New door opens for Jack Allen House

LOOKING to the future, Jack Allen House manager Eleanor Gully outside the house. PHOTO: ASHLEIGH COLLIS

One door closes as another opens for Levin's Jack Allen Community Hub following the news that its current home in Durham St is likely to be sold for the development of a new medical centre.

Established in 1998, Jack Allen Community Hub houses a number of local organisations that provide a safety net for residents in Levin/Taitoko.

The old wooden building, owned by Horowhenua District Council and rented free by the hub, is showing its age but the prospect of moving into a more inclusive, warm and accessible space excites Jack Allen House manager Eleanor Gully.

Ms Gully said while it's a bit of a shock, the community is crying out for higher levels of health care service, and this development is part of the answer.

"While it is a lot to take in, I'm comforted that council will work with us and the NGOs that operate from Jack Allen House. Our current building is great - but it's awful cold in winter, and the heating costs are too high."

Ms Gully said she wants to assure those who set up Jack Allen House that its history will not be forgotten and the name 'Jack Allen House' will live on.

Jack Allen was a prominent Levin businessman who provided the house.

"We want to see the legacy of Jack Allen honoured," she said.

Ms Gully said she could either look at the news as devastating or a challenge to walk into the 21st century at a new location.

"We were already in talks about breathing life into Jack Allen House, and that is what we will do," she said.

"One door closes and another opens."

Horowhenua District Council community development advisor Helen Hayes, a fundraising specialist who has been working alongside Ms Gully, said council is committed to securing a sustainable, more fit-for-purpose alternative for Jack Allen House.

She said they will be engaging with the community in the planning process and working alongside Jack Allen House management to build fundraising capacity.

"These efforts will be accelerated in partnership with the NGO sector towards the re-establishment of Jack Allen House at an alternative location."