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New Hall for Churton Park Kids

Tuesday 8 May 2012, 1:04PM

By Wellington City Council

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Amesbury School pupils enjoy their new hall.
Amesbury School pupils enjoy their new hall. Credit: Wellington City Council

WELLINGTON CITY

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown will officially open Amesbury School's new hall this Saturday (12 May) - an exciting new facility for Churton Park.

Wellington City Council gave $850,000 towards the hall's development last year to make it fit for wider community use.


Mayor Wade-Brown says the funds have turned what was to be a standard school hall into an ideal community facility.

"Council's support has helped enable the size of the hall to be doubled from its original design, which makes it suitable for large community gatherings, as well as provides leisure opportunities for more people."

The hall now boasts two badminton courts, kitchen facilities and storage space. The Council also gave a further $22,000 grant to the board of trustees to buy things that the whole community can use - kitchenware, a sound system and a retractable basketball system.

This agreement with the Ministry of Education came about as a result of the Council's Community Facilities Review in 2010.

"There was a demand in Churton Park for better community facilities, so we talked with residents and came up with this solution for the new school," says Mayor Wade-Brown.

"This is a great example of a partnership providing better results for the community."

There is an operating agreement between the school and the Council, where the hall must be made available to the wider community after school hours on weekdays, on weekends and during school and public holidays. Amesbury School opened in February this year for Year 1-6 students.