Honorary Outstanding Contribution Award to the Early Years Sector
- TOSFoundation
- Jun 26
- 1 min read

We are deeply honoured to accept the @EYAlliance Honorary Outstanding Contribution award, so kindly presented by Sarah Presswood.
This recognition is both humbling and profoundly moving for our family. Our determination to campaign for safer practice was born in the final hours of our son Oliver’s life.
Even before he passed away, we knew the childcare sector needed stronger safeguards around paediatric first aid, choking prevention, and food preparation that fully respect each child’s stage of development.
From our first conversation with Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance, we experienced extraordinary professionalism and compassion. Neil’s steady guidance, often more like that of a father than a friend has underpinned every step of our advocacy and provided us with a compassionate shoulder and a fire for change.

His public stance beside us against proposals to dilute staff-to-child ratios, which he called “beyond frustrating,” reflects the same fierce commitment to children’s safety that he has shown us privately and we are truly grateful for all his efforts.
We do not feel we “deserve” this award; we have simply done what any parents would do to prevent another family enduring such a loss. Nonetheless, we accept it with gratitude on behalf of Oliver, and we strive forward and continue to fight for reforms, mandatory paediatric first aid, rigorous feeding protocols, and staffing ratios that put children’s wellbeing first.
Thank you to Neil, Sarah, Shannon and the entire Early Years Alliance team for their unwavering support. Together, we will keep pushing for the changes our youngest deserve.
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