Pinehaven Potters need a new kiln!
Without a new kiln, Pinehaven Potters can’t continue. We’re $15k away from our goal—please help keep pottery thriving in Upper Hutt!
Upper Hutt, Wellington
Pinehaven Potters is a tiny community pottery studio which operates out of some old converted cricket changing rooms in Pinehaven Reserve. The club celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2025, we've survived the muddy-brown rustic 70s pots, the cobalt blue ocean-themed 90s and now the 2020s with more interest than ever before in locally made crafts and pottery-as-therapy.
But now we’re facing a challenge: our two kilns, the essential tools for turning clay into pottery, are at the end of their life. Without a kiln, we can’t fire our work, and the club cannot operate.
The cost of a new kiln, installation, and necessary changes to our space will be around $25,000. We’ve already saved about $10,000 through members’ fees, fundraising events, and donations from our membership.
We know there are lots of worthy causes asking for your help, and times are tough for a lot of us. If you’re able to support us, even a little, it will make a big difference. Your contribution will help us keep doing what we love: teaching pottery, sharing skills across generations, and creating a space for friendship and creativity. Pottery isn’t just art—it’s connection, learning, and wellbeing.
You might have seen our members at the Upper Hutt Art Trail or local craft markets. With your help, we can keep serving the community and ensure Pinehaven Potters thrives for the next 50 years.
Thank you for considering us.
Use of funds
All funds raised will go towards one new electric kiln, including shipping, installation and ventilation. If we exceed our goal we will use any additional funds to reconfigure the space to allow for better health and safety and larger working spaces.
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Latest update
Thank you! And project updates 10 February 2026
Kia ora, and a huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far. With your help we’ve raised $790 on Givealittle, adding to the $10,000 we’ve saved over the past few years. Your support means a lot as we work toward replacing our ageing kiln.
We’re also thrilled to share that we’ve received a $5,000 donation from the Heretaunga Bookfest Charitable Trust. We’re so grateful for their generosity—keep an eye out for their upcoming Bookfest sale in Upper Hutt and support them if you can.
Our current kilns are over 30 years old and have needed frequent, expensive repairs. One has now completely failed, and the other is still going but increasingly unreliable. With only one kiln left, replacing them has become essential.
After researching many options and talking with other potters, we’ve chosen the Potclays GK63 from Botpots because it:
is front‑opening and slightly larger than our current big kiln,
includes a controller, probe, and new kiln furniture,
has efficient, lightweight silicone carbide shelves,
fits through our front door,
and comes with reliable support in NZ.
There’s a 3–5 month lead time, but we can secure it with a deposit while fundraising continues.
For now, we’re running on our one remaining kiln and won’t be repairing the broken one due to the high cost for only a short-term fix.
Thank you again for helping us get closer to a new kiln—we couldn’t do this without you. More updates soon!
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