Horowhenua

Healthy homes for Horowhenua

Almost half the $96,000 donated to Horowhenua organisations by the Eastern and Central Community Trust this month will be go towards preserving the special collection of sound and film material at Foxton’s Museum of Audio Visual Arts and Sciences.

The community trust is contributing $50,000 for the museum to develop suitable storage so that its recorded sound, film and other memorabilia is properly preserved. The museum is based in the old Foxton town hall which was rebuilt in 1926 after fire destroyed the original hall on the site.

The museum holds a unique collection of cinematographic, photographic, projection, camera, radio, electronics, communication, audio visual equipment and sound archives of various recorded tapes and records. Movies have been screened at the hall during most of its history and the theatre uses projection equipment from the 1940s and an original valve sound system.

Also benefiting from the community trust donations this month are some Horowhenua families living in cold, draughty homes which will be insulated as part of a nationwide Healthy Homes project. 

The community trust donation of $10,000 will contribute to a funding pool of support aimed at insulating more than 40 homes in Horowhenua. The project is in its third year in the Horowhenua district, providing ceiling and under-floor insulation, wraps for hot water cylinders and pipes and draught proofing of doors. Research shows that the health of families in insulated homes improves, they need fewer visits to the doctor, sick days away from work are reduced and the power bill also reduces.

Houses built before 1977 when insulation became mandatory and low income households are high priorities for retrofitting. Studies show more than 30 per cent of New Zealand homes are significantly below the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard for indoor temperature, which is 18˚ Celsius.

Other donations to Horowhenua organisations this month include $7,500 to Netball Horowhenua towards the cost of a sealed, fenced warm-up area for players, $4,000 for new fire alarms at the Levin Performing Arts Society and $4,000 for heat pumps at the Senior Citizens hall in Levin.
 

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