Volunteers
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A major contributor to the success of the Pre-school Learning Alliance is the army of volunteers that has passed through its doors.
Each and every one brings their own unique style, knowledge and culture to the Alliance. No matter how great or small the contribution, volunteering provides many rewards and benefits.
Volunteering for your pre-school’s parent-run committee offers an ideal opportunity for you to become more actively and practically involved in this aspect of your child’s life. It will also make a real difference to how your setting is managed.
You will personally benefit from this experience by meeting with other parents, updating existing skills and learning new ones as well as putting something positive back into your local community.
There are also long-term benefits should you choose to undertake further training or decide to return to full-time, paid work in the future.
We are fully committed to doing what we can to increase the participation of volunteers in preschool committees, and have a volunteer strategy that helps us to support all parents involved with running committees by sharing the latest best practice — particularly to support the recruitment, retention and training of committee members.
Volunteer Awards
Every year, over 40,000 Alliance volunteers give up valuable time and contribute talents, skills and knowledge to benefit families with very young children and the wider community.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance Volunteer Awards recognise the vital role played by volunteers in our work.
Volunteers support our work in many ways. Some volunteers may help on an occasional basis with fundraising activities or nursery outings while others maybecome a treasurer or secretary for their child’s local pre-school.
No matter how great or small the contribution, these Awards recognise the important involvement of volunteers in our work.
To find out more or to nominate someone for an award, please visit the awards page
Volunteer Policy
Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
Worcestershire sub-committee have won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service for their VIP Special Needs Scheme which is celebrating its 16th year this year.
Short-listed nominations were judged by The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award Committee which is chaired by the Permanent Under-secretary of State for the Home Office. The sub-committee will receive a certificate, a piece of crystal, use of a logo and four invitations to the Queen's Garden party. This award is one of 71 being made across the country.
Three of the parents, whose children are supported by the scheme made the nomination and each wrote a very moving account of what having a volunteer working with their child meant to them and the child.
The scheme supports children under five, who have a disability/illness, to attend a pre-school in the voluntary or private sector of their parents’ choice. The 1-1 support comes from the volunteers that are recruited and trained by the sub-committee. The ‘amazing’ volunteers support children like:
- Ben (not his real name) who was a very premature baby and now needs oxygen 24 hours a day. Supporting a very active child, within a pre-school setting, who is attached by a 4 foot length of tubing to an oxygen tank, is very, very strenuous. The VIP volunteer also has to be forever vigilant to spot the slightest change in the child’s condition incase the oxygen is not the required amount or the tube is blocked or the child has done too much. It becomes such a fine line as during most sessions there is a time when we need to judge whether or not to call for an ambulance.
- Claire (again not her real name) who intellectually is as bright as a button but has very little use of her legs her VIP volunteer ensures she is not knocked over, encourages her to carry out exercises set by the physiotherapist and to access all of the equipment and activities on offer.
At present there are over 100 children on the books (not all need a volunteer) and around 50 volunteers.
The VIP Special Needs Scheme also provides great support to the parents especially with coming to terms with their child’s disability, attending meetings with them and generally being a listening ear at their times of stress.
The scheme is currently funded by the Big Lottery and this year they have received half of the 25 percent they have to match fund from Worcestershire Early Years.