2024 has been a big year for Risingholme Community Centre. An 80th anniversary is a significant milestone for any organization, and it has given us an opportunity to pause and reflect on our past, present, and future.
Since becoming an incorporated society in 1944 Risingholme has grown into a vibrant community centre and place of learning with a legacy that will continue to grow in the coming decades.
To mark this significant occasion, we developed a series of events throughout the year that reflected the values Risingholme represents: Enjoyment, Enhancing, Effortless, and Tradition.
Director Lynda Megson says that the event caps off a year of festivities for the organisation and included events like ‘Have a Go Day’ which offered free course taster sessions to the public, and an art exhibition featuring works from over 50 learners and tutors at Risingholme.
“Community is at the heart of who we are and what we do. When planning our big 80th we wanted to create collaborative events that showcase the wonderful work of the people who have helped Risingholme grow and thrive as an organisation.”
With this in mind, we concluded the year with an evening function and panel unveiling that centred around tradition and honouring our history as it is the foundation on which we build the future.
A moment to remember
It was a balmy Spring evening as friends, tutors, staff– past and present–and members of our wider community gathered at the Homestead to celebrate. There was kai, specially crafted Risingholme-themed mocktails such as “Risingholme Rizz” and Raspberry “LemonACE” which added a fun flair to the evening, and a birthday cake of course!
We were particularly honoured to have several Life Members present who have been part of Risingholme’s story for many years as staff, leaders, and supporters of the organisation. They took an active role in the formalities helping to cut the cake and unveil the new history panels, now on permanent display in the Homestead.
Life Members (L-R): Lynda Burdekin, Mary Simons, Raewyn Cooke, Judith Bradshaw
Guests were also greeted on arrival by the pleasant music of the Risingholme Orchestra, who did a wonderful job playing a mix of classical and more modern film tunes that helped set the right tone for the evening. The orchestra has a long association with Risingholme. It was established in 1992 and used Risingholme Hall for their weekly practice sessions and concerts for 20 years until the 2011 earthquakes forced them to relocate. They played at Risingholme’s 50th anniversary and it was special to have them play again for our 80th.
The big reveal…
One of the highlights of the 80th celebration was the unveiling of a series of 14 history panels that are now on permanent display at the Homestead. Covering the period from 1864 to today, the panels explore Risingholme’s history from its time as a private residence to its transition into a community centre and a place of continuing education.
Through these interpretive panels, visitors can learn more about what it was like to live at Risingholme through the recollections of one of its residents, Peg Moorhouse, who spent her childhood at the Homestead. Visitors can also gain an appreciation for Risingholme as an important hub for the local community, as it was home to a Young People’s Club, a Play Centre, and its early programmes developed out of a need to bring the community closer together. The final set of panels tell the modern story of the organisation as a place to learn. It explores Risingholme’s place in the wider ACE sector and some of the key programmes and leaders that have shaped the organisation.
Risingholme’s Director, Lynda Megson, said that the panels have been a long time in the making. “The initial idea was raised when the Homestead was being restored following a fire in 2016. In 2023 we received a Christchurch City Council Heritage Grant which enabled us to employ Archivist Kathleen Stringer who delved into our archives and began to compile a catalogue for all the documents and photographs that have enabled us to tell these stories today”.
It has been a true collaborative effort to bring some of Risingholme’s rich history to life with staff, our former intern Emily Fisher, graphic designer Katrina Greenslade, and Life Members Judith Bradshaw, Liz Willis, Lynda Burdekin, and Raewyn Cooke all playing a part in the process.
“We’re very proud of the final result but in many ways this is just the start,” said Lynda. “These panels have given us a framework that we can continue to build on as we explore Risingholme’s history and community impact further. Our archives are a valuable resource, and we are working towards making them more accessible to the wider public”.
President of the Risingholme Community Centre Executive Committee, Damian Sims also noted that he hopes the panels will become a “touchpoint for people wanting to learn more about Risingholme and the community of people behind it”— past present and future.
The panels are on permanent display in the Homestead and are open to visitors during office hours, 9am-4pm, Mon-Fri.