Richard Loten and Kate Beaumont-Smith have been awarded Advance Ashburton Community Foundation leadership scholarships.

The presentation, on Tuesday, acknowledged the two recipients and was also a celebration of the year’s work and support of the foundation. 

Loten received the Advance Ashburton Leader’s Scholarship.

He has been the deputy principal of Methven Primary School since 2022 and is currently completing the 2026 Aspiring Principals Programme.

Two hundred participants are accepted on the year long course each year. The programme includes participants receiving one-on-one mentoring, working with other aspiring principals and developing an individual leadership plan to help them reach their principalship potential.

Loten will use his scholarship to attend the Summit of Educational Leadership in Canada in April 2027. The short course includes key note speakers and many break out groups.

Meanwhile, Kate Beaumont-Smith received the Jan Early Memorial Scholarship.

Beaumont-Smith is a director of a contract milking operation on a dairy farm in Hinds. Previously she worked as a solicitor in England, Wales, Christchurch and Ashburton. She is a currently a director of Ruralco and member of their audit and risk committee, a trustee on the Hinds School board, and treasurer/grants officer for the Turner Syndrome Association of New Zealand.

Beaumont is using her scholarship to complete the Institute of Directors company director’s course which she is undertaking in Queenstown. Core topics covered on the course include corporate governance, boardroom strategy, finance, directors' law, board dynamics/culture, and risk governance.

Guest speakers

Former Ashburton lad Tony Hill who is now a Superintendent and District Police Commander for Canterbury and District Council councillor Julie Moffett were guest speakers at the event.

Hill attended Hampstead School, Ashburton Intermediate, and Ashburton College before joining the New Zealand Police in 1990.

His first posting was in Whangārei and since then, he has worked many roles across New Zealand including a long stint in the CIB. Returning to Canterbury five years ago has brought Hill closer to family and into a role where he can support aspiring leaders and grow strong teams.

Moffett is also the chair of the Ashburton Age Friendly Steering Group, who spoke about the development and progress of the Age Friendly Action Plan for the Ashburton District.

“The age friendly ethos is really just reality friendly - ageing populations are the norm and people now live longer, so society needs to normalise life for older people,” she said. 

"They're not the exception to the rule."