Community.
We take our role as a developer in the community very seriously. It’s our genuine privilege to be a generous supporter of many community organisations: from the arts and events, to The Wellington City Mission and sports.
Ian has previously been a Director of the Nikau Foundation, which aims to build healthy, resilient and self-sustaining communities. Ian and Caitlin are both committed members of The Nikau Club, and perhaps our most important contribution to our beloved city, have pledged a $10,000 donation to The Wellington City Mission for every home sold over $800,000 - providing essential and ongoing cashflow for this phenomenal organisation.
Read more about our community partnerships below.
Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust
He taura whiri ki te paeroa E kore e motu E kore e tangatanga i te rā
An Enduring Partnership
The Wellington Company became involved as commercial partner to the Trust when it was sadly facing a situation of financial ruin after nine years of accumulated property maintenance, rates, and insurance costs on a property asset they couldn’t afford to develop. You can read more about that situation here.
Many of Wellington’s property developers were approached. We fronted. The commercial terms of our partnership are obviously private, but it is about far more than just wealth creation via property assets. To date, we’ve delivered three developments in partnership with the trust (Stage 1 + kaumātua housing in Wainuiomata's Te Puna Wai, the award-winning Paetutu Petone, and Wellington's first Kiwibuild project: Hauwai in Mt Cook. A further terrace development, ARO is currently under construction. We have delivered kaumātua housing, encouraged career pathways within our industry via partners, and offered both affordable housing and investment opportunities to all membership at pre-market release rates. Where we are heading will enable the Trust to deliver meaningful benefits to education, housing, social wellbeing, and cultural aspirations.
Wellington City Mission.
The Wellington City Mission do incredible work in our community and it’s our privilege to provide support in various ways.
Between May - July 2023, The Wellington City Mission supported 351 whānau and individuals with one-on-on social work support, they welcomed 4,170 manuhiri into Tā te Manawa, the community lounge, where they are served home cooked meals and great barista coffee, and supported 1,208 people through our Social Supermarket. That is just one month of support. One month. The need is extraordinary.
Whenever we sell a home over $800,000, a $10,000 donation is ring-fenced for The Wellington City Mission. Missioner Murray Edridge describes this as ‘huge’ for the Wellingtonians helped every year. "Through whatever causality, their circumstances are such they can't enjoy the things that most of us take for granted and in fact putting food on the table is hard, getting appropriate accommodation is hard, living what we would all describe as successful lives is hard."
In addition to our financial support, The Wellington Company is proud to have created an opportunity for one of the Mission's transitional housing facilities within part of our group, and we are also a major sponsor of The Breeze’s ‘Pack The Bus’ campaign to collect Christmas donations. Our team take great joy in setting up The Wellington City Mission’s Christmas Shop.
Wellington City Council.
Via the Te Kāinga programme, we have started the delivery of up to 500 affordable apartments in commercial buildings that have a complete refit. We delivered Te Kainga Aroha: 52 x 1,2 and 3-bedroom affordable rentals at 197 Willis Street in 2021. In 2022 we delivered Te Kainga Te Aka: a further 54 x 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, with an additional six accessible 2-bedroom apartments completed in 2023. In 2023 we delivered 74 x 2- and 3-bedroom apartments in Te Pu at 180 Willis Street. 37 apartments are under construction at 53 Boulcott Street, with more buildings and quality refits to come.
You can read more about this initiative here.
Te Kainga is a model we’d love to see other developers adopt - connecting with housing providers to help provide meaningful change in rental markets across our own community in Wellington, and wider throughout NZ.
Erskine Chapel, Island Bay.
Erskine Chapel has exceptional architectural, historical and social significance and as such, is listed as a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 Historic Place and recognised in the Wellington City Council Heritage List.
The chapel sits on the site of the former Erskine College in Island Bay, Wellington, and now home to Erskine Island Bay: an award-winning residential development of 97 homes. The chapel's restoration is two decades in the making. Director Ian Cassels grew up in Island Bay, so restoring this special space is one deeply personal to him.
The total restoration and strengthening cost for Erskine Chapel was $7million+, primarily funded by The Wellington Company. The project received a $250,000 Upgrade Works Grant from the Ministry of Culture & Heritage, $75,000 from Heritage New Zealand, and $10,000 from Wellington Council for seismic strengthening. The end result is glorious, and we very much look forward to welcoming community to hire the venue for weddings and events.
Keep in touch.
We’d love to hear from you, please enter your details. You can also sign up to receive early notification on all projects and news.
