Art 4 Change Project focused on the Stokes Valley Plunket Rooms
Long standing project partnerships between Koraunui Marae, Plunket and Lower Hutt Healthy Cities made this project that was focused on the Stokes Valley Plunket Room relatively easy to set up. The project was initiated when Councils graffiti removal contractor, Dave Sullivan suggested to the Stokes Valley Plunket nurse, Debra Bee, that she telephone Sandy Beath-Croft at Hutt City Council about the vandalism and graffiti that had occurred. Sandy was already running Art 4 Change, a programme designed to foster relationships between local young people and their community, working closely with Wiki Samuel from Te Ora Hou/Youth for Christ and a talented young artist named Daniel Mills. During our initial site visit, which included Philomena Heka from Koraunui Marae, Wiki suggested running Art 4 Change with the Koraunui Marae youth training course. Plunket was also able to draw upon the long standing support received from and significant skills and resources provided by the Stokes Valley Rotary club members, and its representative by Ross McKinnon. One of the clubs former members is Cr. Angus Finlayson, who was able to contribute his building knowledge and skills.
The initiating meeting was attended by Ross McKinnon, Debra Bee, Dorothy Mitchell as the areas clinical leader for Plunket, Ray McIntosh as Plunket president for the area, Jacqui Harrison from Plunket, Cr Finlayson; Philomena Heka, Wiki Samuel, Dan Mills and Sandy Beath-Croft. Ross suggested that the Plunket project would fit in well with a project Rotary was undertaking with Councils Parks Services division to upgrade to the adjacent childrens playground in Speldhurst Park.
Cr Finalyson and Ross McKinnon, supported by Shane Te Kira and the students in the Koraunui Marae programme, completed the repairs to the Plunket Rooms on Monday, 14 February. The following week the students worked with Dan Mills to design and apply the mural to the Plunket Rooms walls. At about the same time the Stokes Valley Rotary painted and tidied the rest of the Plunket Rooms and surrounding gardens. Note that although Councils Environmental Education programmes funded the costs to cover spray paint and the teaching equipment, most of the costs were met by Stokes Valley Community Trust and Rotary.
Stokes Valley Plunket Project An Art 4 Change programme run in partnership with Stokes Valley Plunket, Rotary and Koraunui Marae.
March-April 2005
preface
This is a story about how a community came together to solve a problem.
The Stokes Valley Plunket Room was looking a little bit sad with lots of graffiti and holes in the back walls. We really need some help, Deb said one day to Councils graffiti contractor Dave. Ring Sandy at the Council, suggested Dave. Sandy suggested organising a stakeholders meeting, but because everyone was so busy they decided to do so after the Christmas holidays.
The initial meeting, held on 1st February 2005, was between Plunket, Koraunui Marae, Te Ora Hou and Keep Hutt City Beautiful. At that meeting it was agreed that the Art 4 Change programme should be run in conjunction with Koraunui Marae. The stakeholders meeting took place on 10 February. In attendance were youth worker Wiki from Te Ora Hou, Philomena from Koraunui Marae, Ross from Rotary, Cr. Finlayson (ex-Rotary), artistfacilitator Dan, Sandy from Council and Jacquie, Dorothy and Ray from Plunket. The group agreed that the building project should begin on Monday 14 February and the Art 4 Change programme the following week.
Ross commented that he was working with Lesley at Council to have a new childrens playground installed, and he thought that the completion of both projects should be celebrated with one communitywide celebration. Everyone agreed. So the project to repair the back wall of the Plunket Rooms commenced on 14 February. Cr Finlayson worked with the Koraunui Marae students to teach them a little bit about building. Ross and Shane from Koraunui worked alongside. On 21 February Dan started working with the students at the Marae, teaching them about art and design. During the stakeholders meeting it was agreed that the mural theme should reflect Plunkets role in the community in working with families to support healthy children. This was communicated to the students through the design process.
Deb has worked extremely hard alongside Ross and his team of hard working Rotary volunteers to finish off the rest of the Plunket Rooms. A new fresh and welcoming face of Plunket is now presented to the Stokes Valley community. The Plunket mothers are delighted. This event is a celebration of the completion of two very important community projects that where initiated, carried out and in the main funded by the Stokes Valley Community Trust and the Stokes Valley Rotary supported by the Community First Foundation.