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Past and Present |
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Even before World War II, the St. George’s Centre or West Hall as it was previously called was a facility used for the care of children. In 1927 the Children’s Society bought the property for £2,750 to provide a home for boys aged 7 to 14 years whose families were unable to care for them. It was known then as the “Home for Waifs and Strays”. By 1956 the Children’s Society responded to a new need and the Centre’s work was changed to the care of babies awaiting adoption. In order to accommodate the Nursery Nurses an extension of ten rooms was built on the rear of the building. The residential side was closed in 1975 and the day care nursery continued until 1981 when this was closed due to a lack of funding.
Concerned parents were determined that this should not be the end of the nursery at St. George’s. Therefore with the help of the Children’s Society, who allowed part of the building to be used virtually rent free in those early days, St. George’s Community Children’s Project was born in February 1982. By the end of the year the Afterschool Club, or “Latchkey Club” as it was then known, had opened and the following summer the first Holiday Playscheme was held. In 1988 St George’s responded to the need of the local community by providing additional childcare services in the form of the term-time Little Dragons Playgroup. On the 30th March 2001 the St George’s Community Children’s Project successfully purchased the St. George’s Centre from the Children’s Society. This was achieved with the help of the Community Fund Lottery, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Kent County Council, plus many trusts, individual donations and our own fund raising events. In order to complete the purchase we were required to sell part of the garden and take on a mortgage. The St George’s Project childcare services occupy 75% of the building with the other current leaseholders, Tunbridge Wells Counselling Centre, Red Eye Media and Footprint Innovations taking up areas of the building unsuitable for childcare. Since acquiring the building the Project has increased the occupancy of the Nursery by opening two extra Nursery rooms on the first floor - Rabbits and Hedgehogs The Projects Bord of Directors put into action a business plan and the improvements have considerably enhanced the facilities within St Georges. A brand new laundry room was added together with a small kitchen, off the playground, for the Projects many fundraising and social events. The basement rooms have children’s toilet facilities, a new double doorway that links together the two basement rooms and a refurbished hallway/cloakroom amenity. In 2003 our old kitchen was transformed to an exciting new, state-of-the-art, kitchen with all mod cons. The Moles, Squirrels, Ducklings and Badgers rooms have been completely redesigned to ensure that the children, have not only the beautiful décor of an old building, but all the facilities of a hygienic and modern well equipped childcare rooms. In 2005, the car park was widened and at the same time a new level access, with CCTV, was incorporated. The car park now has two 5 minute drop off zones as well as a disabled car park area. The roof was then completely renovated, the basment rooms redesigned and the staff room moved to the top floor, a new kitchen area and storage space for all those curriculum books, Nursery Worlds magazines etc. In 2008 a new room was added to the back of the building to house the huge assortment of fundraising paraphernalia and a new reception room created near the entrance where there is now additional CCTV for security |
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