NURSERY PLAY CENTRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1945, Page 8

NURSERY PLAY CENTRE

OPENED AT GREYMOUTH Amid the clamour of children at play, a nursery play centre was opened in the Wesley Hall, Greymouth, yesterday afternoon before an assemblage of nearly fifty women and men. The centre, the formation of which was first mooted some six months ago, provides a place where each Wednesday from 1.30 to 4.30 p.m., can be left children between the ages of two and five years, while the mother goes shopping, to the dentist or otherwise spends the afternoon in town temporarily free from the task of minding her child. A room has been hired at the rear of the hall, and decorated with juvenile pictures, and a miniature sand pit has been installed. Toys of all descriptions are available-many having been donated by local furniture firms—and the chances of any child being unsatisfied are very slight, the toys ranging from a largesized rocking horse and pull-carts to blocks and coloured counters. Besides these articles, about £2O has been donated to the centre by local business firms. A qualified supervisor will be in attendance each day, and she will be assisted by two members of the committee. The centre is intended to accommodate twenty children in the meantime, but should the demand prove greater it is hoped to open the centre on two days a week —Wednesdays for' country _ people and Fridays for town residents. Mrs G. Andrae, president of the committee, presided at yesterday’s function. \ Stating that the centre would be a desirable amenity, she pointed out that four or five years ago play centres had been created and now the four centres had them, Wellington possessing nine. A charge of I/- per afternoon would be made to mothers, find 1/6 where there were two children of the one family. She requested that the children be given a pinafore or rompers and an apple to eat in the rest period, and announced that _ shortly the centre would be affiliated to the Christchurch Nursery Play Centre ■Association. Calling on the Mayor (Mr F. A. Kitchingham) to open the centre, she thanked all those who had made donations to the centre. The Mayor congratulated the organisers and the various organisations and numerous individuals who had taken part in the establishment of the centre. As a co-operative venture by people pulling together for the first time, the result was very good, and he hoped that it would meet with success. Pointing out that the centre’s rooms were rented in the meantime, he stated that the Women’s Centre in Guinness Street had been built in such a manner that it could be extended to Wilson Lane, and a second storey be added. The women could keep that fact in mind and if they got together and raised enough money I hey could extend the building for the purposes of a play centre. He declared the centre open for the reception of children and wished the undertaking the success it deserved.

Mr W. D. Taylor, on behalf of the Westland District Progress League and the Rotary Club, extended his congratulations to Mrs Andrae on the establishment of the institution, remarking that the children seemed to be at home in new surroundings already. The centre would afford mothers some relief from the arduous task of looking after children all the time, and its establishment indicated that the town and district were becoming more awake to civic resnonsibilities and represented the state of the advance of community life. He appealed to all to support the institutions and similar ones, not only financially, but with their interest.

Mrs J. Gillaly, supervisor of the Runanga Centre which had been in operation for a’.year, also snoke, extending congratulations and wishing the centre every success. Testifying to the useful purpose served by the institution, she asked that mothers co-operate with the supervisor and send their children along.

Congratulations were received from the County Council Chairman (Mr R. Clark), the Mayor of Runanga (Mr E. W. Kennedy), and the President of the Runanga Centre (Mr S. Morris).