Funding boost for the Tawa Plunket

A new Plunket facility for families in Tawa and Linden is one step closer, with Plunket receiving a $5000 grant from Hutt Mana Charitable Trust towards its project to replace the aging Plunket rooms at Linden Avenue with a new building.

‘‘ We’re delighted to receive this grant – we’ve been fundraising for many years, and we’re now very close to reaching the target of $300,000 thanks to the generosity of funders like Hutt Mana Charitable Trust and the local community,’’ said Plunket volunteer and Tawa resident Tina Elsdon.

The grant will help Plunket pay for the windows and doors in its new building.

Once up and running, the facility will bring together all Plunket’s services under one roof, including the toy library, now located in Oxford St.

Elsdon said the rebuild was essential, because the current building was sinking and often flooded, leading to issues with damp.

‘‘ The building has served many generations of families, but it is very old and no longer fit for purpose. We are looking forward to providing local families and children with a new, dry, spacious facility.’’

Construction work is planned to start early next year, when building students at Whitirea will take on the project.

‘‘ It’s a great partnership because it keeps our costs down, and gives students at Whitireia a really fun, worthwhile project to work on when learning their trade,’’ she said.

Along with providing $5000 for the rebuild, the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust has also contributed $6000 towards Plunket staff costs in the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Johnsonville.

Another $35,000 is needed for Plunket to reach its fundraising target for the building. About 1700 families use Tawa-Linden Plunket services.