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PL History

"Notice where the Energy is - that's where the magic happens"
Margaret Jefferies MNZM, PL Chair 2003-2020

Project Lyttelton has had a remarkable journey. The group began as a committee formed to address the Main Street Project in 1994 under the banner of Project Port Lyttelton. With a focus on honouring Lyttelton‘s rich historic qualities it went on to manifest projects such as the award-winning Torpedo Boat Museum.

In 2003 the direction changed with many of the previous committee ready to step down and the election of Margaret Jefferies to the chair.

The focus shifted: from honouring the past, to creating a collective vision of the future. The change of leadership also began to define a change of process in the organisation to a more collaborative, co-creative model.

The introduction of creative community engagement processes, more opportunities to participate and an inclusive, informal way of working has attracted wider participation. A diverse range of projects has emerged that not only reflect the needs and interests of the Lyttelton

community but have also captured the interest of other organisations, agencies and communities

Festival of Lights ~2016. London St hoardes

“A lot of it is about having fun,

enjoying each other’s company

while we do things.”

~ Margaret Jefferies

Margaret Jefferies

The late Margaret Jefferies was a key figure in solidly establishing Project Lyttelton (PL). Her mission was to get Lyttelton people to agree on a shared vision to drive our township forward. In 2003 with Wendy Everingham, a series of community meetings were held and from these meetings the vision statement that drove PL over the years was formed.

Margaret became the first chair of PL in 2003 and remained in that role until her passing in 2020. She focussed on making our community resilient and empowered. Margaret was also the driver behind the Harbour Co-op, the veggie box scheme, Timebanking, and community gardens, leaving a solid legacy within Lyttelton. In recognition of the important work she did in Lyttelton and greater Christchurch Margaret was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit.

In partnership with Project Lyttleton and Leadership in Communities (LinC) in Christchurch, the Inspiring Communities produced this video about some of Margarets achievements and thoughts, in homage upon Margarets passing in 2020.

Lyttelton Time Bank

One of Margarets earliest projects when she became the Chair of Project Lyttelton was the “Community Angel”. This was a forerunner to the Timebank. Our “angel” was someone who could lend a helping hand, or ear, if you needed, pioneering the Lyttelton Timebank. The Lyttelton Timebank took off, with many other timebanks subsequently appearing across Christchurch and New Zealand.

When Lyttelton was ravaged by earthquakes in 2011 the Timebank became a massive asset to Lyttelton. Wendy Everingham was a key figure in this period coordinating and growing the Lyttelton Timebank. Hundreds of members within our community traded skill-sets as an alternative currency. By 2019 the onset of Covid combined with the rise of social media contributed to the eventual shelving of the Lyttelton Timebank in 2022.

Festival of Lights

In 2005 this concept was borne out of a desire for a community celebration mid-winter and drew major sponsorship from the CCC and Lyttelton Port Company. With street closures for the town parade, night-market, buskers, stilt walkers, fire twirlers, staging for multiple bands and musicians, and a huge fireworks display, this event also drew crowds in the thousands. Local bands, performers, and entertainers as well as a massive community involvement made this festival extraordinary.

Directed by Claire Coates and involving dozens of volunteers, significant outside attendance increased each year as did event costs and the human resources required. The event was so successful that is became too big for the township to accommodate, and In 2019, after 14 years, Project Lyttelton made the difficult decision to refocus those resources more widely for greater community benefit.

Take a moment to reminisce and check out the epic 'Lyttelton Harbour Festival of Lights' Gallery below. For more photos visit the old Facebook site

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Welcome Bags

Making new community members feel welcome was the originating idea behind the 'Welcome Bags'.

Each Welcome Bag was a handmade bag full of local goodies hand-delivered to the door of new Lyttelton residents to provide a connection to our community and their new home.

Sewn, put together and delivered by generous donators of items and volunteers, The Welcome Bag was handmade from beautiful cotton and contained a multitude of items:

local information
bus and ferry timetables
maps of Lyttelton
details about local organisations and community groups
how to become a Time Bank member
how to sign up for the Veggie Bags
an invitation to join PL at the Community Garden and the Garage Sale
seeds from the Community Garden
local baking
and any other goodies or useful information we could get our hands on!

Lyttel
Stitches

Sue-Ellen worked with Bettina Evans and Jacinda Gillian becoming the driving force behind 'Lyttel Stitches', providing a way of coping and healing through crafting. Her work is currently displayed at Te Papa museum in Wellington. Lyttel Stitches is a project that brought the community together and even gained attention from Prince William.

The following information and images are credited to the Te Papa collections website

These 'Lyttelton Heart' brooches are just a few from over one thousand made in response to the devastating 6.3 earthquake which hit Canterbury on 22 February 2011. The earthquake caused severe damage and resulted in the loss of 185 lives.

Lyttelton residents and members of Project Lyttelton got together one week after the earthquake to do something about the devastation in their town.

On 1 March, Sue-Ellen Sandilands and Bettina Evans set up a drop-in space in the playground of Lyttelton Main School with tables and chairs, provisions, and a sign, "Join us, have a chat". They made little hearts from bits and pieces of felt and fabric, old woollen blankets, buttons, embroidery thread and wool, and handed them out to people passing by. They were simple to make, fun and beautiful, and full of symbolic meaning. Many people stopped by and started making hearts too. Jacinda Gilligan joined Sue-Ellen and Bettina, and these three women became the driving force behind what became known as 'Lyttel Stitches'.

It was such a success that they met every day for six weeks and became an important and much needed local hub of support, all the while making hearts and giving them to a huge variety of people. Hearts were pinned to the chests of locals walking past, Navy personnel, soldiers, police, St John's Ambulance workers, Salvation Army workers, Civil Defence workers, engineers, insurance assessors, journalists, demolition crews, politicians and celebrities. Prince William accepted one while at the Hagley Park memorial service.

Many people joined in the stitching - women, men and children. 'Stitching was a healing outlet...to create some beauty in the midst of chaos. When our hands were busy, it became possible to forget for a while the frightening, disorderly, terrifying reality around us'. It was also a way to be able to give a gift of love to those workers and businesses who helped improve life in Lyttelton.

Sue-Ellen now runs Craft Time at the Library