Southern View: June 23, 2022

Thursday June 23 2022 3
Seniors have isolation concerns
while library is being rebuilt
• By Emily Moorhouse
CONCERNS FROM older
adults in the community about
loosing their space to connect
with each other during South
Library’s rebuild have been
raised.
Age-Friendly Spreydon
Cashmere Committee member
Helene Lautner wrote to the
Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere
Community Board at its latest
meeting, addressing the
“negative impact” the library’s
temporary closure will have on
older adults.
Lautner said the library is a
well-used facility, particularly
for older adults in the community
and for some, it is their
opportunity to socialise.
“It also gives people the
chance to get out of their house
into a safe environment where
it’s warm to use the computers,”
she said.
“Or maybe some older adults
come just to sit and read in the
library to escape long hours of
being alone at home.”
The city council confirmed
South Library will be rebuilt due
to earthquake damage repairs
costing more than demolishing
and rebuilding it.
No start date has been set for
work to begin but it is estimated
to take 18 months.
Lautner said many people she
knows use the space to meet
friends and connect with each
other, which is a huge factor in
people’s lives.
“This has become part of the
structure of the community,
having the library available so if
you remove that structure you
can’t easily recreate it on your
own,” she said.
“I’m there frequently. If you go
there at anytime it’s pretty full
with people.”
Lautner said the closure of
South Library would have a
“significant negative impact” on
the older adults if there was no
alternative venue offered during
the rebuild.
“Loneliness and isolation are
alleviated when individuals
come to the library and sit in
comfortable chairs set up in a
conversational design that encourages
strangers to talk to one
another.”
She said she would like the
community board to think
about these issues and investigate
venues that can be used as
a temporary space for people to
meet and connect during the
library’s rebuild.
“It is a long time 18 months,
CONCERN:
David Troughton
and Helene
Lautner would
like a temporary
venue for older
adults to use
while South
Library is being
rebuilt.
PHOTO: STAR
MEDIA
that’s just what they’re predicting
now, it could be longer,” she
said.
Community board chair
Karolin Potter said the Spreydon
and Cashmere areas have
slightly more older people than
other areas in the city.
She said she supports the
committee’s request to have
a temporary space while the
library undergoes its rebuild and
staff are looking into this.
“People love that library. It’s a
place where people can go to
feel the warmth of others
around them without talking
to them.”
In Brief
FLOODLIGHTS FOR
FOOTBALL CLUB
Cashmere Technical Football
Club has been granted $20,000 to
go towards purchasing floodlight
towers. Club representative
Caroline Mason said she is really
pleased the city council supported
their request to have floodlights,
and the club is excited to find a
suitable location for them. The
club had previously approached
the community board to get
floodlights installed to
accommodate for midweek
training.
GRANTS FOR EVENTS
AND JAZZ
The Waikura Linwood-Central-
Heathcote Community Board
approved a grant of $2500 to
Roimata Commons Trust to go
towards a Matariki community
event. The community board
also approved a grant of $2043
to go towards Te Aratai College
students’ participation in the
Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival
in August.
TOILET UPGRADES FOR
TENNIS CLUB
The Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere
Community Board approved
a grant of $2000 to Barrington
Tennis Club towards toilet block
upgrades. The upgrades include
installing an extractor fan, which
the club has budgeted $500 to go
towards but needed additional
funding.
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