Village needs $4m to complete build

Location of the new Whare Aroha CARE village in Ngongotaha. Photo/FILE

Whare Aroha CARE is looking for the final $4 million in funding it needs for a state of the art retirement village which developers believe will transform age care in the country.

The organisation has launched a fundraising drive for the transformational aged-care village on the online fundraising platform, Givealittle.

The not-for-profit community trust needs the money to complete the build of its lake-side Ngongotaha facility that replicates as near to a normal life as possible for its residents.

The village, inspired by acclaimed Dutch dementia village De Hogeweyk, will be the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific area.

Whare Aroha CARE chief executive officer and project lead Therese Jeffs said so far $10 million towards the project had been raised through equity, bank loans, a Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust grant, social loan funding from Bay Trust, and the Rotary Charity Luncheon which allowed for partial completion of the village.

"An additional $4 million is required for the 'town hall' - a community centre that will be open to the public - and other community facilities including a children's playground. A 13th seven-bedroom home and the full development of the reception area and carpark will complete the build."

Mrs Jeffs said the $4 million was the difference between "doing things the way the sector had always done using this opportunity to transform the way elderly are cared for".

"The things that will make it look like a small-scale village will offer a familiar environment for those in need of comfort and security. If we can connect them to things they know, rather than removing them from them altogether, then their lives will have purpose and they will thrive."

Mrs Jeffs said the trust had several funding applications in and the new fundraising campaign had got off to a great start with a grant from Southern Trust of $100,000.

A series of fundraisers are planned including a conference and public event on February 23. "We are now calling on the Rotorua community to do what they can to transform the way people are cared for in Rotorua. Whether it be a donation through the Givealittle website or direct to Whare Aroha CARE or the willingness to organise a fundraiser on our behalf. $4m is a huge target but it's a cause truly worth backing."

The village has been modelled to look like a typical New Zealand town with a main street including supermarket, cafe, hairdressers and clubrooms which flows down to a lakeside promenade.

Residents will live in one of 12 six or seven-bedroom households which are each designed to represent different New Zealand lifestyles. The households would be run like a typical household where residents would be helped by staff to run their own homes, including cooking meals and doing laundry.

To help, people can visit www.givealittle.co.nz and search for Whare Aroha CARE or call Whare Aroha CARE on (07) 347 9612 to discuss further.