FAMILIES have praised the “amazing” dedication of a Neilston woman who has spent more than three decades running a club for young girls.
Linda Muir has announced that her Tweenies group, which catered for those aged four to seven, will no longer continue.
The hour-long sessions took place every Thursday night during term-time and had a lengthy waiting list.
Kids were able to enjoy creative activities and games organised by 48-year-old Linda, ably assisted by a number of helpers over the years, including her mum Helen.
Linda told the Barrhead News: “The girls were with you for three years. It’s a long time and you got to be part of their lives and see how they progressed and what they went on to do.
“It’s been a privilege because not many people get to do something like that.”
During the pandemic, Linda kept things going by doing some online activities.
However, the group has not met in person since pre-Covid times and she thought long and hard before making the difficult decision to pull down the curtain.
“Going back, I would feel as if I’m starting from scratch,” she added. “It’s a tough one because I don’t know whether I’m doing the right thing or not.”
It’s the end of an era which began when Linda, who was once a Tweenie herself, was asked to come along and help a friend take it over from the previous organisers.
Several years later, a “life-changing” career twist prompted her to continue running the club.
“My background was I worked in a nursery,” she explained. “One Thursday night, I fell off ladders and my career changed, so Tweenies was like keeping my hand in at what I trained to do.
“For a good 18 years, it was my wee place to go and meant I was still in childcare, so it has been a wee rescue for me too.”
Linda, who works full-time at a college, would use her lunch breaks to organise fun activities for the group, such as arts and crafts, storybook nights and baking tasks.
She also hosted many Tweenie parties, as well as special visits from Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.
Over the years, many organisations also benefited from fundraising through the club.
Linda added: “I can’t thank the parents, the Tweenies and the helpers enough. It’s been a fab thirty-plus years.”
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