Recreation Centre celebrates 25 years of service to the community

February 15th, 2012

Pauline Ong, who turned 82 on the 13th, blows the 25 candles as a celebration of the Centre's 25th birthday. With her are MRC Staff Laura Parkin and Connie Filipov and CEO Sport Tasman Nigel Muir.

Yesterday was a big one for the staff at the Motueka Recreation Centre as it celebrated 25 years building from a fruit packhouse to a hugely successful community sport and health facility.

Motueka Online asked Brent Maru, who has been instrumental in developing this enterprise and who, with his wife Jody, remains a key driving force behind its further growth, to tell us all about the Recreation Centre's story over the past 25 years. Here is his account:

FROM APPLES TO BASKETBALLS
By Brent Maru

Formerly the Motueka Co-opt Packhouse, the Motueka Recreation Centre celebrates a 25-year milestone on the 14th February 2012. What was once the focus of the town's pip fruit industry is now a community recreation facility that boasts an average door count of 23,000 movements each month.

Originally formed by an independent trust board, the founding clubs - the Motueka Amateur Roller Skating Club, Motueka Netball Association, Motueka Aikido Club, Motueka Judo Club and Seido Karate Motueka - all remain at the Centre today, having seen the demise of the Motueka Badminton Association and Motueka Basketball Association some 20 years ago.

It is appropriate at such an anniversary to acknowledge the vision and work carried out by the many voluntary organisations, service groups and establishing trust board in having such a vision 25 years ago which has developed into such a diverse hub for sport, recreation and leisure.

It is also important to reflect on the generosity and community support of Sir Patrick Goodman who through Mr Ian Hampton led a rescue package for the Centre resulting in the "Recreation Centre $1 million debt free amenity" being announced in the Nelson Mail on the 12 April 1989, some two years after construction.

In the history of the complex it has attracted notable sports people such as the first Centre Director, New Zealand Point Guard Chris Simpson, and later New Zealand Cricket wicket keeper, Tony Blain.

Following the restructuring the facility was gifted to the Tasman District Council and the management of the Centre was entrusted to a new management committee chaired by Mrs Mary Lafrentz until 1996, after which time TDC decided to contract the management of the facility out for tender.

It must be acknowledged that throughout the early 1990s under the management of Mrs Mary Nicholls the facility certainly found its place within the Motueka community, with the Centre leading and having an involvement in all major events and community initiatives taking place throughout this era.

Not only was the participation in sport and recreation growing, but the community were seeing what a valuable community development tool the Centre had become. Unique events such as the New Zealand Cooee Contest, Ball Gown of the Year and Midwinter Celebrations in association with Mainstreet to name a few were driven under the management of Ms Nicholls.

Following the contracting of the Centre, newcomers to Motueka, Roger Coleman and Karen Greenslade, were the successful appointees to lead the Centre through the next phase of its lifecycle. They brought a fresh new perspective and built on the established programmes continuing to increase usage of the complex. The MotRock development was a vision of Karen and Roger who constructed the first indoor climbing facility within Nelson/Tasman.

In 1999 Sport Tasman were successfully awarded the contract to manage the Centre and we must acknowledge the support and goodwill that we have received from the Tasman District Council that has truly been instrumental in seeing the facility develop to what we all see today. It is important to acknowledge Mr Lloyd Kennedy and his Community Recreation team, in particular Mike Tasman-Jones, Francie Wafer and Jim Frater, for their continued support and enthusiasm.

Two years ago Jody Maru was appointed as Centre Manager. Throughout this time Jody has managed the Centre through a $2.1 million upgrade, introduced Spin to the Centre, and after 24 years was finally able to achieve the installation of air conditioning to the upstairs group fitness lounge.

Whilst looking back over the past 25 years it is fitting to reflect on the long service of four individuals to their respective codes that have been a pivotal part of the success of both the clubs they are involved in and who have supported the development of the Centre. Netball's Ronnie Wilkins and Dot Craze, Seido Karate's Richmond Grant, and Richard Horrell from the Motueka Judo Club should also be acknowledged for their 25 years of service.

In closing I would like to read an extract from a report from the Management Committee on 31 March 1989. "When the finances were in place Mr Goodman agreed to expend a further $63,500 on improvements to the Centre. This brought his total contribution to $250,000.

"The Centre is effectively debt free and is there to be enjoyed by everyone. It is a facility which could comfortably serve a district with a much greater population and consequently needs full support of the people to sustain it. We believe that the full benefits of the Centre will become more apparent in a year or two, maybe even five to ten years.

"The Centre is now being given every opportunity to develop and to be a strong focal point for recreation in this district. It is effectively debt free so that funds are not diverted to debt servicing and every cent raised will go into further improvements and development.

"The Centre's future now rests with the people. If they use it we will have a marvellous asset. If they don't it will revert to a Centre for the use solely of the sports or activities which have their headquarters there."

A closer look at the success of the Centre and the level of usage it now sees annually is demonstrated in the following statistics: Average 23,000 visitor movements per month. Of this annual 280,000, a total of 51,252 attended a staff-delivered programme of which 29,530 were aged 0-18yrs, 15,530 aged 19yrs-59yrs, and 6,192 over 60yrs.

The current team lead by Jody Maru are always looking at new initiatives and are well aware of the many challenges ahead to ensure that the Centre continues to be a focal point for sport and recreation, but more importantly a remains a valued community hub.

Jody is supported by Libby Brown (Assistant Manager), Hana Corbett-Burrows (Sport and Youth), Ria Ahearn (Events and Fitness), Wendy Brown (Way2Go coordinator), Marg Scannell, Laura Parkin, Vaughn Creighton, Connie Filipov, Chiy Sutherland as Recreation Asisstants, Kevin O'Connor as the Centre Custodian, as well as a pool of seasonal casual staff.

[Staff are looking forward to Saturday 19th May when they will be holding the offical birthday celebrations with an evening cabaret and awards evening. If you enjoyed the RWC2011 fanzone, this will be a night not to miss. Tickets will be available mid March.]

MRC Staff Laura Parkin, Connie Filipov, Centre Manager
Jody Maru and CEO Sport Tasman Nigel Muir cutting the cake.

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