Hato Hone St John’s Kaikohe store to close because of mould and roof damage

The Kaikohe Hato Hone St John store will close next Friday and the search for a new site has begun. Photo / The Treehouse Creative

Long-standing problems with mould and a deteriorating roof have led Hato Hone St John to make the “extremely difficult decision” to close its Kaikohe store.

After more than a decade of serving Kaikohe, the store will shut next Friday.

The organisation said they remain committed to Kaikohe and are actively seeking a suitable tenancy to relocate the store in future.

The store situated at 128 Broadway, Kaikohe, will close on November 28, because of significant issues with the building, including the need for long-term mould remediation and roof repairs, and despite efforts to find a permanent fix, these issues remain unresolved.

Hato Hone St John general manager community impact and programmes Steve Montgomery said it has been an extremely difficult decision to make.

“We know how important the store is, but the risks involved with creating a shopping space that is safe for our people and the public are becoming harder to manage.”

He said Hato Hone St John did consider undertaking repairs at their own cost.

“But the expense is too great for a charitable organisation such as ours. An alternative location for the store was also considered, but unfortunately, that option did not work out.”

He said they hope there is still an opportunity to find alternative premises that are safe for their volunteers.

“We understand the strong feelings within the community around the closure of this store, and we acknowledge that this decision is unsettling for our valued whānau of volunteers. We would like to sincerely thank our Kaikohe volunteers for their dedication and service since the store first opened in 2014, and we are grateful for the support of the community that has kept the store going through the years.”

Hato Hone St John will continue to have a presence in Kaikohe, with its Waka Ora Health Shuttle service operating from the town and emergency ambulances that support Kaikohe and the wider Hokianga region. In addition, the organisation will continue looking for new premises for its Kaikohe store, to ensure ongoing service to the community.

Waka Ora Health Shuttles are a koha-based community service, staffed by volunteers, that transports people to health and wellbeing-related appointments and safely returns them home.

Over the coming weeks, Hato Hone St John will work through what to do with any unsold goods from the store.