The Annual General Meeting for the Alex Moore Park Sports and Community will be held on Wednesday 19th July at 7.00pm, in the Johnsonville Cricket club rooms on Bannister Ave.
Contact Mike Collett at collett@xtra.co.nz for more information.

The development of detailed plans is now confirmed for Johnsonville's Alex Moore Park Building with three funders - Johnsonville Charitable Trust ($139,000), Wellington City Council ($120,000) and Hutt Mana Trust ($20,000) all agreeing to financially support the next stage in the development of the architectural plans for the location alongside the Bannister Avenue carpark. The complex is designed to improve support and services for the community and sport using Alex Moore Park.

Chairman of AMPB - Hadyn Smith, is thrilled that the project is now closer to reality with one of the key stages of the project finally supported.

"In the background we have key funding support for bricks and mortar aspects of the build but we needed the design and plans finalised in order to make progress. This investment gives us both belief and traction as we start the road towards the start of the build in 2017.

For the Johnsonville Charitable Trust (JCT) to give our project this level of faith at such a crucial time adds real value to our goals and the trust being built in the Northern Suburbs. JCT have now stepped up on every key occasion we have had a catch 22 with the project (they also assisted with resource consent funding) and the Board is extremely appreciative.

To then have this investment backed up by the Wellington City Council and Hutt Mana Trust funding gives us the traction we needed for what we call stage one around getting a building on the park" said Mr Smith.

Johnsonville Charitable Trust Chair - Tracy Hurst-Porter, is also pleased to support projects such as the Alex Moore Park development. "The Trustees of Johnsonville Charitable Trust are delighted to be able to support our community. To date the Trust has committed $189,000 towards the Alex Moore Park development. Johnsonville Charitable Trust has a proud history of funding essential community facilities in the local area. This financial year the Trust has committed over $350,000 to local initiatives.
Congratulations to the dedicated volunteer team working towards the completion of the community facility at Alex Moore Park."

Wellington City Council Community, Sport and Recreation committee member and Deputy Mayor - Justin Lester, has been a fierce supporter of the concept and is pleased that the resolution passed not only releases the funding in support of the detailed plans but also states Council will consider releasing additional funds once AMPB has secured 75% of the project totals.

"As North Wellington continues to grow the demand for the new Alex Moore Park comlpex will only increase. We now have some of the largest clubs in Wellington and we want to ensure our kids and adults have access to good quality recreation facilities."

The Alex Moore Park Board will be focused on finalising plans over the winter months with input from key partners, the community and WCC.

Background Facts:The 2,100 square metre facility will incorporate a hall/gymnasium, meeting rooms and function areas and is configured to cater for a large variety of sporting, recreation and community uses. A view of the draft design features and a 3D flyover can be found at www.alexmoorepark.org.nz.

Hadyn Smith
Chairman, Alex Moore Park Board

Wellington City Council ($1,745,000) and Lottery Community Facilities Fund ($500,000) have both approved significant investments into Johnsonville's Alex Moore Park Building complex over the last week with the building on the park likely to be a reality by the winter months of 2017.

The complex, designed to improve support and services for anyone using Alex Moore Park, was first raised as a concept at public meetings held some 10 years ago. The idea was that all sports and communities using the park combine into one "Sportsville" project was radical at that time but now considered best practice by WCC.

The Alex Moore Park Board (AMPB) formed six years ago has progressed the idea from a concept, through the resource consent process and now into funding the community complex that is estimated will cost $5.2 million.

Chairman of AMPB - Hadyn Smith, is thrilled that the project is now halfway towards reality. "No stand-alone club can afford to exist in isolation today so my hat goes off to those that had the vision in Johnsonville so long ago, and WCC and Lotteries for recognising that this is what our community needs if we are to resource and grow usage around features such as the new artificial turf.

"This is only the start of our fund raising campaign but it is just the backing we needed to get people to understand that this building is no longer just an idea. This project will be a reality and with over three million dollars, when the sale of existing clubrooms in Philip Street is realised, in the bank this is a huge level of seed funding for any development. We are extremely grateful to WCC and Lotteries for their recognition of the value of our project to this community."

Wellington City Council Chair of Community, Sport & Recreation - Councillor Paul Eagle, was impressed with what the building represents for the Northern Suburbs and believes the city will be getting value for its investment.

"WCC has been a part of this concept from the outset and with a growing population demographic and five clubs coming together as one then the combination is something we considered vital to support. We can’t wait to see a building in place that will add life to the growing level of activity that is taking place on and around Alex Moore Park since the artificial turf was launched last year."

Wellington City Council Deputy Mayor - Justin Lester, has been a fierce supporter of the concept and sees this development as a model for others in the city.

"WCC has limited ability to resource every great idea but if sports can buy into the power of one from many then Sportsville will be the answer for many. Not every project can or will be funded but critical mass will help some ideas stand out and that is the case with this development. We like what is planned and hope our funding will turn into a domino effect for the final build."

With two major funders confirmed it is now a priority for AMPB to ensure the many and varied private investors and commercial opportunities are progressed. That is now a key objective for the coming months of 2015 and beyond.

Facts:
The 2,100 square metre facility will incorporate a hall/gymnasium, meeting rooms and function areas and is configured to cater for a large variety of sporting, recreation and community uses.
Hadyn Smith
Chairman, Alex Moore Park Board

Before I talk about this incredible development I want to remind and perhaps introduce everyone to a little history behind this park and this development.

Alexander Augustus (Alex) Moore was born in 1882 and is probably the best known sporting name in Johnsonville. Alex Moore's legacy to our community - this park, was huge and can't be lost or diluted under the dust of decades past. His name deserves "moore" and we're committed to maintaining this community leader's legacy some 60 years since his passing with a whole of park experience Johnsonville deserves.

It is heartening therefore to see the development of this artificial turf on Alex Moore Park and the whole of park landscaping. This state of the art surface and walk areas will change the landscape of this parks use and perhaps even more significantly allow enjoyable passage for recreational walkers, "rest" for our grass fields and a "guarantee" that any event scheduled will take place.

So, we have this field and some lovely landscaping. Many thanks WCC. What more do we want then?
For those that know Alex Moore park, I am here to remind you that this field is an umbrella wrecker. There's no shelter on the side-lines here. When you are a side-line supporter at this park you bring the gear or you suffer during those very infrequent "northern and southern wind blasts". We all know that we need something that schools can shelter in while using these fields, we need something fit to support this park and we need something that isn't past it use by date.

The Alex Moore Development or Sportsville Project was founded about seven years ago by a large group of local residents and sports clubs who'd become concerned about the state of Alex Moore Park's degraded facilities.

About four years ago our Board was formed with the aim of creating a facility that would support this park and act as a community hub. We now have resource consent to build on the park and we will shortly be leading the fund raising process. No easy task - unless we win Powerball Lotto.

One of the key drivers for the Board has been Johnsonville youth. This area and its immediate neighbours in the Northern Suburbs contains one of Wellington’s fastest growing youth on our backdoor. They/we need a whole of park experience. In other words we want to "build Johnsonville's Active Heart".

If anyone wants to assist or know more about the project then Google Alex Moore Park or go to www.alexmoorepark.org.nz My thanks again to WCC - we have the field, now we want "moore".
Hadyn Smith
Alex Moore Park Development Board Chairman

Wellington City Council has given resource consent for an artificial turf and a community sports building on Johnsonville's Alex Moore Park.

Wellington City Council should commence work on the installation of an artificial turf in late 2013 or early 2014. The Alex Moore Park Sport and Community Incorporated Society.,(AMPSC) created three years ago, has been charged with raising the necessary funds for a $6 million building project which will provide much needed modern community sports facilities to the park.

AMPSC Board Chairman, Hadyn Smith, said that “the granting of resource consent for a sport and community complex on the park without any opposition is an important milestone for both the board and the sports clubs involved and brings this exciting new project another step closer for the communities within the northern suburbs.

"This is the successful culmination of the first stage and heralds the beginning of a new focus where with the help of the local community we must raise the necessary funding to make this building a reality for our community," said Mr Smith.

"The Johnsonville Charitable Trust, Wellington City Council and in particular its Northern Ward Councillors have been strong supporters of this project and there is a clear benefit with so many organisations working together and harnessing resources."

The 2,200 square metre facility will incorporate a full size gymnasium, meeting rooms and function areas and is configured to cater for a large variety of sporting, recreation and community use.

The new complex will complement the artificial sports turf which has been approved for construction on northern field at Alex Moore park later this year.

The Alex Moore Park Board is also concentrating on recruiting new members to join the board."The roles are voluntary but will certainly help people who are looking to enhance their credentials and of course offer a very tangible contribution to their local community.

Anyone with strong skill sets in marketing, fundraising or communication is encouraged to contact chairman Hadyn Smith or any other board member.
Hadyn Smith
Chairman
Alex Moore Park Building Development Board

Johnsonville's Alex Moore Park has just taken a giant step forward towards significant enhancements both on and off the ground.

Hadyn Smith, Chairman of the Alex Moore Park Sport and Community Inc. Board confirmed that a resource consent application has been lodged with Wellington City Council for a new sport and community facility.

The overall cost of the development is around $6M and is the culmination of many years work with the volunteer based board and local sports organisations - Johnsonville Softball, North Wellington Football, Johnsonville Cricket and Olympic Harrier Club.

The project calls for all the sporting clubs to move from their current premises into a new combined facility which has been designed for the current organisations as well as other sporting and community groups who would like to based at Alex Moore park. Mr Smith said that "it really is a case of the more the merrier. Such significant facilities operate best when fully utilised and it is the intention of the founding clubs and the board to ensure that the Northern suburbs have a strong and vibrant community presence based at Alex Moore Park."

"Wellington City Council and the Northern Ward Councillors have been strong supporters of the project and there is clear benefit with so many organisations working together and harnessing resources."

The 2,200 square metre facility incorporates a full size gymnasium, meeting rooms and function areas and is configured to cater for a large variety of sporting activities and community events. The new complex will be enhanced with the addition of an artificial sports turf which has been approved for construction on northern field at Alex Moore park later this year.

While working through the resource consent process the Alex Moore Park Board is also concentrating on recruiting new members to join the board. Mr Smith outlined that the roles are voluntary but will certainly help people who are looking to enhance their credentials and of course offer a very tangible contribution to their local community.

Anyone with strong skill sets in marketing, fundraising or communication is encouraged to contact Mr Smith.

Hadyn Smith
Chairman
Alex Moore Park Building Development Board