TECT built The Kollective as an independent social enterprise business offering a connected and shared workspace. It was also hoped to help operational improvements in the not-for-profit sector while also operating sustainably with alternative modes of transport, recycling and composting.
And it appears it has.
In October last year, The Kollective was named winner of the Westpac Tauranga Chamber of Commerce Sustainable Business Award.
In addition to this, The Kollective also recorded a growth in membership from eight people to 284 since its October opening day.
Revenue, which goes back to the community through TECT, is derived from membership fees plus meeting room and resource hire fees.
"We've had some challenges of course and some serious learning curves. But beyond anything, this last 12 months at The Kollective has been incredibly inspiring. It's been exhilarating," Lockhart said.
The Kollective had been designed as an administrative base mostly for the not-for-profit and community sector but had attracted commercial members also but those members needed to demonstrate an active social responsibility element to their business.
Results of a member survey, published in the report, showed 94 per cent were likely or very likely to recommend membership to other organisations.
Lockhart said the impact of Covid-19 had immeasurably changed some societies, making the forecast for the coming year uncertain. However, The Kollective was well-positioned, he said.
TECT general manager Wayne Werder said he was proud of The Kollective's achievement of having become a hub of collaboration, compassion and common desires to create a better world.
"We love to see new connections being made in common spaces, workshops, sharing knowledge in meeting rooms ... everywhere you look, community groups are reducing overlap, increasing service efficiency and collaboration with like minds for mutual benefit, providing the means to focus on what matters most - our community."
