Alexandra-based Living Options Charitable Trust is putting the finishing touches on its new house, in Arrowtown’s Nairn St, to be named The Tom Pryde Centre, in recognition of the trust’s chairman of 20 years.
The property, owned by Queenstown’s council since 1876, sits on 614sq m of land and forms part of the Arrowtown Endowment Fund.
Two years ago, after failing to sell the property, twice, the council decided to lease it to the trust at a peppercorn rental, $1 per annum, to establish a base in the Wakatipu.
Living Options then needed to fundraise about $270,000 required for the retrofit.
Trust founder Alison Wildey said the Hugo Charitable Trust was the founding donor, contributing $100,000 just before last year’s lockdown.
The Living Options Charitable Trust also received the inaugural Impact100 Wakatipu $100,000 grant last November, and donations, including one "very generous" one from a local family, got it close to the fundraising target.
Builders Lightning Construction started work in April, essentially stripping the property, which had been on three different levels, back to its bones.
"They did an amazing job, and when they stripped it, they found the floorboards were rotten, so there was a lot of work to do," Mrs Wildey said.
"It’s like a whole new house now."
Mrs Wildey and her daughter Olivia, the trust’s operations manager, said they were delighted with the support from the local community for the centre.
They paid particular tribute to Lightning Construction managing director Chris Fraser, who also used his contacts to get as much as possible donated or discounted, Remarkable People director Ed Stott, Remarkables Sweet Shop and Bendix Stables.
"The community have been so amazingly supportive — it’s unbelievable," Mrs Wildey said.
The centre would serve as a meeting place for people the trust supported, and activities including art, dancing, drama and gardening were planned on site.
At present, the trust supported 10 families and had five staff working across the Wakatipu.
