Our History

Richmond Pre-school has been serving the community here in South Benfleet for over 50 years, providing childcare for children between 2 and 5 years of age. The Pre-school was started in 1965 by Joan Price in the old Catholic Church hall, now flats opposite Belgravia florists. Our next home became the old Richmond Hall situated where the toilets are now, in the Richmond car park, hence our name. Richmond Hall was rebuilt in 1987 and became our new home, where we stayed happily until September 1993 when we rented the demountable at the front of South Benfleet Primary School. No more getting equipment out and putting it away at the end of the session; relief to have sole use of the building and to be able to display children’s work on walls, happy days.

The building was growing old, built in the mid-60s, the annual safety check, in 2009, revealed extensive problems. Together with the school, we made a joint application for a capital build grant. After much form filling, we were successful, being granted £750k for the new building in July 2010.

The old building was demolished one Saturday morning and staff watched from the café opposite. It didn’t take long to fell. We moved into the school hall where we lived until the new building was opened by Eileen French, chair of governors of South Benfleet Primary School in January 2011. In 2015 we celebrated 50 years as a preschool.