Sports hub makeover scores $340k boost
The Kaitake Community Sports Hub (KCSH) has received a $340,000 grant from New Zealand Community Trust to repair and renovate its shared clubrooms.
KCSH chairman Garry Carnachan says the clubrooms, at Corbett Park in O¯ akura, are below building codes.
“A growing community has seen a resurgence in users of Corbett Park with rugby, football, and cricket clubs now fielding a total of five senior teams while the junior sports club has around 200 of its 350 members using the park regularly.”
The sports hub brings together the Kaitake Rugby Club, Kaitake Football Club, Oakura Cricket Club and Oakura Junior Sports Club.
He says the aim is to complete renovation and remedial work on the clubrooms to bring the building up to code and maintain a fit-for-purpose community sports facility to serve all the people of the Kaitake district. Garry says without the facility, there would be no community sports venue. “Members would need to travel to the city with consequent cost increases and drop-off rates now and into the future. The four clubs have come together under a single entity to ensure a sustainable, fit-forpurpose sports facility in a rapidly growing community. This model and project is seen as a blueprint for the future of sport, particularly rural sport, in Taranaki by Sport Taranaki, who have supported the development.
“Sport in NZ has a unique ability to connect people, contributing to the physical, mental, and social health of both individuals and the community. This is clearly evident on Saturday mornings with junior sport bringing parents and whanau on the sidelines and the wider community gathering down at the park on a Saturday afternoon, supporting our teams and building our social fabric.”
He says the project has a good level of local support.
“KCSH have engaged with Nga¯ti Tairi, as mana whenua for the district, to seek hapu representation on the board as well as with NPDC as leaseholder and PKW as owners of the land.”