AIBU to stop volunteering after dance school refused to cover licence cost?

[BottlingBurpsForGrandma]

I'm really upset and cross with my DD's dance school. Every year, they do two shows - a Summer and a Winter. For the last 3 years I have volunteered as a chaperone at all of these shows. Typically, I look after a group of maybe 6 or 8 children including my own daughter, supporting them with costume changes, pastoral, nipping to the loo. As DD's grown older and needed less support, I've helped out with different age groups and acted as a 'floater' with the little ones. It is completely voluntary and many parents don't ever chaperone a show.

DD enjoys the shows and has worked hard to be in it, so she is taking part again at the weekend. My chaperone licence needed renewing, costing me just over £18. I applied to the dance school to reimburse me this cost - it is a specific Chaperone License and can only be used for this dance school - and they've said no. I feel so hurt and upset. I will be giving about 12 hours of my time to support the show weekend, on top of well over 100 hours over the last 3 years.

They will probably buy all the chaperones a keyring or mug to say thanks but are completely refusing to cover this cost incurred. I honestly want to phone in sick on the days now, but I do enjoy the time backstage with my daughter.

If they had to pay chaperones it would be upwards of £20 per hour and they'd need about 20 for the dance school of 300 girls.

On top of this there's no discount for the show fee, the DVD is £20+ (I can't watch the show from the audience as, ya know, backstage!) and there's rarely so much as a packet of biscuits provided. I need to let it go, but I feel really angry, unappreciated and hurt.

Should I raise it with the school, or just quietly stop volunteering?

I spent years doing similar roles for DD swim club. It never cost me a penny, but the whole club was volunteering from head coach down. Its outrageous, but obvious, why a private company won't pay for checks and licenses.

If they want you to chaperone they should pay. I used to do it for DD’s dance school. I recall it involved a dbs and interview with local authority. I can’t recall a charge but definitely wasn’t out of my pocket. You give up hours of your time and invariably end up bringing extra water, colouring books etc.

I'd drop out and tell them why. Let them scramble for cover last second.

It's probably a bit late for this year, but I would let them know immediately afterwards that you are phasing yourself out, giving the reasons you have already laid out so clearly in your post.
When I volunteered for a local music festival, DBS clearance was required, even though I had clearance already for my teaching job, but this was dealt with by the festival organisers in the first place, not even a question of my paying and claiming back. I was able to claim for petrol, parking at events where paying to park was the only option, and in the days when more was done on paper, postage and stationery.
Many volunteers waived this right to claim as a gesture of support to the festival, but we were not taken for granted,

How petty and short-sighted of them.

Plus dance schools you tend to pay a lot of fees to and they are run as a business, it's not like football or athletics which tend to be cheaper and rely a lot more on volunteers. They should absolutely be reimbursing your expenses and are taking the piss.

We cover the chaperone cost at our theatre club shows. £25 per child per show I think was the last charge. I think it's pretty poor of them not to cover it.

That means paying again, why should she.

All she needs to do is message and say I cannot help anymore as my licence as expired. That’s all.

Of course they should cover it, I guess fhey are not short of voluteers, the issue is what is more important to you, the cost and principle or being a volunteer, whichever you pick gives you the answer on whay to do.

Wasn't this supposed to be part of the whole "Big Society" idea of the 2010s ?

This really is Group dependent.

For many years, I see the finances of 18 different groups. Believe me "most" do not have funds sitting there doing nothing.
However, as I said, all groups I know (and Leaders I've trained) would have policies that will allow them to reimburse any Leader expenses. What you generally find is a lot of Leaders consider Scouting (and I'm sure it is the same in Guiding) to be their hobby, and choose not to claim.

Either way, a volunteer led club of any kind is a very, very different kettle of fish from a business. The dance school is a business, and these are necessary expenses they need to factor in to the costs of putting on a big show like this.

I would also wager that the parents pay a LOT more for their dcs' dance lessons, costumes, and other expenses across the year than they do for Scouts or Guide sessions.

I wonder if this is an IC dance school? We were at one for 11 years and they took the p*ss the whole time.

Wow. How short sighted of the dance school. Just take, take, take.

I wouldnt be chaperoning the show this weekend. They ran this risk, they have out themselves in this situation. They will have to solve the problem.

I think this is definitely a possible approach.

I was always a "helper" not a chaperone for this reason.

And it was always taken for granted we'd want to watch a show and we were reserved a seat (which we paid for).

The group I volunteered with was a charity and apparently behaved better than this profit making outfit!

There would be no fines, the show would simply not take place. When applying for child performing licences or Body of Persons Approval for a show, chaperones have to be named & the local authority checks on them.

If an inspection takes place and the correct number of properly licensed chaperones are not present the show is closed down. If the education welfare officer is feeling kind they might allow 24 hours to sort proper chaperones.

How do the other chaperones feel?

I might inclined to quietly organise a strike. I would be furious.

That is definately not right. guiding volunteers should never be out of pocket! Definately bring it up with your local commissioner.

She was the one, backed up by the county commissioner, who said (and I para phrase) 'Not a chance'.

The organisation I helped with had both chaperones and helpers. I'm sure they were compliant with the regs.

In OP's case, if they are using her to meet their legal requirements AND expecting her to pay her own expenses AND setting things up in such a way that she misses all the shows while paying the same as non chaperoning parents AND running this as a profit making business...that is exploitation.

My daughter’s dance school is the same. It is mostly the mums of the really keen kids that do it as they are off doing other performances through the year anyway. My daughter is not in that cohort but I gave in to the increasingly desperate pleas for more chaperones a few years ago and suck up the time and cost. My daughter is quite a nervous performer so likes having me backstage.

The school doesn’t reimburse the cost but we do get first dibs on show seats (there are always two performances so everyone can watch) and usually a small thank you gift.

I agree with others, I’d tell them that I won’t be volunteering in any capacity in future. Keep it simple. If they ask why say it no longer works for you. They’ve shot themselves in the foot, let them sort out the logistics,

I have done various volunteering roles and they have never expected the volunteers to pay for their own DBS checks.

If you're not happy to cover the cost, remove yourself and tell them why. They need to understand the impact of their decision.

Raise it with the school and LOUDLY stop volunteering, making sure everyone knows exactly why. You’ll have a fab time watching your daughter from the audience 😍