Managing a parent and toddler group

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Hi all
I'm involved with a fairly busy parent and toddler group rough;y 25 -28 mums attend- busier since we received almost £10,000 for new resources from Awards for all. Problem is we have a small committee who end up doing most of work for rest of mums. New mums come, old ones back at work and rotsas haven't worked. Food - think we are giving too much - pancakes, fruit and cheese what do others get at different groups.(£2 per family) We were also thinking of restricting number of mums who come by having set number sign up for 6 weeks at a time? I am a primary school teacher and do story and song at end.

most groups seem to just give fruits and breadsticks / rice cakes, but what you are giving sounds nice though
if you are restricting numbers what about just a first come first served until you reach your capacity because what if people cant make every week out of the 6 weeks?

My fave group (1.50 for a parent+child, 50p for each extra child) gives out about that amount of food.

We are great at collaring people onto the rota, though. I think that might be your real problem.

I think you need to be firmer about the rota. We used to not charge if you were on the rota that week to show "thanks" as a gesture. If you get enough on the rota then it's easier for all.

And provide clear instructions for those on the rota cos' most people at ours worried about putting out wrong equipment, stacking chairs in wrong place so left it to others.

And try to organise supervision for the kids when the parents/carers are doing the jobs - I had a mate who'd look after my kids whilst I swept the floors and vice versa.

Some great ideas there thank you. It's more the 'busy'ness of the session that gets a bit annoying can be up to 50 kids there some days. Firm is good! Just heard we have some students who are coming to help from the local grammar school. We have introduced an earlier session just before the busy one whihc is quiet usually only about 8 mums so hopefully that might shift a few from busy one. With the food some mums tend to take quite big portions from our literally -'platters' of fruit and pancakes so was thinking of buying paper bags and asking students to portion the food for each child, half a pancake, slice of cheese and say half an apple or half an orange, alternate fruit every week. We were silly deciding cost at £2 per famly discovered one mum who is a child minder comes with 4 kids 2 her own 2 she minds and only pays £2! HAve you ever been to first come first served basis at a busy group are there any frustrated mums???? Thanks those tips really help and are mush appreciated!!!