Sainsbury's Active Kids vouchers

[sheeplikessleep]

Hi, my CM has asked for Sainsbury's Active Kids vouchers and I assumed she would be using them to buy equipment for herself / her mindees. So, I asked friends and family and have quite a bundle of vouchers to give her. But I'm not sure if she's collecting for local school (with which I have no connections). Sounds awful, but I'd probably donate them to the school my DS is due to go to if this is the case.

I just wondered if any other CMs have heard of being eligible to benefit from this scheme?

Thanks

i am a childminder and have tried and tried to join the this scheme, but keep getting told that i can't register with them as i am not a scool!
I would be very interested to know if she has managed to register with them!

Very unfair i think as the tesco scheme welcomes childminders to join!

Might be worth you asking her what she intends to do with the voucher before you hand them over, if you would prefer to give them to a different school.

hi - i will ask her next week and will let you know - thanks for posting.

I am a CM and I have joined the scheme and collect and use the vouchers. No problem at all.

Hi I am a childminder and am registered to collect Active Kids vouchers. However, I did not find it easy and was told that as I had not registered in previous years that I could not do so this year. I stood my ground, especially when, at that time, it was advertised on the NCMA members' site, that we could do so. Eventually they did agree that I could join the scheme and I do collect vouchers from parents.

Can CMs do the Tesco ones as well?

Tesco didn't accept me, but I didn't follow it up.

thanks for posting.

tried last year and agin this year, but no luck.

Was told that CM's were taking vouchers away from schools

for those CMs who have not been accepted by Sainsburys try try try try and try again! at first (last year) they would not let me join until i said that I could provide them with proof that another childminder had joined!

Last year I got a smoothis maker, some small bats, a rolling pin, two hula hoops and a ball for the children and I am collecting again this year for ride on toys.

it is ridiculous that CMs cannot make use of this firstly because some of us clearly ARE able to take up this opportunity and also, because we are also legally obligated to provide a "curriculum" of sorts to our under 5's (curriculum of course used in the loosest sense here and probably not the correct spelling - one of those words I can never get right!)

have tried to register again today and still being told they can't register cm's as they can't check we register have asked for phone number for head office but been told I have to write and there is no email address or phone number. I think we should all take this further.

Like No4, I put my foot down and pushed, even after being told no several times. I told them I legally have to offer the EYFS to children in my care, exactly like nurseries, pre-schools ect. They weren't happy but tough!!

Another case of childminders not being equal to other forms of childcare.

Perhaps try writing to Gwyn Burr, Customer Director
[email protected] may work.

Switchboard is: 020 7695 6000 - ask to be put through to Gwyn. May not work but could be worth a try.

I've asked on Twitter... never know, someone may know her direct line number!

Tesco's let me register under my 'other' registration (Childcare on Domestic Premises) - no-one round here shops at Sainsbury's)

[email protected]

I have emails to and from these people. No problem registering on the scheme at all. I just asked if I could register and they said 'yes'.

Have received a third email telling me i can not register as they can't check me on the educational database. I have suggested ofsted could verify this but they refusing. They have told me they will use my feedback for 2011

lesbianmummy1, that's just bloody ridiculous. maybe the system has changed since last year, but not sure.

keep on. if you have the energy!

Is there any chance anybody who is already registered would give me details to use as proof other childminders are registered? I am cat able

Sainsbury?s Active Kids is a voucher collection scheme for nurseries, schools, Scout and Guide groups and Clubmark accredited sports clubs. The scheme has not previously been open to Childminders, however we are aware that some Childminders have been able to join.

We have a very thorough registration process to ensure that the organisations joining the scheme are properly checked and validated. So when a school registers to Active Kids we check their details against an educational establishment database and when a group or club registers to the scheme we check their details against databases that we have as a result of us working closely with the governing bodies of these organisations.

We have been talking to the National Childminding Association (NCMA, www.ncma.org.uk) about working with them to include Childminders in the scheme in 2011. However, we are currently looking into whether we can register Childminders for Active Kids 2010 by using a registered Childminder?s Ofsted number as verification. Please bear with us while we investigate this a bit further. We will keep you updated.

In the meantime, If you have any questions, please contact us via our active kids helpline 0844 415 8440 or contact form at ow.ly/1APRJ.

mumsnet does it again.

thanks for your input, Sainsburys.

Sainsbury's Active Kids Contact Form

well said, nannynick. thanks for that.

Despite phone call last week from somebody in head office saying they would be able to register me I have received a phonecall today saying Childminders can NOT register here is her follow up email:

As promised here are my contact details in case you wish to contact me. As said when we spoke I appreciate you are disappointed that Sainsbury?s can not change the registration rules when we are midway through the scheme.

As you know schools, Scout and guide groups and Clubmark accredited sports clubs can take part in the scheme. We've focussed on these organisations because they cater for large numbers of children, so when these organisations collect vouchers and participate in Active Kids many young people benefit from the scheme. Over 42,000 organisations are registered to Active Kids and almost every school in the UK is registered and therefore benefits from Active Kids. We do review the scheme every year and as a consequence the scheme has evolved since its launch 5 years ago to include groups as well as schools.

Kind regards

Victoria

Victoria Redfern

Active Kids Sponsorship Manager

Direct no 020 7695 7808

Mobile no 07825 935 755

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

020 7695 6000

Not all EYFS providers are equal, it appears.
Is this a Government data issue - there is a list of schools but the list of all EYFS providers is still restricted.

I have just spoke to sainsburys again they still not budging

Maybe better if they didn't do these schemes. Insted they could make the food cheaper - they could make Healthy food cheaper. They could also sell sports equipment instore cheaper as well, then anyone could benefit.

Why do stores have these schemes. Schools should have their own funds for school equipment.