The new face of Katikati Community Centre is a familiar one, Nicky Austin. Nicky stands in front the mural featuring the centre's past and present staff.
The new face of Katikati Community Centre is a familiar one, Nicky Austin. Nicky stands in front the mural featuring the centre's past and present staff.
There’s a new face behind the “beating heart” of the Katikati community.
Nicky Austin is Katikati Community Centre’s new general manager. She’s been at the helm of the centre since February this year.
But Nicky has been at the community coalface for a number of years - first cutting her teeth as event manager for Katch Katikati followed by a similar role at Waihī Beach Events and Promotions.
She was a Katikati Community Centre trustee for three years and decided to step in to the manager’s role because she is passionate about small towns and raising the quality of life for residents.
“And Katikati is the perfect town ... we’re not too big and we’re not too small.”
Nicky Austin at Katikati Community Centre on Beach Rd.
Nicky says a big part of the job is to secure funding.
“We are reliant on government contracts and lottery grants/charities but many of these funds have been cut by half.
“The reality is the services that we provide are at the absolute grassroots level of taking care of this community. When people are in immediate social crisis, this is the place they come. Two or three people on the daily will be in here looking for help.
“So I feel like the centre really is the beating heart of this community.”
If they can not secure more funding, their services may be reduced - “which is scary”, Nicky says.
Katikati Community Centre has run a huge range of programmes and services since 1993.
The centre does “everything we can do” for individuals and families. Nobody is turned away and their motto is “weaving people together”.
The centre also has community advocate Sjaan Rounds, who can help those in challenging situations.
Nicky says people might call them if they can’t pay the rent or have no food.
“But in many cases there are whole families new to town who don’t speak English, so Sjann will find a translator, she will go through all the documents they need to fill out, take them to the bank or help get their children enrolled at school ... all those really important functions of everyday life.”
Nicky is a familiar face in the sporting world - she represented New Zealand rowing at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, competing in the coxless pair with Juliette Drysdale.
Juliette Drysdale and Nicky Austin on Lake Karapiro. Photo / Ross Setford, NZPA
She still takes part in rowing master events and is a coach at Tauranga Boys’ College.
Katikati Community Centre offers culture and language classes, a community breakfast, runs a Poutama Pathways into Employment programme, hosts kids holiday and after-school programmes, social groups, parenting classes, workshops, organises transport for seniors and puts on health and wellbeing classes and computer and technology classes.
The centre gives advice on such things as budgeting, community law, driver licensing, podiatry and first aid and offers the services of a chiropractor, justice of the peace and asthma clinic. The centre also offers venue hire.
