Tuesday 12 February 2013

Community Support Unit Expo demonstrates city's strength

The Community Support Unit Expo, running from Monday 18 – Tuesday 19 February, showcases the resources, services and achievements of the Christchurch City Council’s busy Community Support Unit.

The drop-in Expo highlights the work done by the Unit’s city housing, facilities and funding teams, providing examples of community involvement and opportunities for communities to access the services provided. Examples of the community-driven projects that Council have been able to assist with are presented as vignettes that describe each project in detail, from small initiatives to larger projects and everything in between:

• Smaller initiatives include Tomatoes for Tenants, which has seen over 4200 donated tomato plants delivered to social housing tenants with the collaboration of Rolleston Prison.
• Larger projects include the Redcliffs Community Shed, an entire community facility renovated by volunteers and catering to carpentry, metalwork and arts and crafts workshops, all overseen by the Sumner Bays Union Trust.

The Expo also presents the Council’s recently-produced Community Profiles: summaries of the core demographics and social networks of a given area. With 49 zones across the city profiled this year, the project helps the Council better understand different areas of the City and provides valuable information to elected members and decision-makers about local areas. Community Profiles will be produced each year for the next 10 years to map the changing face of Christchurch.

Mayor Bob Parker says the Expo illustrates many of the Unit’s achievements in Christchurch’s post-earthquake environment.

“By any measure, an event on the scale of what we went through would rattle a community – but this Expo shows that not only have these groups kept community spirit alive and well, they have in many cases brought communities closer than ever before. Demographics may be changing and regular haunts relocating, but the city’s sense of identity and self-worth is flourishing.”

“We welcome all comers to the Expo,” Mayor Parker says. “It will be uplifting, it will open your eyes to the services and opportunities that are right on your doorstep, and it could well inspire you to roll up your sleeves and get involved yourself.”

Community Support Unit Expo
Monday 18 February, 9am–4pm
Tuesday 19 February, 9am–1pm
Civic Office Function Room
53 Hereford Street, Christchurch

ENDS

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