31 January 2024

Four Square Franz Josef owner operators Josh and Kirsty Flavell and Foodstuffs South Island Community Trust have provided funding to reinvigorate the Franz Josef Community Centre for all the community and visitors to enjoy.

The Franz Josef community is set to get a much-needed funding boost from the Foodstuffs South Island Community Trust via it’s locally owned Four Square store. 

The owners of Franz Josef Four Square, Josh and Kirsty Flavell, supported a grant application to the Trust which is funded by Foodstuffs South Island store owners.  The application secured $6,740 of funding from Foodstuffs South Island Community Trust for the Franz Josef Community Centre. The community centre is the beating heart of Franz Josef Village, where locals come together to play sport, pursue hobbies, and make important connections with other members of the community in this popular tourist town. 

The funding will go towards replacing, and in some cases providing, equipment for local sports groups and playgroups that operate out of the community centre including badminton, netball, volleyball, soccer, and the local scout group.

Pre-Covid, Franz Josef welcomed and accommodated a few thousand domestic and international visitors on any given night. Visitor numbers are slowly returning, and the community is starting to grow again. “During Covid, Franz Josef took a huge financial hit, not only due to the downturn in tourism but also because the area lost close to half of its population, which was a huge blow on top of everything else,” Kirsty says. 

Kirsty coaches her daughter, Rosemary, along with the rest of the South Westland Mini Ferns netball team at the community centre.

Since taking over the Four Square in 2023, Josh and Kirsty have really enjoyed becoming a part of the local community. Kirsty coaches the local South Westland Mini Ferns netball team. Their two eldest children, George and Rosemary, play badminton, a popular sport locally, with some players going on to achieve higher honours, including a local who competes nationally each year. Many of Josh and Kirsty’s local customers enjoy volleyball and soccer in their spare time so the couple were also keen to support these sports in the community.

As parents and business owners who’ve made good connections in the community, Josh and Kirsty set out to see how they could make a meaningful impact to their community which has made them feel so welcome since they took the reins of the store almost a year ago.

Four Square team members and budding badminton stars Charles Dela Cruz, left, and Wiremu Rakete.

“The Franz Josef Community Centre is the hub of Franz Josef village and benefits so many people, from newborns to the elderly, and it’s fantastic to be able to help our community groups and clubs get this funding that we know will benefit everyone,” Josh says. 

Franz Josef Community Development Officer Sabine Grift-Verschuur was delighted at the funding boost. “We’re so excited to be able to give the Franz Josef Community Centre the upgrades and equipment it needed, and we look forward to providing great experiences and facilities for all members of the community and visitors to enjoy,” Sabine says.

For more information about Foodstuffs South Island Community Trust, visit https://www.foodstuffs-si.co.nz/foodstuffs-community-trust