KU Sutherland gives back to the community with 125 donations for 125 years

In honour of the 125 year celebrations for KU Children’s Services (KU) the children and families of KU Sutherland Preschool have conducted a donation drive, collecting 125 new and recycled nursery items for babies and children in need. 

Established in 1895, KU was the first provider of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia. 

KU Sutherland collected the donations to pass on to children and families in need through the Dandelion Support Network, a local not-for-profit organisation located in the Sydney suburb of Caringbah. 

The Dandelion Support Network provides essential items such as preloved cots, prams, car seats, clothing and linen to families who struggle to source these items themselves.

The donation drive was held over one week, KU Sutherland Director, Collette Heslehurst explained, with children and families bringing new and recycled nursery items including nappy bags, clothing, linen packs and toys.

“By the end of the week we were overwhelmed by the generosity and support from our families and we were pleased to have reached well above our goal of 125 donations,” she said.

The theme of KU’s 125 year celebration was ‘making a difference through 125 years of social impact and early education,’ with a number of KU services contributing to their local communities through acts of service and donations. 

“At KU Sutherland our program has always had a strong focus on community connections and sustainability. We are proud of our commitment to social impact and encourage children to learn about the world around them and the people they share it with through the context of community,” Ms Heslehurst said.

The children were invited to reflect on the experience of collecting the donations and their likely impact for the families who would receive them, and they discussed other ways the preschool could support the community in the future, local news source St George and Sutherland Shire Leader shared.

To access the original coverage of this story, please see here. For more information about KU Children’s Services, please see here.