Bowling club seeks to bring community together

Linton Park Community Trust chairwoman Claire Armstrong with community centre co-ordinator Rick Mansell. Photo/Ben Fraser

A former Rotorua bowling club turned into a community centre has seen a lot of success in the past few years.

They added to their accolades in October after picking up the runners-up spot in the Health and Well Being section of the TrustPower Spirit of Rotorua Awards.

Linton Park Community Trust chairwoman Claire Armstrong said the centre was the sum of its many parts - the 20 to 30 different groups who used the centre as their base.

"Some are there four times a week, some weekly, some monthly and some one-offs. But, we cater for everyone.

"The facilities here are excellent for a wide range of groups.

"It's a space which is enclosed and safe, which is great for kids and those with special needs who use the place.

"Our groups all interact so there has to be a bit of give and take ... We have a community garden with separate plots and anyone who wants to use it just pays us a koha."

Mrs Armstrong said, like most community-based organisations, they were always looking for funding for projects, which was almost a full-time job in itself.

"We are not here to make money, but build a community and bring people together.

"It's great we get the recognition and we were really pleased to get this award.

"We have just two paid employees and a lot of volunteers who give up their time as well.

"But like anything of this nature, we are always looking for funding and spend a lot of time working on that aspect.

"And we could always do with a few more volunteers."

The winner of the category at the awards was the Rotorua St John Health Shuttle service.

Each week we will be profiling winners of the Spirit of Rotorua Awards, held in October.