Patea Community Hub Getting Fit for the Future

A much-needed building upgrade will give Patea Kindergarten a boost for the future. Cherie Boyd is the Chief Executive of Kindergarten Taranaki, a collective of 24 kindergartens across the region. Cherie is excited about the benefits the kindergarten upgrade will bring to the Patea community for years to come.

The kindergarten aims to be an inclusive space where whānau and the wider community feel welcome. “The kindergarten is very much a hub for that community. It works well with Plunket, schools and social service agencies. There is a big community garden adjacent to them so they are very involved with a lot of people from different backgrounds”, Cherie said.

Patea Kindergarten is in a rural community and families come from a larger geographical area than some of the other kindergartens. The head teacher is committed to providing a nurturing learning experience and has created an outdoor environment where the children have good access to natural materials.

Working in the old buildings on the site has certainly been a challenge for the staff. The 1960’s building is no longer considered practical for modern learning needs. It has an original benchtop in the kitchen and a lack of power points. “There were five computers in one tiny space right by the entrance of the toilet, and not enough plugs. They have had to put a portable container outside to work in”, Cherie said.

“The community has been fundraising for fifteen years for this building project, including holding an art auction every two years”, Cherie said. “But every time they raised a small amount of money, the building costs went up by almost that amount.”

The support of the TSB Community Trust means the work can start immediately. The grant of $50,800 will enable renovation of the kitchen, creation of an art resource room and dedicated staff spaces will be upgraded to ensure staff can use modern technology. The second part of the project will be renovating the laundry and children’s bathroom and installing accessible toilets. The offices will be upgraded and the entrance area will be made into an open and welcoming space. The work will be broken down into manageable projects, where possible during the holidays, to ensure the kindergarten can continue to be a working learning space.

The building work will benefit hundreds of families, as well as multiple future generations to come. “The grant is vitally important to help that community progress”, Cherie said.