In the mid-1970s, a group of Mawnan mums asked their regional wellness site visitor about setting up a pre-school in the town as there was no arrangement for young children. What began as a young children' club became a playgroup after that a pre-school. It started in the Methodist church hall under the management of Pat Tremaine. Rosemary Curtis, one of the founding mums, recalls: "We wished someplace where mums could blend and where we can welcome youthful family members in the village. "We had some tables and chairs, as the school used the hall as a canteen, but there was little in the way of toys at first and nowhere much to store things." The pre-school continued to grow and eventually moved up to the MCA Hall at Carwinion Playing Fields, where it opened in November 1990. One of the first supervisors at the new venue was Mary Griffiths, while Rosemary Curtis started as a helper. "We didn't need much in the way of qualifications, then," said Mrs Curtis, who remembers numbers dipping alarmingly, before rising to the maximum of 20. "There weren't so many places to approach for funding in those days, so we were always busy fundraising - which is how the village first became involved," said Mrs Curtis. Current manager Liz Shaw started at the Newton Preschool about 16 years ago, when her son attended, and soon became chairman of the committee. She joined the staff and re-trained 15 years ago, before taking over as manager two years later. This year, the pre-school has moved into its own purpose-built premises at Carwinion Playing Fields, a result of the allocation of council grants along with years of support and donations. "We always dreamed of having somewhere of our own," said Mrs Curtis, who retired from the staff just two months ago at the age of 68.
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