Hororātā Hall returns to community ownership

The Hororātā Hall has been an integral part of the community since 1890 and is returning to community ownership with the Council handing the keys to the Hororātā Community Trust.

Originally built and maintained by the community, the hall has played a crucial role in fostering a thriving rural community and holds significant historical value.

Following extensive discussions between the Hororātā Community Trust and the Selwyn District Council, the Council has officially transferred the title of the Hororātā Hall and the adjacent land to the Trust.

“The Hororātā Community Trust is excited to be the custodians of Hororātā Hall. We are grateful to the work of the Council, which made this possible; it has been quite a complex process,” said Hororātā Community Trust Executive Officer Cindy Driscoll.

“It has taken eight years of discussions to get to this point. It is empowering to finally be in a position where, as a community, we can make decisions on the future of our heritage hall and move forward.

 

Now is the time to not just add to or renovate the Hororātā Hall but reimagine and repurpose it to stand the test of time while honouring its history and architectural heritage. The Trust looks forward to collaborating with the community to develop a plan for the Hall.”

 

Many people have contributed to reaching this milestone, including all of our Clan Hororātā volunteers and Go Hororātā committee, in particular, Chair Craig Blackburn. The Hororātā Community Trust patrons, partners, and funders who support us in making great projects happen in our community.

Thank you to the Hororātā Community Trust Trustees who have worked tirelessly

behind the scenes using their collective skills to return the Hall to our community. This has not been easy; thank you for keeping the faith.

Special thanks must go to Duncan Cotterill’s Richard Lang and his team, who have negotiated with the Council and seen the process through for our community, all for no cost to the Trust.

This article includes a vision and project overview for the Hororātā Hall project. The community has made its needs clear over the past years; however, there is no construction plan for the hall yet.

“While we plan for the next 12 months, it will be status quo; the Hall will be available for hire and community use. We will work with existing hall users, the Hororātā Historical Society and the community to develop a plan for the Hall and this land. The Trust welcomes new groups or businesses to join this project; please contact us if you want to be involved.”

This transfer of ownership means that the Trust will now bear all costs related to the hall’s operation and make all future decisions for this facility. If you would like to volunteer your skills to help look after the Hall, i.e. gardening, mowing, or basic maintenance, please contact info@hororata.org.nz
 
For bookings, CLICK HERE
 
On Saturday, August 17th, the Hororātā Community Trust invites people to a ‘Pie and Pint’ night to celebrate new beginnings for our heritage Hororātā Hall. All welcome. This is a free event. Please CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Attachments

A vision for the Hororata Hall   PDF, 2.3 MB