Central Hawke’s Bay Pakeke Centre marks 25-year milestone

Waipawa and Districts RSA member Gwyn Burton, with CHB College head boy Sam Ewen and deputy head girl Nicole Harvey spoke at the blessing of the memorial garden at Pakeke Centre.

Staff, clients, volunteers, dignitaries, and friends all gathered last month to celebrate 25 years of Central Hawke’s Bay’s Pakeke Centre, a day care service for the elderly.

In a double celebration, the event also marked national volunteer week, which had a theme of “weaving the people together”, which manager Janette Birdsall said was very appropriate for the Pakeke Centre. Two van volunteers Terry Peacock and Lynn Cross were presented with 10-year service certificates.

The centre occupies a building constructed in 1955 as the male staff quarters for the Waipukurau Hospital.

It then became the Godfrey Centre, a day centre operated by the hospital board. As numbers started to decline and the Godfrey Centre became unviable it was closed and the building became vacant.

On June 21, 1999, Pakeke Centre opened under the management of Waiapu Anglican Social Services Trust Board, with the official ribbon cut by Frank Tomlinson and Alison Hiscox became the co-ordinator. The WASSTB rented the premises from the hospital board for two years, then bought the property in 2001.

The buildings were shared between Careforce Home Care, Pakeke Centre and Childcare Services and all the rooms were filled and busy.

Funding was applied for to enhance the interior and exterior of the building, for maintenance, to purchase vans, build the van shed, provide decking outside and ensure a safe environment for the clients.

Pakeke Lions Club provided many hours and financial resources, hence the name Pakeke. Pakeke has several meanings; to grate or scrape, flax clapper, grown up, adult, mature, elderly. “Of course we prefer elderly,” Janette Birdsall says.

Two dozen clients attended that first week. Now Pakeke can have 69 clients attending each week.

Speaking to the gathering at the anniversary celebration, Janette Birdsall acknowledged Waipukurau resident and Pakeke Lions member the late Gordon Hunt, who initiated the purchasing of the vans and recruiting of volunteer drivers.

Pakeke Lions produced and sold CHB telephone directories for years as a fundraiser for Pakeke, in the days when nearly every household would buy one.

Alison Brun nee Hiscox was the first co-ordinator, she enticed the late Grace Brun to come and help out for “a couple of weeks” to get the kitchen and centre ready for those first clients.

Grace Brun so enjoyed Pakeke she stayed for 20 years.

Alison Brun’s family were all involved in the preparations for Pakeke’s opening. Her mum Lucy and current client MerrieAnn Saunders were first-day clients. Lucy and her late husband Wally ensured that all the furniture that came from the hospital auction was repaired and presentable for clients.

Past co-ordinators include Alison Brun, Raewyn Ferguson, Sue Holder, Cynthia Wakely, Joanne Beckett, Jill Bagley and Pam Erickson.

Janette Birdsall has been the programme manager for 11 years and says: “I still find it very rewarding and satisfying, due to our clients and the strong connection amongst staff: Judy Cheer, Sue Foote, Lauren Waugh, Nicky Singer, Heidi Waitere, Val Crump, Lyn Parsons and recently retired Sheila Lucas”.

“All these ladies have had a huge input into our daycare service and programme to assist Central Hawke’s Bay’s elderly and socially isolated.”