Our Role

The Trust, as the Kaipatiki anchor organisation will achieve our vision alongside our contract partner Kaipatiki Local Board Auckland Council, our key community fund partners, and the communities and neighbourhoods of Beach Haven, Birkdale, Birkenhead, Northcote and Glenfield through the work of the Community Co-ordinator's who will create a sustainable community through working in a community development model and provision of key community activities and events in local neighbourhoods.

It is through those many partnerships that we work together to inform, gather and share information across a wide range of organisations, which indentifies existing and emerging community issues that will be addressed through collaborative action. This community development model and these valued partnerships will create real change and strong neighbourhoods in our community. Everyone in Kaipatiki will have opportunities to play a part in the way Kaipatiki will look and feel now and in the future, central and local government, our partner agencies, the community, the neighbourhoods and the private sector by working together.

About Us

In 1982 the Birkdale College and Community Pool Trust, was set up to operate the community swimming pool built in grounds of the Birkdale (Birkenhead) College by the previous local authority Birkenhead City Council. The need for this facility was identified by the authority and its local community of the day, and the funds that were raised to build came from all quarters of the community including the local authority and education board. Birkdale College and Community Pool Trust became the first public/community partnership with a contract to receive suitable funds to operate the free community facility for summer months. The other supporting partner was the Birkenhead College BOT.

In 1986 the former local authority took the opportunity to place a community and recreation advisor position in the local community through a contract for service partnership with the Birkdale College and Community Pool Trust . This position would provide an advisory support role to local communities, organise community activities and events and manage the community swimming pool. The position today is well known as the Community Co-ordinator. The position would also secure suitable public/private sponsorship in which to provide a platform of substantial and sustainable activities and events.

A working name change was also undertaken at this time for the Trust, the Birkenhead Community Facilities Trust and in 1994 a new trust deed being formed in partnership with the former North Shore City Council with the registered name The Birkenhead Community Facilities Trust but working under the name of Birkenhead Northcote Community Facilities Trust.

The pool contract was returned to the former North Shore City Council when it was identified that the Trust should not and could not continue to operate the community water space, into days climate, noting also that the use by its local community had decreased dramatically.

In 2009 the Glenfield Community Facilities Trust was officially merged with the Birkenhead Community Facilities Trust and the Birkenhead Northcote and Glenfield Community Co-ordinator's provides key co-ordination of services to the community of Beach Haven, Birkdale Birkenhead Northcote and Glenfield of the Kaipatiki Local Board area. Achieved though facilitating communities or individuals the designing or implementing actions that solve problems by emphasising shared leadership and partnerships to increase active community participation.

The Trust continues today as a service provider on contract with Auckland Council, for the Community Co-ordinator's position but relies on achieving community/public partnership sponsorship to facilitate the level of delivery of summer events, identified key projects and the many community activities to meet community needs.

The Trust is a charitable Trust, the Trust is autonomous, non-profit and tax exempt and it continues to be governed by a board of trustees whom are regulated by the trust deed and daily operations are managed by the Manager.

The Birkenhead Community Facilities Trust does not have a funding capacity, but plays the lead community development and anchor role within its community of interest, today as the service provider to the ( Kaipatiki Local Board ) Auckland Council.

• fostering the identity of local communities and increasing community cohesion
• capacity building sectors of community
• providing co-ordination and co-operation within our local communities
• increasing community neighbourhood participation through events and opportunities for community volunteers
• promoting our communities as vibrant communities, through placemaking projects and neighbourhood cohesion.
• promoting community wellness through community development principals in all operations and activities
• achieving a reduction in crime through key partnerships
• ensuring communities are well networked and informed

Community organisations have the power to tangibly improve population health and wellbeing. What's good for individuals and what's good for the community is the same thing. Those with the most social connectiveness ie; those who have a high level of participation in social and community organisations and their networks, have higher opportunities of health and wellbeing. Community groups are the engines that drive our ability to change behaviour, reduce offending, expand community involvement and innovate change.

The Trust office is situated at Northcote War Memorial Hall 2 Rodney Road Northcote Point