Karakia, waiata, laughter and camaraderie marked the blessing today at the site of Kerikeri Retirement Village’s new community centre. The new facility will be built adjacent to the administration block and will feature a café, bar and outdoor seating area.
It replaces the existing social centre. The Village plans to use that space ultimately for an upgraded and expanded care facility.
Construction of the 1,000 square metre community centre will start immediately and is due for completion in the second half of next year.
“Our existing social centre has pretty-much done its dash and it was certainly time to build something that better meets the needs of our residents,” said Kerikeri Retirement Village Hilary Sumpter.
“Our aim was to have a communal facility that can cater to the demands of our residents as the Village grows.”
Ms Sumpter said the community centre would become an asset for the wider Kerikeri area as a potential venue for events, functions and activities.
“The clue is in the name; this new community centre will become a focal point for the wider Kerikeri community, not just for our residents. It’s our way of involving our town in the life of our Village which is, after all, a community project. It was built by the community for our community, and it’s managed by our community. So it makes sense to have a place where our residents and our town can mix and mingle.”
The construction project was put out to general tender, with selection based on a professional process used in the construction industry under the leadership of the project manager, a Kerikeri resident who project managed the construction of the Village’s apartment building.
The contract was awarded to the Whangārei office of Brendan Murray Construction, a national specialist in retirement village and care facility construction projects. The firm has ensured that 90 percent of the sub-contractors involved in the project are either Kerikeri or Northland-based.
“BMC took great care in its response to our tender to address the fact that they would be building right in the heart of a fully operational retirement village, and within a stone’s throw of our care facility and hospital wing,” Ms Sumpter said. “This demonstrated the type of empathy, consideration and professionalism that we would look for from contractors working in sensitive parts of our Village.”
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
PHOTO ON LEFT: Today’s blessing ceremony at the site of Kerikeri Retirement Village’s new community centre was guided by kaumatua Kipa Munro of Ngāti Rehia.
MIDDLE PHOTO: Kaumatua Kipa Munro of Ngāti Rehia gently teased the Village residents, telling them that they should prepare for a blessing that would last several hours.
RIGHT PHOTO: Kaumatua Kipa Munro of Ngāti Rehia guided today’s blessing in the company of his whānau member, and Village resident, Maera Peters.
For Hi-res versions of photo please contact peter@duenorthpr.co.nz
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