Daughter of Hungerford Arcade founder awarded King’s Service Medal

A FORMER Hungerford resident has been awarded the King’s Service Medal (KSM).

Heidi Griffin (nee Collins) moved to Hungerford with siblings Sarah and Barry when she was eight years old, when parents John and Peggy Collins set up and opened Hungerford Arcade.

She moved to New Zealand in 2001 with husband Mike and children Milli, Felix and Cormac.

Mrs Griffin now runs a not-for-profit gallery she set up in Taranaki in 2019, representing and promoting more than 500 artists, as well as offering a venue for all artistic pursuits.

Gover St Gallery has become a cornerstone of the arts in Taranaki.

Mrs Griffin has also chaired Taranaki Arts Trail for a number of years, successfully steering it through the Covid pandemic.

She has been involved in school parent teacher associations, local productions and mural painting, catering Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Symposiums and teaching children about art and cooking.

Mrs Griffin said she was “beyond thrilled” to be honoured in this way for her work in the arts sector.

She was awarded the KSM in the New Zealand King’s Birthday Honours List “for services to the arts and the community.”

The citation states, in part: “Gover Street Gallery is considered a cornerstone of the arts in Taranaki, with a welcoming and inclusive environment supporting and promoting more than 500 local artists nationwide.

“Through the gallery she has raised money for overseas and local causes, from extreme weather event recovery to cancer research, animal protection and those in need.”