St Peter’s in Atawhai flowed with bargain-hunters and brainstormers on Saturday as a diocesan team opened the building up to offer a garage sale, give out free sausages, and invite locals to dream up ideas for the future of North Nelson.
Amanda Poil is employed as a community mobiliser for Atawhai, Simon Martin oversees parish development in Atawhai, and Tim Bustin manages the project through All Saints, who are partnering with the diocese in this venture. Amanda's husband Will has also been supporting the project.
The project is centred around St Peter’s Church on Atawhai Crescent, which is being explored as a potential space for new community-focused activities and services. “The diocese is committed to replanting St Peter's as a community of good news for Atawhai, so it will be both a gathering place for Christians, and a resource centre for the community,” says Simon Martin.
Before any decisions are made, the team wants to hear directly from the people who live there. They created and distributed a community needs survey to the residents of the North Nelson area, with funding and support from Nelson City Council. Residents of North Nelson can complete the survey here until 4 April.
“Our Anglican Church values the unique character and needs of every neighbourhood and we want to hear about the community from local residents,” says Simon. According to Stats NZ, Atawhai’s population is nearing 3,000, with a further 5,000+ residents across Marybank, The Wood, and nearby North Nelson communities. Despite its size and proximity to the city, the area has limited dedicated community facilities.
St Peter’s has long been part of Atawhai’s story. Named after the original St Peter’s-by-the-Strand, built in 1874 and eventually relocated to Founders Heritage Park, it has hosted Anglican services and community ministries until 2024. Now, it’s entering a new chapter. Ideas include providing a drop-in space, offering wellbeing support or hosting hobby groups.
“I'm really excited to see how the place could be used to serve the community and connect with local people,” Amanda Poil says, “and to see what gaps there are that we could possibly serve and speak into.”
At the garage sale, locals could take the survey on site, while a large sheet of paper invited them to brainstorm ideas on Post-it notes. After searching through the wares on offer, many stayed to chat over coffee and food. “Lots of people were curious about what was going on,” says Amanda. “People are keen to see what's going to happen.”
All proceeds from the garage sale are being given to support Clifton Terrace School and Magenta Creative Space. “The money's going right back into the community because we want to be there for the community,” Amanda says.
Feedback from the survey will be used to shape recommendations expected later in the year. “The data will help us chart a course to work out how we can respond to the needs of the community,” Tim Bustin says.
Tim used the analogy of a field. While St Peter’s has been laying fallow, the team has been analysing the soil, adding nutrients and preparing the ground. “What's the best thing that we could grow for the benefit of the people around? That's the kind of conversation we're just starting to have.”
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
St Peter’s in Atawhai flowed with bargain-hunters and brainstormers on Saturday as a diocesan team opened the building up to offer a garage sale, give out free sausages, and invite locals to dream up ideas for the future of North Nelson.
Amanda Poil is employed as a community mobiliser for Atawhai, Simon Martin oversees parish development in Atawhai, and Tim Bustin manages the project through All Saints, who are partnering with the diocese in this venture. Amanda's husband Will has also been supporting the project.
The project is centred around St Peter’s Church on Atawhai Crescent, which is being explored as a potential space for new community-focused activities and services. “The diocese is committed to replanting St Peter's as a community of good news for Atawhai, so it will be both a gathering place for Christians, and a resource centre for the community,” says Simon Martin.
Before any decisions are made, the team wants to hear directly from the people who live there. They created and distributed a community needs survey to the residents of the North Nelson area, with funding and support from Nelson City Council. Residents of North Nelson can complete the survey here until 4 April.
“Our Anglican Church values the unique character and needs of every neighbourhood and we want to hear about the community from local residents,” says Simon. According to Stats NZ, Atawhai’s population is nearing 3,000, with a further 5,000+ residents across Marybank, The Wood, and nearby North Nelson communities. Despite its size and proximity to the city, the area has limited dedicated community facilities.
St Peter’s has long been part of Atawhai’s story. Named after the original St Peter’s-by-the-Strand, built in 1874 and eventually relocated to Founders Heritage Park, it has hosted Anglican services and community ministries until 2024. Now, it’s entering a new chapter. Ideas include providing a drop-in space, offering wellbeing support or hosting hobby groups.
“I'm really excited to see how the place could be used to serve the community and connect with local people,” Amanda Poil says, “and to see what gaps there are that we could possibly serve and speak into.”
At the garage sale, locals could take the survey on site, while a large sheet of paper invited them to brainstorm ideas on Post-it notes. After searching through the wares on offer, many stayed to chat over coffee and food. “Lots of people were curious about what was going on,” says Amanda. “People are keen to see what's going to happen.”
All proceeds from the garage sale are being given to support Clifton Terrace School and Magenta Creative Space. “The money's going right back into the community because we want to be there for the community,” Amanda says.
Feedback from the survey will be used to shape recommendations expected later in the year. “The data will help us chart a course to work out how we can respond to the needs of the community,” Tim Bustin says.
Tim used the analogy of a field. While St Peter’s has been laying fallow, the team has been analysing the soil, adding nutrients and preparing the ground. “What's the best thing that we could grow for the benefit of the people around? That's the kind of conversation we're just starting to have.”
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
