Christchurch Adventure Park staff give back

Christchurch Adventure Park staff are giving back to the community.

With only limited work able to be done at the adventure park while damage from the Port Hills fire is assessed and insurance issues worked though, staff are turning their hands to other things.

They are going to be spending time doing a range of community activities from cooking meals and baking at Ronald McDonald House to running bicycle skills sessions in schools and assisting the City Mission with life skill classes for their residents.

A student at South New Brighton School busts some air during a bike skill session run by Christchurch Adventure Park staff.

“Giving back to our local community is just a fantastic way to say thank you for all their support. During the eight weeks we were open the public really came out in their thousands and now that we are closed their support has been incredible. It has got us through some dark days so it just seemed like the natural thing to do,’’ says Christchurch Adventure Park Food & Beverage Manager Maree Wilson.

To ensure their skills don’t go to waste bike Instructors and patrollers are spending time in local schools running skills and bike safety sessions for the kids.

The programme is designed for year 5 to 8 students and lessons are structured to enable every student to develop their bike riding skills, with groups focusing on different levels -  from beginner 'learn to ride', through intermediate 'improving balance and control', and advanced 'technical skills', to expert 'jumps and drops'.

South New Brighton Primary School Principal John Bockett believes it is a wonderful opportunity for the students.

“This is a great opportunity for the students to learn from some fantastic trainers. For the children to build up their skill base and become better riders can only be a good thing. It will really enhance their cycle safety which is so important these days. We really appreciate the opportunity to work with the team from the Park.”

At Ronald McDonald House - a home away from home for families whose children are undergoing hospital care - the CAP team will be making dinners and baking for the residents so that families can simply focus on their child’s recovery.

“We had been talking to the Adventure Park before the fires on ways in which we could work together,'' says Ronald McDonald House Chief Executive Matthew Mark. "I thought all that had to be put on the back burner after the fire but then they called me and asked if we needed a hand. The fact that they want to assist the community when they are going through such a tough time speaks volumes.

“Some of the team came in last week to assist us with some manual labour and moving beds, this week they’re filling the house with the smell of baking and cooking meals. It’s a fantastic initiative.”

The Christchurch Adventure Park remains closed for the foreseeable future.