Glenavon Community Hub is doing great things for its community, hosting events and activities that foster community spirit, friendship, learning and ‘doing good stuff’.
Since its establishment in 2009, the hub has helped hundreds of families and children through a series of programmes, networks, community services and events which meet the needs of Glenavon locals.
Part funded by Whau Local Board and run by a coordinator and number of volunteers, Glenavon Community Hub serves a small, ethnically diverse community of approximately 6500 people or 500 households located in between Blockhouse Bay and Avondale.
At the heart of the community
“The Hub and Glenavon School, with attached Early Childhood and Te Ara Hou Unit, are at the heart of Glenavon Community,” says hub co-ordinator Eva Wongchiu.
“Glenavon is a pocket of high need with over 230 Housing NZ households, a figure that will rise to around 274 when current HNZ developments are completed, and the Hub, in partnership with the School, will play an important role welcoming these new families to the Community.”
The impact of the Hub in the community has been overwhelmingly positive, she says.
Substantial impact
“Since its establishment, there has been a substantial impact on the sense of safety and increased community connectedness in Glenavon," Eva says.
“Crime, vandalism and graffiti are no longer visible and in addition to the hub facility which is available for community and service provider use, the Trust that manages it has an annual programme of events and services.
“We run community events, such as the hub happy hour for people to come together and mingle, the ‘My backyard Garden Project’, which helps teach people about growing their own veggies and offer kickstart grants to help with community projects.
“It really is the heart of the community and makes a real difference to the people who live here.”
Empowering
Whau Local Board Chair, Tracy Mulholland agrees. “It is such a great thing that we are able to support this project,” she says.
“Empowering our community to make the place they live a better place is at the heart of what the board does, and this project absolutely does that.”
