Jill Hughes - Founder
Jill Hughes moved to Wirksworth in 1961. She remembered the quarries working, dust everywhere, and a group of young families who had arrived without relatives nearby.
"So we started Playgroup," she said. It began two mornings a week in the Memorial Hall, with painting, puzzles, books and singing time. Quite soon there were 20 children.
The community later raised money to buy the Playgroup building at the top of Cemetery Lane, along with funds for a boiler and smaller toilets. Jumble sales, cake stalls and concerts helped make it happen.
Elizabeth Bunting - Past Playgroup Supervisor
Elizabeth trained as a Nursery Nurse and worked as a nanny and at Wirksworth Maternity Home before joining Playgroup. After Anne Radford retired, Elizabeth became Supervisor, with Tanya as her Assistant.
She worked at Playgroup for 37 years. Sessions included music, marching around the room with instruments, baking, water play and practical care. She remembered the first Ofsted inspection as frightening, and the growing paperwork that followed.
Through all the changes, Elizabeth said she felt she had done her job well if the children left with a smile on their face.
Dianne Briggs - "The Playgroup Lady"
Dianne Briggs came to Wirksworth in 1966. A neighbour asked whether her little girl would like to go to playgroup, and because two parent helpers were always needed, Dianne went along.
She ended up working there for nearly 30 years. She booked children in, collected money, supported fundraising and became known as "the playgroup lady".
Every carnival time, Mrs Briggs ran a tombola stall from Saturday to Monday next to the Playgroup well dressing.
Parent helpers, committee members and staff
One memory from the leaflet describes starting as a parent helper, receiving 50p off a session for staying on the parent rota, then joining the committee and helping with fundraising.
By 2000, more qualifications and paperwork were becoming part of pre-school life, but the atmosphere was still remembered as close, supportive and brilliant.
Today it can be harder to find committee members and event helpers, but the same community spirit remains central to Playgroup's future.
