Eastern Bay’s largest venue to open doors to even more events with support from Trust Horizon

Racecourse Park is a much-valued facility – not only for the equestrian community, but for the wider public. Its appeal is now set to widen even further, thanks to a $150,000 grant from Trust Horizon.

Previously known as Te Teko Racecourse, the 45-hectare property was once the home of the Whakatāne Racing Club. However, when the racecourse was disestablished, the land was put into a trust with the goal of transforming it into a community facility. 

In a nod to its equestrian heritage, it was renamed Racecourse Park. Over the years the park has hosted numerous events, including Farming Like Grandad, Showjumping, Eventing and Dressage. With caravan points available, the site can host overnight stays and camping events. It has also been used for grazing of livestock during civil emergencies, such as the Edgecumbe floods.

While outdoor events are already well-catered for, Racecourse Park’s large pavilion represents a unique opportunity for large-scale indoor events. Capable of hosting up to 600 guests, the structure has the potential to be the largest seated venue in the Eastern Bay. However, as Racecourse Park Trustee Linda Virbickas explains, it first requires significant upgrades.

“The pavilion is massive, but it’s just a huge tin shed on a concrete floor,” Virbickas says. “It needs extensive sound-proofing and insulation, so we can host events like weddings, gigs and conferences, and provide emergency accommodation for people during natural disasters.”

Racecourse Park’s six Trustees also plan to transform the pavilion’s basic kitchen facilities into a fully kitted-out commercial kitchen, capable of catering to the vast numbers the venue can host. The site’s administration building also needs work, with its ceilings requiring replacing and insulating.

Upgrades of this scale require significant funding. However, with the community-minded goal of affordable venue hire pricing, the Trustees needed to look elsewhere for the financial kick-start they needed. 

“A number of people in the community asked whether we’d thought of applying to Trust Horizon for a grant,” says Virbickas. “We did some investigating and kicked it off from there, pulled together an application, rallied letters of support from the community, discussed our vision and application with Trust Horizon, submitted it and crossed our fingers.”

The group’s application was successful, with Trust Horizon approving a grant of just over $150,000 in February. “Racecourse Park is brimming with potential,” says Trust Horizon Trustee, Yvonne Boyes. “A venue of this size and scale would bring numerous opportunities and benefits to the Eastern Bay and its communities. We’d be thrilled to see the Racecourse Park’s Trustees’ vision become a reality.”

With funding now secured, the upgrades at Racecourse Park will soon be underway. “With these improvements, the possibilities will be endless; there won’t be another facility like it in the Eastern Bay,” says Virbickas. “Without this huge input from Trust Horizon there’s no way we could’ve kick started this project. We’re incredibly appreciative of their assistance.”

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