunteering to help others. Recognised nationally. Celebrated publicly. But still, too often, unsupported structurally.
Recognition Is Not the Same as Support
Awards like this validate effort. They shine a light. But they do not excuse the need for age-appropriate services, meaningful day programmes, flexible, community-based support and systems that understands younger onset dementia as distinct group.
Recognition cannot be the endpoint. If anything, it raises a bigger question - should it take a volunteer award to demonstrate what this group is capable of when the system itself should already be enabling it?
This moment should not just celebrate what exists. It should challenge what doesn’t, because what we see in this group is not exceptional ability. It is recognised and unlocked potential. And that potential exists far beyond this one programme.
A Celebration, and a Signal
We are incredibly proud of this group. They deserve to be celebrated. But we also hope this recognition acts as a signal:
That younger onset dementia is not an aged care issue.
That people do not lose their value because they receive a diagnosis.
That with the right support, participation is not only possible, it is powerful.
Come and See for Yourself
This award belongs to a group of people who continue to show up for each other, and for their community.
Not for applause. But for purpose.
And perhaps that’s the most important message of all.
Young Onset Dementia Collective
Purpose | Participation | Possibility
Also of interest: The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes - where it all started Feeling good, doing good - The power of community Volunteering at Fair Food, where no one is defined by dementia
