After eight years, community members, volunteers and sponsors came together yesterday evening, Wednesday 10 September, to celebrate the rebuild of an essential community space.
The Glen Afton and Pukemiro Districts Community Hub is a much-welcomed sight after the previous space, the Glen Afton Citizens' Sports Club, AKA The Blue Rooms, was gutted by a fire in 2017.
It was originally built in 1949 by miners who lived and worked within the Glen Afton village.
The rooms hosted various events, from dances and Christmas parties, to sporting events, fishing and hunting competitions, and weekly meat and grocery raffles.
Waikato District Council’s Community Led Development Advisor, Lianne van den Bemd, says it’s been an honour to support and work side-by-side with volunteers as they worked on behalf of the Glen Afton and Pukemiro communities to continue the legacy of the former space.
The Hub will provide an important focal point for people who live in both Glen Afton and Pukemiro, as well as the surrounding areas, says community hub member, Kaylene Bourke.
“We envisage that the building will get a lot of use for things like mother/baby groups, gardening groups, business functions, birthday parties, funerals, classic car rallies, market days, karaoke, quiz nights, pool and darts games, housie and bingo”.
Bourke hopes it will continue to be an integral part of this community for many years to come.
The Glen Afton and Pukemiro Districts Community Hub, located at 38 Inglis Road, Glen Afton, is a membership club that anyone can join. Memberships is $45 a year or $25 for those 60 and over.
The Hub will be open every Thursday and Friday evenings from 1.30pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm. The kitchen is open from 5pm to 7pm on each opening day.
Interested in booking the space or becoming a member? Contact Kaylene on 027 361 3163, or email theglenaftonclub@gmail.com
