Our Story

The development of a rainbow centre/hub in Tāmaki Makaurau has started.  Anchored by longstanding queer organisations, Body Positive, Outline and the Charlotte Museum - Te Whare Takatāpui-Wāhine o Aotearoa (the Charlotte Museum) , the Te Whare Āniwaniwa Collective Trust has been established. It’s objective is to develop and build a shared queer space to house rainbow services and provide a warm and welcoming space for the rainbow community. 

Foundation North is supporting the project with funding for a project manager to build the infrastructure of the organisation. Te Whare Āniwaniwa Collective (TWA) as a charitable trust is governed by a board.  The board is establishing an advisory committee of community representatives whose role is to provide advice to the board.  TWA is seeking partners and sponsors to find a suitable space to house all of the services and spaces required. Services include physical and mental health, recreational, cultural and historical services provided by rainbow organisations for rainbow people. Spaces include shared meeting and working areas, commercial services and retail/hospitality businesses. 

How did it begin?

The planning and feasibility work for a rainbow hub began in 2018 with three rainbow community organisations, Body Positive, RainbowYOUTH, and OutLine, working together to secure funding from the Lotteries Facilities fund to complete a feasibility study on the prospect of a shared hub.  The feasibility study was completed in 2019, following an extensive consultation process involving 37 organisations and groups.  In 2022, the Charlotte Museum joined the kaupapa and funding to begin the project was received in 2024 from Foundation North.  The rainbow hub analysis and accompanying feasibility study are available here .

Why?

The development of a rainbow centre will benefit the rainbow communities of Tāmaki Makaurau and the community-led organisations that serve them. A hub enables organisations to be co-located, share ideas, consolidate organisation administration, and pay reduced rent. This benefits people in our rainbow communities through increased visibility, co-located services, access to facilities, and social connection.

Where did the idea come from?

The hub is inspired by, and draws learnings from, similar models overseas, including the 519 Centre in Toronto, Canada, the Chicago Pride Centre, USA, and the recently completed Victorian Pride Centre in Melbourne, Australia. There is a significant cost to establish and operate a physical hub, which requires a sustainable model to ensure its ongoing commercial and social success.  It is important too that funding for the hub and its services supports, rather than draws funding away, from community organisations.  We are currently in the set-up phase of the project and the design phase will be next. We are calling for interested organisation representatives and individuals to join the collaborative advisory group to help us develop the right spaces and places for the rainbow centre.  We are seeking people with a strong interest in this type of community hub, good commercial acumen, marketing and or sponsorship experience, building and architectural familiarity and involvement in social services sector governance.  We are aiming to have a committee which reflects our diverse communities so that all rainbow needs and aspirations are considered when developing Te Whare Āniwaniwa.

Meet The Team