Community centre celebrates 25 years

More than 20 years of school holiday fun is one of the many things that will be celebrated at the Katikati Community Centre’s anniversary celebrations on November 24.

If only the walls could talk.

There's been a lot of laughs and a lot of learning at Katikati Community Centre over the past 25 years, and the community will come together later this month to celebrate.

The centre opened in 1993 and was initially staffed by volunteers, providing rooms for visiting health professionals, social service providers and voluntary support groups.

Chris Ridder took on the manager's role in 1995 and added a vast array of services and programmes, including an information service, school holiday programmes, an after-school programme, adult and community education and pregnancy and parenting classes.

'It was always about community and the people,” says Chris, 'and what we as a team could bring to our isolated community that would make a difference.”

Special events over the years have included health and wellbeing expos and parenting seminars. A visit from social justice advocate Celia Lashlie, author of ‘He'll be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men', attracted 400 people to Katikati College hall in 2007.

'Celia seemed to take Katikati under her wing and was always willing to come back and share her wisdom with us,” says Chris.

The centre has won numerous awards over the years, including the 2006 Trustpower Community Awards Supreme Award for the Western Bay of Plenty and the Joan Kehely Community Trophy, as well as awards for its school holiday and adult education programmes.

The 25th anniversary community celebration will be held at Katikati Community Centre on Beach Road from 9am-12pm on Saturday, November 24.

Festivities will include live music, games and activities and a sausage sizzle. The former St John Ambulance bay will be officially opened as a new space at the centre, and the public will have the chance to vote on new names for the three spaces at the centre.

You may also like....