A love and passion for her job will see Lucy Willitts's after-school care service mark its 25th year in business next week.

Ms Willitts set up L'Ecole on her own in September 1984 and has since then seen thousands of pupils go through its doors.

She plans to retire soon, but hopes her staff will continue the good work she started all those years ago.

Having worked in the HR department at the Bank of Bermuda HSBC for 24 years, she had a number of mothers come to ask her for part-time employment so they could look after their children, but because the bank did not encourage part-time work at the time many quit their jobs in order to allow them to pick their youngsters up after class.

Ms Willitts, who was single mother with two children herself and could identify with these women's frustrations, approached her training officer and passed the idea of forming an after school care service in Bermuda by him and he told her to go for it, even helping her to come up with the name and what services it should offer.

"He gave me the name L'Ecole and that is where it started from," she said.

"Initially it was very difficult to persuade parents because this was something new to Bermuda at the time.

"But I literally went to every parent's home and sat down with them and told them what I was doing and what I was about."

But it wasn't all plain sailing and Ms Willitts had to make a lot of personal sacrifices along the way, including selling her private car and starting off with an LP plate minivan before getting help from Premier at the time, Sir John Swan, to be granted the C601 vehicle she needed to run her business from the Transport Control Department.

L'Ecole was originally established in Admiralty House Park, where it has been ever since, despite two moves within the park itself, the last of which saw it take over the Pembroke Community Centre.

"We have provided the community with this service for 25 years, so it is a big milestone," said Ms Willitts.

"I love children and I have always had compassion for children and I realise myself what parents go through, having myself seen at the time how difficult it was to find people you trust to pick up your children after school, and today it is more serious than ever with children going home latchkey."

During her time running the service, Ms Willitts has gone full circle, looking after two generations of families, with parents who attended the facility in their youth several years ago now sending their own children there.

Ms Willitts, who said the most satisfying part of the job is past and present pupils greeting her in the street, took on another staff member and has seen her team grow based on demand, with one employee to every 15 children and 50 children potentially signed up for September.

One thing that hasn't changed much however, has been the fee she charges, which has risen by only $20 from $30 to $50 during the past quarter of a century — particularly helpful and appreciated during these tough economic times.

"I have always kept the price down in order to accommodate parents," she said. "It has been difficult, but we have tried to keep it at a minimum."

But despite doing everything she can to alleviate the financial pressures on parents, Ms Willitts has seen a number of expatriate workers who had children enrolled at the centre leave the Island after being made redundant and has ended up taking in several children from dysfunctional families struggling to make ends meet.

"Children today are different from 25 years ago — there is a lot more family pressure, they are more boisterous, they are very much into visual games and they don't want to listen, so it is a tough job to look after them," she said.

"Our main concern is homework — we try and get the parents to encourage the children to do their homework, with a homework tutor, light refreshments and supervised free play."

The service is open to public and private school students all year round, apart from public holidays, including Cup Match, and runs programmes at Christmas, Easter and summer, with the after-school care between 3 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. in term time and the all-day programme from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. outside of term.

For now Ms Willitts, who is know as 'Auntie Willitts' to her pupils, is just looking forward to her retirement and seeing the the business flourishing under new management.

"The kids are like family to me — but I think the fact that I have been able to serve the community successfully and help families for 25 years proves that you have to stick with it through thick and thin, especially if you believe in what you are doing," she said.