NURSERY PLAY CENTRE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 124, 21 February 1944, Page 6

NURSERY PLAY CENTRE

Badly Needed In Thorndon

Thorndon residents interested in the formation of a combined play centre, kindergarten and creche for that area attended a meeting in Wellington on Saturday, which a provisional committee had called to arouse enthusiasm for the proposal. Mr. Chapman, M.P., addressed the gathering, other speakers being the chairman, the Rev. Mr. Davies, and Mr. D. Mouldes, secretary of the provisional committee. It was decided that nursery facilities and a play centre for Thorndon children up to five years of age was a necessity. It was pointed out that with so many young mothers away at work at present, young children were often left to care for their even younger brothers or sisters, but if a nursery centre was available it would povide a guarantee that they were being properly looked after. One woman said that Anderson Park had- been a valuable playing area for children living in Thorndon, but since it had -been used by the Allied forces, the children had to play either in the house or the street. A strong committee was set up to obtain the necessary data for furthering the foundation of a centre. A representative each from the Thorndon Plunket Society, New Zealand Red Cross Society, Free Kindergarten dissociation. Thorndon School Parents’ Committee and Nursery Play Centres’ Association, will be asked to join the committee, of which Mr. Chapman has consented to act as honorary president. The' best immigrant to New Zealand was the New Zealand-born baby, Mr. Chapman said, and enough could not be done for these babies and their welfare. The step taken at the meeting to go ahead with the idea should encourage those with the welfare of children at heart. If the committee strove till it had a suitable building and surroundings he, felt that the object was so good that it would not -be difficult to raise the money to obtain what was necessary. There was much hard work to be done, Mr. Mouldes said. The proposed centre would greatly benefit those concerned with its use, but before such an organization could be -begun, there was preliminary work to be undertaken. The committee would have to find out the number of children living in the area whom the centre would be concerned with, mothers would have to he spoken to and a suitable building found in congenial surroundings.