Descendants of Hugh Heber Cholmondeley in Cholmondeley Children’s Center.
Photo: Children’s Center supplied / Cholmondeley
The services offered by a children’s center of Canterbury that marks its centenary this weekend are more important than ever, says its general manager.
Cholmondeley Children’s Center, Darel Hall, said the Governor’s Bay Center opened in 1925 as a rest and recovery center for sick children.
“In those days when children had debilitating diseases and needed months of recovery, they would come to a place like Cholmondly. We are from the hill about 30 minutes from the center of Christchurs, but mentally, one million kilometers from the city.”
Now it provides a regular and short -term break for families, Hall said.
“Children will come for three days in a week, every six to eight weeks. This allows children and wider families to deal with problems they are facing, such as parents with mental health problems, or if parents have died, and the other needs rest, or grandparents who take care of their grandchildren full time.”
The view of Cholmondeley Children’s Center in Governor Bay.
Photo: Children’s Center supplied / Cholmondeley
The center played a single role, said Hall.
“There is no government service to do what we do, we are helping families a lot to be together, instead of waiting until they collapse, at the bottom of the cliff, if you want.”
About 33,000 Tamariki have been through their doors in the last 100 years, including Hall, whose mother was at 17 and raised him on her own.
“I had been in Cholmondeley for almost 50 years … It’s still hard for young parents now, but it was much harder at that time.”
Hall, who became a general manager last year, after five years serving on the Charity Institution’s council, would go off his young mother.
“I was having a lot of fun, I hadn’t tried it before. I was a city boy, I had no idea about the Bay governors or spending time in rural environments, it was all to me.
“They led us to the cemeteries, the back to play with crabs. It seems simple, but it was a very different experience than I had, [up until] then.
“This has also given my mother time to be an adult and become more adult without a child. Anyone who has been in this situation knows that the child is one hundred percent of their focus, when the child is there. He simply has this focus and spending this time in himself is really useful.
“So that’s what we offer – time. Rest is time and time is vital.”
Cholmondeley Children’s Center.
Photo: Children’s Center supplied / Cholmondeley
The center is holding a variety of events to mark its centenary, including an open day on Saturday with market stalls and live music.
Children from the center and local schools will also be presented to the general governor Dame Cindy Kiro.
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