Built in 1897, Ponsonby Community Centre was initially a school.  It was purchased by Auckland City Council in 1958 for use as a hall. The Centre has been rebuilt and completely refurbished since a fire in August 1999.   Since 1990, the Centre has offered expanded services including OSCAR (out of school care & recreation) programmes, subsidised adult education and a pre-school as well as being a venue for hire.    This Centre is owned and subsidised by Auckland City Council and is run independently by a Board of local residents and users of the Centre.  This is a community facility for the local community.  Your interest and input are needed by providing ideas and feedback on activities. Vision Ponsonby Community Centre - a dynamic place to learn, grow and have fun together Purpose A not-for-profit organisation in Ponsonby providing social, educational and recreational activities for the community Values/Philosophy The Ponsonby Community Centre values the people in our community, especially our children.  Our values are: ·         honesty and integrity ·         an inviting environment ·         accessibility ·         diversity ·         equality ·         democracy Goals ·         to provide resources, information and education. ·         to provide publicly available recreational facilities and a meeting place for the wider community. ·         to provide a centre and focus for all people. ·         to provide accessible Pre-school, Before school, After school and Holiday programmes. ·         to provide accessible community education classes. to respond to community needs either within the Centre or by seeking the co operation of the community or Council. Where to Find Us History   Built in 1897, Ponsonby Community Centre was initially a school, called the Ponsonby side school.  It was purchased by Council in 1958 for use as a hall.   The building of the harbour bridge in 1959, and subsequent motorway developments across St. Mary's Bay were having devastating effects on the local community. Some 200 families, many of whom had been there sine the 1860’s, were forced to move out, while better transport to outer suburbs allowed others to leave the inner city.  Short term "renters" began to take their place - increasing numbers of rural Maori and pacific peoples from island states seeking work.    Peter Harwood had received a rotary fellowship to the United Kingdom and had seen the re-development after world war two.  He was impressed by the CAB movement that had begun.  Council appointed him to set up the country's first CAB at Ponsonby Community Centre,  and to report on what council could do to improve and better manage its urban renewal.   An embarrassing camp-out with Betty Wark and the street youth prompted council to house them in the Centre and subsequently arranged for her the first halfway house in O'Neill street, further activating council's role in community development.   Some time later, a former adviser recalls the wad of dollars offered by the king Cobras when council wouldn't spend any money on the Centre.  The work was finally done when the Tongan princess was due to come and open the Tongan pre-school.   Ponsonby has been full of the famous and infamous, plans and issues, community and controversy, but the spirit of the Centre and its workers was most poignantly recorded by Fred Ellis, " a homeless person came in and I took him home!"  There are many stories about events, individuals and initiatives attributed to this Centre.  The people and the facility have provided a warm, supportive, local environment which encouraged initiatives that have impacted on many of our lives locally, citywide and nationally.