Playgroup NSW Inc.
We were saddened to hear in early December |  |
on Friday 7 December. Her death shocked the small community of Dapto where she lived
and many of our playgroup families, staff and board were deeply affected by her passing
at the age of only 29.
Playgroup NSW has been supporting the members and their families by providing counselling, catering and anything
else required to get them through this difficult time, and will be working with the zone and the Dapto Little Monsters
Playgroup to assist in raising funds for her young family. Any donations will be gratefully received and passed
on via Playgroup NSW.
Donations may be made to the Anne Theobald Fund online or by downloading Anne Theobald Donation Form and faxing/mailing the form to Playgroup NSW, or telephone Playgroup NSW on 1800 171 882 (free call).
Our board member, Kylie Emr, was a fellow Zone Committee member and good friend of Anne’s and we thank her
for the following piece. We are also grateful to Jodie Anastas for the heartfelt poem.
Anne personified all that is fabulous about the community spirit of playgrouping and we at Playgroup NSW feel privileged
to have known her and shared her joy and enthusiasm.
Deb Ryan, CEO, Playgroup NSW.
For Anne Theobald, our friend.
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When Anne was chosen as Playgroup NSW Volunteer of the Year for 2007, it came as no surprise
to those who knew her.
Anne’s friendly smile, enthusiasm and willingness to help were well known in her community. Anne has been involved
in many aspects of playgroup since 1999 in the Sutherland and Illawarra Zones. Anne’s playgroups have all benefited
from her knowledge of craft, children’s songs and storytelling.
Anne made everybody feel welcome at playgroup, whether they were long-term members or visiting to see if playgroup
was for them. Anne always showed the best of playgroup to people. She showed the fun, the friendships and the
experiences for children that may not be accessible to them elsewhere. If you were to walk into a playgroup session,
Anne would be in the middle of it, either playing with children or helping out one of the parents.
Children loved Anne because she was able to leave the adult world behind and play. She thought nothing of getting up
in front of a crowd and dancing at a Fun Day concert or of sitting down with a group of children and telling them a story
with all the different character voices. She was interested in what children were making and the games they were playing.
Anne was passionate about children and did everything that she could to make sure that the children she came into
contact with were happy. And, of course, her own three children were the sunshine of her life.
Jeremy, Travis and Rhianna were the reason Anne originally joined playgroup in 1999 and, with Rhianna to start
school in 2008,the eight years Anne had spent as a playgroup mum were coming to a close.
Luckily for the adults at playgroup, Anne was more than willing to share her knowledge and experiences. She was approachable
and listened to people. If Anne wasn’t sure about something, she wasn’t fazed. She either hunted out the answer or gave things
a go and kept trying until she figured it out. If there was a job to be done, Anne’s hand went up to volunteer. Nothing was too
much trouble for her where children were involved.
In the playgroup and in the wider community, Anne supported parents and carers in many ways, which made their job easier
and more enjoyable. Anne made many friends through playgroup and helped others form friendships that they otherwise
may not have formed.
Anne believed that playgroup was an important support for families. She volunteered on the Zone Committee and organised
Fun Days, social nights, zone meetings with interesting speakers and networking opportunities for zone members. She
promoted playgroup in the community and invited people to come along and check out what playgroup was all about. People
always left these events with new ideas and a dose of Anne’s infectious enthusiasm.
Playgroup was only one part of Anne’s life. She was active in many ways in her community. If Anne saw something
that needed fixing, she worked out how to do it. If something could be made better, Anne tried to improve it.
Anne gave her time willingly, shared her experiences readily and encouraged others to do the same.
She was a great friend to more people than she realised.
When Anne heard she was nominated for Volunteer of the Year, she couldn’t understand why. The truly amazing thing
about Anne is that she did all these things without realising just what an enormous contribution she made.
She will be greatly missed.
Kylie Emr.
