House to benefit southern neuro appeal

Neurosurgery campaign project manager Irene Mosley (right) saws while (from left) Certified Builders Otago president Glen Summers, Mitre 10 Mega trade zone leader Brady Carmichael and Mitre 10 Mega trade manager Chris Bremner watch. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

A house is to be built and auctioned to raise funds for the neurosurgery campaign.

Certified Builders Otago is providing labour to construct the three-bedroom timber-framed house in the Mitre 10 Mega car park in Andersons Bay Rd.

Mitre 10 Mega marketing manager Alison Beck said the house would be built over four weeks, starting early next month. Construction would take place at weekends and contractors would fit out the house on weekdays.

The house, which would be transported from the site, would be a perfect first home, crib, or farm accommodation, she said.

To involve the public, a gold-coin donation open home will be held when the house is complete. There will also be competitions.

It will be auctioned on April 14.

Mrs Beck said Mitre 10 had a long-standing relationship with the Neurological Foundation, which is assisting the University of Otago to raise $3 million.

The money will fund a chair in neurosurgery to lead a research unit centre of excellence in neurosurgery.

The professor will work as a third neurosurgeon at Dunedin Hospital, shoring up the southern part of the South Island regional service.

Mitre 10 Mega and Certified Builders built a charity house for Otago Community Hospice a couple of years ago - off-site rather than in the car park - and raised about $40,000.

It was hoped the neurosurgery house would raise more.

Suppliers were asked to provide material without charge, and so far the store was getting a good strike rate, Mrs Beck said.

A delighted neurosurgery fundraising campaign project manager, Irene Mosley, said the "generous" house-building offer came just as fundraising approached the halfway point.

Since it was launched on January 20, the campaign has raised $1,469,000.

The team knew the second half of the fundraising would be harder than the first, but offers like that of Mitre 10's kept campaign momentum high.