Special centenary celebration day at Pine Valley

Its playgrounds echo with the laughter of summers long gone, a legacy of smiles and sunshine.

The Pine Valley Outdoor Centre (PVOC) has been helping families across Marlborough make happy memories for 40 years.

And as the Pine Valley Trust get set to celebrate the school’s centenary, the centre is hosting a special free celebration day for the community on January 22.

Trust Chair Jess Ellis says the camp has held a special place in the heart of the community since the school first opened on the Northbank.

“For the last 100 years, this has been a place for the children, and that legacy continues to this day with the youth of Marlborough being the heart and focus of everything we do.

“The old schoolroom will be set up with historical gear from Marlborough Museum for a trip back in time.”

Set in the Mount Richmond Forest Park at the base of Mount Fishtail, the centre is well known for its adventure playground.

When the local school closed a group of North bank settlers, Education Board representatives, teachers, REAP, scouts and guides formed a trust with the intention of developing the area into a camp for the benefit of the district's children

The centre has been a popular draw card for hundreds of school camps and families ever since.

“To recognise this occasion, the Pine Valley Trust has organised an open day to share some history and the jolly good time that PVOC provides our local community,” says Jess.

The adventure playground and water slide will be open for everyone to enjoy and the BBQ will be fired up she says.

“There is no charge to visit on the open day, so it is a great opportunity to scope out the scene to rekindle childhood camp memories or dream of possible futures.”