Welcome home Netball Whanganui

HOME SWEET HOME: The Netball Wanganui girls (from left) Parekura Muraahi (CEO), Kim Flower (VP) and Amanda Engert (Pres) are glad to finally be home.

The circle is now complete after the homcoming of Netball Wanganui last week.

The Laird Park netball courts have always been known as the home of netball in the River City and now it is home to Netball Wanganui staff who re-located from their rented office space in town to the courts on Tuesday last week.

The move has been in the pipeline for some time according to president Amanda Engert.

"We're absolutely thrilled the dream has become a reality. Being based at the courts increases our presence in the community," Engert said.

"It will help to raise our profile as an independent sporting body and it just makes so much sense for us strategically, operationally and financially."

Vice president Kim Flower led the hunt for funding to create the office space which required an electrical upgrade and fibre installation to ensure the office was future proofed.

"We were stoked to receive a $30,000 grant from the Lion Foundation, up to half of which was able to be used on the office conversion. We're also very grateful for the advice and support of local businesses Wanganui Phillips Electrical, Geoff Davies, Wanganui Plumbing, Harrisons Hiremaster, Meteor Office Products, and Rapidweb Networks," Flower said.

Executive officer Parekura Muraahi, who has managed the re-location project, says there is still a lot of unpacking to do, but she was already enjoying being on-site.

"We've only been here one week and the place is buzzing. Last Wednesday was the start of our term 4 Future Ferns programme and primary twilight competition. We ran coaching modules all weekend and people have been coming down during the day to play and shoot goals which is just lovely," Muraahi said.

"Everything is at our fingertips. It's so exciting. It's actually been a bit hard clocking out at the end of the day to go home but I'm sure that will wear off."
Muraahi says the biggest challenge now is making sure people know how and when to get in touch.

"Our normal office hours are Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and we can be contacted on 281 3625 (local number). Our staff are on-site at different times running programmes and competitions so the best place to find out when and how to contact us is on our website at www.netballwanganui.co.nz," Muraahi said.