In April the National Living Wage will rise by 51 pence, to £8.72 per hour (6.2%). The government has committed to a funding increase of just £0.08 per hour (1.8%). The evidence tells us that parents and providers are footing the bill for under-funded childcare policy. What is the solution? 

Join us on 23rd January in central London, or via a live webstream, as childcare providers up and down the country share views on policy direction and how to tackle the funding crisis. 

Join the Big EY Debate:

• Hear the perspectives of leading early years figures on the direction of childcare policy and government investment in early years.
• Get practical advice and ideas from leading sector experts on managing costs and investing in long-term sustainability.
• Come together with colleagues to share your views on solutions in an afternoon of round-table discussions.
• Network with colleagues throughout the day, all rounded-off with a drinks reception.
  

Emerging themes from the debate will be captured by our independent research team and presented to Government. 

Join leading early years figures to debate the sector's future, network with colleagues and get practical advice and support. Speakers, workshop and discussion facilitators include:

• Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Early Years Alliance
• Zoe Raven, CEO, Acorn Early Years Foundation
• Ruth Pimentel, CEO, Kindred Nurseries
• Cheryl Hadland, Founder, Tops Day Nurseries and Aspire Training Team
• Matthew Robinson, Client Engagement Director, Lifetime Training
  
• Sophie Haylock, Director, Early Years HR
  
• Phillip Bate, Senior Relationship Manager, Triodos Bank 
  
• Dr Jo Verrill, Managing Director, Ceeda
• Julie Hyde, Director, CACHE
• June O'Sullivan MBE, Chief Executive, London Early Years Foundation
  
• Paul Miller, CEO, Redwoods Dowling Kerr
  
• Cary Rankin, Managing Director, Bertram Nursery Group
• Kathy Brodie, Early Years Professional, Consultant and Trainer
• Professor Eva Lloyd, Director, International Centre for the Study of the
  Mixed Economy of Childcare, University of East London
• Kate Peach, Managing Director, Each Peach Childcare
• Diana Lawton, Early Years Trailblazer Group, Managing Director, Our Monkey Club
  
• David Wright, co-owner of Paint Pots Nurseries and England’s national representative for the World Forum Foundation on Early Care and Education
• Sara Bonetti, Director of Early Years, Education Policy Institute
• Linda Baston-Pitt, CEO, PurpleBee Learning.
  
  
  
  

Can't make it to London? No problem. Join us via live web-stream from the comfort of your setting or office.  

If you are joining us via ticketed live-stream, you will enjoy the morning speakers and workshop sessions and be invited to share your views on the issues raised, via a survey. You will also have the opportunity to submit questions to our expert panel, and join the live-streamed Q and A session that closes out the day.   

Who is it for? This event is for setting owners, investors, managers, local authorities, and organisations working with the sector - if you are passionate about high quality early education and childcare, come and share your views! 

An overview of the day

Meet our speakers 

Neil Leitch, CEO, Early Years Alliance. The Early Years Alliance is the largest and most representative early years membership organisation in England. A registered educational charity, the Alliance represents 14,000 members and supports them to deliver care and learning to over 800,000 families every year.

Zoe Raven, founder and CEO of Acorn Early Years Foundation. , Acorn is a social enterprise which operates across Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Celebrating its 30th birthday in 2019, Acorn now has 12 day nurseries , a training centre, forest school and out-of-school clubs. Zoe is also a doctoral student at Royal Holloway, University of London, researching ethical issues in early years provision.

Cheryl Hadland, founder and managing director of Tops Day Nurseries. Tops Day Nurseries is an organically expanding group of 30 day nurseries across the South Coast. A passionate campaigner, Cheryl also founded and is chair of trustees of GECCO, a charity started to share best practice in sustainability in early years. She also initiated the formation of the APPG for early years, providing an opportunity for MPs of all parties to hear about sector challenges, direct from childcare providers. 

Matt Robinson, client engagement director, Lifetime Training. Matt has 13 years’ experience in Education and Training delivery focused on delivering funded training solutions that show tangible results. Joining Lifetime as a Regional Trainer, he has progressed within the organisation and has been a key part in taking Lifetime to its market leading position. 

Phillip Bate, senior relationship manager, Triodos Bank UK. Triodos Bank UK finances projects and organisations that have a positive impact on society, culture and the environment. Over the past 25 years, it has supported thousands of people and organisations working for a better world. 
Phillip is an experienced senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank and is leading the bank’s developing work with children’s nurseries. Phill loves to work with organisations who are pioneering social and environmental impact. 

Sophie Haylock, director, Early Years HR. Early Years HR provides support for nurseries and preschools across the country from single-site operations to large nursery groups. Formerly HR and recruitment manager at Toad Hall Nursery Group, Sophie is also the owner of a day nursery in Surrey.

Meet our exhibitors  

Established in 1995, Lifetime Training's founding principle was to support individuals and businesses to perform better through the delivery of outstanding training programmes. Today this principle remains core to our business and has enabled Lifetime Training to become one of the UK's market leading training providers, offering apprenticeship programmes, recruitment services and training courses.

At Community Playthings everything we do is rooted in our love for children. We design and manufacture innovative, durable, solid wood furniture and play equipment for schools and nurseries. 

Based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, apetito produces nutritious, great-tasting meals for nurseries, hospitals, care homes and community services across the UK and in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada. We use only quality ingredients in our meals, which are prepped from scratch by our talented chefs and nutritionists, and then frozen within one hour to lock in nutrition, freshness and flavour.

Thank you to our sponsors and media partner Nursery World