Boost for School of Music Fundraising

The Nelson Historical Society has provided an unexpected windfall of $14,000 to boost the fundraising for the Nelson School of Music’s restoration and rebuilding campaign.

Nelson School of Music Trust Board Chair Roger Taylor said the restoration of the School was a very fitting project for the Historical Society.

“Their aim is to celebrate Nelson’s history and to keep it alive, and that is what the rebuild is all about,” he said. “It takes us to nearly $600,000 in our community fundraising, which has a target of $1.4million, so we can almost start talking about being half way. We’ve very encouraged by the support from businesses, organisations and individuals.”

Taylor says the project now has resource consent for the earthquake strengthening of the auditorium, a rebuild of the foyer and entranceway and a completely new facility with teaching, rehearsal and performance space to replace Rainey House in Collingwood Street.

Ken Wright from the Nelson Historical Society explained that they had been holding the funds for some years, since the local branch of the Historic Places Trust was disestablished when the Trust became Heritage New Zealand.

“The focus of the Historic Places Trust was on buildings so the School of Music Rebuild is a very fitting project for that money,” he said. “This is a very significant gift for a small organisation like ours and our members were very excited to be able to put the money to such good use.”

The Nelson School of Music Trust expects to have final plans in the next few weeks and to go to tender before the end of the year. The removal of Rainey House is scheduled for December, with the rebuild to start in the New Year.

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