Shop local with Naenae virtual mall
Retailers in the Lower Hutt suburb of Naenae are being given a helping hand, with the Hutt City Council and Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce establishing a virtual marketplace to support businesses.
One such businesses is Trade School Kitchen, which employees former women prisoners to help them reintegrate into the community.
The cafe also offers barista training to women in Arohata prison.
Like many places in Naenae, the cafe has had to jump hurdles as large businesses, such as the supermarket, post office, and the swimming pool, have closed their doors, meaning less foot traffic.
The virtual marketplace, online at shopnaenae.co.nz, has been established to encourage the Lower Hutt community to shop local.
The cafe is a social enterprise, part of Trade School Industries Trust, whose purpose is to provide dignified work for those who otherwise might struggle to find it.
Trade School Industries chairman Nic Drew-Crawshaw said it was a place for people to land and prove themselves. It had a contract with Arohata Women’s Prison and Department of Corrections to train 30 female prisoners a year in barista skills , and employed up to three a year on their release.
‘‘As we went along it was fine having a bunch of skills, but most employers are not willing to take a chance on someone with a history,’’ Drew-Crawshaw said.
The closure of the Naenae pool was a huge blow for Trade School Kitchen.
‘‘It was already a challenging spot and one of the reasons we worked so hard to get it where it was, was there would at least be people coming by.’’
Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry said the pool left a big hole when it closed.
‘‘We knew the impact on local retailers would be large,’’ he said.
Hillary Court, as the shopping centre was known, had struggled for years after the loss of the post office, bank, and supermarket, but the loss of the pool was the final straw. To have this platform for people to support local was important, he said, as well as creating networks between local businesses.
Plans were under way to replace the pool with another, currently on hold because of Covid-19, as part of a $9 million plan to rejuvenate the area.
‘‘Now our actions in supporting local businesses are more important than ever.’’
Drew-Crawshaw said the coronavirus lockdown made clear the need for an online presence.
When people found the cafe online they could use the Regulr app, or text, to order contactless pickup of food and coffee.
‘‘We took the wage subsidy and were very thankful for it, as it meant we could keep all our staff on.’’
Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce chief executive Helen Down said the need for an online marketplace became more urgent when Covid-19 struck.
‘‘There are some amazing businesses hidden away,’’ she said.
Down herself met with businesses face to face over six months to discuss their needs.
The council’s neighbourhood precinct place maker, Claire Allen, said 20 businesses were now online, with a handful more in the works to open for alert level 2.