Guest Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone could help me. I am the leader at our local village playgroup, it is committee run but at the moment it's a joke. We have 7 members on our committee but only 1 person out of them all actually do anything and she is getting fed up. Could anyone please give me a job description of a playgroup leader because our committee apart from 1 seem to think i should do everything including arranging fundraising events, i'm getting sick of it now and am starting to decide whether i want to go back in September. We have our last committee meeting before the holidays next week and would like to tell them all to get lost but i enjoy my job and would hate to see playgroup close. I along with 2 members of staff are even thinking of setting up ourselves but wouldn't know where to start. Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 will attach an old one from the setting I used to help run with a committee.. it is pre-eyfs but it may help a bit. I would suggest going to the PSLA web site and looking for managing a constituted setting.. which tells committees of what they are supposed to be doing, it may cost a little to buy but the committee should pay for it. Our committee had it and began to realise that they should be doing more.. we refused to do all fund-raising events, we did join in on the day but not organise them, unfortunately some committee members are just not aware of the enormity of the job they are taking on.. perhaps one of the committee members on her have other publications and suggestions to help from a different view. there are some good ones around. Inge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 well would help if I attached it I suppose.. oops.. Inge JOB_DESCRIPTION.doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thanks very much, the job description is a great help. If i am to carry on in September then i am going to have to stand up to the committee more than i do now, they are going to have to start pulling their weight. Tomorrow night they have organised a pamper night as a fundraiser, last week i had to make some posters/ flyers to advertise it as no one else thought to do it, i have had to sort out raffle prizes and get the food and drink. I've just had texts from nearly all members to say they won't be able to get in in time to help set up. I shouldn't have to do this but have done because i don't want it to be a flop and it's me and the staff who the parents associate with playgroup, not the committee. Does any one fill out time sheets for all the work they do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fimbo Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 you are definatly doing much more than you should be, when they have meetings to organise the fundraising do you attend? i think that you should go and delegate the tasks out (although the chair should be doing that really) with 7 committee members there should be more than enough of them to organise fundraising between them have you spoken to the commitee about your concerns ? you could say that as from Sept you are taking a step back from the fundraising to concentrate on playgroup, then do no more -and they will have to do it themselves -any comments from the parents could then be directed back to the commitee. is there a list of commitee members on the noticeboard -do the parents know who the commitee are and what they (should) do good luck with your commitee meeting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi ROLYMO and a very warm welcome to the forum! hi Clare - some great advice already - will your committee be 'changing' in September - if so - what a great opportunity to get some 'ground rules' established! Good luck with it all Sunnyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thanks very much, the job description is a great help. If i am to carry on in September then i am going to have to stand up to the committee more than i do now, they are going to have to start pulling their weight. Tomorrow night they have organised a pamper night as a fundraiser, last week i had to make some posters/ flyers to advertise it as no one else thought to do it, i have had to sort out raffle prizes and get the food and drink. I've just had texts from nearly all members to say they won't be able to get in in time to help set up. I shouldn't have to do this but have done because i don't want it to be a flop and it's me and the staff who the parents associate with playgroup, not the committee.Does any one fill out time sheets for all the work they do? we used to fill out time sheets and give it to the treasurer every month or book keeper ,l we were paid for set hours each week, plus 1 hour admin per staff member for learning journeys etc. and any over and above we were paid if they could afford it... it was not always possible but it did mean they knew the amount of work we were doing over and above paid hours , which I felt important. because of the extra unpaid hours they adopted a bonus scheme where we were paid an extra bit each year in August if they could afford to, in this way it showed they appreciated the work we did and we where happy as we knew if they could we would be paid for it ... if not we understood. This was set up ages ago and new committees have all had to abide by it as it was written into our contacts at the time.. Fundraising, we as staff did one event a year, all by us, ( a sponsored find which was easy!) and refused to do any others other than attend... sounds odd writing it like that but otherwise like you we ended up doing all, and committee would expect us to do teas etc, it took us to say no, you do it or there will be none once for them to get the gist... I do know how you feel but once this has been done think perhaps you need to voice concerns and try to sort it out ... good luck Inge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thanks for all your advice Like i mentioned before the committee don't do anything, we have 3 staff members including me plus one very good committee member who we are hoping to join us as staff who have to do the weekly washing, shopping, cleaning etc Our chair is resigning next week, treasurer is fiddling the books and is due her 4th baby next week, secretary is also due a baby on 4th August and is very good at saying she's going to do something but doesn't, she then complains that what we've done is rubbish, but if she doesn't do it then it's down to us. Another member is on holiday half of the year and is the secs mum, another has just had a baby, and the last i haven't got a clue why she's on apart from to cause trouble with her ex in laws whose children attend playgroup. We also don't get very much support from our parents so by the end of each week the staff are tearing our hair out. We had our AGM in May so we are stuck with this committee til next year, I've taken action plans and yearly business plans to committee meetings but these just get ignored, the meetings always end up with members arguing, if it wasn't for the children i'd be handing my notice in next week, i'm so fed up. Sorry for moaning Clare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fimbo Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 gosh -it does sound a bit of a nightmare ! how crucial is the fundraising ? would it matter if there was none done for a few months ? do you fundraise for specific things -trips ,equipment etc ? are you a member of a playgroup / pre school alliance - as i think you need some outside help and advice -esp as it sounds as if most your commitee are soon to be off having babies. when you say your treasurer is fiddling the books- do you mean what i think you mean ? as this is a really serious matter and def needs to be dealt with before she leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi Clareec, We could be at the same playgroup! Your experiences are exactly the same as ours - some committee members are fab and those are the ones who usually end up training and having a job (me included!) Since I became staff 4 years ago, I still always go to committee meetings, but I'm the only staff member who does and i do try to remember how I used to feel when the staff didn't support fundraising. That said these days I think fundraising is virtually the only role the committee has as most parents will not even think about going on the Committee so if the staff didn't do the work we wouldn't be able to open! My sympathies to you 1 more week to go!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Fundraising is a must we hardly have anything in the bank according to our treasurer, we have to fundraise to pay wages i'm told. Our PSLA development worker is brilliant she comes out to see us monthly and rings me weekly, she's got a financial advisor involved but the treasurer hasn't done anything that he's said to. Everyone talks about each other behind backs and when someone says that someone needs voting off then its the same answer each time, no one wants to join so who will take their place. I really wish i could tell them all to get lost and set up on my own but it's not as easy as that. I started out on the committee a year last may, then the previous supervisor resigned and asked if i wanted a job as i have a NNEB diploma, i took over whilst another supervisor was on sick, then she resigned because of the committee so that meant we had to deregister from ofsted because we didn't have enough staff. This is why we have to fundraise in order to stay open as we can't apply for any grants now. Yes i do mean she is fiddling the books, she doesn't bank the money and last week spent over 1 hundred and fifty pounds on rubbish to sell on our stall at our local school summer fair, in which we didn't cover our costs. She then uses her receipts to knock off her sons playgroup fees which i've told her she can't do. This is what annoys me as i don't think it's my job to sort all this out. Sorry for moaning again, i'm just at my wits end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 sorry, put me right if I have read this wrong you are not registered with Ofsted? I have to assume that if this is so you don't have any children for more than 2 hours at a time- all providers who have children for more than 2 hours have to be registered. Your PlA advisor sounds like your best help at the moment... it is hard when committees dont do the things they should which is why at one point I took over the admin and books , they did pay me for it, and it really helped. don't really think I can offer much more advice but we will always listen if it helps... Inge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thanks Inge We only have the children for 1 hour 55 minutes, 9.05-11am we do stay open until 11.30 but the parents have to be back for 11 and stay with them. This half hour is an opportunity to watch their children play, talk with the child's keyperson or chat with other parents/carers, we have actually increased our numbers since deregistering and when we had our emergency meeting to discuss our options most parents wanted to know what ofsted was. Clare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anju Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 blimey what a mess!! sorry I can't be of any help but maybe you should look into setting up on your own (or a group of staff) - I am looking into this at the moment and I think it will be worth the work. I can't see your situation getting any better if you stay committee run - would the committee if it came to it agree to dissolve so you could set up on your own? is there much equipment you would have to buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 makes a bit more sense to me now... but still cannot really add much more advice other than PLA... we could not have operated without the funding, parents all needed the free places.. but it was area of deprivation and we offered a lot of other support as well. good luck. let us know how you are doing... Inge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.