The Surf Club at Muriwai can be hired out for events. Photo: Melanie Earley
A community group for home-schooled children in rural Auckland say their group is on hold after conversations about use of a surf club as a venue turned sour.
Candace Meisner, who runs volunteer group NorWest Life Learners, which helps home-schooled children living rurally gain social skills said initially the trust that runs the surf club at Muriwai agreed to a donation of $60 per session for use of its facilities, but she was later told she needed to pay the commercial rate of $3000.
But the club says there was a misunderstanding, and that Meisner misrepresented the use of the facility.
Meisner said the group began at the start of the year and had been using a local church in Parakai for a donation of $60 a week.
But as the group's popularity grew, the church was no longer big enough to accommodate the number of children attending, she said.
Meisner lives in South Head, but said a number of members lived in West Auckland's Muriwai and suggested she get in touch with the Surf Club at Muriwai about running weekly sessions.
The Surf Club at Muriwai is a large community facility that is home to the Muriwai volunteer lifeguard service, but is also used as a venue for events and groups.
"I got in touch with the trust that runs the club and it seemed positive - we told them we paid $60 a week at the church and we'd be happy to donate that price to them and they were happy with it," Meisner said.
The Surf Club at Muriwai is a community facility that also houses the Muriwai Lifeguard Service. Photo: Melanie Earley
"We held an open day at the club so families could come and check out the space and the day after that things turned sour and we were told we'd have to pay the commercial rate of $3000 per day."
The trust told Meisner a mistake had been made when they offered use of the facility for a donation and the $3000 needed to be paid for maintenance.
Meisner said emails were exchanged back and forth and she was told the group could have a 50 percent discount to $1500 a day, which she said was "impossible".
"We're a non-profit, there's no way we can afford that. We tried looking at other facilities but this one was perfect."
In emails seen by RNZ, a response to Meisner's query from the Muriwai Lifeguard Services Amenities Trust, in May, stated they would be "happy" with a donation to the club facility of $60 per session.
Things seemed to be going well until the open day on 16 July - the next day the trust stated the weekly rent of $60 a week had been declined as Meisner was "not a registered user group within the Muriwai Lifeguard Services Amenities Trust".
The volunteer group NorWest Life Learners had been helping home-schooled children living rurally gain social skills. Photo: RNZ
"Trustees gave feedback that the open day was far bigger than anticipated and not sustainable to host that many people for a $60 hire fee. We don't get community funding and are reliant on income from hiring and events of this size use more funds in electricity and toilet paper alone than $60."
Meisner replied and said she would be happy to bring their own toilet paper and cleaning supplies but could not afford that rate.
Use of club on open day 'misrepresented' - Ward
Chairperson of the trust, Michael Ward, told Meisner he was "sorry for the misunderstanding" but the club relied on commercial hire for income.
Meisner made a formal complaint to the trust, which Ward replied to on Tuesday, and said Meisner had "misrepresented" the use of the facility initially and the open day had shown a number of issues including the use of a bouncy castle.
"She said there would be 60 to 80 attendees and agreed to use the downstairs area and upper lounge and the cost was $60."
Ward said instead, over 100 people came to the open day without any notice of a number increase and a bouncy castle was inflated.
Meisner said the bouncy castle that was inflated was not on land used by Muriwai Surf Club. File picture. Photo: 123RF
"This had potential health and safety consequences and legal implications for our Trust as the bouncy castle was not on land we owned."
Ward said Meisner's group also used areas without permission including the emergency exit stairwell and bunk rooms and when told to stop did not respond to the text.
"We were prepared to allow use of the facilities for the purposes stated and the way in which concerns were dealt with has caused us to have genuine and serious reservations about the ability to use facilities and deal with volunteers in a respectful manner."
Finding a venue was "difficult", Meisner said, as it needed to be in an area families living rurally could get to.
"We tried meeting in a park a couple of weeks ago, but it was raining so I didn't work out well."
Classes were now on hold, Meisner said, and she had put in a complaint with the Commerce Commission about the situation, but was yet to hear back.
"The facility is worth $10 million and meant to be for community use. It seems to be run like a private club with no standardised rules or rates, and charging $1500 for a community group is ridiculous and unfair.
"It was explained to the trust the open day wasn't a normal session for us and there would be less people at our sessions, as this was a fundraiser for sewing machines for the kids," Meisner said.
Ward said the actions during the open day and "threats" to raise complaints with the Commerce Commission meant there was no viable way forward and the trust was no longer willing to engage with the group.
