Albany Community Kindy putting out call for help in renovations to remove asbestos for insurance compliancy

A community kindergarten that has operated in Albany for almost 70 years has issued a public plea for help in implementing and funding renovations to ensure its heritage building remains compliant.

Albany Community Kindergarten was gifted its premises on Serpentine Road in the 1950s, with hundreds of children passing through its doors in the seven decades since.

The not-for-profit school is the only community kindy in WA that owns its own building, with the parents tasked to step up and help with its maintenance — a fact that ACK president Chantelle Jones said comes with a price, with the building’s high asbestos percentage pushing insurance premiums through the roof.

“Obviously, being such an old building, there is a fair bit of upkeep in maintenance to make sure it’s safe,” she said.

“Our insurance for the building is quite high because of the high percentage of asbestos that remains on the building, so we are looking at trying to reduce that percentage.

“The cost of asbestos removal, and the works involved for those removals, is a lot of money so we are hoping to get a bit of money behind us to do that.”

She said, though the much-loved building is completely safe, its 13 per cent asbestos percentage is higher than the 10 per cent compliance standard.

Several grant applications are in the works to fund other aspects of the renovation, including one to give the facade of the building a facelift, replace its ageing printer and purchase a smartboard, but not enough for the asbestos removal.

The ACK committee opened up a GoFundMe to help kick-start the staged upgrade, set to begin by removing asbestos from the eaves and foyer.

“There’s a whole list of things to do that haven’t been able to be achievable yet,” Ms Jones said.

“Overall, we would love to give the building a whole complete gut-out reno, but can only do so much with limited funds.”

Lead teacher Jodene Skeet said the fundraiser is the latest push for what is a ”massive collaboration” between the parents, school and community it serves.

“Being gifted a building is momentous and amazing, but the responsibility of the kindy — which is a charity — to upkeep it is quite a task,” she said.

“As new groups of parents come in, they jump on the committee to manage building and grounds and keep it maintained through fundraising efforts.

“It’s super rewarding as well and I think what you get out of the kindy compared to what you put in are so worth it, it’s a beautiful lively space.”

Ms Jones said the kindy is appreciative of any support to its upkeep, whether it be financial or in-kind, with the Albany Vikings Masters Sporting Club offering to donate their time to maintain the gardens and play equipment next year.

“It’s such a well-known kindy within Albany and within the community, and with so many families that have come through over the years, that it’s important that it keeps going for the future generations,” she said.

“The more money we are able to raise towards the building, it just helps the longevity of keeping us within that building, because I know it’s going to be a mammoth task otherwise to try and find an alternative solution.”