Committee Meetings

Corscombe Ladybirds Playgroup AGM June 2009

Chairman’s Report

This time last year we had given up on Ladybirds playgroup due to lack of funding, staff and children, and agreed to let it stop for a year before trying again.

However, thanks to Sarah’s determination and powers of persuasion, and to Christina’s willingness to take on the leadership, playgroup started up again last September with a band of volunteer helpers and just two children.

Two quickly grew to four and gradually over the year more and more have joined. We say goodbye to four children as they move up to primary school, but will be starting again this coming September with seven children and I am sure that numbers will continue to grow.

This growth is surely due to Christina and Sarah’s clear vision of how playgroup should be and their ability to implement all the new guidelines that have bombarded them from Ofsted and SureStart. There has been a lot of new information and paperwork to get to grips with and they have somehow found the time to read it all, take it in and work it into the day-to-day running of Ladybirds, without it getting in the way of good old-fashioned play.

It is thanks to this happy atmosphere of playing and learning that all the new children who have come along to try Ladybirds, have had fun and have wanted to keep coming.

An important part of playgroup this year has been getting outside, whatever the weather, to play on the field and in the new willow-den and to visit places around the village. The children have loved going to visit Henry Lovegrove’s animals, Chris Childs’ dairy farm, Christina’s own farm and also going for walks through the village to the wild flower meadow and the bluebell woods. These outings are always fun, relaxed, with plenty for busy children to do, but also with plenty of time to walk slowly and to see interesting things along the way. And of course a picnic in the village playground or snacks laid on by Rosemary Childs is always a bonus. There have been trips to Abbotsbury Swannery to see the baby swans and to the Life-learning bus parked at Evershot. The children have also enjoyed gardening in the top playground and have grown a fabulous crop of potatoes. This all forms a really valuable part of their early years learning.

We also owe thanks to Adele Jakeman for bringing music sessions for the children to enjoy and for the babies and toddlers to join in with.

There have been a lot of really good things going on in Ladybirds playgroup this year and we must thank Christina and Sarah for their leadership. And we should also recognise the teamwork of so many people; parents, volunteer helpers and members of the community who have worked together to create a wonderful environment for the children to learn so much.