Community has preschool covered

Mick Mackney (front centre) and some of the tradies who helped replace the roof receive a thank you card from Lismore Preschool students, director Alex Hughes (left) and committee treasurer Deanne Coombes.

When local tradesman Mick Mackney discovered that Lismore Preschool was unsuccessful in an insurance claim for a new roof, the father of four could hardly believe his ears.

Despite extensive hail damage from the 2007 hailstorm the preschool was knocked back by the insurance company and the NSW Ombudsman, even though a local plumber, builder and carpenter all supplied supporting letters that indeed a new roof was needed.

“We thought it was pretty unbelievable that we got rejected – there was clearly hail damage,” Lismore Preschool director Alex Hughes said. “Lismore Preschool is 53 years old, it’s Lismore’s first preschool, and we think it’s still the original roof, but it had been fine until the hailstorm. Since the hailstorm we have had ongoing roof problems and leaking.”

Mick, who was the maintenance man at Lismore Preschool at the time, decided he wasn’t going to let the issue lie and began calling tradespeople around Lismore asking if they could help by donating materials and labour.

“I simply disagreed with the insurance finding so I made a heap of phone calls,” Mick said. “Some of the guys were complete strangers to the preschool but I didn’t get one no from anyone. It was unreal.”

Lismore Preschool threw Mick and his team of tradies a special BBQ last week to say thank you for the new roof, and fittingly, the presentation took place as rained poured down. For the first time in a long time, no-one got dripped on!

“There are not many people who would do this sort of thing – see an injustice in the world and do something about it,” Ms Hughes said. “There was no financial benefit for Mick, he just wanted to do something for the community.

“A new roof would have cost the preschool about $35,000 and that would have taken a lot of time and a lot of fundraising for us to achieve. We want to say a big thank you to Mick and the all the businesses who supported us.”

In a piece of good timing, Lismore Preschool also recently got a grant of $30,000 from the NSW Government’s Climate Change Fund, which has allowed the preschool to install insulation with the new roof and get new water tanks, energy saving lights, and a new energy efficient washing machine.