JULY
HONGONGOI 2025
Point Howard Playcentre faces permanent closure by Ann Packer Following closures during work on the slip at the top of Howard Rd, Pt Howard Playcentre is again facing closure – this time, possibly for good. While the Centre’s roll has always fluctuated over the years, an October 2024, region-wide inspection by Playcentre Aotearoa revealed issues with the playground and outdoor area that make it non-compliant, and the Centre has again been forced to close. President Kim Hansen says at present there are only seven families enrolled – “twenty would be ideal”. She says to remain open, they must be compliant in terms of the building and playground and be financially viable. “So, it is possible that Playcentre Aotearoa will decide not to invest the money to repair the playground, if they think our numbers are too low. Sadly, that would mean closure.” There’s been a preschool at the top of Point Howard ever since 1950, when the late Nan Barker helped establish the Pt Howard Playcentre – not all that long after the pioneering New Zealand movement was founded in Wellington. Playcentres were set up as cooperatives and used existing halls and other premises – in this case, the tennis club rooms. Parents were the teachers, trained on the job. While “learning through play” was the most important principle – one later adopted nationally by all early childhood education centres – along the way a lot of empowering took place. Some of our highest achieving women, including Dame Cath Tizard and Dame Jenny Shipley, are play centre alumni.
Eastbourne JP and former Hutt City Councillor, Joy Baird, now of York Bay, was living in Pt Howard and heavily pregnant with her first child when she visited the Centre in 1968, only to be warned: “We’re going to be closing before that one’s born.” They didn’t. She later became the supervisor – her first paid job – and the Baird family attended the centre until 1977. The current situation was made more difficult following the slip on Pt Howard hill, which made vehicle access impossible for some months. “This saw us displaced from our Centre for two Generations of Eastbourne families have attended Pt Hwd Playcentre. Securing financial investment from terms,” Ms Hansen says. During that time, the children went on trips Playcentre is further complicated, because and visited other centres. But the slip, combined PHPC doesn't own the land or building. with ongoing traffic delays caused by roadworks “We are grateful to the Pt Howard Residents' around the Bays, has made it difficult to attract Association and Tennis Club for their support new members for the past year, leading to a over the years to keep the Playcentre operating,” Ms Hansen says. smaller than ideal roll. Point Howard Playcentre is very special Also, as of 31 March, the structure of Playcentre has changed nationally. Centres are in terms of its location, facilities and culture, no longer independent; financial decisions are Ms Hansen says. “We can only hope that the made by Playcentre Aotearoa, and centres don't Centre's long history of success and the impact have the ability to spend the necessary money of the constant road closures and roadworks will be kept in mind when a decision is made. from their own accounts. “It seems crazy to me to not keep it open “The positive for small centres,” Ms Hansen says, “is they have access to greater funds. The until the roadworks around the Bays are negative is they have none of their own funds finished next year, and we can recruit new families successfully again.” to spend.”