Plunket to get new family centre

The Napier City Council has passed an application for resource consent to build a $1.3 million dollar Plunket family centre in Onekawa Park.
Already Plunket has raised $100,000 toward the project, and hopes to sell the Napier Plunket Family Centre in Lowry Terrace to help with building costs.
All going to plan, work on the new building will begin midway through next year.
The new centre's aim is to provide Hawke's Bay families with a central facility that will offer services to parents with children under five years old.
The specifically designed 595 square metre building will be located on a site adjacent to Napier Aquatic Centre and the new Omnigym building.
It will include more than 25 rooms for clinics, conferences, and education sessions, as well as a parents' lounge and children's indoor playroom. The leader of the Napier Plunket Centre project, Alison Prins, said the organisation had felt there needed to be a more centralised facility since 2007.
"More and more parents are working and finding it harder and harder to access not just Plunket's services but also other 'under-fives' services."
The new site for Plunket ticked all the right boxes Mrs Prinss said.
"Our new Centre will be accessible, easy to find with good parking, on a bus route and it will be totally family-friendly."
In addition to Plunket's nurse clinics, car seat rentals and toy library, the new centre will be home to Napier Parents' Centre and a range of parenting services.
There will be clinic rooms for midwives and other health professionals to rent, along with education rooms for parent organisations and community groups to hire for a fee. Plans for a child-friendly cafe and perhaps a baby and maternity op shop are also in the pipeline.
It will also open outside normal working hours, including weekends.
"Plunket continues to adapt to the needs of our communities and has changed from being an organisation predominantly focused on health to an organisation which supports the family in many different ways," Mrs Prins said.
Napier City Council has donated the land to Plunket, and the organisation will only have to pay its rates.
Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott was right behind the project and praised the forward-thinking design of the community conscious centre.
 "The council's contribution to the project is a tangible way of supporting Plunket's work and the needs of Napier families."
Mitre 10 Mega in Napier has also shown its support by working with building designer Ben Luders of Eos Design to try to get bulk building supplies at discounted prices.
Funding for the project was kicked-started by a $75,000 donation from the Lion Foundation, and Radio Network is contributing $54,000 in air time and promotional support to assist with community fundraising.
The head of Plunket's fundraising team, Hannah Giddens, said there was still a lot of fundraising to do to make the build possible.
"We need to raise $275,000 from the Hawke's Bay community," she said.
A Family Fun Day at the site of the new centre is the first event on the calendar and is to raise awareness about the project.
Proceeds from the annual Mega Playhouses for Plunket held at Napier's Mitre 10 Mega in September will also be directed into the building fund.
Mega Playhouses for Plunket sees building firms compete to construct the best playhouse - their creations are then auctioned off the next day.
 In addition to the community fundraising drive, Plunket will be seeking sponsorship and grants, and directing any bequests into the building fund.
Plunket's Taradale and Maraenui centres will remain open and active despite the new centre. Any community group or organisation wishing to undertake fundraising activities to assist the build are asked to register their interest with Mrs Giddens at hlou69@hotmail.com or 027 249 8593.