Created following the 2015 floods, the South Dunedin Community Network has worked to support the people of South Dunedin and help foster connections between people and groups.
Since 2020, the network has been based at 278a King Edward St — a Dunedin City Council-owned building, operating as a community hub. It receives funding through the DCC Place-based Community Grants Fund.
The network rooms have operated as a drop-in space for locals, as well as a meeting place for more than 40 community groups, including adult education classes, church meetings, cultural gatherings and support groups.
South Dunedin Community Network manager Rose Dickie said, as the council now needed to complete urgently required compliance work on the building, the network was moving to a new home.
"We are very grateful to the DCC for providing us the space at 278a King Edward St, free of charge, for the past six years," Ms Dickie said.
"However, the issues with the building can’t wait any longer, so it’s time for us to make a move."
Ms Dickie, who took over as manager in January, said the organisation had looked around at options for a new hub, until a visit to the Ārai te uru Kōkiri Training Centre provided the ideal solution.
The Kōkiri Training Centre provides education, training and support in a kaupapa Māori environment for community members.
"The Kōkiri Training Centre owns its building and has a large amount of available space — in fact they were looking for a suitable organisation to share with," she said.
"So, it has all worked out very well indeed.
"We are excited to work alongside the Kōkiri community, and we look forward to the opportunities this move will bring."
Located just around the corner, at 51 Macandrew Rd, the Kōkiri Training Centre has a very large reception area, which will be shared by the South Dunedin Network and will be an ideal space for some community groups to gather.
"The space will be ideal for organisations like Com2Tech to hold their technology workshops, or weaving group Te whatu Kōrowai o Ōtepoti to work on their projects.
"And it will bring a lovely vibrancy to the centre."
For groups which needed privacy or a break-out space, there were plenty of options available at the Kōkiri Training Centre site, Ms Dickie said.
"We are doing a lot of thinking about what will suit each of the groups that we are working with — we want everyone to feel welcome."
The move to the new premises was being completed this week, with support from Taskforce Green and volunteers, some of it using wheelbarrows, Ms Dickie said.
"It’s great that the new space is so close — we can just wheel a lot of things around the corner."
The South Dunedin Community Network will settle in to the new space at 51 Macandrew Rd quickly, with groups able to continue gathering as normal.
"It should be fairly straightforward for our groups — we have been reaching out to them to let them know what is happening."
In due course, once everything was organised in the new space, an opening event would be planned, she said.
