One vital element missing

Enjoying the playground at Enfield Play Group are (clockwise from front) Abby Rowland (4),...
Enjoying the playground at Enfield Play Group are (clockwise from front) Abby Rowland (4), Suliasi Uhatafe (3), Finehika Uhatafe (1), Larnie Davidson (3), Bonnie Davidson (8 months) and Henry Spite (2). Photo by Sally Rae.
At Enfield Play Group, there's plenty of toys and plenty of resources - it's just lacking children.

Numbers have fallen away for the group, which meets every Thursday between 10am and midday, at the "tin shed" at the Enfield Domain.

"When you get down to six on the roll, you do have to weigh up your odds," president Lynne Rowland said this week.

It was hoped that the increased number of dairy farms in the rural area would have a knock-on effect on the group.

However, only one family attending play group is from a dairy farm and others on dairy farms did not seem to mingle, Mrs Rowland said.

While the local school had closed - although the Exclusive Brethren church had opened a campus on that site - and sports clubs had folded, the play group was one local group that had endured, she said.

An open day was held just before the end of the last school term, in a bid to increase numbers, but only one family attended.

The group had plenty of resources - "there's everything" - and was also financially sound. Outside the building, there was a playground and the group also had the use of a rugby field.

Each week, there was an activity for the children and there were also occasional trips. Families are charged $1 for each day they attend.

"The good thing about play group is it's really casual, there's no pressure of fund-raising; no pressure of being too involved. You come down when it suits. If it doesn't suit, you don't come," Mrs Rowland said.

The mother of two daughters - Kendal (9) and Abby (4) - she had made lots of friends through her involvement with the group.

 

 

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