It seems that at playgroup Amal El Ess is akin to those teachers who are remembered at school for their quiet kindness and dedication.

When she was first recommended to become the playgroup facilitator at Campbellfield Heights Primary School Community Hub, she brought her daughter along to the interview.

Mary Saad, the community hub leader, recalls how engaged she was with her daughter and knew she would be a good fit.

Within weeks, the playgroup attendees had quadrupled.

Amal said she has experienced the positive nature of playgroup, attending with each of her three children, beginning with her first 13 years ago. She now wants to create opportunities for others to get involved.

“In these two hours when the parents come and spend quality time with their kids at playgroup, it makes a big difference and builds a beautiful bond between parents and kids as well, so I love that interaction.”

Mum Kim is grateful for the playgroup, carving out time for both she and her child.

“Especially as a stay-at-home mum, you just sort of stay home, not interacting. This gets you interacting.”

Parents and carers have also found a sense of self here.

“It’s finding yourself again, said Kim, “you’re not just a mum, you’re a friend and family really, we help each other out whenever it’s needed. It’s a community here.”

Silvia Amici, who works at the local Hume City Council, has been thrilled to see the playgroup blossom, providing a space for families with young children that was not otherwise there.

“Having a playgroup, you are building that trust with the community, their confidence, you are able to talk with them and to connect them with the service providers and the services they might be in needing. That is a critical part.”

Nearby Broadmeadows has been instrumental in the community hubs movement. Campbellfield playgroup is building another home away from home for families to connect.

Mary talks about the importance of a third space for families in the area.

“I think it also helps families have a third space- aside from work and home and the shopping centre and groceries, places like that. This is a place where they can hang out with their kids outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. This is a time purely for that bond and that connection between mother and child, or father and child, or carer and child.”

In her role at the hub, Mary has worked hard to build a real centre point where families can link up with what is important to them. The families talk about things such as their child’s health and development, their wellbeing and current needs. Whether they require assistance with English, a speech therapist or healthcare, the hub is here to support families. Early childhood specialists come in for intervention work.  

As such, the playgroup acts as a key primary prevention measure in the community.

“We use the playgroup as an opportunity to bring in all the services that people would not otherwise access,” said Mary

It helps too that Amal speaks Arabic, as many of the families at playgroup do, too.

“To see me from their culture they feel happy to come and they feel safe I think- because I speak their language too they feel comfortable to come and express themselves and ask for help and be open, you know.”

“It actually opened up a lot about knowing the community- how to get help with services as well when I was a parent and not to be shy to ask if you need help and to socialise, meet friends from different cultures, get to know their cultures, their backgrounds, my kids socialise with other kids.”

Amal was nominated as a 2026 Playgroup Champion, with Mary feeling compelled to write in having seen how the group has grown in vibrancy with Amal at the helm. It has been a success story, highlighting the importance of relationship building and the insight needed to bring people together.

“She has a way of making people feel comfortable, open up, ask questions in a safe space, and bring shy people out of their shell,” said Mary.

“She is so aware of everyone and their needs and knows how to bring energy and fun every week! She is reliable, thoughtful and always goes out of her way to make our days run just a little more smoothly.”

Together Mary and Amal have created a space that abounds with colour and creativity.

The playgroup room is decorated with soft cushions, a fairy net, a kids-sized shop, a reading corner and dress-ups. Playgroup photo memories are plastered on the wall and a comfy couch is ready for parents, especially thoughtful for those with babies and toddlers.

There is a free toy library operating to the right of the playgroup. Himanshu Sharma, the regional coordinator for Hume, was onsite for playgroup, encouraging families to make the most of their inhouse borrowing service. Thanks to the toy library, there is a rotation of new things for the kids to find.

This all contributes to a sense of fun and comfort.

“Amal really embodies the spirit of playgroup, of taking the time out to really connect and enjoy time with your kids,” said Anna Vost, the Qualitative and Inclusive Playgroups Project Officer at Hume City Council.

Anna brought her daughter along to playgroup on this occasion and experiences the session from her own parental perspective.

“Amal is strength-based, quietly noticing and commenting on the bonds between each child and their adult. She makes playgroup welcoming, inclusive and fun.”

“Coming to playgroup means that families make connections in their community that last beyond playgroup.”

As with the services that assist people, the playgroup itself is helping to build self-belief in those like Amal and to propel them on to create spaces where people can grow and thrive.

Amal also has a role at the Brotherhood of St Lawrence, where she assists with the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) program, making kits for families to support them in their role as their child’s first educator- and play companion. 

The playgroup has further given Amal a role in which she visibly sees and feels the positive outcomes.

“I am a person who likes to give back to the community a lot so it does open up for me- to perhaps be working elsewhere as a teacher aid because I feel like that is something I like and could help and I like seeing kids learning and growing as well.”

Families continue to return in large numbers and the care for each other is returned.

One day, Amal was busily absorbed in a task, when a little girl at playgroup came along and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was a display of trust and care.

“I was so surprised to see that and that made me feel very, very proud and that made me feel that the kids are here and that they know that they are safe and they know that they can approach me and they feel happy to be around me so it made my day that day actually, I was so happy.”

This happiness is shared on playgroup days and then passed on.

"It brings me so much joy to reflect on how far our playgroup has come,” said Amal.

“What started as a small group has grown into such a beautiful, supportive community.

“The connection that has been built between the families and myself is truly amazing- we really have become like a little family.”

“Seeing the children thriving, growing in confidence, and developing socially and emotionally is what makes me so proud. It's an absolute privilege to be part of their journey."

Be Part of the Campbellfield Playgroup Community
Connect Here:
mary.saad@education.vic.gov.au or 
Phone 03 9359 5502

Article by Sinead Halliday
Photography by Mylie Nauendorf