Toddlers can pack their backpacks and head off to kindy after Franklin Local Board renewed leases at Glenbrook and Kawakawa Bay.
The leases held by the Counties Manukau Free Kindergarten Association expired on 30 April at Glenbrook and in 2021 at Kawakawa Bay but continued on a month-by-month basis.
Franklin Local Board chair Angela Fulljames says the renewals remove any doubts over the futures of the much-loved facilities.
“You can imagine that at a fairly isolated spot like Kawakawa Bay, you wouldn’t want to lose your kindy, and have to drive a long way to get to another one.”
The building at Glenbrook is adjacent to the Glenbrook Road Recreation Reserve Hall and is group-owned, while the Kawakawa Bay kindergarten is part of the split-level Kawakawa Bay Hall owned by council.
Both leases are for 10 years with a single right of renewal.
Glenbrook Kindergarten has operated from the reserve since 2002 and caters for around 90 little ones. Kawakawa Bay has operated since about 1980 and currently has up to 50 children.
“We know that at both kindergartens there are as many as 20-odd volunteers helping the paid staff, so that underlines how important these facilities are to local communities,” Fulljames says.
“These leases mean those communities can expect their kindergartens to be around for a long time yet.”
Stay connected
Sign up for your Local Board E-news and get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month. Or follow us on Facebook.
