Letters of Support
Murihiku Regeneration
A Ngai Tahu led development of a long-term regeneration plan for Southland that meets the aspirations of the Four Pou: social, cultural, economic and environment.
Our intention is to be a part of this facility and use it to connect with whānau. We are conscious of the importance of taking our support to whānau and believe that a facility of this type in South Invercargill will enable that. In terms of use, we see opportunities through our collaboration with SIT and also the Anamata Maia (Confident Futures) rangatahi service we are current launching.
Murihiku Regeneration is leading the development of a Worker Transition Service under the Just Transition process triggered by the announced closure of Tiwai Smelter. This Service will require outreach facilities in order to best support and enable whānau to develop pathways into decent, life-affirming work. We would use the Centre to meet with people to support their pathway planning, and provide seminars and training related to successfully transitioning to different opportunities.
We believe that a community facility of this type would prove invaluable to the community and the successful delivery of services. It will provide a welcoming and inclusive space for all people, removing barriers to access for people.
Te kura o whare pa – Fernworth Primary
We operate right in the catchment area of what would be the Grace Street Project’s target market.
Our students need pride in where they are from and a sense of belonging to encourage great learning and a safe place with lots happening would be very beneficial.
Our whānau are very engaged in making things as great for their tamariki as they can, but there are some challenges unique to them, and to South Invercargill, and I can see this project alleviating many of those.
This project feels like something that could encourage amazing community pride and that the possibilities would only grow more and more. Our school vision is Whakapono - Manaakitanga, with Whakapono being understanding self, and Manaakitanga being working with others. The Grace Street Project will give a real-life context outside of school to help make this a reality for our whānau and community.
Te Wharekura o Arowhenua High School
We have a number of students who reside in the South City and surrounding area. Recently we conducted a survey with our students regarding what they felt they needed in the area that they grew up in. There were two overwhelming topics that they identified:
• There is a lack of space where they can meet safely and be entertained with their friends.
• They felt that outside of their kura there was nowhere that you could be ‘Maori’.”
Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)
A priority focus for SIT and more generally for Te Pukenga is working to achieve educational equity for Māori, Pasifika and other under-served groups in our community. We know South Invercargill is the part of our community where these groups are disproportionately present.
The Grace Street Project envisages a multi-purpose community facility in the southern part of the city where no similar facility exists. The facility would provide a space where engagement with rangatahi and others from our south Invercargill community could be fostered. It would provide an opportunity to reach into a part of our community which is socially and culturally distant from our central community facilities, including our inner city SIT campus.
The opportunity to partner with a highly credible community partner (the Invercargill Community Connections Trust) to establish connections, engagement and ultimately pathways with people in our community who we will otherwise struggle to reach is why SIT has decided to partner with the Grace Street Project. Our partnership includes a substantial financial investment through a $250k grant and then a 5 = 5-year lease at $25k per year. We have committed to being a founding partner and investor in the Grace St Project to help optimise the potential benefits to our community.
COIN South
I believe the new facility would be a great location to support innovation and enable more people from South Invercargill to access services delivered by COIN South. We would appreciate the opportunity to use the space to have regular drop in times each month for residents of South Invercargill to meet with COIN to discuss their business ideas and to use the facility to host COIN South workshops, incubator sessions and events
Te Rourou: One NZ
A national youth-based organisation which is focusing much of its current work on the Murihiku region and Invercargill in particular. This is the first place-based programme it has run.
We see huge value in the work that IC2 is progressing, as part of the creation of a broad range of safe and inclusive spaces for young people in the Invercargill area. Our research, in particular, the “Thriving in Murihiku Report”, indicated that young people are looking for safe and welcoming spaces where they can be themselves. We see (The Grace Street Project) as a clear opportunity to meet these needs for rangatahi in South City.
Your Corps
James Wards is the owner and operator of Your Corps, which is a multi-award winning youth service based in Invercargill that focuses on technology and community. In support of the project, James said “a purpose-built venue would help facilitate more technologically sophisticated events and opportunities for the community, in my belief, this is desperately needed in Invercargill, and would be an extremely worthwhile investment in the region. Particularly in south Invercargill …”
Miharo
Maori and Pasifika cultural arts trust based in Invercargill
As an organization, we work closely with rangatahi and youth, so we can attest to the need for a space such as this that provides these services. Particularly within the proposed location, as a large portion of our Māori/Pasifika community reside in South Invercargill. By providing them with a safe space where they can meet, learn and engage in new activities, you are supporting not only the well-being of our youth, but also future Murihiku.
Presently there are very few indoor places specifically for young people in our city where they are safe and free to meet with friends. We see this as a big need and something that will provide a positive impact in our community.
Grey Power
The Grey Power Southland committee confirms its unqualified support for the Saving Grace Project.
It is essential that a space or destination be created in South City for community use. The Grace Street building is conveniently located, and well suited to the project.
A significant number of Grey Power Southland's 2000 members (about 65%) live the wider South City area.
At the moment older people have little option but to travel to the city centre for social contact and to participate in community activities. Those with limited mobility, no driver's licence, and low incomes find that difficult: they are unable to get into town and become increasingly lonely and isolated, eventually developing the associated stresses and mental health problems. Social isolation denies them the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of people and they miss out on the benefits of belonging to a local, intergenerational community. A "closer to home" venue which fosters a strong sense of belonging, and provides opportunities for inclusion and participation is a welcome initiative.
Our committee looks forward to meeting the needs of older people by holding regular meetings, advisory clinics, workshops, and information sessions in the South City Village Hub located in the Grace Street building.
Southland Beneficiaries and Community Rights Centre Inc
We write to support the Grace Street Project ….because South Invercargill …is an area that suffers from considerable poverty and social disadvantage, largely as a result of economic change over previous decades including the closure of two meat processing plants…. As a result of those changes, South Invercargill is impoverished and needs help from organisations like the Trust and our own so that people can lead lives of dignity and purpose. We support this proposal because we know there are still many unmet needs in that part of our city, in spite of the efforts of other organisations.
E Tū Union
This letter has been written to formally endorse the Grace Street Project…
E tū is a union of over 45,000 members and we have an office and staff in Invercargill. It would be invaluable to have a community-based facility, such as this in South Invercargill for E tū where many of our members and workplaces are located or reside. More than 200 live in the vicinity of the Grace Street Project. This project aligns with our purpose: Empowering working people and our communities for a better life.
We know that this project will benefit many workers and their families in the South Invercargill community and beyond. Our intention is to actively support both the development and implementation of the infrastructure, currently known as the Grace Street Project.
CCS Disability Services
We are in support of the project as it creates a great opportunity to reach out and connect with everyone in the Southland community. We have been trying to find ways to be more active within the Southland community to raise awareness that people with disabilities can make valuable and positive contributions to our communities. We would welcome the opportunity to use an accessible venue to hold hui for our disabled members along with meaningful workshops and meetings involving informative topics and hobby activities etc.
Chroma
The LGBTQI+ initiative for Southland
CHROMA is a charity run by rainbow people for rainbow people, their whānau and friends, in Invercargill and the wider southern area. Having a safe place where our community can feel safe would be of great benefit.
CHROMA caters for a range of age groups who benefit greatly from being able to meet with and support each other in a place that feels safe, non-threatening and versatile. We host a range of functions and activities …..therefore a multipurpose facility so close to much of our community will allow greater inclusion and opportunities to mix with wider groups if and when our members are ready.
A facilitated community lounge would be a fantastic asset for our already vulnerable groups as it would help provide an element of security and careful management of people movement if necessary.
As a not-for-profit ourselves, having access to a multi-purpose facility that offers accessible pricing options would make it more likely that we can make regular bookings and expand the activities we can offer. The idea of a multi-purpose place that complements the great community work already happening at The Pantry and The Pod makes a lot of sense to use at CHROMA. We look forward to continuing to be involved in the consultation work and to, eventually being part of the regular user group.
