Spoons on show
With no consultation or warning, parents were advised last Wednesday that Thursday’s session would be the last until building issues could be resolved.
The announcement left families and the Thorpdale Public Hall Committee bewildered.
But there is no greater fight than the determination of a small community when it faces the loss of one of its most important assets.
Within 48 hours, YMCA agreed to a proposal to relocate term four kindergarten sessions to Thorpdale Primary School instead of Trafalgar.
Thorpdale Kindergarten parents advisory committee co-ordinator Emma Steendam said there had been zero communication from YMCA leading to Wednesday’s announcement.
Ms Steendam said YMCA advised them via email the kindergarten students would be relocated to Trafalgar next term because works needed to be undertaken on the public hall.
The kindergarten has operated from a section of the public hall since 1979. It has its own security gate entry to the kindergarten and extensive outside play area.
“We’ve never been told about any works…there is no works schedule and no contractors.
“We need some answers…we need to know what the issues are because we haven’t been consulted at all,” Ms Steendam said.
Parents said they had been given little information from YMCA.
Ms Steendam said the email stated “we will look to come back to Thorpdale” and parents were worried there was no guarantee or commitment to return students to Thorpdale.
“If we send them to Trafalgar, we might not get them back.
“We have 20 kids in three and four-year-old kinder so enrolments are not an issue.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) public hall is managed by a local committee of management, who also was given no warning of the YMCA decision.
“They’ve told me $60,000 needs to be spent but no information is forthcoming,” she said.
Ms Steendam said there was a small patch of water damage inside the hall following a storm earlier in the year and there were two trees in the playground that YMCA wanted removed, despite an arborist deeming them safe.
She said quotes had been obtained for both projects and the total cost was $5000.
“We keep asking what is the problem and they are telling us nothing. They are looking for an out,” she said.
Hall committee president Mandy Durkin said they were aware of a minor maintenance issue that had been discussed and was being addressed.
She said YMCA had not advised the hall committee there were building concerns or safety issues for the children.
“They are not dangerous issues. They have lost sight of the kids over a patch of mould,” she said.
Ms Steendam met with Thorpdale Primary School representatives on Thursday in the hope they could establish a kindergarten room at the school for fourth term.
By Friday, they welcomed advice from YMCA that they had worked with primary school principal Grant Nicholas to secure a location at the school.
Ms Steendam said families were desperate to maintain a kindergarten at Thorpdale into the future.
“The kinder is where everything starts in our community…these kids will then go to school, play sport, go to scouts. If they don’t start here, we lose that community.
“It’s not just about the kinder, it’s all about the town. It’s where friendships start and communities connect,” Ms Steendam said.
YMCA Ballarat executive manager children’s services Vicki Dobson said they were hopeful kindergarten sessions could resume at the primary school by week two of fourth term.
Ms Dobson said they would continue discussions with the parent advisory group to advocate for long term improved facilities and resources in the Thorpdale.
“The YMCA Ballarat remains committed to ensuring the high-quality kindergarten program provided in the Thorpdale township continues,” she said.