Friendly family space to return

FAMILIES in Lethbridge will soon have a space again for their toddlers to play and interact with each other with the town’s playgroup set to be revived after a three-year absence.

The return is being coordinated by parents associated with the group prior to pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caitlin Warnock is one of two people leading the revival and said it’s important the town has a space for parents and young children again.

“There’s a growing community in Lethbridge,” she said. “There’s lots of people moving out to the area who don’t have established friendships so it’s a good way to meet other people with kids of similar ages.

“I’d gone for about a year-and-a-half with my daughter Beatrice. We’d go every week. She actually came to me recently and said she’d made a friend called Meadow and I said she’d met her at playgroup.

“I know Sally [Hargans, the other coordinator] feels very passionately about giving other women the experiences she had as a new mum making lifelong friends through her kids as well.”

Following a community meeting last month, Lethbridge Playgroup’s weekly sessions return today, and will run each Friday at 10am.

Ms Warnock said now that both herself and Ms Hargans no longer utilise Playgroup as parents, they’re keen to find people willing to take on a leadership role once they get sessions reestablished.

The original Lethbridge Playgroup was established by Ms Warnock’s mother-in-law with the help of Playgroup Victoria.

With space at the recreation reserve refurbished during the break, Ms Warnock said she’ll be running things a little differently to how they were done before.

“We’re not starting from scratch because it’s an established playgroup,” she said.

“What we’ve found since three-year old kinders gave increased their hours is playgroups are getting younger cohorts of one and two-year-olds.

“So, we won’t be reestablishing a crafts service which would’ve been more for that older age. We’ll have a couple of songs, and unstructured play with kids and parents.

“We can provide their service but the main thing is we need people to commit to turning up.”

To participate in Lethbridge Playgroup or express interest in coordinating, visit the Lethbridge (Australia) Playgroup Families Facebook page or call Ms Warnock on 0414 182 803.