Education
Early intervention at the forefront of Trundle Children's Centre

Trundle Children's Centre director, Sarah Kilby has a big vision to turn what was once an unused storage shed at the back of the Centre into a fun and inclusive multipurpose room that will have a big impact on local Trundle families.

The vision has already been set into motion with a $3000 grant from Northparkes Evolution Mining to paint the room and a $3000 grant from the Government Inclusion Support Funding allowing the Centre to also compete flooring in the room.

To fill the room with equipment the Centre has recently hosted a BBQ at the famous Trundle Pink Night and a golf day at the Trundle Golf Club.

"From the Pink Night BBQ we raised $3414 just from running the BBQ and the golf day was a huge success and we made $3338," Mrs Kilby said.

"The golf day was a big success with 52 golfers registered and playing on the day in a three person ambrose. In the afternoon it was a family fun afternoon with a jumping castle, face painting and craft activities out on the golf course here in Trundle, it was a great afternoon."

The money they have raised so far will go towards equipment to furnish the room and provide occupational therapy equipment.

"We are looking to get a sensory swing and other things like that so we've got another area for high needs children but all of the children as well.

"The room gives us another teaching space, we will also use it for staff and committee meetings and also for visiting professionals such as speech therapists and OT's for hearing tests."

Trundle Children's Centre is big on early intervention as they try and get as many specialist as they can to visit Trundle.

"It's hard to get people in to speech therapists or OT's so we do have Marathon Hearing come and visit us once a year to do tests and we have a visiting speech therapist from Keirin Physio that comes out once a week and works with some of the children.

"Project Sprouts, a local charity comes out and helps us do ages and stages screenings a couple times a year and through Project Sprouts we've got an OT visiting the Centre on Friday to help us out for half a day, so they are a great charity.

"It will be great to have the space and ability to host specialists that come to town for early intervention as country kids sometimes miss out with access to early intervention programs so we are trying to encourage people to come out as much as possible."

Prior to this space the Centre did not have a dedicated area where specialists could set up as they had to sit out in the classroom with everyone else.

Now Mrs Kilby is excited that specialists will now have a designated area in Trundle to come to.

The Trundle Children's Centre is a not-for-profit community preschool providing long day care and preschool.

"The numbers are great at the moment. From 2023 to now the number of preschools we've got enrolled has quadrupled.

"We also have a 0-3 years room which is pretty full most of the time as well," Mrs Kilby said.

The Children's Centre is not done raising money to make this space the best it can be for their students as tickets can still be purchased for the Trundle Children's Centre Monster Raffle.

There are ten big prizes up for grabs including a BBQ donated by Bunnings, a truck and dog load of road base donated by C and M Civil Earthworks, photography vouchers and a range of other amazing prizes.

Tickets are $2 each and can be brought at the Centre, the local food stall and the newsagency.

Winners will be drawn on Thursday, December 14 at the Trundle Children's Centre's Christmas Party and Preschool graduation.