Mudgee Preschool makes lemonade from lemons with unique 2020 fundraiser

The presence of COVID-19 in the community for 2020 has made it difficult for many early childhood education and care (ECEC) to carry out their usual fundraising activities. 

For one provider, Mudgee Community Preschool, they are taking the opportunity to “turn lemons into lemonade” by using a collection of favorite recipes, activities, jokes and drawings from students and staff of the Preschool to also record the voices of children sharing their thoughts on how they made it through the unprecedented events of the year. 

Pulled together by the 2020 Mudgee Community Preschool Social Club, a group of parent volunteers who work to raise funds, foster family involvement and develop a sense of community, the book contains over 70 recipes submitted by the children along with their photos and drawings, as well as over 30 fun activity ideas.

The way in which the community has pulled together to work on the book, Mudgee Preschool director, Rosie Gibbs said, is a tribute to the attitude of focussing on what you can do, not what you can’t do anymore as a result of the presence of the pandemic in the community. 

“Of course this year we’ve missed out on a lot of those opportunities, we haven’t been able to have Open Day or groups of families coming in for our annual family dance at the end of the year,” Ms Gibbs told local publication The Mudgee Guardian . 

As a result, right from the beginning of the pandemic, a focus for the preschool was on getting in touch with families and asking them to send in ideas for what they enjoy cooking and playing during COVID as a way of remaining connected. 

“I think it’s a special book that’s come out of a unique time in our history,” Ms Gibbs said, “and it’s a great memory for the children of their time at Preschool. It’s got their drawings, their stories, and every class has contributed and every child is a part of it.”

Copies of the book, which costs $30, are available from the Preschool, or by emailing [email protected] 

To read the original coverage of this story, please see here.