Halcombe Tennis Courts get a revamp with a $127K grant

The NZCT has awarded $127,503 to the Halcombe Community Trust for tennis courts upgrades.

“I try to practise every day to get better and better, my goal is to play for the Jets. It will be awesome to have an adjustable hoop and lines to shoot from. I won’t have to bug mum to drive me thirty mins just to practice.” - Thomas McLaughlin, local teen and aspiring Manawatu Jets player.

"Thanks to the backing and confidence of the wider community including Sport Manawatu, Manawatu District Council and a number of other local and regional groups, our community will now have access to a fit for purpose modern sporting facility in Halcombe. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the supporting venues Drovers Bar & Kitchen, Empire Hotel and the Feilding Hotel alongside NZCT funding as being critical to secure the long-term sporting future of Manawatus’ fastest growing rural community. Halcombe is excited to make full use of this facility." - Rachel Lane, HCT Chairperson.

“I can’t wait to have somewhere to train the hockey kids that is purpose-built and won’t ruin their sticks. Our closest turf is in Feilding which is fifteen mins away, but we can’t even get any after-school training times on it, so this will make a massive difference for us. Super excited.” - Lucinda Dodunski, hockey coach.

“It’s going to be really cool when we get proper tennis courts and my game will get even better." - Lydia Binstead, tennis member.

Trustee Andrew Hansen says -

The need for this project came about from community feedback, starting with the community planning process in 2013. Many people from our community currently travel to Feilding for sports and our population has reached a point where a local facility would be heavily supported. This generous grant from NZCT means Halcombe community members can finally play, exercise, train, and compete on fit-for-purpose tennis courts and our kids will have somewhere to train and practice for their hockey matches.

The Halcombe Junior tennis club can now increase its membership and start competitions with courts that don’t have grass growing through them. Having surrounding netting that stop the ball from rolling out will also mean less time is spent chasing way-ward balls, giving kids and adults alike more game time. Local teens will have somewhere they want to come and hang out allowing them to play and practise multiple sports. They will no longer have to travel to local towns to access fit for purpose facilities.

Almost half the Feilding Junior Hockey teams are Halcombe school children. With no space for a turf at the school, there was a need for turf surface on which to practice. New lighting will not only help to decrease vandalism and increase use of both courts on winter evenings when day time hours are short, but also enable the rugby ground to plan a year round program.

From a regional point of view, Sport Manawatu has identified the need for multi-use courts. This multi-use court will be an asset to the wider Manawatu/Rangitikei region and the lights will ensure that it can be a well-utilised, year round asset, especially for grass roots sport. We want to future proof the Halcombe courts so they remain a fit-for-purpose and well utilised community asset for many future generations.

The Halcombe courts are an important asset to our wider community. They are utilised by families, groups, and individuals within our community. They provide a neutral venue where groups individuals and families can take part in recreational activity, which helps bring to life our vision of Halcombe being a safe, supportive, and connected community.

This project will benefit the members of our community by:

• Delivering on the vision of Halcombe being a safe, supportive, progressive and well-connected community.

• Delivering on a need within the greater Manawatu district for publicly available multi-use turf surfaces (as identified in the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Sport Facility Plan and Manawatu
District Community Sports Facilities Plan).

• Improving the overall well-being of our community through physical activity and connection with others by providing a recreational facility that is fit for purpose and multi-use.

• Allowing Halcombe’s growing community to reduce their carbon footprint by providing a fit for purpose, multi-use facility on their doorstep.

• Better utilisation of the current asset and future proof it by developing it to be multi-use and fit for purpose.

• The courts will help to improve accessibility to grassroots practice and competition.

• The development of the recreation hub and surrounding area to increase it relevancy and attraction.

Halcombe Community Trust was formed in 2017 and its mission is to undertake large projects that will step change the infrastructure and well-being of the local community. Its charitable objects and purposes are to foster the development of Halcombe and surrounding areas by:

• Assisting in and promoting the development of new and the enhancement of existing community facilities.

• Assisting in and promoting the development of projects that provide a benefit to the community or advance education and are exclusively charitable.

• Supporting people and organisations involved in community activities, encouraging, facilitating communication and coordination of projects and activities by the provision of funding for charitable purposes.

• Providing for, assisting in, and promoting the development of other such charitable purposes as the Trustees consider will benefit and enhance the community.

• To promote and encourage a high level of community involvement.

Photo credit - Louise Thompson.