Cracroft plea

Press, 2 June 1977, Page 14

Cracroft plea

The supporters of the Old Stone House renovation plan from the Cracroft Com-■ munity Centre might be a' little ambitious in their com-1 pletion time-table, said the I Mayor of Christchurch (Mr| H. G. Hay) on Tuesday. The project’s supporters want to start rebuilding the' old Cashmere house in January, and have it readv for use in October. 1978. They seek financial help for the SI 55.000 renovation from the Christchurch CityCouncil. the Heathcote County Council, and the Paparua County Council. By the end of this vear. ■ they hope to have $30,000 in I funds raised locally, and/ from service club support. A fund-raising campaign was i started a year ago. Since its formation in! 1972, the centre has been! without a permanent head- i quarters, relying on rented halls and private homes forn

its meetings, ft now has about 400 members. , The centre's president (Mr N. F. Roberts) presented a petition of 1200 signatures to I • the council’s community services committee, which asks |f r financial help. Under a formula devised 'by the centre, based on the percentages of local body residents who would use the centre’s services, the city and Heathcote would each pay 45 per cent ($45,000), while Paparua would pav 10 per cent ($10,000) towards the project’s cost. A centre committee mem- ■ ber. Mr D. H. Rankin, said i • there was scope for co-1 operation between Cracroft, | Hoon Hay. and Sydenham! centres in providing classes and other programmes. “I can’t see us. whatever, sympathies we have, enter-' ing into a commitment for. the next financial year at; this stage.” said Mr Hay. I