The Scottish Pre-school Play Association has responded to the pressures of change by giving its corporate image a makeover with a jaunty new logo and the motto 'Learning through Play'.
The organisation, which previously had a thistle logo, hopes the new design will project it as 'modern, dynamic, flexible and adaptable'. SPPA chief executive Ian McLaughlan said, 'I am confident the new image will promote a greater confidence among our members, local authorities, central Government and other partners in the changing role of voluntary sector childcare and pre-school education agencies.
'It also reflects the changing nature of SPPA over the past few years and our ongoing commitment to serve some 40,000 pre-school children in over 1,600 voluntary-run pre-school groups throughout Scotland.
'SPPA has, through its recently published Strategic Plan for 2002-2004, demonstrated that it can adapt to the changing early years environment, just as it has done throughout its history of campaigning for better quality learning opportunities for the under-fives.'
The SPPA has been responding to a management consultants' report commissioned by the Scottish Executive, which recommended both restructuring and re-branding. The organisation tackled restructuring as a priority and last year made one member of head office staff redundant, redrew other jobs and created a new funding manager post.
In September 2001 SPPA figures revealed its membership had fallen by ten per cent over the previous year. Competition from expanding local authority provision had forced many playgroups to close. However, in the same period the average number of places within SPPA groups commissioned by local authorities had grown significantly.
SPPA chairperson Cheryl Brown expressed concern about the pressures the organisation was facing as it sought to support core services and develop innovative ways of working. She said, 'I am concerned that although we are witnessing a significant increase in locally-funded projects and services working direct with two-thirds of Scottish councils, as well as specific projects such as Sure Start, we are struggling to maintain initiatives with limited resources at the centre.'
Mr McLaughlan, who joined SPPA in January 2001, said, 'We will embark on our new two-year strategy by focusing on new ways in which to support families of children under three years. Plans are being drawn up to research and market the hundreds of groups who work with children under three, and highlight the benefits to families and communities of the huge learning potential in the early developmental stages of a child's life.'
The introduction to the Strategic Plan 2002-2004 says, 'During much of 2000 and into early 2001, SPPA could only be described as operating in reactive management mode, because of internal and external factors including the rapidly-changing childcare environment following the Government's policy in 1998 to provide free nursery places for all three- and four-year-olds. 'Changing circumstances have placed great demands on the organisation's capacity and particularly on its 55 staff throughout the country. These demands will no doubt increase and become more complex as new opportunities prevail,' it says.
Enquiries can now be made to the SPPA on info@sppa.org.uk .
