The Christchurch Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre, situated at 455 Hagley Avenue, includes two large function rooms, three workshop rooms, a meeting room, a board room, several offices, a commercial kitchen, and more.
With 2,000 square metres of space and a range of different-sized rooms, this versatile building is a great asset for our diverse communities represented in Christchurch.
The Multicultural Centre has been set up by the Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre Charitable Trust (MRCCCT), in partnership with Christchurch City Council.
The Council and the MRCCCT have entered into a Community Facilities Activation Agreement, to establish and activate a thriving and lively centre that serves as a hub for cultural and cross-cultural recreational and community activities.
Through the agreement, the Council retains legal ownership of the property, while entrusting the MRCCCT with operational authority to run and activate the space. This will include a new website for the centre in 2024.
For more information, please contact Dr Viviana Zanetti, the Establishment Manager of the Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre, at viviana.zanetti@ccc.govt.nz.
Location
MRCCC Trust
The Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre Charitable Trust is a not-for-profit grassroots organisation whose purpose is to encourage, support and facilitate sporting, recreation and community development opportunities across ethnicities, multicultural communities and relevant community organisations.
The trust is currently formed by six community members who were selected based on the required competencies and the need for a balanced representation of gender, ethnicities, nationalities, abilities, and skills.
The trustees are:
- Ms Shreejana Chhetri (chairperson)
- Mr Jimmy Chen (vice-chairperson)
- Dr. Zhijie (Jerry) Dai
- Ms Fatemeh (Dani) Faraji
- Mrs Emily Verhoven
- Mrs Pooja Thakkar
Ex-Officio members (with no voting powers):
- Claire Appleby Phillips (Christchurch City Council)
- Anne Galloway (Hagley College – Te Puna Wai o Waipapa)
Background
Home for almost 30 years to the Christchurch Netball Centre, The Atrium was purchased by Christchurch City Council in early 2022 to establish a multicultural centre in the city.
The committed efforts and lobbying of cultural groups across Christchurch who had long called for a space to call their own can be credited for contributing to this milestone being reached.
Between July and August 2022, to better understand the needs and aspirations of the diverse communities throughout Christchurch, the Council undertook a range of community visioning exercises to ensure that the venue is fit for purpose.
These conversations and public feedback provided diverse communities with an opportunity to share with the Council the community’s vision for a Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre and to develop a collective set of values, ownership and aspirations.
The Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre Charitable Trust (MRCCCT) was also set up to facilitate the establishment and operational running of the centre.
The Council has signed a Community Facility Activation Agreement with the MRCCT for the activation of the Centre and is also supporting the development of the centre through short-term resourcing until the Trust takes over operation responsibilities during 2024, from which point the facility will be run independently by the trust.
A grand opening event was held on 5 March 2024, in line with the 30th anniversary of the building's inauguration as the Christchurch Netball Centre in 1994.