TWO new community hubs will help meet Bendigo’s growing demand for early years services.
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Shine Bright – the region’s recently rebranded early years manager – expects a new early learning hub in Strathfieldsaye to open in term three.
The $2.7 million project will boost preschool places for three and four year old children.
It will also house maternal and child health nursing services, a playgroup and community meeting space.
Shine Bright will manage the delivery of the hub’s preschool services.
The City of Greater Bendigo and the state government turned the first sod at the site in April last year.
Shine Bright has also acquired land for a community hub in West Bendigo – a planned feature of the new Westbury Estate by Villawood Properties.
The project is still in its early stages.
“We’re in the process of appointing an architect for stage 1,” Shine Bright chief executive Suzi Sordan said.
She said the community hub was informed by a need for kindergarten places and childcare in the area.
Greater Bendigo was home to 14,385 children aged 0 – 9 years in 2016.
By 2036, the number of children in that age gap is expected to increase to 20,805.
An extra 1181 children are projected to call Strathfieldsaye home, bringing the total to 2161.
Huntly and Marong were also identified as growth areas in the city’s Municipal Early Years Plan 2018 progress report.
Ms Sordan believed there were sufficient preschool places to meet the demands of a growing city.
“The landscape has been more competitive,” she said.
The organisation last week celebrated the launch of the Shine Bright brand, which it hoped would unite the 28 kindergarten services in operation across central and northern Victoria.
Fifteen kindergartens in Bendigo now bear the Shine Bright signage and logo.
In addition to a new name and image, the organisation has a new central office at 53 Wills Street, Bendigo.
“As the leaders in kindergarten services in the Loddon Mallee region, with a team of 260 dedicated early education leaders, we are ready to ‘Shine Bright’,” board chair David Richmond said.
The Loddon Mallee Preschool Association will continue to manage kindergarten enrolments for the Bendigo and Swan Hill regions.
A kindergarten central enrolment information evening has been organised from 6pm – 7pm on June 14 at St Paul’s Cathedral Hall.
Emma D'Agostino
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
