110 | Catering for preschoolers in growing area This will be Canterbury Educare’s third preschool build, following the success of its purpose-built centre at Prestons and the original Papanui centre that launched the business in 2008. Canterbury Educare Group T T kelly Deeks COMMUNITY Canterbury Educare Group is expanding its footprint with a brand-new preschool in Christchurch’s growing Oakbridge subdivision on Accrington Drive, developed to meet the demand for early childhood education in one of the city’s newest residential zones. Company chairman and managing director Tissa Abeykoon says the new centre is the result of careful research and strategic planning, aligning with the group’s ongoing vision of establishing preschools in family-oriented subdivisions. “New subdivisions tend to attract younger families, and that’s where we want to be,” he says. “We’d been looking in the Marshland area for some time, and when we were approached by the Oakbridge subdivision’s marketing team, it all started to make sense.” Oakbridge sits to the north of Prestons Road, bordering the fast-growing suburbs of Marshland and Prestons. Tissa says his early research identified Oakbridge as a key site, especially with council planning documents indicating that between 2400 and 2800 new homes will be developed in the surrounding area over the coming years. “As a former researcher, I make sure to do my homework,” he says. “The data was clear. There was no existing preschool within the Oakbridge development, and strong growth was on the horizon.” This will be Canterbury Educare’s third preschool build, following the success of its purpose-built centre at Prestons and the original Papanui centre that launched the business in 2008. “Papanui Preschool was set up in a converted house, and Prestons Preschool was our first purpose-built centre,” Tissa says. “We’ve taken the lessons from those set-ups and put them into practice at Oakbridge.” The Oakbridge centre is currently under construction, with a targeted opening date later this year. The preschool is being built by Delta Construction and project-managed by Delta TSS Homes, in which Tissa is a part-owner. While experience has helped streamline the process, Tissa says the development has still faced challenges typical of building in today’s regulatory environment. “Council processes can be time-consuming and expensive, particularly around engineering and compliance,” he says. “We’ve had to engage fire engineers, sound engineers, soil engineers, traffic engineers, and resource consent specialists, all of which adds significantly to costs.” Despite these challenges, Tissa is optimistic. Canterbury Educare has a strong track record of building and operating centres that are not only full to capacity and boast zero staff turnover, but also offer high-quality, play-based education that parents love. “We create places where children love to come, and where parents feel confident their child is receiving the best start,” he says. “Our philosophy is simple. We provide warm and nurturing environments with learning that’s driven by curiosity, creativity, and a strong sense of belonging.” The new Oakbridge preschool will follow the same approach, offering a home-like, nature-inspired setting where children are encouraged to explore, play, and grow at their own pace. With a loyal team and strong community engagement, Tissa says the success of Canterbury Educare lies in its people-first mindset. “We treat our staff and our families with respect and care. “That’s what sets us apart.” PROUD TO SUPPORT CANTERBURY EDUCARE GROUP Talk to us today, the feature profile experts Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz PROFILE YOUR PROJECT...
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