Mangawhai Recreation Centre turns a corner 

 

A major upgrade is planned for the Mangawhai Recreation Centre in a collaboration between the Mangawhai Community Trust and Mangawhai Beach School.

The Community Trust was established in the early 1990s for the planning and funding of community sport and recreational needs. Since then it has assisted many groups including bowls, golf, the Mangawhai Domain, Mangawhai Beach School, St John and the library to name a few. 

The Trust is not a trust fund with money to hand out, rather it is an instrument for the acquisition of funds for community projects. Planning for the Recreation Centre began in 1992 and work began in 1993 following successful fundraising and a gift of close to $100,000 from the late Colin Bower, whose foresight as Mangawhai BOT Chair initiated the project – a facility to be shared between the school and the community. The building is on land leased from the Ministry of Education (Mangawhai Beach School), and was quickly erected by many volunteers under the guidance of Bert Sainsbury.

“The Recreation Centre has proved to be a wonderful community asset, however the needs of the Mangawhai community and the school are changing,” says Mangawhai Beach School Board Chairman, Luke Canton. 

“One illustration is the Mangawhai Beach School roll, which has in the past seven years doubled from 240 to 480 students. Student’s educational needs are also changing, as are the community recreational needs. Opportunities for technology, drama, dance, cooking are examples of how the Recreation Centre can be used in the future by the pupils.”

Community groups will have access to the Recreation Centre out of school hours, with Mangawhai Beach School continuing to manage bookings. 

Mangawhai Community Trust Secretary, Tom Smith says: “The Community Trust has looked at the ongoing benefits and the strategic direction of their core role. The Community Trust will revert to its prime role of providing opportunities for all Mangawhai people to participate in sport and recreation and it will also be part of a review process each year to monitor fair fee charges to the community users.”

The coordinator of the Mangawhai Fitness Centre (which currently occupies the Recreation Centre mezzanine), Patrick Cullinan has for some time been examining options to establish a new facility and these plans are shortly to be realised on another local site.