On a map, the ‘You Are Here’ icon is a reminder of your location.
‘You Are Here’ locators are usually to help tourists or those new to an area, find their bearings again & see which way they need to go.
Currently ‘You Are Here’, in these communities surrounding 10 Shirley Road/Shirley Community Reserve:
Shirley, Dallington, Richmond, Edgeware, St Albans & Mairehau.
“Our communities are ethnically and socially diverse.
We have areas of social deprivation, and others of relative well being.
We have increased social housing, and increased high density, infill housing. As our population grows, the demand for community facilities grows also.
Church facilities can be a barrier for some of our secular community members. School facilities are often limited in the times they are available. Private venues are too expensive.”
https://www.shirleyroadcentral.nz/the-future-for-shirley-road-central/
Whether you have just arrived in this country, recently moved into these communities, here temporarily (renting) or permanently (bought a house), while ‘you are here’ welcome to the Shirley Centre, ‘a place to be’, within our local communities.
The 10 Shirley Road site/Shirley Community Reserve is a destination greenspace, a historic landmark within our local communities, located near Hills Road, with our main bus routes traveling through this area & bus stops on either side of Shirley Road.
The original Shirley Primary School was built on this 10 Shirley Road site in 1915.
In May 1977, the building and site became surplus to the Ministry of Education requirements.
In March 1978, Shirley Community Centre opened as a ‘place for cultural, educational and recreational activities’.
The land at 10 Shirley Rd is classified as reserve, vested in the Council by the Crown to be held ‘in trust for local purpose (site for a community centre)’.
Q. What is the definition of a community centre?
A. “Community centres are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialized group within the greater community.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_centre
The 10 Shirley Road site is central to our 14 local education providers, all are within 3km of the 10 Shirley Road site:
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/local-education-providers/
There are currently no local ‘suburban’ sized Christchurch City Libraries in the Innes Ward.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-library/
The current Shirley Library is located in the carpark of The Palms (Burwood Ward).
https://goo.gl/maps/WJihLrU5XP5TVDPM6
By relocating the current Shirley Library onto the 10 Shirley Road site, it will be easier to find, with better parking & access to public transport, a central location to connect residents from the surrounding communities, with the existing local community centres & facilities.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/bumping-spaces/
The Shirley Centre is ‘a’ place to be, not ‘the’ place to be, as there are a variety of different community facilities in these communities:
https://smartview.ccc.govt.nz/map/layers/communityfacility#/@172.65355,-43.50796,14
The difference is access to the Shirley Centre wouldn’t be restricted, based on whether you fit the criteria/demographics, for the provided activities/events.
‘You Are Here’ where you can just ‘be’, you’re not required to ‘do’ anything.
Our local communities don’t need another ‘traditional’ community centre, we need a ‘future focused’ community centre…
The Shirley Centre/Citizen Hub would be a ‘fit for purpose’ building with more floor space, flexible spaces & a bigger selection of books in the new Learning Library.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-concept/
Learning Library: ‘a place to be’, inclusive, accessible, intergenerational, third place, bumping spaces, within our local communities.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/learning-libraries-concept/
Q. What is a library?
A. “1% building with books…
99% the social and cultural infrastructure of a community.”
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/third-place/
Libraries are ‘third places (social)’ the ‘living room’ of society in our communities.
We have many in our communities who don’t have a ‘second place (work)’: stay at home parents, caregivers, retirees, unemployed, people working from home etc. Some due to their circumstances don’t feel like they have a safe and relaxing ‘first place (home)’.
This is why it is so important that our ‘third places (social)’ are welcoming and inclusive for everyone in our communities.
“Libraries are one of the few public spaces left in our society where you’re allowed to exist without the expectation of spending money.”
Amanda Killian
Mental health & wellbeing literacy/education needs to be in our local communities, in our free inclusive accessible safe civic places: our local suburban Christchurch City Libraries with our ‘information specialists’ librarians.
We teach our children from an early age, if you have a question or need help, that it’s ok to ask our librarians.
“Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open.”
Laura Bush
Our librarians can direct us to the ‘right info at the right time’, whether it be connecting you with a book, news article, community education, support service, community facility, community group…
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-concept-image/
Outreach opportunities for local & central Government, NGOS, & support services in our local suburban library learning spaces:
‘Participate, Engage, Observe’
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/instore-demonstration-concept/
‘You Are Here’, this is a safe place to be, for whatever you are going through. Take what you need to find your bearings again, before you see which way you need to go.
“Everyone of us needs help at some point in our life. And, the more that we can lift up those who need it the most in our community, the more the community itself betters.”
John Rivers
“Tangata ako ana i te kāenga, te tūranga ki te marae, tau ana.
A person nurtured in the community contributes strongly to society.”
In a world that is constantly telling us to ‘do’…
the key to wellbeing is found within the actual word: wellBEing.
“I am a human BEing, not a human DOing.
Don’t equate your self-worth with how well you ‘do’ things in life.
You aren’t what you ‘do’. If you are what you ‘do’, then when you don’t…you aren’t.”
Wayne Dyer
Hence, what we really need in this world, is more of this:
Welcome, ‘You Are Here’ & you have ‘A Place To BE’, within our local communities.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/placemaking/
