Email From The Friends Of WASO

[King, Simon]

 

WASO Needs You!!!

 

Every time WASO Ensembles perform, the necessary insurance requires there to be sufficient DBS certified adults for the number of child performers.  The number of adults needed is higher than the number of staff, and so the team rely on parents volunteering to make up the difference.  Based on the current membership there needs to be 11 parent helpers each term across the two concert evenings, or 33 parent helpers through the year.  There are currently just 27 parents on the HMS/WASO “approved” list who are able to fill these roles.  

 

This is not sustainable.  

 

More parents from all ensembles are needed, but especially those from WASTO and Concert Band (due to rehearsal logistics).  If you could provide support but are uncomfortable in a parent helper role each concert at Thornden Hall needs 6 ushers, and help is also needed setting the stage before rehearsals start:  There are plenty of ways to help, with around 80 volunteering spots before/during concerts in total over the course of the year!

 

There are over 160 families in the WASO pyramid.  If just one adult from each family volunteered each family would only need to do so once every other year.  Please think about when you or another adult in your family could cover a slot, either at the Summer Concerts or at one of the concerts next year and get in touch. 

 

The friendly team at HMS are poised and ready to help with the DBS process – just drop Jamie a line on wa...@hms.hants.gov.uk to start that ball rolling.  If you already have a DBS certificate and can provide the number it is likely to be a very simple check, but even if you’re starting from scratch the process should still be complete for end June if you start now.  

 

We are grateful to those families who have already volunteered this year – even more so to those who have done so multiple times, often at short notice, to enable concerts to go ahead; you know who you are and you are amazing!  It would be lovely if we had enough other volunteers that we did not have to call on them yet again to enable the concerts to run at all, and they could come purely as audience members.

 

 

This email has been sent on behalf of the he Friends Of WASO

Kind regards

 

Simon King

WASO Administrator

Hampshire Music Service
(Lead partner of the Hampshire Music Education Hub)
Bar End Road

Winchester

SO23 9NR
( 023 8065 2037
www.hants.gov.uk/hms