
## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** 

**From 1[st] August 2024 to 31[st] July 2025** 

**Charity name: Harrietsham Playgroup Association** 

**Charity registration number: 1021287** 

## **Objectives and Activities** 

|||
|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of<br>the charity as set out in its<br>governing document|The aims of the Pre-school are to enhance the<br>development and education of children primarily under<br>statutory school age by encouraging parents to<br>understand and provide for the needs of their children<br>through community groups and by:<br>(a) offering appropriate play, education and care facilities,<br>family learning and extended hours groups, together with<br>the right of parents to take responsibility for and to<br>become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring<br>that such groups offer opportunities for all children<br>whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability;<br>(b) encouraging the study of the needs of such children<br>and their families and promoting public interest in and<br>recognition of such needs in the local areas;<br>(c) instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and<br>objects of the Pre school Learning Alliance.|
|Summary of the main<br>activities in relation to those<br>purposes for the public<br>benefit, in particular, the<br>activities, projects or<br>services identified in the<br>accounts.|Harrietsham Preschool provides funded and self-funded<br>childcare for families in the area for ages 2-4, preparing<br>children for entry into primary school. It also undertakes<br>fundraising activities in order to help facilitate this<br>provision and improve the learning experience of the<br>children in attendance.|





## **Achievements and Performance** 

|||
|---|---|
|Summary of the main<br>achievements of the charity,<br>identifying the difference the<br>charity’s work has made to<br>the circumstances of its<br>beneficiaries and any wider<br>benefits to society as a<br>whole.|During the financial year 2024-25, Harrietsham<br>Preschool provided high quality care for 41 local<br>families.<br>The children are educated using the Early Years<br>Foundation Stage statutory framework which supports<br>their development in seven different areas:<br>communication and language; personal, social and<br>emotional development; physical development; literacy;<br>mathematics; expressive arts and design; understanding<br>the world. Through these areas, the children are being<br>prepared for school life as well and forming new<br>friendships with children that they will continue their<br>educational journey with throughout their childhood.<br>We have a very good working relationship with<br>Harrietsham Primary School and therefore the transition<br>of the preschool leavers into Reception has been smooth<br>and greatly beneficial to the children.<br>We have supported numerous children with additional<br>needs and have a qualified SENCO to signpost parents<br>to local support centres and ensure the children are<br>receiving the best possible care and start in education.|



## **Financial Review** 

|**Financial Review**||
|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s<br>financial position at the end<br>of the period|This financial year Harrietsham Preschool operating as<br>Harrietsham Playgroup Association closed the year with<br>a loss of £13,287.<br>Like many settings, the Preschool has been negative<br>impacted during 2024-25 increase for staffing costs due<br>to national minimum wage changes, and a reduction in<br>income due to changes in government funding per child.|
|Statement explaining the<br>policy for holding reserves<br>stating why they are held|<br>We hold reserves to ensure that the Preschool can<br>operate within our charitable purposes, and to ensure in<br>worst case scenarios such as redundancy we can<br>provide the required packages for our colleagues. We<br>also hold enough reserves to keep the preschool running<br>for three months without income.|
|Amount of reserves held|£46,237|
|Explanation of any<br>uncertainties about the<br>charity continuing as a going<br>concern|Our key concern for 2025-26 is the additional increase<br>for staffing costs due to further changes to national<br>minimum wage, continued pressures on income due to<br>recent changes to government funding, and the ever<br>increasing cost of energy and consumables.|





As a committee, we are reviewing whether we require to move premises during this financial year. We currently do not know how this will affect the Preschool financially. We will however continue to ensure that we are looking at ways to reduce other overheads to mitigate any negative impact to our financial position. 

## **Additional information (optional)** 

|A description of the principal<br>risks facing the charity|The principal risk facing the Preschool is financial, as<br>described above.|
|---|---|
|Contribution made by<br>volunteers|N/A|
|Other|The preschool is currently looking for new accommodation<br>because our current set up at St John the Baptist Parish<br>Church is not tenable for the church or for the preschool in<br>the long term. This remains a live issue for the Preschool<br>trustees.|



## **Structure, Governance and Management** 

|Type of governing document<br>(trust deed, royal charter)|Pre-school Learning Alliance<br>Model Pre-school Constitution 2011|
|---|---|
|How is the charity<br>constituted?<br>(e.g unincorporated<br>association, CIO)|Unincorporated Charity|
|<br>Trustee selection methods<br>including details of any<br>constitutional provisions e.g.<br>election to post or name of<br>any person or body entitled<br>to appoint one or more<br>trustees|Election by Harrietsham Preschool Committee|



## **Reference and Administrative details** 

|Charityname|Harrietsham PlaygroupAssociation|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|“Harrietsham Preschool”|
|Registered charitynumber|1021287|
|Charity’s principal address|St John the Baptist Church, Marley Rd, Harrietsham,<br>Maidstone ME17 1AX|





## **List of Trustees** 

|1<br>2<br>3<br>4<br>5<br>6<br>7|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**<br>**year**|
|---|---|---|---|
||Michael Johnson|Chair||
||Sophie Arthurs|Treasurer||
||Suzanna Gamwell|Secretary||
||Willow Burford|||
||Charlee Birkby|||
||Chloe Hannon|||
||Jamie Doggett||Started 14 Jan 2025|



## **Other optional information** 

The committee has been taking steps to move from an Unicorporated Charity to a CIO model and is disappointed that this transition did not complete within the financial year due to delays in re-inspection by Ofsted. We anticipates that this transition will be completed in early 2025-6. 

## **Declarations** 

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

**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** 



**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Michael Johnson **Position (eg Secretary,** Chairperson **Chair, etc) Date** May 28, 2026 

## APPENDIX A: ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 



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APPENDIX B: COPY OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT 




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