‘A day for Wellington’: City Mission’s new home unveiled

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Wellington City Mission has unveiled its new building which includes transitional housing for the capital’s most vulnerable. It has been 6 years in the making. Laura Frykberg reports from the opening.

The Wellington City Mission’s new home Whakamaru has been unveiled after being blessed during its official opening ceremony on Wednesday morning.

The sound of the conch echoed off the walls as more than 160 people gathered at the break of dawn and the city began to awaken. The air was still and quiet as birds chirped and flew over the looming new building.

Led by Kura Moeahu of Te Āti Awa and members from Ngāti Toa, people weaved through each room, bringing life to the building and blessing each room. Karakia and the sound of poi resonated through the space.

The new multi-functional building, which is replacing the former Newtown ‘’sanctuary’’ of 30 years, had been six years in the making and would cost $49.5 million at its completion – 40% of which was funded by the Government.

More than 160 people gathered for the dawn blessing of Wellington City Mission’s new community facility Whakamaru. Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge and volunteer Raymond McMahon greet each other in front of the pou in Whakamaru.

Under one roof, Whakamaru had 35 transitional housing apartments; the medical centre; a koha-based cafe; a social supermarket; a network of community practitioners including social workers, counsellors, addiction support workers and financial mentors; as well as a crisis recovery cafe which would be open 24/7 to anyone in need.

Wellington City Mission’s new home, Whakamaru, officially opens on October 30th. The new $50m site will house all Wellington City Mission’s community services under one roof.

Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said its intention was to create less of a divide between people in the community by bringing different spaces together including meeting rooms, laundry and shower facilities and a cafe which anyone in the community could use.

“It warms my heart to see this place full of people, because that’s what it’s been built to do.”

Among those at the opening ceremony were dozens of Wellington City Mission staff; manuhiri who relied on its services; mayor Tory Whanau, ministers; councillors; neighbour to Whakamaru the Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and husband Dr Richard Davies, Anglican Bishop of Wellington Reverend Justin Duckworth; Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier; Police Commissioner Andy Coster; and people from NGOs.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she looked forward to bringing her staff to Whakamaru for lunch.

She paid tribute to Edridge for his “audacious vision” shared with her six years ago, “for making it real … because today really does feel like a day for Wellington”, Willis said.

Led by Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa, people weaved through each room, bringing life to the building and blessing each space.

“We talk about wraparound services, but it doesn’t get more wrapped around than this.”

Whanau said Whakamaru represented compassion, kindness, care and “a wonderful model for how we look after our most vulnerable – but not just our most vulnerable, our people, each other”.

Meanwhile, Kiro said the Mission had worked tirelessly over 120 years because they did not accept “the presence of homelessness, poverty and social isolation in our city”.

Mayor Tory Whanau said at the blessing that Whakamaru represents a “wonderful model” for how the city looks after its most vulnerable.

“Whakamaru takes this mahi to a completely new level.”

Te reo Māori names were gifted by Te Āti Awa, including for the Wellington City Mission, which was called Hei Whakamaru o te Korowai o te Panepane o te Ika a Maui.

It could be shortened to Whakamaru o te Korowai, or Whakamaru and its full literal translation was “the shelter of the cloak of protection of the wider Wellington region”, Edridge said.

The new space intends to bring all parts of the Wellington community together under its roof.

The Wellington City Missioner was also gifted the name He Manu Taupua which translated to “the leading sentry bird”.

The Wellington City Mission has been gifted Te reo Māori names which is ‘deeply significant’, Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge says.

“For us, that’s deeply significant,” Edridge said.

The building includes 35 transitional housing units.

It would still keep its name Wellington City Mission because of its history and trust built over 120 years. But there was beauty and privilege in being gifted a name that related to mana whenua, he said.

“Our belief is that Whakamaru isn't just a place, Whakamaru is a way of being and this idea that if we can model that to the community, and we can enable the community to wrap itself around those that need support in the community, we create a new way of being, and we think that'll be transformational for our communities.”

While the site was blessed as part of its official opening ceremony, moving into the building would happen in a staggered approach.

Staff and volunteers would move in early next month, while it would be open to the public on November 18.

Ora Toa Pōneke Medical Centre would open to the public in December as well as when the first residents would move into Whakamaru.