Fenchurch neighbourhood’s old Scout Hall has been refurbished and renamed. About 20 locals gathered just before sunrise on a chilly winter morning to officially open ‘Te Whare Piringa – Our Place’. The hall was blessed by Matua Patuwai, a local kaumatua who has been in the area for more than 40 years.
Bacon and eggs, spaghetti, fruit and hot drinks were then served by DJ Tuaru Temu, the Chair of the hall’s Governance Group.It took a little more than a year to transform the derelict Scout Hall into a place local residents are now proud to call their own.
TRC worked with local residents, the Department of Conservation, and Tāmaki Trades Academy students to complete the project.“It’s a lot warmer than the old place,” DJ Tuaru Temu says. The hall will be used for a variety of things, such as exercise classes, business meetings and family functions, he says.
Bookings and general management of the hall is operated by the Governance Group, whose members are from the community.
