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2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/09/2023 To 31/08/2024

Charity name: Merry-go-round under 5’s

Charity registration number: 1010031

Objectives and Activities

SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 Para 1.17 To advance the education of children below
compulsory school age by;
(a) providing a safe and satisfying group play
in which parents have the right to take part.
(b) encouraging other charitable activities
through which parents may help the children
(c) furthering the aim of the pre-school
playgroups association
Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.		 Para 1.17 and
1.19		 Merry-Go-Round Under Fives provides
exciting preschool education and
opportunities for children under five from
Baldock and the surrounding area.
We are situated in the extensive grounds of
Hartsfield School. As well as two purpose-
built classrooms, we' re lucky enough to
have two enclosed outdoor play areas with a
wide range of outdoor learning facilities and
toys.
~ We are an independent, non-profit making
charity.
~ We are Ofsted registered.
~ We have a high ratio of staff to children-
we can focus on children's individual needs
and development.
~ We believe that care and education are
equally important.
~ We provide children with routines and
activities to ensure they feel safe, valued
and gain experience from socialising with
other children
Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance		 Para 1.18 The trustees have had regard to the
guidance issued by the Charity Commission
on public benefit.

issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other

Achievements and Performance

SORP reference
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.		 Para 1.20 Merry go round had a slight increase in
numbers on roll despite the low birth rate.
Numbers on roll between September 2023
and July 2024
September 2023– 30 on register (16 in
Nursery and 14 in pre-school)
January 2024– 32 on register (16 in Nursery
and 16 in pre-school)
April 2024– 33 on register (16 in Nursery
and 17 in pre-school)
Staffing for Sept 2023 to July 2024
Staffing remained the same with 8 in total –
Kay, Carol, Sharon, Angie, Archana, Nikki,
Abbe and Debbie
Staff Training
Staff attend regular training courses
throughout an academic year as well as in
house training. Courses attended via online
seminar during the past year:
• Food Hygiene
• The Prevent duty
•Child Protection for the Designated

Safeguarding Lead • Safeguarding Training for 7 staff • Transition Level of Need Toolkit 2024 • Speech Sound Development • Supporting Social Communication • Senco Clusters and • Half Termly Closing the Gap Workshops Training is cascaded to all staff at meetings and the information used to reflect on and enhance our practice. Early Years Consultant annual visit Each year the Early Years consultant for North Herts carries out an annual visit, to check how we deliver certain aspects of the EYFS within our setting. Last year, the focus was on how we are effectively promoting maths, within our curriculum and every day activities. She rated us green, which is a GOOD outcome Although this year has been a little difficult financially with our numbers not quite being as high as previous years, it has nonetheless been a good year for Merry Go Round, with actual attendance high and the therefore our final financial statement for the year was not as low as first estimated. We have two new committee members last year, Phil and Hannah who have made a great start and assisted us within the year on various projects With the assistance of one of our former parents we have a new website in place.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against
objectives set		 Para 1.41 Events
The children have had the opportunity to join
in with many educational events over the
year:
• Angie from Creative Chefs came in to do a
healthy eating activity with the Nursery
children. The learning focus was to promote
the importance of eating a rainbow diet.
• The nursery children all played a part in our
Nativity Production and sang for their family
members.
• We held our annual Christmas Party
morning which included the opportunity for
all the children to visit Father Christmas and
receive a gift from him.
• Kevin from Russell Studios Photography
came in to take photos of the children in
March, which earned us £27 commission.
• All the children took part in our main
fundraising event – the Sponsored Easter
Egg Hunt.
• Our annual nursery trip on the train to
Shepreth Wildlife Park, took place on a
lovely day in May.
• The children all had the opportunity to learn
about the life cycle of a butterfly. They were
able to watch our caterpillars grow into
butterflies and see them fly away.
• Our sports day for the nursery class was
held on a lovely sunny morning in June, on
Hartsfield School’s running track, whilst the
pre-school class practiced their physical
skills with obstacle courses and ball games,
in our garden area.
• We had a visit from the local Police
Service, who let the children all have a turn
at sitting in the police car and try on the
police hats.
• During the Summer term and prior to
transition, the nursery children were given
the opportunity to explore Hartsfield’s Early
Years Play area twice a week, for half an
hour. and
• On our last day of term we held a party with
games and party food for snack. All the
children were presented with leavers
certificates and a book and the nursery class
sang some of their favourite action songs, to
their parents, outside in the back garden.
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set		 Para 1.41 Fundraising for the last Academic Year
Christmas Hamper raffle – £210
Hartsfield Winter Fair – £132.50
Egg Hunt and Summer Hamper Raffle –
£410.20 – this generous amount enabled us
to purchase a shape obstacle course to
promote maths and gross motor skills, to
purchase 2 new cameras, a set of number
blocks and 2 dolls pushchairs
We would also like to thank two local
businesses, PG Decorating and Jim ‘Tree
Man’ Caddy for their donations of materials
and time during the summer maintenance.
Investment performance
against objectives		 Para 1.41 n/a
Other

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period		 Para 1.21 Financially this was a much better year than
expected. We had forecast a loss for the
year, we actually made a surplus of nearly
£8k (last year was a £41k loss)
The main reason for the surplus is that,
although child numbers were below our
capacity and numbers were only slightly up
on 2023, extra sessions are based on child
attendance, so the funding increased as the
sessions per child increased.
This surplus has meant that our cash
reserves are back up to over £87k.
As ever we continue to watch our spending,
capital items will only be acquired when
budgeted or obtained via grants or specific
fundraising.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 Para 1.22 Reserves are set aside to
1. Operating shortfalls, and
2. investing in the setting
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 £87k provision for any operating shortfall
and investing in the setting. A substantial
lease provision no longer required in the
short term.
Reasons for holding zero
reserves		 Para 1.22 n/a
Details of fund materially in
deficit		 Para 1.24 n/a
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern		 Para 1.23
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements		 where relevant about:
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)		 Para 1.47 The principal source of funding is from Herts
DC. This year it amounted to 86% of our
income, up on previous years.
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted		 Para 1.46 n/a
A description of the principal Para 1.46 Falling child numbers. These have fluctuated
widely in the past, and fell considerably this
year. We remain protected in the short term
risks facing the charity by our large reserves.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)		 Para 1.25 Constitution
How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)		 Para 1.25 Association
Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees		 Para 1.25 Election

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees		 Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works		 Para 1.51
Relationship with any related
parties		 Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name Merry-Go-Round Under 5’s
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number 1010031
Charity’s principal address The Mobile, Hartsfield School Ground, Clothall Road,
Baldock, SG7 6PN

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

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 Trustee name Office (if any) Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee(if any)
Mr Ian Haydon
Mr GaryCarey Treasurer
Mrs Sheila Ely
Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Signature(s)
SY		 WWweo”*"/
|
Full name(s) Full name(s)Gary Carey Gary Carey
Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer
Chair, etc)
Date7 7thNovember 2025
Merry-Go-Round Under 5's
1010031
CC16a
Receipts andpayments accounts
For the period
from
01/09/2023
To
31/08/2024
— ~~——~~
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Funding
100,649
-
-
100,649
80,058
Fees
20,954
-
-
20,954
12,410
Other Income
1,879
-
-
1,879
4,972
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)123,481
-
-
123,481
97,440
~~ee~~
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table B1).
Bank Interest
799
-
-
799
389
-
-
-
-
-
~~Sub total~~799
-
-
799.18
389.00
Total receipts
124,280
-
-
124,280
97,829
~~S555~~		 389.00
A3 Payments
Wages
96,158
-
-
96,158
93,356
Buildingandpremises
6,408
-
-
6,408
7,008
Utilities
8,127
-
-
8,127
7,005
Supplies
1,753
-
-
1,753
2,072
Food & Activities
2,684
-
-
2,684
2,105
Training& Advertising
160
-
-
160
627
Insurance
883
-
-
883
441
Miscellaneous
244
-
-
244
1,763
Capital
23,983
Sub total 116,416
-
-
116,416
138,361
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total -
-
-
- -
Total payments
116,416
-
-
116,416
138,361
~~=——_ ===~~
~~————————~~
Net of receipts/(payments)
7,864
-
-
7,864
- 40,532
A5 Transfers between funds
-
- -
-
-
A6 Cash funds last year end
79,367
- -
79,367
119,899
Cash funds this year end
87,231
-
- 87,231
79,367
~~===~~

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds 23,851
63,237
143
87,231
Treasurers Account
Business Instant Account
30 day Account
Total cash funds
~~<= ~~		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
~~==~~
(agree balances with receipts and payments (agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s)) OK OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
~~———=~~
Details Fund to which
asset belongs		 Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B3 Investment assets -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
~~===~~
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use		 Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Details
~~a~~
Fund to which Amount due When due
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B5 Liabilities		 liability relates
(optional)
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Date of
approval
07-Nov-25
Details
Signature
Print Name
GaryCarey
~~oun~~

ns , CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's FOR ENGLAND AND WALES report on the accounts

Section A

Independent Examiner’s Report

----- Start of picture text -----
Report to the trustees/ | Charity Name
members of | Merry-Go-Round Under 5's
On accounts for the year | 31% August 2024
ended
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----- Start of picture text -----
Charity no | 1010031
(if any)
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| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

----- Start of picture text -----
* Plea i ese the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: | 7" | 7" 7"
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----- Start of picture text -----
Date: | 7" | 7" 7" November 2025
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----- Start of picture text -----
Name: | PETER ILIAN
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Address: | 6 Rutland Green, Hilton

Huntingdon

Cambs, PE28 9NT

Section B

Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

IER

1

October 2018

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose.

IER

2

October 2018