2023 to 2024 Management Committee
Laurence Koster: Chair
Charlie Peck and Zoe Bradford: Secretary
Paul Zuppinger: Treasurer
Committee members:
Kelly Starr
Laura Papanikolaou
Pippins Preschool is a registered charity and is currently structured as an unincorporated association. The preschool employs a preschool manager and deputy manager, preschool administrator and highly qualified staff for the day to day running of the setting and provision of childcare. Pippins is overseen and managed by the Management Committee who are the trustees for the charity.
The Management Committee is a voluntary elected group of parents and carers. The Management Committee is elected, with roles appointed, at the Annual General Meeting – usually held at the beginning of October – but we can also co-opt committee members throughout the year. Do get in touch if you’d like to know more! Without a Management Committee the preschool cannot exist.
When your child joins Pippins you automatically become a Family Member of the charity. There is no membership fee; it just means you are able to have a say in any decision making at the AGM or other General Meetings. As a Family Member, you can also put yourself forward for election onto the Management Committee.
The Management Committee needs a minimum of 5 members; 60% of the committee must be Family Members. This ensures that all decision making represents the views of the Members (our current families), and that the best interests of the children and the preschool are always at the heart of the charity. Becoming part of the Management Committee is a fantastic way to engage with your child’s education and help shape the preschool. It is also a great opportunity to harness your talents and experiences for the benefit of the preschool, along with gaining a variety of new skills for your own CV.
Please get in touch to find out more information about becoming a Committee member or come along to our next AGM. You do not need to have any prior experience on a committee to join the Management Committee!
The Management Committee meets about six times a year at committee meetings, where it discusses and handles business such as: finance, staffing, fundraising, communications with Icknield School (our landlord), training, future plans and visions, as well as hearing reports from the preschool manager on other areas such as safeguarding and the EYFS. As noted above, the Management Committee is elected each year at the AGM, though committee members may stand for re-election for up to 10 years.
Once the Committee has been formed, the Committee Members vote for who they wish to have as the officers (Chair/s, Treasurer and Secretary). Again, a Committee Member may stand for re-election for one of the officer positions. For the preschool to function, the Charity Commission requires the following officer roles to be filled, the descriptions of these roles is based on guidance from the Early Years Alliance.
To act as a representative for the trustees, facilitate meetings of the charity and line-manage the preschool manager. The chair is often privy to further information about staffing or any issue affecting the day-to-day running of the preschool. It is recommended that the chair/s hold regular meetings with the preschool manager to keep up to date with ongoing matters.
To oversee the finances of the charity and ensure they are effectively managed. The treasurer will liaise with the preschool manager and our accountant and report back to the committee.
To manage the correspondence and organise meetings of the charity. The secretary will take and produce the minutes at meetings, along with liaising with the preschool manager and chair/s for meeting agendas.
Along with the 3 officer positions, the preschool needs to have at least 2 other members of the Management Committee. Do get in touch at any point if you would like further information about becoming a committee member.
‘I have been a member of the Pippins Preschool Committee for four years now, and during that time both of my children have benefited from the amazing care and education the Pippins team provide. Being on the committee has meant that I’ve had a say in how the preschool has developed during that time and how it continues to challenge itself and ensure it is doing the best job possible for the children and parents it supports, and for the fantastic staff team. It’s also been a great opportunity to meet other parents with children at Pippins and work together on everything from fundraising for Pippins to working with the Icknield Primary School next door.
‘Just to reassure anyone considering joining the committee – and I would definitely recommend doing so – it’s not a huge demand on your time and every minute you can contribute makes a huge difference. We meet once per half-term and there’s usually biscuits! I’ve been involved as a committee member and more recently as the Treasurer, but there are also opportunities to take on more responsibility (as the Chairperson or Co-Chairperson), or less if you just want to be involved in the fundraising, for example. Again – I can’t recommend joining the committee enough and encourage anyone interested to come to the Annual General Meeting to find out more.’ –Peter Enright
