Playgroup receives lifeline

After declining numbers painted an unclear future for the Geraldton Community Playgroup, a local school has come to the rescue and all but secured its place in the community.

With many of the group’s regular children moving to kindy, the playgroup was left struggling to pay the weekly rent at its former premises.

Local parents volunteered to run the group, with the 20 or so families paying $30 a term to help cover the organisation’s rent and amenities.

Having run in Geraldton for about 10 years, playgroup facilitator Emma Boys said she was devastated by the possibility of having to shut up shop.

“I put all my kids through the playgroup and was heartbroken to face the possibility of closing,” she said.

“That’s when I decided to take on the role as facilitator and try and save our playgroup. We lost almost half of the families because once the kids got older they had to move them on to kindy.

“Things were looking pretty grim for us last year.”

Drawing her last straw, Mrs Boys contacted Geraldton Grammar School principal Nick Johnstone in the hope he could assist in rehoming the group.

But what he offered Mrs Boys was something she said still amazed her to this day.

“After speaking with me, Nick welcomed us to use the school’s pre-kindy facilities to host our playgroups, completely free for the entire year,” she said.

“The generosity still amazes me.

“We’re able to use the facilities here once a week and have been given access to the Come and Play days the school hosts and the use of the library facilities.

“We’ve been welcomed here with open arms and the indoors and outdoors play areas are better than anything we could have imagined.

“When we get more numbers in then we’ll come to a new agreement, which again is just amazing.”

The playgroup currently has 10 families participating in the group each Wednesday, from 9am-11am but it has the capacity to accomodate double its current numbers.