## **AGM Meeting Minutes Wednesday 5[th] October Church Meeting Room** **Present:** , Sharon Hooper, Sarah Williams, Helen Barham, Leanne Laird, Emma Bult, Claire Woodland, Chloe Worthington, Louise Nicholls, Shelley Rees, Jo Down & Verity Teal **Apologies:** Natasha Willis, Jessica Reeman ## 1 Welcome Chair welcomes everybody and thanks to everyone for coming. 2 Minutes of the previous meeting The chair reads and signs them ## 3 Pre school Leaders Report Well at last we were able to get back to some semblance of “normal”. Numbers of children were ok for a start in September and we progressed through the Autumn term. We managed to fundraise with a fantastic Xmas fayre and the children were able to participate in a Nativity, party & Xmas Lunch. Unfortunately Becky decided on a change in career and went to work as a teaching assistant. We spent a few weeks recruiting and appointed Chloe as an apprentice in Oct and then Jess as Deputy Manager in the New Year. In January the dreaded Covid hit the staff team and we were forced to close for a week. Our stay & Play group on a Wednesday went from strength to strength with a good cohort of regulars. As the rest of the year went on, we maintained our excellent program of activities, with a trip on the Somersun canal boat and outdoor days at the playingfield. We had a lovely day out at Greatwood at the end of the summer term and were joined by many parents. We participated in the Village Festival and even Apex happened which was a bonus and topped up our reserves by £800+! Throughout the summer term I seemed to be continually giving out waiting list forms. By May half term we knew we were on the up from the previous couple of years dip. By June all spaces on 3 days in the next academic year were full until Sept 23. 75% of these new starters were from the stay & play group and only 2 years old. This meant that in September we would start back with more children on the register than we finished in July with. Unheard of in the 40+ year history of Little Steps. We employed Jill & Claire and they will continue into next year. The school leavers had their transition visits, and all settled in well in September and I was immensely proud of them all. We are starting to rebuild our good links with the school next year as a new head teacher Debbie Leach is in post and seems to have Early Years very much at the Registered Charity No. 1021256 heart of the lower school. This can only be a good thing in my view and I will be fostering this relationship as much as I possibly can. By working closely we are able to develop a strong partnership which pays dividends not only during the year but when it comes to the transition for the children starting full time education, in the same way Stay & play has helped with the transition into preschool. I would to thank you, the committee for your efforts in helping me take Little Steps forward in a very professional manner. Without their support & understanding of the early years requirements, we wouldn’t be able to achieve this. I sometimes feel I am just repeating what I said last year (or copying & pasting!) but in all honesty we have a formula that works and I mean every word. Saving the best till last, and most importantly, I must say a big thankyou to all the staff who always give 110% and are a real asset to Little Steps always going “above & beyond”. I really appreciate and value their input, enthusiasm & motivation in making Little Steps a place for us to be proud of! ## 4 Treasurers Report Looking back on our last financial year – the pre-school is booming. Our income jumped from £40,000 in the last comparable year (pre-covid) to over £70,000 in this past year. We have had an influx of younger children which is brilliant news for the pre-school and as Helen has just said, we are now nearly full. Opening on a Friday has made quite a difference and the breakfast club continues to bring in a good amount of money each month. Fundraising for the year brought in £3700 with the hundred club again being a huge success along with a phenomenal amount raised at the apex this year so well done to all involved. We have had to employ more members of staff so our wages for this year has jumped up to £54,000 compared to last years £33,000. We now have 7 members of staff and are currently advertising for two more. Rent increased along with the cost of electricity and other household goods so we have seen our rent and utilities payment increase to just under £5000 in comparison to £3000 last year. We were able to transfer £4,500 to our savings account last September and will likely do similar this year as we continue to make sure we have enough in our drawings account to cover us for emergency closure plans and for any other eventualities. The books for this past financial year are now ready to go into the auditor but the figures at the moment show us turning a profit of £1263. Which is great. So long as we can cover our costs and continue to staff well and to carry on providing an excellent learning environment and continue to invest in new items and training for staff that is all that we want. We opened September 2021 with a bank balance of £8409 and we closed September 2022 with a balance of £5173. Registered Charity No. 1021256 ## 5 Chairs Report Helen is the backbone of the pre-school. The committee is incredibly grateful to her efforts both with the pre-school and with the fundraising. Credit to the staff and we are happy with how the pre-school is running. We like to invest everything back into the pre-school. The pre-school is getting very busy and we need to continue to grow and be successful. ## 6 Election of New Committee Position Nominee Proposed by Second by Chair Sharon Hooper Helen Barham Emma Bult Treasurer Verity Teal Sharon Hooper Helen Barham ## **Committee Members** Sharon Hooper Helen Barham Claire Woodland Chloe Worthington Verity Teal Emma Bult Leanne Laird Natasha Willis Jo Down Louise Nicholls Sarah Williams – Book keeper/Accounts administrator ## 7 AOB Stay and play has been the lifeline for the pre-school, we have so many new children through from the group so really pleased. No other business. Registered Charity No. 1021256 Little Steps Pre-school Annual Accounts Income Sept 2021- Aug 2022 OPENING BALANCE £8409.77 Month Grants £10 542.03 £335.96 £0.00 £2 695.58 £14 362.49 £114.96 £2 129.81 £15 999.04 £826.45 £0.00 £4 158.80 £0.00 £51165.12 Fees £893.35 £617.58 £869.93 £366.76 £463.89 £802.46 £1341.85 £1348.56 £1413.44 £86Q,40 £613.10 £1357.69 £10 949.01 B Club £151.00 £544.00 £196.00 £664.00 £216.00 £429.10 £756.00 £394.80 £243.20 £406.00 £414.00 £411.40 £4 825.50 FR £260.00 £25.00 £120,00 £670,00 £0.00 £0.00 £32,63 £1480,00 £150.00 £0.00 £0.00 £993,90 £3 731.53 Ml8c £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £150.00 £0.00 £O.DO £0.00 £150.00 Total £11846.38 £1522.54 £1185.93 £4 396.34 £15 042.38 £1346,52 £4 260.29 £19 222.40 £2 783.09 £1266.40 £5 185.90 £2 762.99 £70 821.16 Lloyds Current Acc Openlng Balance £8,409.77 Ocl Nov Dec Jan F8b Mar Plus Incom• {S8pt . Aug} £70,821.16Z- Plus Transfors from Current Account Less Transfers lo Curyent Accounts £0.00 £4,500.00- Mlnu8 Expondlture £69,557.34- Jun Jul C1081ng balance 31.08.2021 £5,173.59 Proflt l Lo88 £0,173.59 TOTALS Lloyds Savlng8 Acc Oponlng Balance Plus Transf&r8 from Currant Account L88$ Tran8for8 to Current Account Plu8 Interest £8,505.34- £4,500.00- £0.00 Little Steps Pre-school Expenditure Sept 21- Aug 2022 i..si £13,005.•tr 1 5 f I 8alan¢e Month WJ £3116.48 £3 446.80 £3 375.83 £3 707.12 £4 122.36 Admln £77.00 £170.50 £0.00 £203.50 £132.00 Consum £109.18 £41.23 £149.58 £41.93 £69.65 Rènt iUtllltla¥ £292.61 £293.09 £0.00 £582.10 £340.87 TralnlProff £50.00 £267.25 £0.00 £182.04 £142.93 FR £0.00 £0.00 £62.04 £0.00 Other £11.30 £209.20 £40.82 £102.76 TOTAL £4 108.30 £4 886.86 £3 944.99 £5 343.69 £451.73 £458,79 £266,72 £524.24 £63.59 £0.00 £0.00 £50.00 £0.00 £0.00 Ocl Nov Dee Jan jilll:IITIIII £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £62.04 Feb Mar £424.15 £o,00 £144.00 £583.05 £34.55 £171.70 £129.40 £0.00 £1850,93 £4071.11 £5 007.48 £5 004.35 £5 504.07 £5 880.70 £5675.13 £5 601.41 £54 512.84 £5 295.55 £5 070.19 £6 851,85 £6 383,48 £6 733.50 £7 377.49 £6 597.76 £6 963.68 £69 557.34 £148.50 £77.00 £187.00 £149.50 £240.14 £0.00 £204.13 £1589.27 £0.00 £170.00 £100.13 £72.44 £78.82 £142.60 £92.25 £1067.81 £736.46 £837.92 £228.38 £426.38 £140.73 £181.45 £583.71 £4900.10 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £50.OQ £24.90 £551.45 £280.57 £424.56 £781.40 £434.18 £482.18 £4487.91 £89.22 £64.00 £0.00 £122.00 £84.00 £35.00 £0.00 £1036.44 Ma Jun Jul TOTALS CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Rgport to tho trustees On accounts for the year onded Ch8rity no (if any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my èxaminats-on of the accounts of thè above charity 1.the Trust") for the year ended As the charitys trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (-the Act-i- I report in respect of my examination of the Twst's accounts carried OLrt under seclion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all Ihe applicable Directions given by the Charity Commlssion under section 145151(bl of the Act. Independent tThe charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualrfied member of linsert name of applicable listed bodyll. Delete I l rf not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with Ihe examination (other than that disclosed below") which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. the accountlng records were nol kept in accordance ￿th section 130 of the Charlties Act., or Ihe accounts did not accord wth the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply wth the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charilies (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair. view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which anention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets il they do not apply. Date: Re8ponstbilitlos and basis of report Slgnod: Name: Rel8vant professional qualificationlsl or body IER Oct 2018 (if any): Address: Section B Disclosure Only complete rf Ihe examiner needs to highlight matèrial matters of concern {see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). GIV8 haro briof d•tai18 of any items that tho xaminer wishes to dlsclo88. IER Oct 2018