Children say ‘Thank You’
In 2004 the staff at Tilehouse Street Pre-School had a dream – to have an outdoor play area and child-sized toilets. So the management committee, parents, the church and community came together to plan and raise funds for the project. There were many fundraising activities. Grants and donations were received from Tilehouse Street Baptist Church, Hitchin Youth Trust, NHDC, Round Table and Garfield Weston Foundation amongst others.
Architect Jeremy Williams Leroy produced the drawings, and Scott White & Hookins dealt with the engineering detail. Planning consent and listed building consent were applied for and involved changing some of the initial plans. When the project went out to tender quotes came in much higher than anticipated - so a re-think was needed. Fortunately, Schofield Lothian Ltd volunteered to project manage the job free of charge. This reduced our costs and meant we could divide the work into small packages and proceed in phases as funds became available.
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Work began in August 2007 with volunteers from GE Life removing a hedge, clearing weeds and levelling the ground. |
In September, Micropiling (Southern) Ltd put in the piles for the foundations. |
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DC Estates Ltd then completed the foundations, constructed the decking, railings and garden area. |
N & P Windows Ltd removed two windows and replaced them with doors to give direct access to the new play area. |
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The children returned after the Christmas holiday to find a whole new outdoor area to play and learn in - weather permitting!
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Tilehouse Street Pre-School celebrated its 40th anniversary on 26th April 2008 when the outdoor area was officially opened by Peter Lilley MP. |
Fundraising continued during 2008 for phase two. In the autumn we successfully applied for a grant from Sure Start Funding, giving us the help we needed to complete the project.
In January 2009 DC Estates Ltd returned with Alan P French Contractors Ltd to build the roof and toilet block. |
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The electrics were installed by Cousins Electrical Ltd and |
The dream is now a reality and the children want to say to everyone a huge
‘THANK YOU VERY MUCH’
