Friday, July 17, 2009

TE AROHA COMMUNITY SPORT & EVENTS CENTRE


THE PROPOSAL

For many, many years people in the Te Aroha community have dreamed and talked and speculated about having a sport and events facility big enough to accommodate a full-size basketball and indoor netball court which Te Aroha doesn’t currently have. Imagine an indoor facility for sport – netball, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, badminton, roller hockey … in our backyard !

Now we have an opportunity to make this happen.

Stanley Avenue School has been granted $400,000 towards ‘non-teaching space’ by the Ministry of Education. After due consideration the school Board of Trustees has decided it would like to see the funding go towards a full-size indoor court community sport and events facility that would benefit all of Te Aroha. The only stipulation by the Ministry is that the facility be built on the school grounds.

The proposal is to build the community sport and events centre alongside Stanley Ave’s existing sports turf at the front of the school so that it is easily accessible for community use, and has car-parking already available.

To do this, the school plans to shift its existing multi-purpose hall and the existing adventure playground. A big project, but with great potential for our town.

To build a full-size indoor court community sport and events centre in Te Aroha, based at Stanley Ave School, to accommodate and foster indoor sport and community events for all our youth.

OBJECTIVE

The proposed sport and events facility building will measure around 35m x 21m, with the addition of the school’s existing multi-purpose hall alongside it to provide toilet, kitchen and administration facilities.

While the $400,000 grant from the Ministry of Education is a substantial amount of money, initial estimates suggest around $1 million will be required to realize the dream of a full-size indoor court community facility.

One school cannot do this alone. We are now seeking community support for what will be a community resource. We want it to be an asset for the town, for all Te Aroha youth of both today and tomorrow.

Based on the guesstimate of $1 million, Stanley Ave School believes it can fund half of the project - around $500,000 - which includes the Ministry of Education grant together with $100,000 of its own school funds. In addition the school has provided for relocation of its Multi-purpose Room and junior school playground which it will fund from its own property budget.

That leaves around $500,000 that needs to be raised in the community.

We are hoping the Matamata-Piako District Council will contribute towards that shortfall.

But we will also need financial support from community groups, businesses, schools, corporates, charitable organizations, and individuals to make the dream a reality. We also plan to start a community fundraising drive.

Every bit will help.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

We are seeking community support NOW. You can either:

􀂃 Write a personalized letter of support;

􀂃 Sign the petition currently circulating around town, or pop into Stanley Ave School and sign the petition there;

􀂃 Complete the ‘Letter of Support’ form being sent out to community groups and schools; or

􀂃 Complete the ‘Support Survey Form’ in the Piako Post issue.

The address to send all communications is: Te Aroha Community Sport & Events Centre Project, Stanley Ave School, Stanley Avenue, Te Aroha.

FUNDING OPTIONS

Your support of this project is very much appreciated. If you can contribute financially that would be EVEN BETTER …

There are a number of ways you can help, as an individual, an organization, a school, a business, a charitable group. No donation is too small – we will appreciate them all. All donations of $500 and over will be publicly recognized (unless the donor wishes to remain anonymous).

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR?

􀂃 Stanley Ave School has appointed a Project Manager who has designed some initial concept drawings showing possible locations within the school grounds.

􀂃 A sub-committee has been established, comprising representatives of the school’s Board of Trustees, Parent Teacher Association and staff. The role of the sub-committee is to establish community support for the project. If this is forthcoming, representatives from the community will be brought in as part of the sub-committee to take the project to its next stages. We want this to be a community achievement.

􀂃 An approach has been made to the Matamata-Piako District Council for funding towards the project but Council has asked for more community consultation to be carried out before it determines whether financial support will be forthcoming.

􀂃 We have now entered the community consultation phase.

Funding the Dream

􀂃 Donors of $500 will have their names listed on a ‘Donors Plaque’ inside the gymnasium;

􀂃 Donors of $1,000 will have their names engraved on a ‘Donors Brick’ inside the gymnasium;

􀂃 Donors of $2,000 will have their names engraved on two ‘Donors Bricks’ inside the gymnasium;

􀂃 Donors of $5,000 will have a highly visible sign-written sign prominently displayed inside the gymnasium;

􀂃 Donors of $10,000 will have a highly visible sign-written sign prominently displayed both inside and outside the gymnasium;

􀂃 Businesses, corporates or charitable organizations seeking NAMING RIGHTS of the gymnasium should contact the Principal at Stanley Avenue School to discuss further.

If you are able to pledge financial assistance, please complete the attached form and return to: Te Aroha Community Sport & Events Centre Project, Stanley Ave School, Stanley Avenue, Te Aroha.

TE AROHA COMMUNITY SPORT & EVENTS CENTRE

L E T T E R O F S U P P O R T

OBJECTIVE:

To build a full-size indoor court community sport and events centre in Te Aroha, based at Stanley Ave School, to accommodate and foster indoor sport and community events for all our youth.

YES, I SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL FOR A COMMUNITY SPORT AND EVENTS CENTRE IN TE AROHA

Name of Person:

Name of Organisation (if applicable):

Contact Ph:

Contact E-mail:

Postal Address:

I would use the facility for sport and / or community events (tick as appropriate)

Yes / No

If yes, please state what things you might use the centre for (e.g. basketball, floral festival, ball, gymnastics etc).

Signature:

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PLEDGE THE FOLLOWING ASSISTANCE: (TICK & CIRCLE AS APPLICABLE)

Financial Assistance

$50

$100

$200

$500

$1,000

$2,000

$5,000

$10,000

Other: (please state)

Assistance ‘in kind’ (please state)

I support the project but could not offer financial assistance

NO, I DO NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL FOR A FULL-SIZE INDOOR COURT COMMUNITY SPORTS FACILITY IN TE AROHA AS I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE AN UNNECESSARY WASTE OF RESOURCE

Name of Person

Name of Organisation (if applicable)

Date

PLEASE RETURN TO:

Te Aroha Community Sport & Events Centre Project, Stanley Ave School, Stanley Avenue, Te Aroha

OR:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL