Activity zone needs to reach full potential

 

It arose out of the dirt and bushlands, evolving with original design into a space alive with the thrum of rolling wheels and children’s laughter.

Mangawhai’s popular play arena, the Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) is one of the area’s most sought-after designations by locals and visitors alike and, according to some real estate agents, also has the pulling power to influence house-seekers to buy in the district.

However the MAZ has not yet reached its full potential and the MAZ Charitable Trust have mounted a ‘mammoth fundraising drive’ for the next four months as a final push to complete the park by late 2017.

The effort to fundraise the required $800,000, kicked off at Mangawhai Club on August 23 with a visual presentation demonstrating just how far the park had progressed in eight years.

Chair of the Mangawhai Activity Zone committee, Colin Gallagher, says the evening was an opportunity to talk to residents and business people about the future of the park.

“We wanted the community to see how this all began,” he says. “A chance to show ‘this is what we have done, this is where we’d like to go and this is what you can do if you want to help’.”

Gallagher says the MAZ Trust has received fantastic support from the community and the fundraising effort is gaining momentum with over $10,000 raised just on the presentation night.

“It’s a big ask because it’s a lot of money we need raised, especially for a small community, but people want to help due to the park being used by families… they can see its value,” he says. “That’s why crowd funding – when a lot of people give a little – could work.”

Locals have also offered donations of services. Albany based web-design company, Zeald, founded and managed by three Mangawhai locals, not only donated $2000 recently but have also volunteered to take care of MAZ’s online social media administration and advertising for free.

MAZ Trustee Simon Bennett says the inspiration for a skate park was sparked after Alison Baird and Bridget Smith – locals and original trustees of MAZ – recognised Mangawhai’s young skateboarders had nowhere to go to skate and were often being moved on from places that had any amount of sizeable concrete, like schools and shopping areas. Police had also been called numerous times to warn skaters off roads and other public places.

“Basically Alison and Bridget realised the lack of a park was creating criminals due to the police involvement and started a petition to find them some space,” he says.

Although the original idea was to create only a skate park, the concept evolved into a vision of a holistic fun park providing a range of different outdoor activities for children, teenagers and adults alike.

With 8000 committee and contracting hours and $1.2 million spent to date, the park is now equipped with tennis courts, children’s playgrounds, BBQ sites, forest tracks and boasts a skate park worthy of international standards.

President of Skateboard NZ and organizer of Mangawhai’s annual Skate Jam, Jesse Peters, attended the meeting and is working with the MAZ committee. He is keen to see budding skaters train at Mangawhai.

“Now skateboarding has been added to the sport list of the 2020 Olympics, MAZ’s skate area could also be a possible practice site for contenders,” he says.

Gallagher has personally donated $5000 to the park and admits his driving force comes from his own childhood experience.

“I just want kids to get out in the open air,” he says. “To challenge themselves and venture out… it was a big part of my childhood.”

“Colin is the driving force behind the development of the park,” Bennett says. “We all support him as much as we can. Not many things come along when you can have such an impact, and receive an amazing sense of satisfaction. We’ve got to finish it, have too much invested in it now… it’s almost like a personal legacy.”

n Online www.give4maz.co.nz
 

MAZ Trust would like to thank initial supporters and partners: Skate Boarding NZ Incorporated - Crossfit 365 - Bike Mangawhai - Mangawhai Focus - Coastal Fitness - Crisp Graphics - Mangawhai Memo - Aotearoa Surf - Earth ‘n Surf - Colin Gallagher Family – Placemakers. Integrated Control Technology - Zeald Ltd - Bayleys Real Estate - Fresh - Tara Iti Golf Club - Kaipara District Council - Orang Otang Tree Trimmers - Craig Matheson and Barfoot & Thompson - Gael McConachy and Box Milestone. The Lifestyler - Christine Leslie - John Chisholm - Rose Barbarich. Don Mckay - Lara and Cesar Iriarte - Heather Murrell - Hamish Jason - Alex Babukhin - Jo-ann Thomas - Euan and Sarah Stratton.

“It’s a lot of money we need raised, especially for a small community, but people want to help due to the park being used by families… they can see its value.”
- Colin Gallagher, MAZ chairman

BEGINNINGS: With the first laying of concrete MAZ began its journey, developing into the unique activity zone we have today.