Jill Gibson has stepped away after 28 years working at The Y Mt Albert Community and Leisure Centre, to take up a new role at YMCA North Shore. Jill looks back at at her time working in the Albert-Eden community.
When did you start working at YMCA Mt Albert?
I started with in December 1996. Before that, I worked for the council at the same site, which was then known as Mt Albert Recreation Centre. My history with the recreation centre goes back to the late 1960s when I attended the Mt Albert Gymnasium Club there.
What roles have you done over this time?
I've done almost every role except fitness trainer. I began as a volunteer, helping with the gymnastics programme when my daughter was five years old. I then assisted with holiday programmes, worked in the office, and started and ran a creche for parents attending the gym and aerobics classes.
When The Y took over in 1996, I continued in the creche. As my children grew older, I took on more responsibilities, eventually working on reception. The Community Centre was added in 2002 and by 2003, I became the Community Centre Manager. In 2005, I stepped up to become the manager of what is now known as Mt Albert Community and Leisure Centre.
What have been some of the best highlights during your time?
There have been so many! Here are a few:
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Winning the Supreme Award at the Local Board Business Awards in 2018: This was a huge highlight. It was an honour to celebrate with the community and other businesses that contribute so much.
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Celebrating YMCA Auckland's 150th anniversary in 2005: This is my biggest project highlight. My daughter was teaching dance for The Y, and together we produced a dance show at the Auckland Town Hall with over 200 kids participating as part of the celebrations.
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The annual Albert Eden Schools Cultural Festival: This event grew to become a massive occasion, averaging 10,000 attendees with around 24 schools participating pre-COVID. It became so large that after COVID, we had to hand it over to the Council Events team.
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Partnerships, especially with Sport Auckland’s Green Prescription programme: This programme started in my early management years and is still going strong today. We have many success stories of people who were prescribed fitness by their doctors and needed to change their lifestyle. Some graduates are still attending the gym many years after starting this programme.
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Various projects supported by the local board: Working with artist Zoe Nash on the art panels that hang in the courtyard was memorable. Another notable project was an art initiative with our seniors group led by our then Community Centre Manager Robyn Brady, who created the mosaic poppy that now hangs in the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall. Other projects included a community garden and a community Halloween party, both of which continued for many years.
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Supporting and witnessing my line mangers development: I’m really proud that over the years many have gone on into higher management roles and some with The Y too.
What are you going to do now?
After a tough decision between staying at Mt Albert Community and Leisure or moving to another Y site, I chose to stay with The Y, which has always been close to my heart. Many of the team have said that The Y gets in your blood, and this is so true - just couldn’t part ways. Leaving Mt Albert behind is difficult, as it has been my second home for 35 years and it’s like leaving your family. However, when the role of Centre Manager for The Y’s Northshore Recreation facility became available, the thought of something new really excited me. I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and building a new Y family.
What’s it been like working with the Albert-Eden Local Board?
The local board has always been very supportive. Through funding special projects and ongoing investment in the centre, the board truly understand and support community sport and recreation for our community. I still personally feel it’s the best facility in the country.
What would you like to say on reflection after 28 years at The Y?
It’s a far cry from my original career in banking and I couldn’t have asked for a better journey. The Y has taught me so much, and through their support and training, they have developed me into the manager I am today. If you’d asked me 40 years ago, I would never have dreamed that I would be so passionate about community and making a difference, and I would never have believed that I would be managing a large, successful Community and Leisure Facility.
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