For over thirty years, Merivale Community Centre has been a place whānau drop into for support, a hall for community groups, and somewhere for tamariki and rangatahi to be after school. Everyone is welcome.
Merivale Community Centre is a small, community-led organisation in one of Tauranga's most close-knit neighbourhoods. We've been here in one form or another since 1993, running from a modest set of buildings on Kesteven Avenue — a main hall, a few meeting rooms, a kitchen, and an office where someone will always answer the door.
Last year, over 800 whānau came through our doors for one reason or another — a budgeting appointment, an after-school pickup, a community lunch, a kapa haka rehearsal. We work alongside more than 12 partner organisations who run their own sessions out of our spaces, so the people we serve don't have to travel across town to access support.
We're a registered charity governed by a local board, funded by a mix of community grants, donations, room hire, and volunteer time. Our doors are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Most weeks the Centre runs four core programmes alongside our room-hire bookings. Drop in to any of them, or get in touch to find out what fits.
A safe place to drop in, talk things through, and connect with the right service. Budgeting help, family support, referrals to specialist providers nearby, and access to shower and laundry facilities — all in one place.
More about whānau support →After-school programmes during term time and holiday activities in the breaks. Practical, supervised, and run by people who know our community.
More about youth programmes →Regular sessions hosted by partner organisations — Sport BOP, health navigators, mental health support — based here so whānau don't have to travel.
See what's on this week →Five rooms available for hire — for kapa haka, mahi, meetings, birthdays, training. Free, community, and commercial rates. Book online or call us.
See spaces & book →When my husband passed I didn't know where to start. Jen sat with me for an hour and helped me work out what to do next. I still come in for the coffee group on Wednesdays.
We've run our budgeting clinic out of Merivale for six years now. It's the only space in this part of town where our clients feel comfortable walking in. That matters more than people realise.
In the year ending June 2025, over 800 whānau came through our doors. Our partner organisations delivered [XX] sessions in our spaces — health navigation, budgeting, mental health support, youth mentoring.
We hosted [XX] community hires at the community rate, from birthdays and tangihanga to kapa haka and training workshops. None of this happens without the people, partners, and funders who make it possible.
Read our 2025 annual report →Plus the many individual donors, volunteers, and local businesses who support the Centre. We are grateful to you all.
Five rooms across the Centre. Free for community groups. Competitive rates for events and training.
Drop in, call, or send us a message. For room hire, use the form on our Spaces page. For everything else, you'll get a real person.
For booking enquiries, please use the form on our Spaces page.