Karori Event Centre
9 March 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Karori Event Centre – Another Step Closer!

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Image: Image of the Karori Event Centre, the replacement community hall in Karori. It will be situated at the end of a promenade from Karori Road, next to the Karori Community Centre in central Karori.

As a result of amazing community and Council support the Karori Community Hall Trust has been successful in its recent Lottery Community Facilities Fund grant application. It has been granted $500,000 towards the cost of construction of the Karori Event Centre. “The Lottery Committee stated that community backing, evidenced by way of letters of support and donations, plus Council support, were deciding factors in the success of the application”, said Wallace Simmers, Chairperson of the Trust. “We have now also met the $1m fundraising target set by the Wellington City Council”. The Council will contribute $260,000 and the proceeds of the sale of the St Johns Hall land as part of the 2015 – 2025 Long Term Plan, effective June 2015.

“The community is really getting behind the project and has ensured that it will continue, but we are not there yet”, said Mr Simmers. “We need new donors, and continued support from existing donors so we can start building late 2015”. Beyond the Council contributions, the Trust still needs to raise approximately a further $400,000 before it can begin construction. Funds will continue to be raised through grants, and from individuals, groups and organisations in the community. Donation levels are signified by native trees, from seed funder ($10 - $199) to Kahikitea ($50,000+). “We are very grateful to have received donations at our higher levels, especially from long term Karori residents supporting their community, but every donation and pledge counts!”, says Inge Doig, the Trust’s Marketing Advisor.

The Karori Community Hall Trust would like to thank the grant providers that have been supportive of the project to date: The Trusts Community Foundation, the Karori Brooklyn Community Charitable Trust/ The Lion Foundation, the Lottery Community Facilities Fund and the Four Winds and Infinity Foundations.

As the Trust moves into the exciting pre-build and build phase it welcomes on board new Trustees Julie Crengle, Kelvin Giles, Lorna Ingram and Bryan Shephard, to complement the skills of the current team. With further campaigns, events and an Annual Appeal planned the Karori Community Hall Trust seeks support from interested parties who can bring their marketing, fund raising, communications/ PR or administration skills to the project, on a voluntary basis. This is an opportunity to be involved in the largest community project in the Western Suburbs.

The Karori Community Hall Trustees are confident that the Karori Event Centre, which will be the only public community hall in Karori, will become a reality. The development of the Karori Event Centre will bring further life, vitality and business into the Western Suburbs. This project is proving to be a true example of the community, organisations and the Wellington City Council working in partnership to achieve a joint goal.

To make your tax deductible individual or group donations, and pledges, to the Karori Event Centre community project visit www.karorieventcentre.co.nz .

The purpose of the Karori Community Hall Trust is to build, equip and manage a Community Hall/ Event Centre besides the Karori Community Centre as part of the Community Centre facilities. For more information visit www.karorieventcentre.co.nz.

BACKGROUND

The Karori Event Centre:

• The Karori Community Hall Trust is through the Administrative phase, which has seen $218,000 raised and spent, resulting in Resource Consent, Agreement to Lease, concept plans, costings, Quantity Surveyors report, timeline and Council undertakings in place. Full plans are being finalised now.

• The Trust has been successful in raising the $1m fundraising target set by the Wellington City Council in June 2013. This means that the Council’s contributions will be made available to the Trust as part of the 2015 – 2025 Long Term Plan.

• We are now in phase II, the construction phase of $2.4m.

• The building has been architecturally designed, with the following features:

An auditorium (hall) surrounded by event, display and exhibition space in a glassed foyer that can be opened up the courtyard

o Good acoustics

o Wooden floor

o Retractable seating

o Theatre seating capacity: 218

o Table seating capacity: 100

o 16m wide stage

o Back of house facilities include a catering kitchen, dressing, meeting and storage rooms and amenities

o Meets earthquake and noise standards.

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