Since 2020, we have been able to sponsor membership with funding to allow every member to receive our membership services without being charged. Initially, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Welsh Government supported our budgets to provide this membership offer across the Cwlwm partnership.
Last year, our Trustee Board recognised that inflation was extremely high, increasing your costs month on month whilst the childcare offer funding and early education funding were staying at the same remain unchanged. In addition, there was a sizeable lift in Living Wage hourly rates. We extended our free offer using our invested reserves to maintain your membership, with limited support from the Moondance Foundation for home-based childcare members and charity members. Doing this added to sizeable losses for our organisation to our budget which we absorbed to help and support all of you in the sector.
We understand funding is tight everywhere. Indeed, since 2014, the funding we receive from the Welsh Government funding has only increased on one occasion, whilst our own operating costs have increased exponentially. We have considered our position carefully and today announce that we will charge for membership in 2025/26.
We have aimed to make membership excellent value for money. As shown in the booklet below, our costs are extremely competitive, with categories to suit all members. Even at our most expensive category, Childcare Provider/School, at £80 membership costs just 21p per day.
Receiving this extra funding for our services will enable us to provide members an increase in services, in comparison to what we offered when we previously charged for membership in 2019/20:
- Training – our extensive training offers are reduced by at least 25% for members. Our training is recognised as great quality with consistently positive feedback and expert speakers.
- Charity governance – our team support charities with regulation and compliance including Board training and support
- Welsh Language – we have training, support, and opportunities to work with our team to promote the use of Welsh in your setting and with your parents. This enables you to be recognised through national accreditation for the work you do
- Quality assurance through our QfA scheme to support and develop practice
- Foundation Learning support to assist, enhance and develop early education
Added to this, we have extended our strategic support through our Head of Policy and Advocacy offer. Members benefit directly from policies, with new downloads being made available for all members this spring. Our Head of Policy links directly with Ministers in the Welsh Government, as well as policy makers across Wales. This service enhances our policy work ensuring that your voice as members of Early Years Wales is always heard by key decision makers.
In 2025, we are on the road too, bringing our Early Years Wales Roadshows to an area near you. At these events, you can meet the team, hear from leading speakers on a key theme, and share your learning, and views with other members. Following the success of presentations made in 2024 around Wales, our much coveted awards for 2025 will be presented locally, once again recognising award winners in their communities with their stakeholders and staff all part of the celebrations.
We are really excited for what the future holds.
Renew or join by Friday 21st March and receive exclusive access to four podcasts from leading experts in early years, movement and play. Each 20-minute podcast will cover a key theme from the expert that you can listen to as many times as you want and use to enhance your practice.
We have Alice Sharp, Greg Botrill, Liz Pemberton and Sally Goddard-Blythe. That's 80 minutes of fantastic sector-leading content from highly respected voices in the early years free!
Visit our membership page for more information and to join today.
Already a member? Your membership will lapse on 31st March 2025. Renew your membership by visiting our shop page > www.earlyyears.wales/en/shop