A MEIRIONNYDD man who grew up in foster care has been given a top civic award for services to homeless people on the other side of the world.

Peter Humphreys was born in Blaenau Ffestiniog, but spent much of his childhood in foster homes around Barmouth and on one occasion even found himself homeless.

The care he received from strangers had a tremendous impact on Peter who has spent his working life in New Zealand helping the most vulnerable in society.

He emigrated to the Southern Hemisphere over 25 years ago to start a family and has recently been given a civic award by Hamilton City Council for ‘services to social justice’.

Peter was nominated for the award in an impassioned letter by a local resident espousing his efforts with the homeless in Hamilton, a city of nearly 160,000 in New Zealand’s North Island.

The letter reads: “Peter has given voice to the importance of understanding the root-causes of homelessness. The marginalised face of homelessness sees public consciousness shifting. We have moved from abhorrence to concern and better-informed debate on what to do next. Social services have increased and are setting targets to end homelessness.

“During Peter’s time (nine years) with the nightshelter, they have seen a substantial improvement in the options for homeless people.

The Men’s Shelter has moved from a peppercorn rental situation, to an owned and much improved building. The seamless transition of venue is largely due to Peter’s stewardship and integrity. This building is unprecedented in this region; it is modern, centrally located and managed in a way which aims to support people without judgment.

“Peter has influence far from the Shelters. He is informing national strategy on homelessness and locally he works tirelessly to improve individual outcomes.

“A recent example being the support of long-term homeless people into their own homes. This has involved staying in their lives and continuing to mentor, coach, advice and problem-solve so people can maintain those tenancies.

“Peter has also been closely associated with the disability movement for over 20 years.

“I believe Peter is a worthy candidate for a civic award. This would not only recognise the strong commitment he has towards ending homelessness, but also affirm the important work he and others in this field are undertaking to benefit us all.”

His daughter, Brianna Humphreys, was justifiably proud of her father.

“My father was born in Wales in 1959 where he was in and out of foster care and at one point homeless,” she explained.

“He met my mother in 1981 and moved over to New Zealand in 1982 to start a family.

“He has worked extremely hard over the last 20 plus years to advocate for the human rights of people with disabilities and has had a massively positive impact on the people who are homeless in Hamilton since he became the manager of the Hamilton Christian Night Shelter in 2008.”

Hamilton mayor Andrew King said at the awards ceremony: “One of my personal values is to always say thank you to those working tirelessly to improve the life of their fellow citizens.

“It is great the Civic Awards recognise grassroots achievers in our community. These people are committed to building a better Hamilton, giving up their own time over many years to support a variety of communities and causes. I applaud them all.”