We are pleased to have received 14 nominations from Early Years Alliance members who would like to serve on our Board of Trustees from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2029.
As there are 12 Board of Trustee vacancies, we are asking all Alliance members to vote for their chosen nominee(s) via our online ballot paper by noon on Wednesday 3 December.
The supporting statements for each of the nominees standing for election, and the link to the online ballot paper, are available below.
Nominee supporting statements
Anna Wright
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I established and ran my own early years provision comprising 11 settings, many in areas of deprivation, for nearly 30 years. I have also previously served a term as a trustee for the Early Years Alliance, as well as being a trustee for another charity. I understand both the value of and the challenges faced, by the sector.
I would like to continue to use my knowledge and experience for the benefit of children, communities and early years teams across the country. I believe I have the skills to continue to contribute as a trustee.
My skills and experience
I am the founder of Paint Pots Nurseries, Southampton for whom I was the managing director for 30 years. I have served as the PVI representative to Southampton Schools Forum. I am a member of the Southampton Early Help council advisory board. I am a trustee for New Life Home Trust UK CIO, a charity supporting the rescue and placement of abandoned babies in Kenya.
I have served as the Area Lead for the Department for Education’s Experts and Mentors covid recovery programme. I am a member of the leadership team of the Ofsted Big Conversation, South East Region.
I am currently serving as a trustee for the Early Years Alliance. I am keen to continue doing so.
Carol Dalton
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
The EYA has provided great support to Ramsey Pre-school for the last 13 years that I have been involved and this is an opportunity to give back. I have recently finished a five-year role as Chair of Trustees and want a new challenge.
There are so many challenges to providing high quality education, care and family support to our young children that the role of organisations such as the EYA to represent concerns at the highest level in government is vital to achieving our common aims.
As a grandmother of children who have benefitted hugely from being able to attend a pre-school, I want to do anything I can to support the next generation.
My skills and experience
Since taking early retirement I have been:
- Chair of Trustees of Ramsey Pre-school CIO. I am proud of the fact that I have turned round a struggling pre-school on the edge of closing into a popular setting with a waiting list and significant turnover. We have moved into a newly refurbished building and developed a close relationship with the next door primary school.
- Secondary school governor – Academy trustee.
- Member of Girlguiding – Chair of Trustees and Commissioner at County level. Also treasurer and Charity Business Manager. Before retiring I was a senior contracts manager in the Ministry of Defence. Experience was gained in finance, HR, project and contract management.
Christine Cheshire
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I have proudly been a trustee for the last 5/6 years including membership of the audit and nominations/ procedures committees and wish to be re- elected if possible.
Passionate about early years, I firmly believe that children and families should always be the centre of any strategy in the social and political agendas.
As a retired nursery manager of 23 years, I understand the challenges faced in the PVI sector, particularly committee- run pre- schools and wish to use my knowledge and experience to help in developing EYA strategies and plans.
I see funding and recognition of the value of dedicated practitioners in developing young children as the main issues and would like to continue to support EYA in its lobbying and research.
I have always supported and been supported by the Alliance through its membership and training and sincerely hope to continue supporting our members.
My skills and experience
With 23 years’ experience of managing a nursery I feel I have gained a very good understanding of the PVI sector and its concerns.
Whilst being a trustee I have gained considerable knowledge and developed my awareness of the wider picture of early years.
I feel that I am a good listener and contributor to discussions, acting as a supportive but ‘critical friend’, asking questions where needed in order to fulfil my role.
I enjoy reading Board papers, preparing for meetings, including considering risk and financial papers. I have a good understanding of my responsibilities under Charity Commision guidance.
In the past I have been a branch and county chair of the Alliance, a school governor and also a NVQ and Accreditation assessor.
I currently volunteer at a local museum as ‘Front of House’ where I hope I am friendly, approachable and dedicated. I also play the Djembe drum but am unsure how that may help!
Emma Comer
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I have been a trustee with the Early Years Alliance for three years now and have seen, firsthand, the important work that is done with the aim to champion young children in this country.
Whilst we experience a very difficult economic and political climate, the EYA consistently focuses on striving for opportunities for young children and particularly those who are more vulnerable, working to provide a voice for the sector to government in very challenging times.
This is vital and I would be pleased to continue to be a very small part in supporting this aim as I feel it is of utmost importance.
My skills and experience
I have worked in early years for most of my adult life and have set up and run my own large early years setting which is still operating after 20 years, with full occupancy.
I am well place to understand current issues that face the whole industry and hope I can bring that knowledge to the board from a first hand perspective.
Emma Wohl
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
Having been a trustee for the past three years, I feel like I’m just starting to get to grips with the complexities of the Early Years Alliance and am enjoying the opportunity to engage in discussions about strategic planning and support the senior leadership team in ensuring that the Early Years Alliance continues to meet its strategic objectives; advocating for the best start in life for all children, ensuring that those living in deprived areas have access to the highest quality care and education alongside supporting the early years sector in continually raising standards to meet increasing and changing demand at this challenging time.
At a time when the traditional early years education model is changing to meet the demands of working families, I want to ensure that the child’s needs and ‘voice’ continues to be the driving factor for improvement and funding.
My skills and experience
I have worked in the early years sector for the past 19 years and have experienced the challenges both within schools and PVI settings in providing high-quality early years care and education which is financially viable and maintaining a committed and well-qualified staff team.
My role as headteacher of a small community kindergarten has given me the opportunity to network with a range of settings and experience the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of managing a traditional early years setting firsthand.
As a current Trustee, I hope I can represent the many small-scale settings around the country, giving them a ‘voice’ at the table.
Although now moving on from my role as kindergarten headteacher which I’ve held for the past eight years, my passion still lies in this sector and I would relish the opportunity to continue to play my part for this impactful charity.
Jacqueline (Jacqui) Lewis
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I first became aware of the PSLA/Alliance when my daughter started pre-school in 2012. I came along to the AGM and left having been voted in as Chairperson.
As I had been made redundant and wasn’t working, I was able to throw myself into everything the role entailed. I spent time reading through information about the Early Years Alliance and getting to grips with all the requirements and speaking to staff.
I am passionate about early education and the benefit it brings to the children themselves and the wider community. With so many changes over the years and everything that is on the horizon for the sector, to be a trustee for an organisation making such a difference and bring able to contribute to this would be a privilege.
My skills and experience
I left university with an HND and degree in Public Policy Management and Law. My early career I worked in the court system and solicitors. I then moved to work for the Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) as a Debt Advisor under a legal aid contract before becoming the Operations Manager for the CAB for the national community legal service direct advice lines.
Working for the CAB gave me a plethora of experiences, including what it felt like to work for a charity with trustees and to contribute to campaigns and use the knowledge I had gained from the Public Policy elements of my HND and degree to help with campaigns.
Being part of the committee, I have gained experience of employing staff, managing staff, managing budgets, negotiating with third parties, converting to a CIO organisation and re-registering with Ofsted, providing feedback on proposed changes, then planning and implementing changes.
I also have a strong overview of the sector and the challenges it currently faces.
Karen Hazell
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I would love the opportunity to support the EYA in the role of trustee to deliver within the sector that I am passionate about. The opportunity to gain in professional development will hopefully aid me in continuously giving back to the early years sector.
Upon receiving the Belle Tutaev lifetime award, I feel the role will offer me a unique opportunity for further personal growth – the opportunity to go on and learn new skills and gain experience in governance, contributing to the strategic direction of the EYA organisation, aligning personal values with meaningful action.
My skills and experience
I have been in childcare sector for 25+ years and have many personal life experiences providing me with a host of ‘real life’ traumas and joy leading to a diverse deliverance to others.
I am committed to the charity’s mission, I am honest, reliable and passionate for the sector’s efforts to be communicated.
I will act wit the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries. I lead with curiosity which can bring around thoughtful questions and a keen interest to gain further knowledge. I am able to challenge ideas and engage in informed debates. I am a great team player.
Keith Appleyard
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I’ve been a Trustee of EYA since March 2020, and a Trustee of PPA/PLA/EYA member organisation for over 30 years, so I’m well acquainted with the aims and objectives of the EYA.
I’ve been the Treasurer of EYA for the past three years, and I’m also willing to continue in that role if there are no other candidates.
My skills and experience
I joined the Committee of Fiveways Playgroup in Brighton (Charity No 305178) in 1985, and reincorporated as Fiveways Playcentre in 2009 (Charity No 1131820, Company no. 6985726). Throughout this time I performed the role of Treasurer, as well as primary liaison with any Government departments. Fiveways Playcentre was the first Nursery in the UK to be certified as by the Living Wage Foundation as paying the ‘Real’ Living Wage back in 2012.
Simultaneously I spent 25 years in Information Technology for the American Express Company, rising to Global Head of Governance Risk & Compliance, until I retired in 2010, re-married and moved to Bromley.
Between us my wife and I have 7 grown-up children; we have 15 grandchildren, now only 1 is in pre-school, 1 in secondary, and the remainder in primary education, so I’ve had plenty of hands-on experience with small children.
Laura Perfetti
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I am highly motivated to expand my responsibilities within the early years sector, focusing on several key areas.
After three years as a Trustee of the Early Years Alliance, I am eager to continue my journey with this organisation. The Alliance has shown me that at the heart of everything it does are the children and families it supports. They are genuinely committed to providing the best start in life for every child, and I want to remain a part of this mission.
My primary goals include influencing policy and practice, with a significant emphasis on sustainability. Additionally, I aim to create equal opportunities for all children and their parents, ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and support they need. Finally, I believe in the importance of fostering collaboration between educators and parents, working together to build strong partnerships that benefit the children we serve.
My skills and experience
Throughout the project I have managed and focused on in recent years, I could provide valuable support for early years to the Board of Trustees by introducing innovative approaches to engaging with parents.
My skills in facilitating effective communication foster transparency and trust between educators and parents, which is essential for creating consistency in children’s lives.
Additionally, I have experience leading webinars and workshops on the Montessori Philosophy, child development, and the significance of play. This background has also enabled me to collaborate with schools in disadvantaged areas, further enhancing my ability to contribute to our community.
Margaret Collins
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee
I became involved with the Playgroup movement in 1979, when my daughter started at our local Playgroup, and I became a volunteer. I saw the movement become more “official” as the Pre-school Learning Alliance, and then the Early Years Alliance. I qualified, and moved from volunteer to Leader from 1984-2002, then Chair of the Management Committee from 2014 until now, a strategic rather than operational role.
I have become increasingly convinced of the importance of Early Years, and of the lack of understanding that so many in officialdom have of what it’s really like at the coalface.
I admire the work of the EYA; for its training and the opportunities it offers for discussion and debate, and for its lobbying of government on behalf of those involved in the everyday.
I understand the importance of the Trustees’ role and I would welcome a chance to contribute what I can.
My skills and experience
I have nearly fifty years of experience of early years, seen through the eyes of a volunteer, leader, and management committee Chair.
I have been a member of my local church’s Board of Trustees, which has given me experience of charity management. I have experience of negotiating between Trustees and those responsible for the everyday running of local organisations, particularly with those working with under-fives. I do not see this as confrontational, but a positive contribution that Trustees can make.
Before retiring, I worked as a Family Project Worker for Barnardo’s. As part of my role, I helped community groups set up Toddler Groups and Preschools, advising them on policies, Health and Safety, and helping prepare for OFSTED inspections. This gave me a real insight into the difficulties and joys of providing local Early Years services, and, as a Trustee, I would hope to use all my assimilated knowledge.
Sandra Joanne Blank (Jo)
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee:
I am passionate about early years and my heart is in the Alliance. The EYA was the key to my career, from playgroup leader, branch chair and tutor to Ofsted additional inspector and early years advisor.
After six years as a trustee, my growing understanding and confidence enables me to contribute positively to discussions, challenge decisions and reports, and play a key role in monitoring the progress of the EYA training team.
Our trustee role ensures the EYA plays a high-profile part in championing the early years nationally, and remains a key player in promoting high quality early years practice through training and membership.
I love being part of a national organisation that is at the forefront of early years policy, a true champion for change, and always seeks to improve children’s welfare and development. I know I can contribute to this mission and help make a difference.
My skills and experience:
The EYA instigated my career; I know how the organisation transforms lives.
Training and inspection expertise:
Guides my work with the training team. It is a privilege to witness their outstanding progress. I look forward to continuing this role.
Inspector for Social Services and strategic national Ofsted role (writing frameworks, guidance, training inspectors, monitoring inspections and training):
Enables me to evaluate evidence, make valid judgements and appreciate the big picture. Gave me a huge insight into the complex and varied PVI sector.
Advisor and lead trainer for Dudley Early Years:
Provides a deeper understanding of challenges and provision in schools and settings and honed my management and training expertise.
Author of 3 books about the EYFS:
Demonstrates my passion and depth of knowledge.
Baby and toddler group leader:
Helps me understand the challenges and joys parents experience with children, and keeps me grounded in group practice and national policy.
Sarah Presswood
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee:
Since I had my first daughter, more than 30 years ago, I have been fascinated by how young children learn and develop. So much so, that I made early years my career. My belief in the importance of the early years of a child’s life has become more intense the more I learn.
Sadly, experience has also taught me that not everyone shares this belief, and we therefore need organisations like the Alliance to support the sector and to campaign for children to have the best start in life.
I would like to be part of the Alliance and support them in championing early years with families, educators and policy makers. My roles as nursery manager, mother and grandmother have shown me that we cannot be complacent about children’s early years and that’s why I would like to continue to be part of an organisation that always puts children first.
My skills and experience:
I have served as a trustee of the Alliance for nine years, the last three as Chair, and I am eager to continue using the knowledge and experience I have gained to help drive the Alliance forward in its mission to be a powerful advocate for the early years sector, children, and families.
As a parent and grandparent, I am deeply committed to ensuring the best outcomes for young children. Having managed a day nursery in a deprived area for over 20 years, I have a strong understanding of the daily challenges faced by providers, families, and educators.
My involvement in a range of local authority fora and sector groups has given me valuable insight into both the practical and regulatory frameworks governing the sector. I believe this broad experience, combined with my long-standing role as a trustee, enables me to provide continuity and meaningful support to the Alliance.
Susan Victoria Hornby Phillips
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee:
I have been a member of the Early Years Alliance for many years and I have always valued the Alliance’s ability to speak for the whole sector.
The variety of setting types, from childminders to large settings is a real strength of the sector but it needs one organisation to be able to express the views of everyone in it.
I would welcome the opportunity to be more involved in the Alliance and to have the opportunity to see the ‘bigger picture’.
The government’s ‘Best Start in Life’ proposals all sound worthwhile but, without adequate funding, they will be impossible to deliver. Those working in the sector needs organisations like the Early Years Alliance to be fighting their corner and speaking up for them.
My skills and experience:
Over the last 25 years, I have worked in many types of setting: from a part-time, pack-away setting in a village hall, before renting an empty classroom in a school then transferring to the same school, as nursery manager. I also taught a year one class for six years.
With the government’s current push for school-based nurseries, I am well-placed to see both the advantages and disadvantages of this type of setting, for schools, parents and children.
My role working as an NHS speech and language therapy assistant has emphasised the huge demands placed on early years staff, to support the sheer number of children with speech, language and communication needs. I have also been able to more fully understand the work of other professionals, who work with the early years sector.
Wendy Hartley
Why I want to be an Alliance trustee:
It would be a privilege to become a Trustee of the Early Years Alliance (EYA). Over my 40-year career in early years, the Alliance has been a crucial backbone of support and a constant presence.
From my start as a rookie nursery nurse to running multiple settings, the association (initially the PPA and then the PLA) provided vital access to information, publications, and training. My involvement deepened as a parent helper, then as a trustee of a pre-school playgroup, and later, establishing a toddler group. I benefited form the local network and accessed the bulk-buy scheme. This rich environment directly led to me becoming a Development Worker for the PLA, where I supported settings and delivered training.
When I opened four settings under the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, the EYA remained my vital source of information to support and sustain high-quality practice.
Now, I wish to give back to the organisation that has shaped my career, ensuring it can continue to empower practitioners to deliver essential, high-quality services to children and families for many years to come.
My skills and experience
My experience spans 40+ years in the early years sector working in maintained, private, and voluntary settings, providing vast, holistic experience. I hold a First-Class Honors Degree in EY Leadership and established four high-quality Neighbourhood Nurseries, demonstrating a proven success in leadership, vision, and innovation.
My governance experience includes being a former preschool trustee, tutor and assessor, establishing and running a provider network, and chairing the Local Authority Early Years board, demonstrate organisational and communication skills in collaboration with others. I even instigated a BBC The One Show interview about the sector challenges, taking me well outside my comfort zone!
Crucially, my work as a Family Court Magistrate provides a unique lens for strategic oversight. I possess ability to quickly extract facts from paperwork, prepare concise summaries, and prioritise evidence. This ensures every decision I make is informed and always places the best interests of the child as paramount.
Voting FAQs
How many candidates can I vote for?
While there are 14 nominees, you can only vote for a maximum of 12 of the candidates listed on this page, though you can vote for fewer candidates if you wish.
How do I cast my vote?
To vote, select the boxes next to each of your chosen candidates’ names via the online ballot paper – the button to access your online ballot paper is at the bottom of this page.
What information do I need to provide to cast my vote?
You will need to confirm your Alliance membership number to cast your vote. If you’re not sure of your membership number, you can request for it to be sent to you via email using our quick and easy form.
Are there any restrictions on who is able to vote?
Voting is only open to current Alliance members who have held membership of the Alliance since at least 30 April 2025.
Can more than one person from my setting vote?
No, only one vote per member is permitted. This means that group members (early years settings or baby and toddler groups) must select one individual to vote on behalf of the group. Similarly, member groups with sub-groups (additional sites for settings, or groups which operate from more than one premises) can only vote once, with votes only accepted from the lead group.
When will we find out the results of the election?
The results will be confirmed to all Alliance members in January 2026.