By CASEY NEILL
A DANDENONG North playgroup has the state’s best team at its helm.
Rosswood Playgroup won the Community Committee of the Year title at the Playgroup Victoria Awards on Thursday 12 November.
Enrolment officer Daniela McCole was shocked when she was called to the stage to accept the honour.
“We were nominated last year as well and we weren’t successful,” she said.
“It’s definitely a credit to the members and the history of the playgroup.
“It’s the efforts that everybody’s put in year on year to create the place and turn it into what it is today.
“It’s great to have the award come at such an important time for us. It’s a real turning point for us.”
Rosswood has just finished renovations that were years in the making and is trying to recruit more committee members.
“It’s been skeletal with the committee members over the past few years,” Ms McCole said.
“We’ve had a lot of change in the last six months.
“We’ve got all new amenities – new toilet facilities there for the kids, the kitchen’s been renovated so we can see out to where the kids are playing outside.
“The members have been saving money for years and years and have been waiting for those renovations to be completed.”
Ms McCole said Rosswood had a relaxed environment where children could play and carers could bond.
“Parents choose how sessions are run. Some share food, others don’t. Some structure their activities, others wing it,” she said.
“All groups pack up in the last 15 minutes of the session and leave the premises ready for the next group to arrive.
“If a group wants to continue meeting during school holidays, then they do.
“I have lived in the area since 2008 but it wasn’t until having children and joining Rosswood that we have been able to make many new friends locally.
“Giving one’s time and being part of a community group – whether it’s a sports club or playgroup – is a highly rewarding experience and my husband and I hope that our children can learn from this that giving is receiving.”
Rosswood hosts a session dedicated to Japanese culture on Mondays and to Islam on Thursdays, with other multicultural sessions running most days.
“If there’s not a group running at a time or day that somebody would like, they are welcome to take up the role of session host and wait for others to join the group,” Ms McCole said.
“This year we’ve also been trying to start a dad’s or male caregivers session which is run on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to noon.”
The Playgroup Victoria Awards are in their third year and are an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of community members and volunteers.
Greater Dandenong was up for five nods, including Playgroup Agency of the Year.
Annita Keevers and Doris Wong were in the running for Supported Playgroup Co-ordinator of the Year and Jodie Skeels vied for Supported Playgroup Facilitator of the Year.
Email playgroup@rosswoodplaygroup.com.au or visit www.facebook.com/RosswoodPlaygroup to get involved.
