Jim Wetere won’t forget this years Queen’s birthday weekend in a hurry. Along with celebrating his 60th birthday with wife Vivienne, he was named in the Queens Birthday Honours list with a Queens Service Medal for services to the community.

Born in 1949 in Wellington, Jim moved to Hamilton before he’d had his first birthday. He moved to the Fairfield area with his parents where he would continue to live until he married at 22.

Jim has had some pretty big shoes to fill. His father Jim Senior, a WW2 Fighter Pilot, was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross during his time in the Royal Air Force. He was also a former Taranaki rugby rep and a member of the 1938 NZ Maori team, the first Maori team to tour Fiji.

Jim worked for meat company Weddel New Zealand for 20 years but as a member of the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club, based at Fairfield Park in 1959 and then Enderley Park from 1968, has always been involved in the Enderley community.

He took on the role of Enderley Park Community Centre manager in 1996 when the centre was purchased by the Hamilton City Council and has been there ever since.

In his 13 years as Centre Manager, Jim has been heavily involved in the development of programmes for local children, youth and families. He believes his success is down to the support he gets from his strong and committed staff, all locals to the area, who he speaks highly of. In his 13 years as Manager, only two staff have left so it’s a very tight team. Jim also gives credit to the continued strong support from the Hamilton City Council and the Enderley community itself.

Jim is currently focusing on strengthening exiting NAOSCAR primary school children’s programmes and supporting the local Incorporated Society, who are responsible for running these programmes. He is also very excited to be working with staff and local volunteers from two sports clubs to establish a strong Enderley multi sports operation and sports academy for local young people.

Aside from his work in Enderley, Jim has 40 years experience in rugby administration at club/grassroots level. Last year he was named Waikato Rugby Union Administrator of the Year and was a finalist at the 2008 Waikato Regional Sports Awards. He is the current Chairman of Tainui Waka Rugby and Deputy Chairman of Te Hiku O Te Ika Rugby Board (Northern Region Maori Rugby).

Jim said he loves his work. Working in a community that he’s been a part of for most of his life and has seen develop, grow and change is what he finds very rewarding and he is proud to lead a centre that has become a positive environment for the local people of Enderley.