Charity House Project -

The Charity House project, which has been running since 2013, meets one of Rotary’s key areas of focus to enhance humanitarian service by participating in a local service project related to economic and community development.

Applications for the funds raised from the 2023 Charity House open Monday, 29th May 2023, and close at 5 pm on Friday, 23rd June 2023.

Download A Funding Application Form Here

It is a collaboration between Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Rotary Rotorua Sunrise, and the local business community. The proceeds of the houses are distributed to worthy local charities registered under the Charities Act 2005. The Charity House Distribution Committee considers requests for funding which will only be given to Rotorua based charitable causes or projects which must benefit the local community. It is expected that any approved funding is treated as a partnership between the applicant and the Charity House Distribution Committee.

Construction of each Charity House begins in March each year at the construction site at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Mokoia Campus, Rotorua.

The project might be considered a mixture of The Block NZ, Design Dealers, and Home Under the Hammer as it involves building a three-bedroom re-locatable house, decorating it, and then selling it at auction.

Toi Ohomai carpentry students gain valuable hands-on building the house from start to finish; interior design students decide on the exterior and interior colour schemes, floor coverings and bathroom design; and electrical students wire up the house. It is a grassroots community effort as local suppliers provide the build materials and tradesmen chip in where needed with advice, labour, and employment opportunities.

Rotary Rotorua Sunrise has developed a close relationship with Toi Ohomai staff and students. As the designated charity to receive the proceeds from the house sales and responsible for distributing the funds within our community we are actively engaged with the students and partners. Club members have been involved in helping at the annual build launches, builders’ breakfasts, student barbeques, the roof shouts, open days, and the presentation of proceeds to the local charity groups.

This relationship between Rotarians and students has provided opportunities to assist and develop the students’ leadership skills by identifying suitable candidates for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Outward Bound. Students have helped at the Rotary Global Swimarathon for End Polio Now, Rotorua Lakeside Concert collection and Rotorua Hospice gardening projects as volunteers.

Download Funding Application Form

Charity House Industry Partners & Suppliers

The Charity House Project would not be possible without the following industry partners and suppliers:

Carpet Court Rotorua
Complete Roofing Services Tauranga Ltd
Dora Remmerswaal Designer
Dux Industries Ltd
Hepburn Electrical Ltd
Hume Pine (NZ) Ltd
Hydroflow
John Chittenden Design Ltd
Kohler NZ
Lee Brothers Joinery Ltd
Lewis Plumbing Company
Marley New Zealand
Mitre10 Mega Rotorua
Plumbing World Rotorua
Professionals McDowell Real Estate Ltd
Redstag Timber
Resene Paints
Rheem New Zealand Ltd
Roofing Industries
Rylock Bay of Plenty
Scaffolding NZ Ltd
Tauranga Plasterers
Yellowfin Painting Ltd

Benefits to Community

The Charity House goes under the hammer at a charity auction. All proceeds go to the Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise, the designated local charitable trust to manage the distribution of funds to local charities.

Note: there was no Charity House build in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the nation-wide lockdown that occurred during Terms 1 and 2.

2019 Charity House proceeds were awarded to:

Age Concern Rotorua
Aratika Cancer Trust
Bay of Plenty Disabled Sailing Trust
Rotorua District Riding for the Disabled Assn Inc
Rotorua Mountain Bike Club
Te Ahuru Mowai Rotorua School for Young Parents

Between 2013 – 2018, Charity House proceeds were awarded to:

Age Concern Rotorua
Alzheimer’s Rotorua Inc
Aratika Cancer Trust
Bay Trust Rescue Helicopter
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rotorua
Citizens Advice Bureau
Combined Rotary Clubs of Rotorua Charitable Trust
Eastern Suburbs Pre-School Charitable Trust
Kai Rotorua
Kidscan Charitable Trust
Lakes Medical Services Trust
Linton Park Community Centre
Love Soup Rotorua
Manaaki Ora
Mokoia Community Assn
My Future Rocks
Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Ngongotaha Community Patrol
Once Chance Charitable Trust
Parkinson’s Central Plateau Division
Parkinson’s NZ
Rotorua Children’s Art House
Rotorua Citizens Advice Bureau
Rotorua Community Menz Shed Trust
Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust
Rotorua District Riding for the Disabled Assn Inc
Rotorua Emergency Response Team
Rotorua Hospital Chaplaincy Trust
Rotorua Mountain Bike Club
Rotorua Musical Theatre Inc
Rotorua SPCA
Rotorua Youth Centre
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
Society of St Vincent De Paul
Spoonful of Sugar Charitable Trust
Stand Children’s Services
Te Roopu A Iwi O Te Arawa
The Salvation Army Rotorua
Visions of a Helping Hand Charitable Trust Rotorua
Waiariki Women’s Refuge
Western Heights Community Association
Western Heights Primary School Oral Language Programme
Work Matters Trust

“This is an exciting and unique community project for Rotary Rotorua Sunrise to work along-side students training to become our next generation of tradespeople and designers. Carpenters are in short supply in New Zealand and with the current housing crisis and the demand for housing across New Zealand at the top of the government’s priority list, this collaboration is important to our economy and community”, says Sue Gunn, Past President and Charity House Project Coordinator.

“The students love this experience – the hands-on learning, working under close supervision of the tutors, gaining new skills that will go towards their qualification and apprenticeship, working on building a real house that will become a home with a family living in it for many years to come”, says Malcolm Frost, past Carpentry Programme Manager at Toi Ohomai.

“This pre-trade carpentry course, which included working on the charity House has been a really useful steppingstone for me as I came in not knowing anything at all and now, I have been taught enough to move on to an apprenticeship. I have learnt a lot here at Toi Ohomai because although there are theoretical aspects, most of it is practical and caters to the way I learn best. There’s so many opportunities in the trades, it’s a great space to build a career and to eventually run my own business”, says Chance Bock, graduate of Toi Ohomai and now doing an apprenticeship with a local builder.