The Seabrook Community Centre Playgroup will celebrate the end of the year when it holds a holiday festival on Thursday, December 5.
Beginning at 11am, the morning will feature an unveiling of artwork by the preschool children who attend the playgroup to give thanks to the Seabrook Community Centre that hosts them and the Hobsons Bay Maternal and Child Health (MCH) team who operate it.
Children and parents have particular reason to thank Hobsons Bay (MCH) and Hobsons Bay council, given it was their decision to bring back the playgroup midway through 2024 after a four year absence.
Once the the largest playgroup in Victoria, the Seabrook Community Centre playgroup was disbanded in 2020 due to the pandemic.
But thanks to growing demand in the Hobsons Bay community for programs that connect young families, the playgroup was reinstated and quickly became popular, attracting more than 25 children during term and more than 40 in school holidays.
The playgroup has proved to be as diverse as it is popular with families from Australia, Sri Lanka, Iran, India, Canada, South Africa, Columbia, China, Japan and New Zealand regularly attending.
Those families are expected to be at the holiday festival next week along with local children’s book author, and playgroup parent, Chris Sandtsmith, who is donating the proceeds from his ‘Barry Has One’ and ‘Allen Has Three’ books to the playgroup until January 2025.
Registered as a non-profit, the Seabrook playgroup relies on gold-coin donations and assistance from the Hobsons Bay community.
Those interested in making a donation by purchasing one of Mr Sandtsmith’s books, can do so at: amzn.asia/d/0kZzQhx
Parents and children interested in joining the playgroup can drop in on Thursdays from 10-11.30am at Seabrook Community Centre, 15 Truganina Avenue, Seabrook.
