Multi sensory unit earns world praise
Christchurch's Southern Centre multi sensory unit has been labelled a world-class facility with it winning an international award for innovation and excellence.
It was last month awarded one of the first World Leisure Innovation Awards by the World Leisure Organisation. The prize was presented to Southern Centre Coordinator Lindsey Keith in Hangzhou, China, as part of the the World Leisure Expo.
Based at QEII Park, the Southern Centre is a City Council facility, run in partnership with the Southern Centre Charitable Trust. The first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, it was designed specifically to be fully inclusive and accessible for people of all abilities.
The Southern Centre opened only 21/2 years ago and in its first year provided recreational experiences for more than 2500 people with disabilities. Numbers have continued to grow.
Lindsey Keith says it is absolutely phenomenal to receive international recognition with such a prestigious global award. "The Southern Centre's always aimed to be a world leader in multi sensory facilities and the World Leisure Innovative Award confirms our success in achieving this status.
"It took six years of hard work by my predecessors Trisha Ventom and Sarah Kelly to get the facility operational. It was such a revolutionary new concept, it took many hours to raise the funds to build it and just as many designing the state-of-the-art interactive equipment and getting it manufactured.
"This award is as much for their innovation and for the team who have since been successfully involved in operating and promoting the facility to an increasing number of clients each year."
John Filsell, the City Council Recreation and Sports Unit Manager, says Christchurch is renowned internationally for its quality sporting and recreation facilities. "The Southern Centre's another example of a world-class recreational facility in this city. It is an incredible honour to receive this significant global award and the city can be proud to boast such a facility."
The Southern Centre was one of only four awarded by the international adjudication panel from more than 60 entries. Panel chair Dr Karla Henderson praised the standard of entries and "the emphasis applicants placed on building sustainable social and environmental communities through leisure".
Jayden Tupara enjoys dancing on the resonance floor; a piece of equipment that vibrates in response to music.
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