Anyone changed a committee run preschool into a company limited by guarantee?

[GroovyGretel]

This is what I'm trying to do as I cannot find a new committee to take over! I've been Chair for a couple of years, and the liability issue and bloody stroppy parents is putting people off.

So I have started down the company route with members of staff becoming directors, but they are so apathetic, that I am still doing everything.

I might as well wipe their bums

If I can't get them to do this, the pre-school will shut and we have an outstanding from Ofsted!

So frustrated I could sob scream chop off limbs

We're a limited company - couldn't tell you how to do it as it was already set up for us. I don't know whether you can have members of staff as directors. Which Memorandum and Articles did you adopt?

CAT me if you want some e-mail based info.

Are you a member of pre-school learning Alliance?

If you have adopted their constitution the first thing you will have to do is adopt a new one otherwise you will have to sell all the stuff and donate the money to another pre-school etc

Have you employed a seperate administrator and a seperate person to do the money side? That is a way to reduce the hassle for the committee?

Thanks for the replies , there are days when I feel like I'm in the wilderness!

Yes, I have had an EGM to change the constitution so (thank god) the money we have is safe.

Sadly, there is no way we could afford to employ a separate administrator at the moment, our supervisor (appointed just before I became Chair) has an excellent package that is around 25% of our total income (and we have 5 other members of staff) and she doesn't think that she should have to do any admin.

But that's a whole other issue!!

Well perhaps you need to put it on the line that you cannot afford to continue in the present way. Would it be possible to put fees up specifically to fund a part time admininstrator on the minimum wage? Remember the admin is very flexible so that is attractive even if the hourly rate is poor.

Sounds like the supervisor needs a dose of reality.

Hi Loopymumsy

Sadly, I tried that approach - told everyone last September that this would be the last year and that they needed to find a new Chair. Zilch.

The trouble is having opened the can of worms that shows exactly what committee members are liable for (god terrible english, but you know what I mean!) no-one is stepping up to take on a committee under the same rules.

Whilst I know that it isn't my sole responsibility - I do still feel responsible for keeping it open.

Had a strong chat with some of the directors today and (fingers crossed) I've knocked some sense into them.

You can sort out the liability issue fairly easily, I think. Have you spoken to the LEA for support? Ours gave advice on how to protect against liability.

Under the latest PLA constitution (which I know you're not ruled by now, but any-way) you can take out liability insurance. We did it two years ago when we were being threatened with being taken to court and it cost us about £400 for the year, but we did feel better having it. Also, do you keep money aside for any possible redundancy payouts? We do, so know that we won't have to pay out personally if that should happen.

It would be interesting to know how you get on ........