Playcentre Aotearoa announced today that a total of $37,400 in funds will go to Playcentres on the West Coast of the South Island, including Blackball, Grey Valley, Kaniere, Paroa, Rununga and Westport Playcentres.
Playcentre Aotearoa is releasing these funds from reserves to help these Playcentres with improvements and to support them with the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.
The funds will be used for property maintenance projects, including replacing heating, installation of fencing and shade sails, creating native garden areas and to cover the cost of session facilitators.
According to Anna Steel, Playcentre Upper South Island Regional Manager, “these funds will make a huge difference for Playcentres in the region.”
Playcentre is a nationwide charity with 420 centres throughout Aotearoa.
Playcentre is free and is subsidised by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, with most centres only requesting a small donation or fee per term.
It is the dominant provider of early childhood education in rural areas of New Zealand.
Playcentre caters for children from birth to school age and are licensed early childhood education services that are run cooperatively by parents and whānau.
Photo (left to right): Kirsty Brown, Playcentre Property Coordinator, with Kate Rogatski, President of Runanga Playcentre, one of the Playcentres to receive funding.
