I first visited Playcentre with a dear friend I had met through antenatal classes. We were so warmly welcomed and loved having a rich environment for our children to explore while we could be parents together.
Two children and almost five years later Caroline is still an active part of her centre. She started off being the equipment officer for two years until the centre needed someone to step into the president role and she surprisingly volunteered, despite having a very young baby.
For Caroline being president has been the challenge she needed:
It’s given me something to focus on, in the way I used to with work, so mentally it’s been extremely satisfying. It’s given me a better understanding of what is important to me, and how I want to spend the energy that I have to give in life.
Caroline feels that volunteering at Playcentre has given her a deeper understanding of people and the perspectives of others which has, in turn, improved the way she raises her own children.
She believes the volunteers benefit from all they give to Playcentre, but she also believes that the volunteers contribute to how unique each Playcentre is:
The volunteers of playcentre shape the heart of each centre, they are the community, they are the soul.