|~|~||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Summary
of Ihe main
achievements
of Ihe charity
during the year|||HARTISIG VILLAGE PRESCHOOL GROUP
Chair's Report 2020—2021
Tamsin Cormack - Chair ofthe Preschool Committee||| ||||20 xJuly 2021||| ||||The last academic year has been another
difficult one to negotiate,
with||| ||||Ihe majanty
of the year being spent
in some fomi of lackdown
due to the||| ||||conhnuing
prevalence
of Covid-19. As an Early Years Setbng, the||| ||||expectation
was for vs to remain
open throughout
and that has been both||| ||||rewarding
and challenging.
The number
ofchildren
attending
aver the||| ||||last year has nsen steadily
(we began the year with I7 cihildren
on roll,||| ||||and ended
this term with 26)
We have also found the number
ofdays||| ||||clxldren
have attended across the week has increased —this is a dimcl||| ||||result of Ihe second penod of home schooling
wilh younger
siblings
being||j| ||||harder to entertain
at home, caupled
with Ihe expectation
for the nation|to|i| ||||wark from home
Unfortunately,
as many ofthese children were rising|Ss|| ||||it has resulted
in only a small amount
of increased
revenue.
This is due||| ||||to the disparity
between
government
funding
for Ihese hours and the
actual cost lo the preschool ofthese children
attending||| ||||Leanne and her team have conlinued
to run lhe setting
with energy and||| ||||enthusiasm
even with new systems
and protocols
in place
They spent||| ||||last summer
preparing
- wnkng a detailed
nsk assessmenl
and setting up||| ||||systems
ter ensurmg
toys. resources,
the hall and ils furniture
were||~| ||||cleaned
regularly
and thoroughly.
The whOle routine
ol ths day had ta|be|| ||||rejiggad la allow time for this.||| ||||I would
like to thank staff (or Ihwr positivity
towards
keeping the||| ||||preschool open.
Al a bme when the majorily ofthe country was being||| ||||lold to 'Stay Home and Save Lives, our preschool slaff were being told||| ||||by the gavernment
to 'get on vnlh It'. The positive attitude oi staff||| ||||members
and Iheir willingness
to adapt their practice snd the sst up was||| ||||Incredible
and
I am so grateful
to Ihe four Of them.||| ||||I would also like to take this opportunity
to thank the Village Hall||| ||||Committee
for the last two yearn ofsupport, espeaally
during ths initial
2020 summer
loclcdown.
We had so few children
attending
and we were||| ||||given a rent reduction
and allowed to vse the smaller space in the hall||| ||||We lost a considerable
amount
of money last academic year and would||| ||||have been ln a very difficul situation
had Ihers not been Ihis flexibility
on||| ||||aur overheads,
We ers very grateful
for this as at this lime we had bath||| ||||key worker children and extremely
vulnerable
children
attending,
we had||| ||||put two members
of staff on furlough
ana were closed to Ihe majanty
of||| ||||children
resulting
in a loss ofmcoms||| ||||The committee
have nal been able lo run fundralsing
events as we have||| ||||in the past. which again has affected our income.
The loss of Ihe||| ||||Festiwtiss
stall for the last two ysara has meant
that a huge chunk of||| ||||money we expect lo raise annually
wasnI there.
We tried to think||| ||||creabvely
and within restrictions
and ran a vary successful,
socially||| ||||disbsnced
Chnstmas
event
We arganised
a raffle wilh pnzss donated
many local businesses
and individuals.
We also had some stalls open
affer school
in the week leading
up to the snd oi term and as a result|by|| ||||raised just over K1.000 —a staggenng amount.||| ||||I would like lo thank staff. the members
ofthe committee
and ths local||| ||||March 2012||| ||community
for supporting
us so generously
in this event.
We have also|community
for supporting
us so generously
in this event.
We have also| |---|---|---| ||held some smaller events over the summer
term as restnctions
have|| ||started
lifting —selling ice lollies after school on sunny days, a sponsored|| ||'Toddle Waddle'up
on Harling
Down as well as selling tea towels with|| ||children's
pictures on.|| ||This academic
year has again brought
with
it unforeseen
challenges.
but|| ||the staff, committee
and children
have nsen lo the challenge.
We have|| |'|continued
with the measures
to ensure
social distanang
at drop off and|| |[ collection, we have continued
to ensure
ngorous hygiene measures
are
, in place and we have organised
events to raise money
within the||| |'|guidance
gwen to us from the government.
The children
have bean|| |,
~|incredible —Iheir resilience. thea enloyment
enthusiasm
and posilivlty|| |! has been inspmng
for us all
When our oldest children
had their||| |! graduation
last Monday
it was very emouonal —for the parents
and
( careis as well as for the children.
They have formed a very tight knit
, group and developed
such strong relationships
with the staff at the
,'preschool
The parents
are also extreinely
grateful
that the setting was||| ||able to remain open at a time when everything
else was closed down.|| |I The members
of staff have cared for the children
like their own and been
, a constant
in a very unsetthng
time.||| ||What we have learnt over the last two years ls that Harli5ng
Preschool|is| ||part of an incredible
community;
il has a fantastic staff team and|| |i wonderfully
supportive
famihes.
We look forward to the future and know||| ||that we can deal with whatever
lies ahead.|| ||Hartlng Toddler Group|| ||Over the last lerm, Lesnne and her team have set up and run lhe Harting|| ||Toddler Group.
This had stopped
due to a lack ofvolunteers,
bul is now|| ||up and running
again.
The team have worked
hard togain interest on|| ||Sowal media and in the local community.
At the start. the government|| ||limited
numbers
at baby groups to 15and the group was full every week|| ||—often with a waiting
list!|| ||Since restnctions
have lifted, the group has continued
to be busy, with an|| ||average of14families attending
each week,
The feedback so tar has|| ||been incredibly
positive and so the group
will conbnue
in September.|| ||I One of the positive results ofthis group
is that two families have signed|| ||' their toddlers
up for at least two sessions a week at preschool this term,|| ||, with another two families hoping to send their children
in September.|| ||', Treasurer's
re ort to Hartin
Preschool
AGM - December 2021|| ||The cash summary
ofthe accounts for Ihe pened
1 September 2020to|| ||31 August 202t is attached
for your perusal.
These figures are correct|| ||and reconciled tothe bank account
There were no Invoices outstanding|| ||in rasped offee payments
or expenses.
I have pmvided a companson|to| ||the last year figures as it helps to understand
the impact of the Covid-19|| ||over the last two years, and to show the recovery which is happening.|| ||The balance for the year has increased
by 25,113. This is extremely|| ||good gwen part ofthe finanaal
pened was affected by Covid restrictions|| ||and there was a tendency,
understandably,
for new children
to start a|| ||liNe later in the academic year once restnctions
had been lifted.|| |So, although
the fee income is higher this year (due to closures in the|| |---|---| |previous
year),
I would have expected Ihem
in 'normal'
times tobe even|| |higher|| |It is also important
to note that there are two insurance
payments
(ie.2x|| |E800) included
in these accountS aS the 2019/20 paymenl
was paid later|| |than normal.|| |There were also purchases
ofnew mini ipads and hand washing
stations|| |in this year amounting
to about E1,100. These are included
within|| |Stationery,
printing
&postage; and Repairs
& maintenance
respectively.|| |Takmg this into account, the surplus of income over expendrlure
of|| |ES 113is extremely good.|| |The closing cun'ent account balance at 31August 2021 isE24 122with|a| |further E20,664 held in the deposit account.|| |LLkl
LF
d|| |The numbers
ot children
adendmg
pre-school are good. and we|| |anliwpate
this trend
will continue.
Obviously,
any further closure due to|| |the Covid-19 would impact heavity
on the finances,
bul we have to hope|| |this won't happen.|| |Our current bank balance at 6 December 2021 stands st E16,050, and|| |we are expecting a large receipt in respect ofWSCC vouchers
in the next|| |couple ofdays.
in the region ofE8000or more.
I therefore anticipate the|| |balance at 31 December to be back in excess of E20k once salanes
have|| |been paid.|| |There is an outstanding
debtor, for an amount ofE882, owed to the pre-|| |school by a parent who's child is no longer at pre-school.
The situation|is| |difficult and it is very unlikely
that payments
wili be forthcoming.
The|| |committee
will need to consider whether
any action should be taken to|| |recover these tees.|| |I would
like to say how much
I appreciate
the help from Leanne who is|| |very organ wed and feeds me with all the information
I need in a timely|| |manner.
i would also hke to thank all the staff at pre-school, they are|| |always
welcoming
and it is a pieasure to work with them.|| |hlany thanks|| |Trish Walker, Treasurer|| |March 2012|| ## ## ## ##