Supporting communities  |  29 Aug 2019

Share this story

Three sporting and community groups with plans to upgrade or build new facilities are going to get a helping hand.

Christchurch City Council has today agreed that it will use some money from its Capital Endowment Fund (CEF) to help financially support the groups’ projects.

Eastern Community Sport and Recreation has plans to build to an all-weather sports facility in Rawhiti Domain by upgrading the four tennis courts there and constructing an open-sided canopy building with additional lighting over three of the courts to meet a variety of needs.

The $172,075 CEF grant the Council has approved today will go towards some of the professional and construction fees the group faces.

The Huntsbury Community Centre has been raising funds so it can earthquake strengthen its building in Huntsbury Avenue and bring it up to 67 per cent of the New Building Standard.

So far it has managed to fundraise $78,000 and to secure a $30,000 grant from the Rata Foundation.

The Council today has agreed to give it the final $50,000 it needs for the project.

The Council also agreed to give a $250,000 grant to the South Brighton Surf Life Saving Club to help it meet the costs of replacing its earthquake-damaged club rooms.

The club, which provides 700 hours of voluntary beach patrols over the summer months and also runs school education programmes that teach children how to stay safe in the water, is close to reaching the $2 million it needs to finance its new clubrooms.

It has some money from an insurance pay-out and has managed to secure grants from a number of charitable organisations including the Rata Foundation, the Lottery Grants Board and the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust.

“These groups give countless hours of their time to enrich our communities and we are pleased to be able to provide them with some support so that they can complete the projects they have started,’’ says Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner.

“Many people will benefit from these new and improved facilities so we are delighted to be able to partner with these groups and to play a supporting role in the work they are doing.’’

A $100,000 CEF grant was also made to the Art & Industrial Biennial Trust (trading as SCAPE Public Art) for a new high profile artwork.

The artwork, by renowned Christchurch sculptor Phil Price, is titled Tōtara, King of the Forest, and will provide a key visual waypoint where the new Tōtara Highway meets the city’s urban edge.

Currently under construction, the Tōtara Highway runs for 12 kilometres from the Waimakariri Bridge to Cranford Street and is due to be completed next year.