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$10MILLION SALVATION ARMY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

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May, 2023

The Salvation Army is well underway with building a new $10
million community centre to base operations from in Frankton,
with much needed funds collected locally during the recent
Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal boosting community ministry
coffers.
Just over $6000 was collected throughout the district with help
from Altrusa and Rotary at busy collection points.
With increasing pressure on space and demand for its services the
Army has had to expand locally, digging deep into its savings to
proceed with the new 800sqm, two-level Remarkables Park
complex, adjacent to Wakatipu High School.
Corps Officer and Director of Community Ministries Lieutenant
Andrew Wilson says theyre currently talking to three local
community organisations with a social service bent who are keen
to rent the 300sqm of dedicated commercial space in the
complex. The centre officially opens on November 11.
Were keeping our Gorge Road Family Centre as its a fantastic
site with a great landlord a treasure trove in the centre of town,
but the two centres will be servicing two very different
communities, says Andrew.
Programmes like SPACE Supporting Parents as Child Educators, an
early parenting programme, and Building Awesome Whanau will
operate from both centres. Our social service teams will move
around to whichever centre is easier for individual clients to
access.
The only thing that will remain exclusive to Gorge Road is second
hand furniture, due to space limitations. But you cant have a
Salvation Army base without a Family Store so there will be a new
boutique one, similar to the popular, former Camp Street one, at
Remarkables Park, says Andrew. Were keeping all community
ministries in Gorge Road as well as the making those all available
at the new site. Clients can then easily access our financial
mentoring, social services, counselling, budget advice and life
skills and parenting programmes, and Food Bank from either
location.
Salvation Army church services, formerly at Camp Street now
Gorge Road, will move into the new 120-seat auditorium at
Frankton with its kitchen facilities, which will be made available
for community use as much as possible, he says. Our goal is to
host small-scale productions, music events, conferences and the
likes.
The new building also contains community ministries offices and a
50sqm multi-function room accessible to the community to hire
for training or interest groups. On-site carparking will offer 16
spaces.
It will be a much welcomed and exciting new option for residents
in the Frankton and outlying areas with so much disappointment
that the Armys Recycling Centre Store in Glenda Drive was forced
to close last year due to serious staff shortages, says Andrew. This
was run in conjunction with Waste Management and Smart
Environmental.
For a long time the communitys been crying out for more
community space and we had really outgrown the Camp Street
site, says Andrew. This will house us for the foreseeable future
and we can make some of the new space available to community
groups.
The Army is incredibly grateful to Community Trust South, Central
Lakes Trust and other providers, as well as donors, for stumping
up about $700,000 of the money. Weve been doing lots of
fundraising and putting aside funds from every nook and cranny
for some time, as well as from our national capital funds,
foreseeing this need, says Andrew. This has been a long time in
the works.
Building on the new complex began in September last year.
He promises to bring out all the Salvation Army favourites for the
November grand opening, including the Armys popular brass band
and South Island Maori Ministry Waiata Group who will be on hand
to celebrate and showcase Maori culture.
The Salvation Army recently moved out of its Wanaka Family Store
site as rents grew unmanageable, moving to the current site in
the Three Parks development.

Source: Lakes Weekly Bulletin