Whanganui Musicians Club fundraiser to help upgrade of Savage Club hall

The Savage Club hall, now home to the Whanganui Musicians Club

Since taking over the Savage Club Hall in Drews Avenue in 2016, the Whanganui Musicians Club has taken responsibility for the maintenance of this heritage building.

The building is old and it is always a financial stretch for the club to keep it maintained and in a fit state.

"We have managed to keep everything working, and with the help of the The Four Regions Trust (Powerco) we are in the process of rewiring the building," said club co-chairman Fred Frederikse.

"Our next priority is accessibility - entrance ramps and making the toilets accessible for wheelchair users.

"We are having plans drawn up for toilets so we can get the work costed, and approach charitable trusts for grants."

To boost the fundraising effort, the club is organising a concert for this Sunday (November 25), appropriately called "Twas the month before Christmas".

Five groups of mainly older musicians will perform songs from the 1950s, 1960s and onwards. The doors will open at 1pm with live music from 2pm _ admission is $10.

The Savage Club hall has been used as a museum and as a lecture hall, before becoming
a music hall.

Until the 1980s there was an operational catering kitchen there and the hall
was a popular wedding venue. Another fundraising plan for the Musicians Club is to hire out the hall for weddings and other events.

Frederikse said the hall had been included in the Pukenamu/Queens Park
heritage zone and the club was working with Whanganui District Council to do a heritage architectural review of the building.

"We want to follow that up with renovation work to ensure the building will stand for another century.

"It is not just about preserving a heritage building. We call it 'living heritage' -- there has been a musical performance here pretty much every month for the last century and there is no reason it can't do another century."