Our organisation

We are a not-for-profit organisation, incorporated in 1985 as Early Childhood Resource Centre (Christchurch) Incorporated. We trade under the name Creative Junk.

Our aim is to provide an affordable, and extensive range of recycled and natural materials, collected from industry and the community to promote creative and imaginative play and happenings in the community for children, their families and related services.

The idea for Creative Junk grew out of discussions at an Early Childhood conference in the early 1980s. From there, a group of people started work on establishing a resource centre that - among other things - would distribute reclaimed 'waste' material from industry and the community. This warehouse of junk became a treasure cave for teachers and artists, who could forage through the containers and boxes for anything that might inspire them.

The organisation became incorporated in 1985 as the Early Childhood Resource Centre (Christchurch) Incorporated. Trading as 'Creative Junk', its premises have moved several times until its current 7th building on Disraeli St. Fittingly, the housing for Creative Junk has often been the "rubbish" of the real estate industry: buildings that are most likely to be demolished within a few years to make room for newer developments.

Now over 23 years on from its inception, Creative Junk is still going strong.