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The temporary closure of Ōrewa Community Centre could be too much for one of its user groups, the Hibiscus Coast Senior Citizen Association, which has been going for almost 60 years.
Auckland Council is closing the centre for around four months while seismic strengthening and roof repairs take place (HM October 16). The work is expected to begin by the end of November, although a definite start date has not yet been confirmed.
Hibiscus Coast Senior Citizen Association secretary, Val Lincoln, says the closure, at short notice, has left her organisation feeling as though it has been badly treated by Council.
The group, now in its 58th year, uses the hall two days a week, for four-hour sessions. Around 40 of its members, whose average age is mid-80s, regularly attend the sessions. Lincoln says that for many of them it is their only outing or social contact with others.
“We, like all the other users got our one month notice of the hall closure and no alternative venue was offered to us,” Lincoln says. “I heard months ago that the hall was to be re-roofed and I’m sure they could have given us more notice. As a result, we cannot find anything available in Ōrewa that suits our needs. It now means that our bowls, cards and scrabble are in recess for five months. This could mean the demise of our club.”
She says week after getting the notice, she asked about the group’s expensive equipment, which is stored in the kitchen, under the stage, and in the entrance cupboards, and was told everything would have to be cleared out.
“No offers for storage were forthcoming, so we have now cleared out all of our property by hiring a truck, and storing it in our own homes.”
She says members will do their best to keep the club together and look after each other through this time. Offers have also come in from other clubs, which they are considering.
“With start time for refurbishment not yet confirmed and, with holidays and so on, I can see the programme taking longer to complete, probably past the end of March 2024.”
