Kāpiti Coast District Council was recognised at the 2024 Recreation Aotearoa Awards, winning the Outstanding Project (under $500,000) award for the ‘Meanwhile Space’, a vibrant community hub located in the heart of the Paraparaumu civic precinct.

The annual awards, which took place in Auckland recently, celebrate individuals, places, programmes, and projects that enhance people's wellbeing through recreation.

Brendan Owens, Group Manager Customer and Community, says the award is testament to Council’s commitment to fostering community connectedness and enhancing physical and emotional wellbeing.

“The Meanwhile Space isn’t just about providing a space for community to connect, it is also about connecting with the community to co-design the space,” Mr Owens said.

“The Meanwhile Space is a collaborative project that utilised the skills and insights from Kāpiti-based organisations.

“This project represents a collaboration between Council, and groups such as the Kāpiti Art Studio, Kāpiti Horticulture Society, the Shed Project Kāpiti, Kāpiti Youth Council and Kāpiti Disability Advisory Group.

“It’s also important to note that, although we won the Outstanding Project under $500,000 category the Meanwhile Space was delivered for a fraction of that amount, showing that even with a relatively small budget, a collaborative approach can return more value to the community,” Mr Owens said.

Norie Parata, advisor connected communities, played a central role in creating the space.

“We wanted to create a vibrant space for our community to use after recognising a gap in community connection and safety following the closure of the old Te Newhānga Kapiti community centre,” Mrs Parata said.

“An important focus was working with groups that support the equity and inclusivity of others. Sustainability was also one of our main considerations, so we worked with providers, who were environmentally focused as well as reusing items we already had, which also helped keep the costs down.

“By utilising the skills of our local groups, repurposing products and thinking outside the box we were able to create a positive, inclusive, fun and playful environment for and with our community.

“This space transforms an under-used piece of land into a vibrant hub with fun and colourful interactive activities, a timeline telling the story of the community centre and those that played a role in that space and the mana whenua who had gifted the name of the centre. We’ve built a toy car racetrack, a community book library, outdoor table tennis, a sensory footpath, community gardens, and an events shed for pop up events.

“We thank everyone involved who helped us achieve our collective vision.

“This project is an excellent example of how being inclusive can empower our community to do great and effective projects, and we’re so thrilled that it has been recognised with this award,” Ms Parata said.

The Meanwhile Space was recognised above other worthy projects from around New Zealand, such as Napier City Council’s Gleeson Park Playground, and the Matua Park Community Playground, delivered by Tauranga City Council and Ngai Tamarāwaho.

The Meanwhile Space is there for everyone to enjoy and will be the location for this year’s Low-Sensory Christmas Celebration. If you know a child who finds noisy environments overwhelming, come and enjoy the festive season at our award-winning Meanwhile Space at 2pm Saturday 21 December.

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