Break in at Future Te Aroha Centre dampens celebration mood ahead of 21 anniversary

Future Te Aroha Centre project manager and community stalwart Lynne Renwick at the centre on Boundary road. Photo / Supplied

Te Aroha charitable trust Future Te Aroha Centre is celebrating its 21st birthday on Saturday, but two recent break-ins have put a dampener on the party mood.

The burglars stole some of the tech equipment needed for the celebrations.

Project manager at Future Te Aroha Lynne Renwick says the missing equipment includes a sound desk, film camera, lights and a bubble machine.

"They broke in from under the building, there is a door near the fire exit that they broke down. The police did a forensic check, but they couldn't get any fingerprints," Renwick says.

A police spokesperson says they don't believe there were "any further lines of inquiry" in regards to the June 27 burglary, but they have made initial inquiries" after the September 12 break-in.

Renwick says it is the first time in 21 years that the centre has been broken into.

"We never had a problem, we were able to leave the doors open when we were going down the road. We always operated on trust, so it is really disappointing," she says.

"Replacing equipment is quite hard, I think it will take two to three months to get everything back to where it was. But we had donations given to us already, so I am hopeful. This shows there are people out there who care."

The celebrations on Saturday will still go ahead as the local theatre has lent the centre a sound desk.

The festivities on Saturday include a family open day with live entertainment, games, prizes and screenings of short movies the centre created over the years. In the evening, there will be a musical show.

The Future Te Aroha Centre has been providing a range of community services, including after-school activities, community groups and school holiday programmes.

It operates as a community and cultural centre in the former Bendon factory building in Boundary Rd.

Renwick, who has been with the centre since it started in 2001, says she will "gradually step back" from her role with the centre.

"I am going to retire, but I will still stay in touch with the centre and teach acting classes. I leave things in the capable hands of Dianne Toogood who is doing an excellent job."

Renwick's involvement with the centre was sparked by the closing of the Bendon factory which had around 130 employees.

"I wanted to turn a negative into a positive and gather people who believed in the future of Te Aroha. It is all about the community."