Y.M.C.A. HALL AT BRYNDWR

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 10

Y.M.C.A. HALL AT BRYNDWR

Appeal Beginning This Week

A £lO,OOO youth and community hall project to serve the huge new housing areas between Langdons road, Papanui, and Hamilton avenue, Fendalton, has been launched this week by the Y.M.C.A. The site for the building is in Greers road, near Wairakei road. It is expected that the new hall will be in operation by next April.

The plans now being completed include a gymnasium-hall 64ft by 48ft with dressing rooms attached, a meeting room 30ft by 20ft, a games room 30ft by 25ft and other amenities.

The building, about 100 ft long and 65ft wide, will be set back on the three sections totalling 2 roods 22 perches, to make space for a lawn area with children’s play equipment. The Y.M.C.A. raised most of its funds from the community and therefore served as stewards for public money, the general secretary (Mr A. E. Collins) said yesterday. This project, like others, was planned for the benefit of the community, not just for the Y.M.C.A. So the new hall in the north-west would be available for any activity supported by the district and the Y.M.C.A. would help where it could. A local board of control would be formed later. Many Activities The Y.M.C.A. already planned to offer at Bryndwr activities for boys between about 6 and 7.30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays next year; girls’ activities on Tuesdays; mixed high school-age programmes on Fridays (when homework would not be upset); young adults on Thursdays (after the junior programmes); mixed indoor basketball on Mondays, mixed indoor bowls on Tuesdays, mixed badminton and mixed table tennis on Wednesdays, and afternoon, “keep slim” classes for women.

It would still be possible to adjust the use of the building so that scouts, women’s clubs, or any other organisation might use the centre, Mr Collins said. The Y.M.C.A. had no objection for district sports clubs also using the centre for meetings or training periods. “All this shows that the new hall will be a very busy place,” Mr Collins said. This week leaflets describing the project have been delivered to every home in the area and an appeal made for 2s a week to be placed in a collection envelope for 10 weeks. By this method the Y.M.C.A. believes that each family can make a modest weekly contribution which will provide £1 a household at the end of the period. It suggests that the project be talked over by the family at the tea table and that some member be made responsible for the family contributions each week. The Y.M.C.A. says It has no doubt that youngsters will support the plan and keep the family up to it. The main appeal this week is for “Dad” to read the pamphlet to the family.