Is this fair to us volunteers?

[purpleheart12]

Hi,
A lady has set up a much needed parent and toddler/baby group. There are lots of different types of toys/activities the lady offers nice snacks (homemade cakes/sausage rolls) drinks, healthy snacks for children. We have visits from local businesses (photographer's/baby print makers) as well as health visitors/dentists etc there is no set structure but different areas for messy play/imaginative play, reading, there is a music corner and music playing in the background and a dedicated baby corner. She has nobody to help her but has asked me if I would run a storytime/singing session at the end while she washes up etc. Now I'm very happy to volunteer to do this but I know that she does pay herself a small amount every month from running the group. Of course I don't mind this and am happy to give up my time to help but as the group does get grants shouldn't she be reinvesting all the money made back into the group? She's a lovely lady but I'm not sure if there are rules for receiving grants?

I'm really surprised she had to ask for people to volunteer. We all pitched in when mine were at the baby/toddler group age.

Nah, you’re backtracking now. Your first post and the title completely contradict your second post.
You don’t think she should get a little bit of money to reimburse the time and effort she puts into a club you are getting benefit from. And you want to get paid for doing 15 minutes whilst she clears up.

Cheeky fucker

She really ought to drop it and let the other members of the committee do the work for nothing. Fgs why shouldn't she be paid for some of her time? I am sure she will not be raking it in.

If you need clarity then ask for the grant details and accounts?

A bit of goodwill and community keeps quality groups going. Or they collapse, simple as that.
She is hardly going to buy a Mercedes with the proceeds, and most of the money will be going into the group. Numbers will be limited, there will be weeks where kids cant attend for sickness etc. The group still has to operate.
Some of the jobs she organises are premises hire, key holding, risk assessments, health and safety paperwork, organising of refreshments, buying products, DBS check, organising attendees, managing the funds, the grant, auditing etc. Please do not begrudge her a few quid for this to keep it safe and fun. Its for all your benefit. If anything you should all be rolling up your sleeves before she gets resentful.

@RunningFromInsanity

Nah, you’re backtracking now. Your first post and the title completely contradict your second post. You don’t think she should get a little bit of money to reimburse the time and effort she puts into a club you are getting benefit from. And you want to get paid for doing 15 minutes whilst she clears up.

Cheeky fucker

This.

You were asking about whether she does/ you should get paid and now it's someone else had a question..
I think anyone bringing up whether she should or should not get paid for running a group, which you have acknowledged as much needed, needs to get a grip. Quite happy to access the group, use the resources and take advantage but thinks nobody else should get anything in return... that's pretty shitty IMO and it's attitudes like these that make people stop running groups and organising events. People start to show their true colours, and often greed, as soon as money is a factor

@purpleheart12

Sorry I'm not sure I was clear. There is a committee of sorts herself, myself and another lady who helps. She does pay herself I think a small amount and it was brought up at our meeting as another mum said to her that apparently she shouldn't be paying herself anything if she gets funding that we should all be volunteer's blah blah. I wasn't attacking her at all she's a god send but she's worried she's doing something wrong and I just wanted clarity so I could go back to her and reassure her! Sorry for the confusion!

Confusion?

Utter backtracking bullshit more like 🙄

@Moneyhunter

Is it yourself who’s set up this group?

Advanced search

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/a4478526-Advice-on-starting-a-local-parent-and-toddler-group?msgid=115008228#115008228

“I’ve literally no idea where to start”

You’d think you’d ask the woman who has very successfully done this that you see every week 🤣🤣🤣

Yep little tip. If you are planning to start a group not being so underhand and tactical might be a good start as you previous thread contradicts.
You will be dealing with big personalities, boundaries and red tape. You need to be trusted and have full support.

Sounds like the other lady is mixing up voluntary and volunteer.

Being a voluntary group, run by the community as a apposed to a statutory group, run by the council or other government agency is a key criteria of many grant schemes. Some beneficiary groups have paid staff members, some don't. Grant are almost always for specific things. Some specifically exclude funding staff wages, but normally that's fine eg you apply for a grant for arts, crafts, toys, etc and pay the wages through money received from parents. Others would be happy to pay her wages. Applying for grants isn't simple and will be yet another thing she's spent a lot of time on.

Haha. So the OP wants to pay herself to do this and is trying to work out if she can do it without getting caught, but didn't even have the nous to namechange? Good luck with that.

OP you absolute tool

I used to be the chair of a parent and baby group. It was a thankless task, I can tell you. We had one person who was qualified, and we paid her out of funds to do the setting up and putting away each session, to do compliance and any structured activities. We then had a volunteer rota to do teas, collect money at the door, fundraising, raffles etc. Trying to get people to volunteer was never easy.

You say yourself this is a much-needed facility and this person has gone above and beyond to start it up and run it, for the benefit of the community. The very least you can do is appreciate her efforts, and lend a hand when asked.

@Cocomarine

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/a4478526-Advice-on-starting-a-local-parent-and-toddler-group?msgid=115008228#115008228

“I’ve literally no idea where to start”

You’d think you’d ask the woman who has very successfully done this that you see every week 🤣🤣🤣

CRINGE

Is the only income for the group come from the grants, or do people pay a small sum on the door to attend?

If it is a charity run wholly on grant income, then the best bet would be to check the Charities Commission website, and also the group's Constitution (I assume there is one). The small print related to the grant should specify what the funding can and cannot be used for.

Who is the treasurer? They should be responsible for checking this type of thing out, it should be part of their role.

I run a baby and toddler group in my village. I love doing it BUT it is a little thankless and without another lovely lady who helps me it would be unmanageable to do myself. Neither of us make anything out of it and we have had a community grant in the past, it wasn’t official enough to have t&cs etc but I think in the spirit of the grant we would be expected to use it all for the group and not for any individual running the group.

Don't volunteer if you object to not bring paid.

Is it out of pocket expenses?

If you are committee run then there should be clarity on how money is spent and who is paid. But committes are properly set up and have roles and responsibilities. Its not just a group of people who help (although they might also be).

Where does the funding come from? If she is buying messy play resources and providing snack then she should be reimbursed for all of that at the very least. Whether or not she takes a wage is either up to the 'committee' if that is how the group is run...or her...if it's her group.

If you are going to try to make money than that is a business and needs to be done online with those rules. If it is a charity then no, you can’t profit from it.

It sounds excellent.
I’d be surprised if she’s even covering her costs.
Don’t understand why it’s even occurred to you, tbh.

Stop going to the group if you don't think it's worth it!!

Jesus you sound entitled

Where do you think the ingredients come from for these healthy snacks and cakes and sausage rolls? The art supplies? The books? Not to mention all her time spent. Does she have to rent a space?

Your whole idea sounds fanciful, setting up a group with all those things and making even a small amount of profit. These things are usually volunteer run and less ambitious for a reason.