About 250 unpaid volunteers have joined forces for a $322,000 upgrade of the Balclutha Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Gormack St.
The hall was built of honey-coloured Oamaru stone in 1989, and this year’s work includes a new roof, fascia, soffits, doors and double-glazed windows.
New indoor features include air-conditioning, insulation and acoustic tiles, a new stage, audio-visual system and a revised floor plan.
"It’s about keeping the learning environment comfortable, healthy and safe for everybody," project overseer Ben Meares, originally of Whangarei, said.
Hailing from Mosgiel to Gisborne and further afield, all volunteers were church members, and Mr Meares moved with a core team of nine permanent specialists for church missions ranging from community renovations to disaster aid in the Pacific.
"We like to have people in homes rather than caravans, especially at this time of year," local carpenter Sam Crawford said.
"At my place I’ve had four volunteers staying at a time."
Balclutha congregation elder Peter Murray and his wife moved in with his in-laws to make his own home available for two volunteer couples.
"Generally, a Kingdom Hall gets a minor reno after 15 years and a major reno after 30 years," he said.
"The local congregation is very happy to look after our travelling volunteers, and we like to be here and help out where we can."
The project started at the beginning of June and was funded centrally by the international church of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and was hoped to be completed and signed off by the council at the end of this month.
While the renovation was under way, the congregation of 38 were holding their Wednesday and Saturday meetings at the Southern Institute of Technology Telford campus.
