| 99 Sue Russell New hall on track The new hall will offer the church and wider community groups a really lovely space to gather in, complete with a commercial standard kitchen, ablution areas and separate office spaces. COMMUNITY Wesley Methodist Church: Apollo Projects We offer a wide array of both residential and commercial services: House Sections Driveways Drainage Foundations Retaining Walls Landscaping Decorative Rocks Aggregate Supply Site Clearing berkettearthmovers2012@gmail.com 027 642 2265 2012 Ltd. set in stone P L A S T E R I N G SOLID • SKILLED • SUPERIOR Brendon Hansen - Director • 021 050 5513 setinstone@xtra.co.nz • 188 Main Rd, Clive, Hawke’s Bay 4102 Proud to support the Wesley Methodist Church There are some exciting developments taking place at the Wesley Community Church in Hastings as the local congregation and wider community prepare to welcome the opening of a new purpose-built hall. The church’s existing hall was 67 years old and was not able to meet more stringent seismic standards required of today’s modern community facilities. Due to be completed soon the new hall will offer the church and wider community groups a really lovely space to gather in, complete with a commercial standard kitchen, ablution areas and separate office spaces. Iakopo Faafuata is the church’s minister and has been in this parish for 13 years now. He, along with all in the congregation are very much looking forward to the new hall. “It’s going to be used by not just us but other groups as well. As such it will really benefit the community much wider than the church,” Iakopo says. The cost of the hall build is more than $3.6million and Iakopo says that most of the funding has been secured. Hastings District Council is a key funding partner for this project and its endorsement and investment will be important in getting other funders on board. The Hastings District Council provided a grant of $400,000, the Lottery provided a grant of $300,000 and a further $150,000 has been received from the Eastern & Central Community Trust. Smaller but still very significant gifts have also been received from the Gwen Malden Trust ($50,000), the Bernard Chambers Trust ($50,000) and $10,000 from Tasman Smith. “We also have a $1.7million loan from the church plus money we have raised internally as members of this church.” Design of the hall came from Architecture HDT based in Napier while Apollo Projects are responsible for project management and construction of the hall. “Apollo Projects was recommended to us by Council, who we approached to consider providing us with funding. We have found them to be very efficient and very clear at communicating well with us.” Iakopo says the community can’t wait to welcome the new hall. A new auditorium with seating for up to 250 (theatre style). It could also be configured to seat 150 dinner guests. Three other large rooms, one for the Church Ministers office and two other meeting rooms, means there’s plenty of options for groups interesting in using the hall for their activities. “We’re hoping this will become a greatly used community facility and really add value. There are two showers each for men and women and a special room for disabled people. We are also looking at providing audio-visual equipment for groups to use.” Opposite the new hall is an Opera House. When they need to cater for very large groups Iakopo says the hall will be made available for them. “It will also mean that if we are holding a really big event, the church can use their spaces as well, so it benefits us both.” Almost all the congregation are Samoan and services are conducted in that language. A group of seven people have steered the project through for the church, including Mrs Olive Tanielu the Parish Steward, Mr Leaula Pio the Parish Secretary, Mrs Tuatagaloa Saunoa Tulou the Parish and Project Treasurer, Ms Tumema Faioso the Project Committee Secretary, Mr Fuaiavailiili Setu Pio a Project Committee member, Dennis Coon the Parish Property Manager, who carries a great deal of its history and Rev Iakopo Faafuata the Project Committee Chair. The Project Manager is Mr Ronnie Matafeo who resides in Auckland but has a weekly zoom meeting with Apollo project managers.
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