GBIM in the Community – The Sombornes’ Pre-School

Published: April 2019 (2 Min Read)

When my family and I came to live in King’s Somborne five years ago I was keen to get involved in village life, and with two (now three) young boys’ my wife suggested that I go along to a Pre-School committee meeting to see if I could help. Two hours later, I came out of the meeting, having been appointed as the new Chairman! The old Chairman had decided to step down.

The Sombornes’ Pre-School was established in 2011 in King’s Somborne’s Village Hall, due to demand from the community for local early years’ education. We have four members of staff who work tirelessly to look after the children and start them on their learning journey. As all three of my boys began schooling there, I have witnessed at first hand the staff’s dedication and hard work in providing a welcoming and nurturing environment.

So much so that my children seemed to prefer being there to being at home!

As a result of its success, we are now looking to move to a new purpose-built facility which can handle more children and offer a permanent base for them. This has involved several different challenges from fund raising to planning, all of which have had their own issues, but we do now have approval to proceed, which is fantastic.

It is not just the children who learn! I have discovered that volunteering provides a wonderful opportunity to develop new skills, from learning the workings of OFSTED to navigating local politics. It is an eye opener to the hard work put in by individuals often on a completely unheralded basis.

Article written by
Tom Hewitt