Mash Trust starts construction on a new community facility

Te Puna Rau Aroha is set to open in March.

Mash Trust has started construction on a new community facility called Te Puna Rau Aroha, which is set to open in March.

Te Puna Rau Aroha will include a bookable private spa equipped with a ceiling hoist and an interactive sensory room. The sensory room will be a state-of-the-art facility created through extensive research of other sensory rooms around the country and engagement with the community.

Te Puna Rau Aroha will be on the old hospital grounds in Liverpool St next to Horowhenua Learning Centre. Mash Trust is working closely with Wayne Bishop Group, which owns the site and is completing the construction to ensure the facility meets the needs of the community.

Muaūpoko Tribal Authority gifted the new facility its name, which translates to “the spring of love”.

The facility will enable the community to come in and pay to use purpose-built rooms like the spa or sensory room. It will also provide a space for Mash Trust to operate its Living Plus disability day programme.

“Te Puna Rau Aroha will be an inclusive space that enables disabled people of all ages to come together and be a part of their community,” Mash Trust chief executive Dr Karleen Edwards said.

Living Plus operates out of a smaller facility in Levin that is significantly outdated and lacks room for growth.

Te Puna Rau Aroha is one of a kind among other facilities in the lower North Island because it offers not only a spa, but a sensory room at the same location.

Mash Trust is working with the community as it seeks donations and sponsorships to foster a community-driven space.

The trust is a registered charity and leading provider of disability, mental health and addiction services. It provides services throughout the lower North Island, with over 550 staff and volunteers.