October 5, 2025 • 5 mins
Luke sat down with the Facilities Manager at Community House, Robbie Ross, to ask about the exciting renovations to come and how we can support them with the Heart of Community appeal. Find deets here: heartofcommunity.co.nz
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
For the past at three decades, community House has well
and truly been at the heart of our community and
caught up with Facilities manager Robbie Ross to note that
the place just continues to grow.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Because we've got about thirty different agentsies working out a
community house at the present moment. Safe Mid Canterbury outgrew
the building that we were in in Cass Street and
so we've purchased the building behind and they've taken that
on a lease out the back and ten me to move. Yeah,
made it much better for them because they've been able
(00:33):
to expand as well the service as they bring to
the community and allowing Danny and the team from Plunkett
to come in to our building. It's great to have
them there.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Big project to foot, what's the plan?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, so the roof's leaking. It's all right in the
summer when it doesn't rain, it doesn't leak, but in
the winter it's not the best.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So come out. Have you just taken the buckets from
the old library and moved them around to your place?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Not quite that, but it's time for the roof to
be replaced and so we're beginning. That's the beginning part
of the project.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, right, that's a big job. What else are you
hoping to get done?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we thanks to a couple of people who have
in the local community, have sponsored some solar panels for us.
We're going to be putting solar panels on the roof
now and that'll reduce the power costs for community house considerably,
make us more eco friendly, and so we're really looking
(01:31):
forward to that.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
You know, one of the biggest thrills as the facilities manager,
Robbie will be sitting in your office with the app
open watching how much power is being generated each day.
I would get such a cack out of that.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So we're hoping that they're going to be able to
put a put that into the building as well, so
people coming into the building can actually watch the power
chicking by.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Oh man, that's something sitting up and watching an open fire.
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Then, because we've got Plunket now in the building and
there's a lot more people coming in, young families, we're
also opening up a pedestrian entrance way along the side
to join the present ramp that people come up, save
them going past all the parked cars and competing with
the traffic driving into the car park.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, because at the moment it's all the one entrance
and you're got to work your way through the car parky.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, it's a little bit dangerous and we want to
make it as safe as we possibly can for people
coming into each town.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah right.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
We also have a lot of elderly coming in and
it can be challenging for them, so that's part of
the project.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
So all up, it's got a price tag of near
half a million dollars. Big campaign of foot to help
raise the money.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, So we've been asking trust and foundations to support
us and some of them have been so far with that.
But we're also wanting the community to get behind us,
and so we've launched the Wall of Hearts and so
you can purchase a heart and a vinyl heart and
(03:05):
it gets put on a billboard, a mobile billboard which
will travel around different spaces in Ashburton and in doing
so you're supporting the work of Community House in this project.
It's great. You can take your grandchildren down and show
them their names on one of our hearts and we
go down and have your photo taken with your heart
(03:27):
and yeah, just a bit of fun.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And is this campaign underway now?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It is underway now. We're presently selling the hearts and
we've had a reasonable response to that. They're starting to
go out, which is good. And from the sixth of
October you'll see the trailer in different spots around for
a month.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
On neat How do we enlist for a heart? Where
do we go for this?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So if you want to, you can call into Community
House and pick up a brochure, or you can go
to a Heart of Community dot co dot nz.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I need book a heart there. And why is it
mean so much to support Community House for yourself? You reagon, Robbie.
Why is it that we're so lucky to have this facility.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, we're very lucky to have the facility because so
many people are getting so much help in the community.
Over thirty thousand people came through our front door last year. Wow,
so it's a lot of people. Yeah, and they're also
coming in for different different things. And the beauty of
(04:32):
a place like community houses there's a group of organizations
in there and so you can get a real wrap
around support.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah, we're pretty lucky to have it right in the
heart of town too. Yes, that's going to get these
renovations done. For another thirty years of community house and
helping drive it all forward, helping the heart beat, or
something on those lines. Anyway, I come up with a
better pun. Robbie Ross really appreciate you coming on by
for the update.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Thank you so much, and thank you to Amunity
For the past at three decades, community House has well
and truly been at the heart of our community and
caught up with Facilities manager Robbie Ross to note that
the place just continues to grow.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Because we've got about thirty different agentsies working out a
community house at the present moment. Safe Mid Canterbury outgrew
the building that we were in in Cass Street and
so we've purchased the building behind and they've taken that
on a lease out the back and ten me to move. Yeah,
made it much better for them because they've been able
(00:33):
to expand as well the service as they bring to
the community and allowing Danny and the team from Plunkett
to come in to our building. It's great to have
them there.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Big project to foot, what's the plan?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, so the roof's leaking. It's all right in the
summer when it doesn't rain, it doesn't leak, but in
the winter it's not the best.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So come out. Have you just taken the buckets from
the old library and moved them around to your place?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Not quite that, but it's time for the roof to
be replaced and so we're beginning. That's the beginning part
of the project.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, right, that's a big job. What else are you
hoping to get done?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we thanks to a couple of people who have
in the local community, have sponsored some solar panels for us.
We're going to be putting solar panels on the roof
now and that'll reduce the power costs for community house considerably,
make us more eco friendly, and so we're really looking
(01:31):
forward to that.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
You know, one of the biggest thrills as the facilities manager,
Robbie will be sitting in your office with the app
open watching how much power is being generated each day.
I would get such a cack out of that.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So we're hoping that they're going to be able to
put a put that into the building as well, so
people coming into the building can actually watch the power
chicking by.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Oh man, that's something sitting up and watching an open fire.
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Then, because we've got Plunket now in the building and
there's a lot more people coming in, young families, we're
also opening up a pedestrian entrance way along the side
to join the present ramp that people come up, save
them going past all the parked cars and competing with
the traffic driving into the car park.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, because at the moment it's all the one entrance
and you're got to work your way through the car parky.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, it's a little bit dangerous and we want to
make it as safe as we possibly can for people
coming into each town.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah right.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
We also have a lot of elderly coming in and
it can be challenging for them, so that's part of
the project.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
So all up, it's got a price tag of near
half a million dollars. Big campaign of foot to help
raise the money.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, So we've been asking trust and foundations to support
us and some of them have been so far with that.
But we're also wanting the community to get behind us,
and so we've launched the Wall of Hearts and so
you can purchase a heart and a vinyl heart and
(03:05):
it gets put on a billboard, a mobile billboard which
will travel around different spaces in Ashburton and in doing
so you're supporting the work of Community House in this project.
It's great. You can take your grandchildren down and show
them their names on one of our hearts and we
go down and have your photo taken with your heart
(03:27):
and yeah, just a bit of fun.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And is this campaign underway now?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It is underway now. We're presently selling the hearts and
we've had a reasonable response to that. They're starting to
go out, which is good. And from the sixth of
October you'll see the trailer in different spots around for
a month.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
On neat How do we enlist for a heart? Where
do we go for this?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So if you want to, you can call into Community
House and pick up a brochure, or you can go
to a Heart of Community dot co dot nz.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I need book a heart there. And why is it
mean so much to support Community House for yourself? You reagon, Robbie.
Why is it that we're so lucky to have this facility.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well, we're very lucky to have the facility because so
many people are getting so much help in the community.
Over thirty thousand people came through our front door last year. Wow,
so it's a lot of people. Yeah, and they're also
coming in for different different things. And the beauty of
(04:32):
a place like community houses there's a group of organizations
in there and so you can get a real wrap
around support.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah, we're pretty lucky to have it right in the
heart of town too. Yes, that's going to get these
renovations done. For another thirty years of community house and
helping drive it all forward, helping the heart beat, or
something on those lines. Anyway, I come up with a
better pun. Robbie Ross really appreciate you coming on by
for the update.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Thank you so much, and thank you to Amunity
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