“Is anything happening with the Town Hall?” I have been asked this question so many times in recent weeks it is a relief to be able to share with you what the Town Hall Working Group has been up to and where it is heading.
In the last update (STAR, March 2013) the Working Group had adopted a fundraising and refurbishment plan. A draft architectural brief was being written. Not long after this report, a recommendation was made to the Working Group that we should take a look at professional fundraiser and planner, Steve Bramley. It was said Steve had an impressive track record, successfully facilitating multi-million dollar community projects to completion for Councils including Kaitaia, Buller, Blenheim, Ashburton and Timaru.
Max Stevens checked out Steve with these Councils. None could speak too highly of him and the value he had added to their communities. So the Working Group decided to invite Steve to a meeting to assess whether what he had to offer would fit with what we were aiming to do with the Town Hall.
Steve made several key points. Among them was that we should be imagining a future for Martinborough within the context of the use of the Town Hall 30 to 50 years from now. Another was that projects that are community inclusive are more likely to attract funding; that is funding from organisations such as the Lotteries Board, Eastern & Central Community Trust, Corporates and individual philanthropists.
Such projects draw segments of the community together eg. sports, arts, leisure, service organisations, local businesses (a coffee shop maybe?), voluntary groups and others. As we listened to Steve we began to see a future emerging with the Town Hall as more than just a hall. It could become a multi-purpose community centre.
Steve’s ideas conjured up a compelling and sustainable long term view for the future of the Martinborough Town Hall which would also give the community a valuable and user-friendly asset at the same time. It was exciting stuff especially after learning about the successful multi –million dollar projects completed for other local authorities.
Needless to say, the-time line and refurbishment plan and architect brief have been parked for the moment. The Working Group’s thoughts for the Town Hall have been broadened to consider the possibility of planning for a multi-purpose community centre around the Town Hall.
Where to now? The SWDC have employed Steve and another member of his team, Murali Bhaskar, to scope and evaluate this broadened concept with the community as the driver for development and which is at its heart.
On August 1st and 2nd Steve and Murali will be meeting with various stakeholders and community groups who have an interest in the Town Hall. These people will be asked questions in relation to the Town Hall and what their needs, requirements and hopes are for the future of Martinborough.
Victoria Read is contacting interest groups and compiling this list for Steve. At the end of his research, Steve will assess whether this broadened project is feasible. All previous work on the Town Hall will be taken in to account too.
The Martinborough Town Hall community fundraising account sits at $25.000. The Working Group are pleased that an application to the Community Board for funds from the Pain Farm Trust has yielded a pledge of $100.000; $50.000 for the 2013/14 financial year and the remainder for the 2014/15 financial year. This may well seem a lot of money. However much more will be needed for the Town Hall project to succeed so please keep the sausage sizzles and other fundraising activities going – every bit counts!!
Winifred Bull, Communication Committee, Martinborough Town Hall Working Group
