The soon-to-open community facility hub at Westgate has been gifted the name, ‘Te Manawa’, which means ‘the heart’.
The name was gifted to the building by Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara, along with the names for the rooms and spaces at the facility, providing the narrative for it.
‘Te Manawa’ reflects the Manawa (heart) in Te Pumanawa, the adjacent square. Te Pumanawa is the beat of the heart, then, Te Manawa is the heart.
The children's area known as Te Whare Tapere
Henderson-Massey Local Board member Paula Bold-Wilson, says that the gifting of the names is a significant moment.
“We are extremely grateful for the koha that Ngā Maunga Whakahii has given us,” she says
“The gifting of the name Te Manawa reflects the importance and essence of the new facility.
Henderson-Massey Local Board member Paula Bold-Wilson
“We hope that this will be the heart of the council connecting and interacting with the community, from using the library, spaces, technology, programs and events through to interactions for other council business. The service offer will be an entirely new way of operating for the council.
“At the same time, our connection with our history and the culture is enriched through the gifting of these names, which we want to thank Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara for, in the knowledge that we will treasure them for many years.”
As well as naming Te Manawa, the following names were also gifted for the other areas of the facility:
Level one
Level two
Level three
Te Manawa is scheduled to open in March 2019.