Ready to roll for play time
IT was once a changeroom that was freezing in winter and bearable the rest of the year.
And it was all a growing community had for a meeting space until a band of motivated playgroup mums petitioned for change.
The South Hobart Community Centre has been transformed into a light-filled, inviting space with a connection to the adjoining park thanks to a $600,000 cash injection by Hobart City Council, the Tasmanian Community Fund and the local progress society.
South Hobart Playgroup association president Nadia Booker prepared the initial proposal for the upgrade and is thrilled with the result.
“It’s just glorious. The facilities now are light and spacious. While the building’s footprint was not hugely extended, the difference is the feeling of space because you’re open to the garden and the increased storage,” Mrs Booker said.
“Before it had really high changing room windows, so the kids would go outside and you couldn’t see them and it was really difficult to manage, but now the sun simply pours in.”
The 1970s building had served as locker rooms for the nearby sports fields, but was in need of a revamp.
“All the playgroup toys were kept in a disused toilet. It was very difficult to use the space, you couldn’t get a pram in, there was no change table space and it was not fit for purpose at all. If you were in a wheelchair you just couldn’t come in. Now it’s accessible to everyone,” she said.
“There was a lot of support and we didn’t do it alone, but we got the ball rolling. The whole thing came out of playgroup saying, ‘We just can’t do another winter in this space’.”
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the project was empowering for other groups wanting to affect change locally.
The playgroup association, which has been meeting on site for 40 years, says the new centre better places them to meet the needs of young families.
“What we’re seeing is a lot of families with young kids moving into the area and we just didn’t have the infrastructure to support their needs,” said Mrs Booker.