Futuna Chapel Trust

Current Trustees:
The current trustees of the Futuna Chapel Trust are: Nick Bevin (chair), Simon McLellan, Hana Scott, Peter Parkes, Gregory O’Brien, Natalie Jones, Paddy Twigg, Elizabeth Cox, Liz Aston, David Marshall and Ian Pike. The treasurer is Graeme Rule.

Chris Cochran is the Patron of the organisation. 

Please see document below for more information about our Trustees.

Futuna_TrustProfiles_Feb2024_04_WEB

History
The Futuna Chapel Trust was established on 16 April 2003. Chris Finlayson, David Kernohan, Paaki Maaka, Jacob Scott and Simon McLellan were the founding trustees. Futuna Chapel is now wholly owned, operated and maintained by the Trust.

The intention of the Futuna Chapel Trust is to conserve the building, and to make it available on a regulated basis to the public now and into the future. The Friends Trust sees the Chapel as a spiritual and architectural retreat. In addition, the building has become a place for lectures and exhibitions, musical and artistic performances and other events in keeping with the nature of the building.

David Kernohan served for 7 years as Chair and steered the Trust through the negotiation and purchase of the building and the first stage of its renovation. His contribution has been acknowledged by the Trust conferring the inaugural honorary life members of the Friends of Futuna Society to David and his wife Christine. David continuing his involvement with Futuna as a trustee until the end of 2023.

The inaugural Trust Patron was Shonagh Kenderdine QSO, former Environment Court Judge, from 2009-2016. Former trustees include David Kernohan; Chris Finlayson; Jacob Scott; Paaki Maaka; Jenni Hall; Bernard Russell; Amanda Yates; Brian McGuinness; Bill Shortis; Bernadine Poole, Michael Vaisigano, Lianne Cox, Roger Shand.

Work of the Futuna Chapel Trust 
The Trust now focusses on caring for the chapel, sustaining the financial support for the building and our public programmes, sustaining the life of the building through the delivery of a series of public programmes, ensuring the chapel plays an important role in the cultural life of the city, and remaining a place of spiritual reflection and refuge. A major project coming up is the reroofing of the chapel. 

When the Trust first took ownership of the chapel, the focus was on its repair and refurbishment. Resource consent and building consent for the first stage of the building’s repair and refurbishment were obtained in 2009 and the works completed by LT McGuinness Ltd in late December 2009. Refurbishment works included re-roofing in copper to the two sacristies, new ceiling tiles, floor repairs, door repairs, upgrade of electrical services, new gas heating and a new toilet facility.

The planning of the 50th anniversary of the chapel, celebrated in March 2011, was a focus for the Trust for some time.  A commemorative mass was held, as well as speakers and other events. During this anniversary the chapel was declared debt free, after a substantial gift from the Polmaide Charitable Trust.

Further refurbishment work was undertaken in 2012 funded by a grant from the Lion Foundation and KBCCT.  This included waterproofing foundations, exterior painting, repairs to exterior timber work and steel fixings, glazing repairs and new landscaping. Since then other maintenance projects have been completed. The chapel side-altar mosaics were restored by mosaic artist Rachel Silver in 2016.

Since the reopening of the chapel, the Chapel became increasingly accessible to the public as a venue for music, poetry, lectures, educational visits, community meetings, tour groups and weddings. These uses, as well as monthly open days, served to sustain not only the building but also the Trust, renewing its sense of purpose and ongoing engagement with the community.