Waipuna opens new Mount store

Waipuna Hospice is extending its presence in the Bay of Plenty with a new store in Mount Maunganui helping to raise money to support the essential services of the Te Puna facility.

Based in a newly renovated building on MacDonald Street, the third Waipuna Hospice store in the Western Bay of Plenty will provide additional funds towards the estimated $2million needed this fundraising year.

Carol and Christy Arundel at the new Waipuna Hospice store on Macdonald Street. Photos by Daniel Hines.

Work began on the project to open a new store in the Mount more than a year ago with extensive work being put in by the building’s owner John Van Dyk, architects, builders, painters, volunteers and Waipuna Hospice board members and supporters.

Waipuna business manager James Turner says they looked at 20 to 30 premises before deciding on the MacDonald street store.

“It has been a long journey to get to this point.

“From what started as an outdoor garden furniture store, the whole fit and feel has changed.

It has exceeded expectations and I am sure we will have a fantastic store here in the Mount Maunganui community.”

The building was originally zoned for industrial purposes and James says Tauranga City Council proved very supportive in helping Waipuna to gain the required commercial resource consent needed to open the store.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges officially opens the new Waipuna Hospice store in Mount Maunganui.

This month is the start of a new fundraising year for Waipuna Hospice and this year the hospice is aiming to raise $2million.

Waipuna Hospice CEO Richard Thurlow says the new store will go a long way to helping Waipuna achieve this goal.

“The shops are a huge component of our fundraising efforts.

“We haven’t had a presence here in the Mount for a number of years so to get this new store up and running is a huge achievement.

Richard says Waipuna Hospice volunteers put in 40,000 hours each year equating to more than $500,000 worth of resources based on minimum wage.

Each store has one paid manager and the additional staff are all volunteers.

Board members, volunteers, staff, local dignitaries and members of the public gathered to mark the opening of the new store on Sunday with a formal ribbon cutting by Tauranga MP Simon Bridges.

The new store will be open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday.’

People turn out to celebrate the opening of the new Waipuna Hospice store on Macdonald Street.

Lorraine French examines some of the items available for purchase in the new Waipuna Hospice store.

Waipuna Hospice Secondhand Store.