Lower Hutt Women’s Centre

Lower Hutt Women’s Centre

The Lower Hutt Women’s Centre was established in 1987 with support from the Hutt City Council.  It offers courses and workshops for women on a range of issues including self esteem building, assertiveness training, volunteer training for community work, a facilitated women’s support group, a friendship group and courses in Te Reo and Art Therapy.  It also provides a counselling service for referrals, free computer access, a library and a playgroup for mothers and children.

The centre has had an interesting history in its journey to establish control over its own destiny. Initially the house in Knights Road, Lower Hutt, in which the centre had been established was held on a rental lease. In 1990 the Council bought the house to ensure that lease continued. Shortly afterwards ownership of the house changed again as it switched to the YWCA in a property swap with Council to effect the winding up of the Lower Hutt branch of the YWCA.

The Lower Hutt YWCA wanted their assets to remain in the Hutt Valley for use of the women in the region and they made guarantees that the Centre would be able to continue using the house in perpetuity. This arrangement worked very successfully until early last year when the YWCA decided to sell the property.

A negotiation process was then entered into that resulted in the Women's Centre being given the opportunity to purchase the property at well below the current market price (though significantly above what the house would have cost them had they been able to purchase it back in the early 1990's).

 

The Centre's trustees then approached Prometheus for a loan to purchase the property and finally establish themselves as owners of their home. We were pleased to be able to accommodate their request and support them in their long-term vision of building a solid financial footing for the Centre. We wish them all the best in their continued provision of courses and workshops on a range of issues to the women of the Hutt Valley.