Work is progressing well on a new hospice building with the renovation and new build well under way and work expected to be finished in June.
The new hospice facility worth more than $1 million will see the community hospice move from the Rotorua Lakefront to a site on Hinemoa St. As part of the development the old, unused Te Ngako building was given to the hospice and moved on to the site last year.
Since then work has continued on rebuilding and renovating the building to get it up to standard.
Project manager John Crean said work was well under way and the area had taken on a "whole new look" with the widening of the road in the Hinemoa St extension.
"The new hospice complex at the end of the road is certainly going to add to the upgrade of the area."
Mr Crean said there was no smooth path in a project like this.
"Rotorua has a small population when it comes to fundraising and hospice is only one of the many charities that need support.
"Each year hospice has to extract around $900,000 from the community to cover the cost of running the operation so I felt it was important we didn't tap them again to cover this capital project."
Mr Crean said various trusts had stepped up and they were not too far off achieving the fundraising goal "but if anyone has a few thousand they can spare then I'll find a happy place for it".
He said people in the community had been "generous beyond measure".
He said it was also great to see the delight hospice nurses and staff expressed when they visited the building site - which they often did.
Mr Crean said seeing the workers take ownership of the project was also special
"They have learned what hospice is all about and they are proud to be part of the action.
"You can be associated with a lot of building sites as a chippy and each day is just another day at the office but it is obvious not that this job will stay with them for a long time."
Mr Crean said once the new facility was completed they wanted to share the new facility with members of the community.
"We want to have open days so that everyone can see what we've built and have a better understanding of just what hospice is and how it all works."
About Rotorua Community Hospice
- Supports about 120 to 130 clients at any time.
- About 50 per cent have cancer, with the other half suffering other terminal illnesses.
- The number of referrals has increased by 50 per cent in the past five years.
- Provides free services including support for families, nursing support and equipment, and bereavement support.
- Hospice nurses cover the area from Lake Rotoma in the east to Mamaku in the North as well as Reporoa and Atiamuri.