Te Kowhai heritage needs your help
Story by Ruth Smart.
St Stephen’s church is the small white church just north of the garage in Te Kowhai. Originally built on a site in Collie Rd in 1903, it was moved by Mr V Jack to the ‘new’ village, and the site donated by Mr Vic Henton in 1955.
This church is now over 115 years old. Regular services have been held in this building since in was built and consecrated in 1903. This historic building is possibly the oldest within the village itself. It is one for us all to treasure and protect for future generations.
Today, regular services are held on the first and third Sunday of the month. There will also be Christmas services in December.
Compared to the ‘baby boomer years’ when there was a roll of 27 children at Sunday School with three teachers and a Ladies Guild who extended a caring hand to the community, we, like many mainstream churches, reflect the modern times, with a regular congregation of ten. Less during the winter months.
Recently, as you’ve passed by, you may have noticed the door was repaired. The cost of this was met with a Heritage grant from Waikato District Council. We have also completed the rewiring of both the church and the annex, to ensure they are safe.
Our initial investigation of the church has shown it is suffering from water damage and in need of major maintenance as well as painting. We have one quote for the repair and paint but are well aware the actual state of the timber will not be really known until the paint has been stripped back. We are also aware that the longer this maintenance is deferred, the worse the state of the building will become.
Our initial quote for repairs was $15,000 but we know we will need to raise more than this. Given that there is further maintenance required on the tea room, anything raised above the requirement for the church, would still be used for the church buildings here at St Stephens.
Donations
Your support is needed. The congregation invite you to help us with our building project.
Cheque: Payable to: Holy Trinity Ngaruawahia
Post: St Stephens Church, c/- R Smart, 26 Willowbrook Lane, R D 8, Hamilton 3288
In person: Come along to a service on Sunday and pop a donation in an envelope on the plate.
Please contact Ruth Smart for internet banking details if needed. Phone: 829 7655 evenings or email ruthsmart@xtra.co.nz
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.5% Yes
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14.7% No
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2.8% Other - I'll share below
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Test Your Wits! Today's Riddle Will Keep You Guessing!
Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in the sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
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