Smeaton Drive's hard-earned community hall has been an overwhelming endeavour, but after almost three years, it is finally complete.
From a rotting building and gorse-covered paddock, to a freshly painted hall and immaculate garden, the hall on Smeaton Drive is something for residents to be proud of.
Community leader Kim Anderson has
been the driving force behind several changes in the community and says the completion of the hall has been "a real process".
"When I started building my home here I thought, 'this place is a warzone'. There were burnt-out cars and graffiti. Things were happening and our kids were suffering. It just wasn't safe."
Fellow resident and youth worker Tami-jo McQueen-Foster, says Smeaton Drive is in a transient, lower-socio economic area. "Some people don't have cars or landlines here. The accessibility to resources just isn't there."
Ms Anderson began rallying for support and says the response has been incredible.
"It takes one person to light the fire, but it takes many people to feed that fire.
"The [Whangarei District] council, Bunnings Warehouse, Housing New Zealand - those guys are the bomb," she said.
Bunnings Warehouse sent five of their staff every day for a week to help build the new hall and donated 180 litres of paint.
The hall is now being used for self defence workshops, sculpture classes, drivers' licence tests and an impressive after school care programme.
Up to 25 children a day are attending the programme to learn basic life skills that Ms Anderson and Mrs McQueen-Foster hope will transcend out to the community. "We teach them the basics: like how to cook, how to swim, to use manners. They always want to be here and they go home happy.
"The best thing is driving down the street and seeing all the kids waving out," Ms Anderson said.
The completion of the hall was celebrated last Thursday night with a performance by the after school group, Te Maiatanganui.
Ms Anderson dedicates 30 hours a week to her beloved community and was the recipient of a national community safety award last year.
