Thursday 22nd August marked a truly special day in the life of our school and community as we celebrated the grand opening of Balnamill Little Learners! We were honored to have Vice Lord Lieutenant Mrs. Miranda Gordon with us to cut the ribbon and officially declare our pre-school open.
This journey would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of so many. We want to say thank you to:
- Social Worker Joanne McGill from Early Years for working tirelessly alongside us to secure our registration.
- Our incredible committee, volunteers, and pre-school staff who have poured their hearts into making today a reality.
- Mayor Ciarán McQuillan and Deputy Mayor Tanya Stirling of Causeway Coast and Glens for their support.
- Councillors, MLAs, and community leaders who have been on this journey with us from the very beginning.
- Tessa Court and Peter Burnside from the Department of Education's Early Learning and Childcare Strategy team for joining us today.
A special mention goes to Alistair Robinson, whose dedication and love for this school and community have been instrumental in bringing Balnamill Little Learners to life. The room that now hosts our little learners has been transformed under his care—no detail too small, no task too great. Today, we are proud to name this space "The Alistair Robinson Room" in honor of his tireless efforts and commitment.
As Alistair has shown us, it truly takes a village to raise a child. We are deeply grateful to each person who contributed to the dreaming, thinking, planning, and realisation of this pre-school.
Let us remember the importance of early years learning: "The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out." Investing in our children’s early education is an investment in their future and the future of our community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us today to celebrate this milestone.
