OUR PROJECTS
SPiCE is involved in many projects and community connections, large and small, and this page covers some of the key projects we are or have been involved in. If you are interested in finding out more about any of these projects or would like to get involved in them in any way, please contact us.
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GRAFTED FRUIT TREE PROJECT SPiCE is supporting local gardener, Ellen Schindler, to bring a kaleidoscope of colour and deliciousness to Sandringham through our grafted fruit tree project. Ellen will be planting a mix of apple and stone fruit trees around Sandringham. We are very pleased to have Edendale School, Balmoral School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ngā Maungarongo, Bharatiya Mandir Hindi Temple and Gribblehirst Community Hub joining us as partners in the first year of this project. Each partner will have at least one fruit tree on their site, and Edendale School and Balmoral School are also looking after a fruit tree on behalf of the local community at Edendale Reserve and Potters Park respectively. Planting started in August 2021, and we will begin grafting different varieties onto the fruit trees in September 2021. Grafting allows you to clone your favourite trees, by taking a piece of an existing tree and connecting it to another tree. If you have a special apple or stone fruit tree at your place, please consider harvesting some scion wood (new wood) for us so we can graft it onto these fruit trees. You can follow Ellen's simple DIY Scion Wood Harvesting Manual, or email us if you would like us to harvest it for you. If you are interested in attending a grafting workshop please register your interest here, or follow our Facebook Page to keep up to date with these and other events. |
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MOTH PLANT - WEED BUSTING IN SANDRINGHAM!
Moth plant is an invasive pest species which has been spreading in recent years in Sandringham. In 2021 a few residents have come together as volunteers with the support of SPiCE to try and eradicate it from Sandringham gardens. We collect and dispose of the seed bearing pods before they split to limit the spread of the plant, and cut off the vine from the roots, and then cut and paste with gel to prevent regrowth in subsequent years. We need our community to let us know the location of the moth plants, and give us permission to enter their gardens to eradicate it. Volunteers are welcome to join our moth plant group - all training and tools provided! Just email us to find out more. Just this year we have removed hundreds of plants and thousands of pods. Next year we hope to have a competition to get rid of even more! |
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SANDRINGHAM SPOONVILLE
In mid-August 2020, during the second Covid-19 lockdown for the Auckland area, SPiCE started Sandringham Spoonville under one of the gingko trees in Sandringham Reserve. Spoonville is a community art and connection project where residents are encouraged to decorate wooden spoons as people, and then add them to the Spoonville on their daily walk or bike ride. The Sandringham Spoonville blossomed to over 100 spoons by the end of 2020, and many children looked forward to checking in to see what new spoon folk have joined Sandringham Spoonville each day. The first spoonville was started in Winnersh, England during the lockdown as a fun and safe way to cheer up the community. A friend spotted it and decided to start her own one in the Isle of Mull and from there it has gone global with over 200 Spoonvilles worldwide. You can find out more about Spoonville at https://spoonvilleinternational.com/ and follow the growth of the movement on Facebook. Sandringham Spoonville was the first spoonville in New Zealand, but we hope it isn’t the last! If you would like to have a go and setting up your own Spoonville please get in touch and we can help you! |
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SANDRINGHAM FESTIVAL - 27 November 2021
The Sandringham Festival has been a key event for the Sandringham community for 20 years. Occurring in spring every year, this year the festival is planned for Saturday 27 November 2021 (Covid-19 permitting). Sandringham Festival is a fun, family event created by the Sandringham Business Association to highlight the shops in the area and bring the community together. Naturally, being Sandringham, there is plenty of delicious food on offer, as well as entertainment and a variety of stalls. We hope to have a real community feel to the Sandringham Festival this year, with lots of free fun activities on offer, and performances from local school groups. Let us know if you would like to be involved!
SPiCE is supporting the Sandringham Business Association with the festival which will run provided Auckland is at Covid-19 alert Level 1 or lower. The Sandringham Festival has traditionally been held on the first Saturday after Labour Day Weekend, and we are back to this in 2021 with the Festival scheduled for Saturday 27 November.
Community will be a focus for this year’s Festival and like in previous years we hope to have school groups performing in the morning, with local bands entertaining us in the afternoon. We will be aiming for a zero waste event, and plan to have street closures to enable safe participation and more space for more fun! So put the date in your diary and make a plan to walk or cycle down to join us!
The Sandringham Festival has been a key event for the Sandringham community for 20 years. Occurring in spring every year, this year the festival is planned for Saturday 27 November 2021 (Covid-19 permitting). Sandringham Festival is a fun, family event created by the Sandringham Business Association to highlight the shops in the area and bring the community together. Naturally, being Sandringham, there is plenty of delicious food on offer, as well as entertainment and a variety of stalls. We hope to have a real community feel to the Sandringham Festival this year, with lots of free fun activities on offer, and performances from local school groups. Let us know if you would like to be involved!
SPiCE is supporting the Sandringham Business Association with the festival which will run provided Auckland is at Covid-19 alert Level 1 or lower. The Sandringham Festival has traditionally been held on the first Saturday after Labour Day Weekend, and we are back to this in 2021 with the Festival scheduled for Saturday 27 November.
Community will be a focus for this year’s Festival and like in previous years we hope to have school groups performing in the morning, with local bands entertaining us in the afternoon. We will be aiming for a zero waste event, and plan to have street closures to enable safe participation and more space for more fun! So put the date in your diary and make a plan to walk or cycle down to join us!
Representing community views to Local Board, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport
As SPiCE is a local, place-based organisation, we often work with the Albert-Eden Local Board, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport. We know it is important for the Sandringham community to have a say in what happens in Sandringham and ideally lead the development and design of changes to our spaces. So we make sure we keep up-to-date on on Council and AT plans and consultation processes so we can let the community know how and when to make submissions. If we can gather enough input from local residents we will do a submission on behalf on behalf of the community. We also lobby for changes desired by residents to improve traffic, bike and pedestrian safety in the village.
As SPiCE is a local, place-based organisation, we often work with the Albert-Eden Local Board, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport. We know it is important for the Sandringham community to have a say in what happens in Sandringham and ideally lead the development and design of changes to our spaces. So we make sure we keep up-to-date on on Council and AT plans and consultation processes so we can let the community know how and when to make submissions. If we can gather enough input from local residents we will do a submission on behalf on behalf of the community. We also lobby for changes desired by residents to improve traffic, bike and pedestrian safety in the village.
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NATIVE TREE PLANTING PROJECT
One of the goals of community-led development is to support collaborative local leadership, so we were thrilled when Fleur Tuck, the Environmental Lead for Edendale School, approached us with an idea for a native tree planting project. Fleur reached out to other schools in the area, and through her leadership, planting is taking place at Edendale School, Kowhai Intermediate School and Mt Albert Grammar School. STEPs (St Lukes Environmental Protection Society) has shared their expertise with Fleur, supporting her with advice on what, when and where to plant and how to prepare the site. If you have a community project that you want to pursue please let us know. SPiCE has been able to support Fleur with funding for this project, and also linking her with STEPs for support. Due to Covid-19, planting has been delayed at Edendale School until 2021 so they can have the community come in together to do the planting. So do keep an eye out on our Facebook page for notification of planting days still to come. |
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CREATING A SHARED VISION
As a community-led development organisation, it is key to our kaupapa that we work from a shared community vision. We seek to build plans with those who live, work, care, play, and invest in Sandringham, and tailor make solutions that reflect local ambitions, goals and contexts. A shared vision also helps us to grow a shared sense of optimism and collective ownership of the future.
When SPiCE was first formed, a key part of its initial work was to produce the Sandringham Community Vision Report in July 2016, which we have been updating through the Make Sandringham Amazing Survey which has been running online since the end of 2019. SPiCE is constantly looking to update and check in with the Sandringham community about their dreams and hopes for Sandringham. We’d love to hear from you too!
As a community-led development organisation, it is key to our kaupapa that we work from a shared community vision. We seek to build plans with those who live, work, care, play, and invest in Sandringham, and tailor make solutions that reflect local ambitions, goals and contexts. A shared vision also helps us to grow a shared sense of optimism and collective ownership of the future.
When SPiCE was first formed, a key part of its initial work was to produce the Sandringham Community Vision Report in July 2016, which we have been updating through the Make Sandringham Amazing Survey which has been running online since the end of 2019. SPiCE is constantly looking to update and check in with the Sandringham community about their dreams and hopes for Sandringham. We’d love to hear from you too!
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HERITAGE TOILETS
There is a heritage toilet building in Sandringham Reserve in an Art Deco style which was built in 1930. Since its formation SPiCE has been interested in potential community uses for this building. Recently SPiCE presented to the Albert-Eden Local Board in a deputation to its June 2020 Meeting the possibility of a community lease which is currently being explored. |
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In 2016 SPiCE participated in an EOI (Expression of Interest) from Panuku (the development arm of Auckland Council) in relation to the Heritage Toilets. This however did not come to anything. As part of this, SPiCE undertook community consultation on potential uses for the building at a pop-up event in Sandringham Reserve where the Heritage Toilets are located and many residents shared their views. These included turning the building into a café, community library, ice cream shop, or art gallery. Since then, SPiCE has notified the Albert-Eden Local Board of damage to the roof of the building which has been repaired, and an earthquake notice has been placed on the building.
SANDRINGHAM VILLAGE UPGRADE
Since SPiCE’s inception in late 2014, we have been listening to community and business requests for an improvement to the general appearance of the village. SPiCE has regularly approached the Albert-Eden Local Board to lobby for this upgrade to take place. We understand that if funding in the new budget allows, Sandringham Village is high up the list within the Local Board area for an upgrade. SPiCE will continue to push for the upgrade, and more importantly, make sure any developments are community-led, and follow from real community engagement including with the Sandringham Business Association and local businesses.
Since SPiCE’s inception in late 2014, we have been listening to community and business requests for an improvement to the general appearance of the village. SPiCE has regularly approached the Albert-Eden Local Board to lobby for this upgrade to take place. We understand that if funding in the new budget allows, Sandringham Village is high up the list within the Local Board area for an upgrade. SPiCE will continue to push for the upgrade, and more importantly, make sure any developments are community-led, and follow from real community engagement including with the Sandringham Business Association and local businesses.
DIWALI LIGHTS
A colourful glittering display of lights in Sandringham Reserve was held over the October long weekend in 2020 to coincide with Diwali (Indian festival of lights). The main light display was a series of 3 “chandeliers” consisting of lights strung around plastic frames and suspended from the central lamppost in the park and surrounding trees. In addition, fairy lights were strung in trees at the entrance to the park, and ground lights used to up light foliage around the perimeter of the park. SPiCE supported the Diwali Light display as a fun, free event in Sandringham Village, and is considering lighting up the park for other calendar events such Matariki and Christmas.
A colourful glittering display of lights in Sandringham Reserve was held over the October long weekend in 2020 to coincide with Diwali (Indian festival of lights). The main light display was a series of 3 “chandeliers” consisting of lights strung around plastic frames and suspended from the central lamppost in the park and surrounding trees. In addition, fairy lights were strung in trees at the entrance to the park, and ground lights used to up light foliage around the perimeter of the park. SPiCE supported the Diwali Light display as a fun, free event in Sandringham Village, and is considering lighting up the park for other calendar events such Matariki and Christmas.
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FLORAL CARPET FESTIVAL
One of the priorities for our community that has been consistently voiced over the years is to have more events in and around Sandringham. So in 2017, SPiCE started the Floral Carpet Festival - an explosion of colour on the grass at Sandringham Reserve. The community gathers and uses thousands of marigolds grown by local residents, schools and community gardens to create a stunning floral artwork in an Indian rangoli pattern. This is a FREE Family Fun Day for our community in Sandringham Village and everyone is encouraged to join in creating a floral carpet in a traditional rangoli pattern. In 2021, the Floral Carpet Festival was bigger than ever, with more flowers, a larger rangoli pattern and even gorgeous dancing flowers! We also were lucky enough to have art students from the local high school, Mt Albert Grammar School, come and do free henna tattoos for the public, after being trained by a local henna artist. |
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SANDRINGHAM RESERVE REDEVELOPMENT
The re-development of Sandringham Reserve in 2016 was the project that led to the creation of SPiCE. Through community workshops, surveys, pop-up parties in Sandringham Reserve, art projects with the local school and public voting on designs, the Sandringham community was able to co-design and lead the redevelopment of the playground and park, turning an ugly, dysfunctional space into a much loved gathering place at the heart of Sandringham Village.
It started when the Albert-Eden Local Board was looking to encourage community-led development and community engagement at a time when the redevelopment of the playground in Sandringham Reserve was being discussed. A group of Sandringham residents came together to run the community engagement process and was named SPiCE. With financial support from the Albert-Eden Local Board, a long and very successful community-led design and development process led to a wonderful new playground, as well as the creation of a Sandringham Community Vision Report that turned the hopes and desires of the local community into a shared vision.
Along the way SPiCE used many different tools to reach out to the public and followed the principles of community-led development.
The re-development of Sandringham Reserve in 2016 was the project that led to the creation of SPiCE. Through community workshops, surveys, pop-up parties in Sandringham Reserve, art projects with the local school and public voting on designs, the Sandringham community was able to co-design and lead the redevelopment of the playground and park, turning an ugly, dysfunctional space into a much loved gathering place at the heart of Sandringham Village.
It started when the Albert-Eden Local Board was looking to encourage community-led development and community engagement at a time when the redevelopment of the playground in Sandringham Reserve was being discussed. A group of Sandringham residents came together to run the community engagement process and was named SPiCE. With financial support from the Albert-Eden Local Board, a long and very successful community-led design and development process led to a wonderful new playground, as well as the creation of a Sandringham Community Vision Report that turned the hopes and desires of the local community into a shared vision.
Along the way SPiCE used many different tools to reach out to the public and followed the principles of community-led development.
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