Bethlehem College will be adding a fresh coat of paint to an already vibrant local meeting place and community – Te Wairoa Marae.

The school won Tauranga Crossing’s $10,000 “Local Legends Grant” – a community-focused funding initiative – after submitting a project proposal earlier this year.

However, the students will be doing more than just revitalising the marae’s physical exterior this summer; they will be revitalising history and a connection between their school and the meeting house.

Marae manager Maringi Ngata-Campbell said the Bethlehem College campus sits on Ngāti Kahu land, the primary hapū of Ngāti Ranginui.

“There’s a historical relationship between Bethlehem College and the marae going back over 30 years. Over the years, we’ve had school groups from Bethlehem College come and stay.

“They do service days here from time to time as well, whether it’s gardening or painting or weeding.”

Year nine students Miné Leonard, Aria Tapsell, and Sofia-Wisdom Muliaga adding a fresh coat of paint to Te Wairoa Marae. Photo / David Hall

She said the marae is a central meeting place for the hapū based around the marae.

“It’s like the heartbeat of our people.”

Some of the children within the marae community are on scholarships at Bethlehem College, adding further depth to the relationship between the school and Te Wairoa Marae.

The marae is undergoing a series of repairs and had been closed since the beginning of May, so “the marae project came at a good time,” said Ngata-Campbell. The marae was last painted in 2009, she said.

The restoration will focus on the wharenui (front panels and carvings), waharoa (gateway), and the wharepaku (toilet block), with students gardening, cleaning, waterblasting, painting, and providing hospitality.

Steve Te Whaiti , head of missions and community partnerships at Bethlehem College, said the marae inspires students.

“The panelling tells stories. We have students who go to the marae and learn about the history, and we do some teaching there.

“It’s a real community effort, bringing together students, parents, and iwi.”

Te Whaiti said he was currently organising a group of students from the college to undertake the work early next year.