The Sunnyvale Sports Centre now over forty years old, is close to having its well-deserved upgrade completed. Staff at the Otago Community Trust visited the centre recently and witnessed first-hand the transformation that is underway. The upgrade includes a spectacular new viewing lounge with commercial kitchen facilities, more office and storage space, a new gymnasium floor and the conversion of the existing lounge into a double squash court that has the potential to be used as a second gym.
When you talk to the working party members who have been devoted to the upgrade of the Sunnyvale Sports Centre in Green Island, you begin to quickly appreciate the commitment and sheer determination that has been involved in advancing the $1.4 million dollar facility upgrade. Like many large scale community projects there has been the odd setback along the way. The fundraising took longer than anticipated and regrettably the odd unexpected hiccup slowed down the process. However, this did not phase or deter members of the working party and wider community supporters who continued to work hard to ensure the project was advanced.
Now thanks to years of fundraising and the generous donations of local businesses, members of the public and a variety of organisations, including the Otago Community Trust, Lotteries Grants Board and Dunedin City Council, Dunedin will have a wonderful community asset.
Housed perfectly between Dunedin and Mosgiel, the Sunnyvale Sports Centre is currently home to a 500-strong football club and is used by Football South for tournaments, trials and coaching clinics. The centre is also home to Green Island cricket and provides a base for growing squash and badminton clubs.
Working party member John Moyle has been at the heart of the project since the beginning and explains it had been a hard process “I don’t think that I realised just what a journey it would be when the redevelopment project started in 2009.” He comments that "when the working group came together we never thought we would be on the forecourt of a Z service station washing windscreens to raise funds or assisting with digging pile foundations on site, however when you start to see it all come together it is all worthwhile. I can’t speak highly enough of the amazing team of very dedicated working party members committed to the project”.
Looking to the future
Standing on the viewing platform now you can really see how this facility will become an incredible asset to the community. John explains how the boroughs of Abbotsford, Fairfield, Green Island, and Waldronville are all growing with a high density of young families and as a consequence we can really see how this facility will become a community hub. Interest in the facility for community events is already growing, a number of arts groups, local indoor bowls clubs and other organisations like Lions and Civil Defense have expressed an interest.
While the new viewing lounge will be completed at the end of the year, an official opening is being planned for 2017.
