Mobile hand washing units

[janice]

Hi

Yesterday we raised £1267 through our Christmas Raffle. This is an amazing amount and I would like to spend the money wisely.

We currently use white/plastic/difficult to set up/difficult for the children to use - mobile hand washing units.

I've found these http://www.mobilesink.com/News-OdysseyJunior.html and wonder if anyone has got them/tried them/heard favourable/unfavourable things about them.

I need something sturdy as we have to set up and pack away everyday and wonder if these might be up to the job!

I'm planning on buying 2 so would like to know how people find them before I spend £1000 - got to say that amount quickly!

Thanks

[cabin]

Haven't a clue about the sinks but - WOW- well done you - for raising so much money in your raffle!

xxx

wow what an amazing amount
we also pack up each day, but are still just about getting away with a bowl in the craft area and free flowing into the toilets!

but battling with hall AGAIN as they are refusing to provide paper towles for us again (we will just buy our own!) as they say we abuse them, so told all staff to be nice to the towels today!!! have to giggle really!!! aarrgghhh they expect 40 kids to use about 5 towels a day

[janice]

Ought to let you know that the amount WE raised was £633 and then we've got matched fundraising from one of the big banks (one of the parents works there and they sorted it out for us, hence the large amount).

And then of course, once I've got these units I'm going to have to find somewhere to store them which at the moment could be a bit tricky, as storage is another issue! (a big one!)

We too seem to get allotted a certain amount of towels per week - I'm just waiting for them to up the rent to cover the cost of them. Cybertwin - are you in a church hall? We are and pay £17.50 per morning rent which currently includes the cost of the towels. Is that similar to what you pay in rent? We are supposed to get a reduced rent because we are a church group - although it isn't very churchy at the moment - got so many issues going on with them about the hall and then when they see how much we raised in the raffle they're going to think we have loads of money and put the rent up again!

[cabin]

we pay over £30 a morning to the scouts - and that doesn't include paper towels!
xx

we are in a village hall, and i totally agree about storage, but at the moment we have just got a new shed and are ok till i buy something else!!!

we pay about £9 an hour for the entire hall, and run 2 rooms this at the moment includes everything, utilities, towels etc! but i guess not towels at the moment

we rent for 3.5 hours and are open for 3

we are the main hall user and if we moved, not that we have anywhere else to go, they would struggle big time!

constant battle with them re cleanliness on thier part and paint on ours!!! they dont want us to use it, and wont even go there with glitter at the moment!!

but oh well

[Ruthierhyme]

lol Sarah, do newspaper sheets still leave black inky hands ??

Janice that's a fantastic amount .. and well done on the matched donation as well !!

I don't know about the companies or actual units but came across website thinking caravan owners need 'portable sinks ..

www.vangadgets.co.uk/hand-wash-units.htm

The complete units don't look child height but maybe an email to them would help them source one ..

[Air]

Hi
We had a small portable sink...on wheels that was very expensive....and constantly needed fixing...at our recent OfSTED inspection we were told not to waste such a vast amount of money on another sink unit...ours at that time was awaiting repairs!...but to use our funds on educational resources...she was more than happy with a washing up bowl/anti-bac soap...think before you blow so much money!!
x

We did the same. We put out two bowls with soap and towels between them. The bowls are changed when a timer goes off every 15-20mins to keep them fresh.

[janice]

Hi

Interesting comments re the sink. With Ofsted you know that they'll say one thing regarding bowls to one setting and then slate another off for using them.

Before I found the site linked above, I actually found one on ebay. I got it for £102 and it's the sort of thing they use in mobile catering vans. Anyway, it was in Guildford and my sister collected it for me this week and it's now in the garage awaiting cleaning and then I can try it out. It's an adult height one (but not too tall especially if the children use a step!) but at least I can get an idea of them.

I am having a huge meeting in the New Year with the Vicar and the woman who runs the Centre to try and sort out our differences. I have had the most amazing idea today ........... I am going to suggest that a small storage cupboard (used by us) is turned into an office (for the Pre-school) where I can work all morning as and when I need to, the stuff that we currently keep in that cupboard can be stored on the stage (we'll build some sort of tall cupboard to house it all) and then I can take everything out of this 3rd bedroom at my house (currently used as my office), get the Internet connected in the hall for the Pre-school laptop ........ and then I won't have to work from home anymore as I can do it all there (and get paid for it as well!).

Now doesn't that sound like a fab idea ????

I don't reckon they're going to buy it though in which case it's crunch time as far as me and running the Pre-school is concerned and I will look to leave at Easter (as I have to give a terms notice). I have thought long and hard about this - working from home 2 or 3 days a week isn't a solution (but one which I think they'll suggest) as you have to be on site otherwise you lose contact with the staff/children/parents and the way the Pre-school is running.

And I'll just keep quiet about the rent that we pay, as we seem to pay a lot less than others, though that might be a bargaining point - let me have that (the office) and we'll pay more rent (which they need).

Does anyone who is in rented premises e.g church halls have an office? Plus where are you storing all the records that have to go back 21 years/40 years etc.?

Sorry for the long post!