The Howick Historical Village has won a $500,000 grant.
Marin Burgess, the president of the Howick & Districts Historical Society, told the Times the first payment of $250,000 has been received and if the society meets the expected targets they have set around sustainability, diversity and maintenance and environmental, two further payments are due – $125,000 in February 2021 and $125,000 in August 2021.
“We were one of the fortunate few who attracted the Strategic Tourism Asset Protection Programme (STAPP) funds recently and have been awarded the grant payable over a two-year period,” said Burgess.
“In the face of a future with no tourists, the surety these funds and the recognition of our value as a tourism provider gave the Historical Village the necessary impetus to re-open which we did – very quietly – five weeks ago.
“We must also acknowledge the support of the Howick Local Board who have been engaged and understanding of our plight. We have mostly new staff and took the opportunity to ensure we had all systems in place.
“The future over the next few years is still extremely tense however we have been welcomed by the locals who picked up on social media we had re-opened and came to visit our living history museum.”
The schools programme is also up and running.
“While closed we have not been idle – there is a new shop front and the heritage gardens at the moment are a treat to behold. The Village is a gem we hope will endure well into future,” said Burgess.
“We are also very aware of the 175th anniversary [of Howick and surrounding districts] coming up [in 2022] which has to be a major opportunity for the village and the district as a whole – so we’re optimistic.”
Krissy Perrett, Howick Historical Village manager, said four objectives have been chosen to adhere to for the STAPP funding.
- Sustainability of infrastructure: Any maintenance of infrastructure or facilities uses sustainable construction and design methods to protect or restore the natural and cultural surroundings.
- Reducing our solid waste: A waste mitigation, reduction and management plan is developed and the business is actively measuring and monitoring against it.
- Diversity: Commitment to improving workforce diversity and or equity
- Māori culture appropriateness of tourism business offering: Local iwi and hapū provide advice into the way the business impacts Māori and the appropriateness of any Māori cultural components to the tourist offering.
“We have also taken the opportunity to start planning for the future of the museum with a strategic plan with Tim Walker Associates and an exhibition infrastructure plan with Doug Cole,” said Perrett.
