GINA Ascott-Evans has been "overwhelmed" at the outpouring of support for the Thou-Walla Family Centre after it was destroyed by fire.
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"I've been totally overwhelmed," said Ms Ascott-Evans, the centre's facilitator.
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"I was here with the fire [on Sunday night] and then on the Monday I was quite devastated.
"But every day I've been more and more uplifted.
"The Irrawang P&C, it's just like they're holding me.
"The community, we've had so many people ring up and wanting to help, offering all sorts of items.
"We've had about four offers for venues where we can go to and keep running our groups until we can get a building.
"It's so heartwarming to know I've got that support.
"Our families are all hurting as well and we're all just supporting each other. The community is amazing."
The centre opened in 2003 on the grounds of Irrawang Public School, which also had buildings vandalised on Sunday.
The school reopened on Thursday. A Go Fund Me page for the centre and school has raised more than $3600.
Ms Ascott-Evans said she visited the school on Thursday to help staff and remind children she was still there for them.
She is meeting with other services and finalising details about resuming programs from another venue next week.
"It's still business as usual and I'm letting people know I'm still here, I'm following through with every call we get from families to check in on them and making sure they're okay.
"With COVID we had to be flexible and creative so we're still going, but we're just going a different way."
Thou-Walla is a School as a Community Centre (SaCC) Project that supports families with children up to eight years old, with a focus on the early years.
Ms Ascott-Evans said the Department of Education provides it with premises and a small budget and it also works with community partners to offer free initiatives including supported playgroups, parenting programs and community development projects.
It works with families across the region and closely with the school. It also links families with other services.
"Our doors never close, we're always making sure if somebody comes to our door that there's something we can offer or refer them on."
She said the centre had been holding playgroups in a park and had only been back in the demountable for two weeks before the fire.
She'd painted its interior, bought new resources, revarnished tables and had a dishwasher installed.
"It was a big shock but every day I'm just feeling so supported," she said.
"I've been brought into one of the rooms with the teaching staff and I feel so included.
"It's about the experiences that we've had and the learning and the values.
"It is a building and we will get another building... we will bring back that special place."
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Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
