Cabin rebuild needs supportive businesses

Peter Snell Youth Village chair Ken Stout and co-manager Patty Campbell say it’s time for this cabin, aged almost 100 years, to go.

A little cabin that has served as sleeping quarters for thousands of youngsters at Peter Snell Youth Village over the years is to be demolished to make way for a larger, modern dormitory.

The cabin is one of two on the Army Bay property, overlooking the sea, believed to be almost 100 years old. It was the sleeping block for the family bach that was originally on the land. The other cabin has been almost completely rebuilt and is now used as a meeting room.

The old dormitory has been maintained in tidy condition, but the floor is wobbly, the foundations and roof no longer in good repair. The walls are largely held together by the board and batten cladding, with minimal framing within. Some windows no longer open and the rooms are small.

Peter Snell Village chair Ken Stout says the 16-bed dormitory has served the village well, but that it has reached the end of its useful life and will be demolished by volunteers in May. Resource consent was obtained at the end of last year to demolish and replace the building, and building consent was lodged with Auckland Council on March 7.

The replacement cabin block will sleep 32, in four larger, modern bunkrooms. It will include a deck double the width of the old one, with a glass balustrade.

The village, which provides school and other groups with outdoor activities-based programmes, is seeking assistance from local businesses to help with the rebuild.

Materials, including timber framing, weatherboards and roofing are needed and the village is approaching local suppliers to see whether it can obtain discounts on those.

Anyone who can help can contact Ken Stout, phone 021 543 884 or email ken@ksmjag.co.nz