John Key presented the 6th annual Eyebright Awards in his Beehive Office on 16 September.

Wellington Innovation Eyebright Award

Jess Beauchamp (Plunket Nurse and Team Leader), Prime Minister John Key, Khadra Ali (parent from Rintoul Villas Community), and Janette Adams-Schneider (Plunket Karitane)

A Wellington Plunket team helped Somali refugee and other migrant families embrace a time-honoured New Zealand parenting tradition and has won the Innovation Eyebright Award.

The children, living in city council housing at the Rintoul Villas community in Wellington, wake up with a sparkle in their eyes because they're looking forward to their Thursday Plunket playgroup.

The playgroups were inspired by Plunket in 2004, but in 2008, the Wellington Plunket team took this initiative one important step further by running PEPE parenting sessions during playgroup, with Somali and Arabic interpreters to assist. (PEPE is the Plunket Education Parenting Programme).

Wanaka Plunket Better Together Eyebright Award

Debbie Kaye (parent / volunteer), Prime Minister John Key, Karen Mackenzie (Parent / Volunteer and Team Leader) and Lynne Millar (parent / volunteer)

2009's other Eyebright award-winning team is Plunket's Upper Clutha team of volunteers based in Wanaka, whose thriving Plunket Centre is a tribute to their hard work and community spirit.

The team's red and white Plunket marquee is a landmark at community events. In summer it's a welcome resting place away from the Central Otago heat for young families. It is set up with nappy-changing stations, chairs for parents feeding babies, a high-chair for feeding toddlers and toys for the children to play with.

The team also secured a grant to employ a room hostess who keeps the recently re-built Plunket rooms “just like home”, and gives Plunket a place at the heart of the community.