## nonevbesaod ## **TRUSTEES REPORT 1st September 2019 TO 31st August 2020** ## **Honeybees Preschool** Charity Commission number: 1022441 Charity’s Principal Address:- The Pavillion, King George V Playing Fields. Plumpton Green, Lewes, East Sussex Names of the Trustees for the charity:- Suzanne Crouch Lisa Sanford Toni Saunders Jo Read Andrea Campbell Daren Little Tina Lambert Type of governing document:- 2011 Constitution adopted 23rd May 2016 How the charity is constituted:Unincorporated association Trustee selection methods:- Trustees are appointed or reappointed at the Annual General Meeting as set out in the Constitution. Summary of the objects of the charity as set out in its government document:- To enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability; encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas; instigating and adhering to and further the aims and objections of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation of these objectives:- In planning our activities for the year we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s ## guidance on public benefit. The focus of our activities remains the provision of pre-school education with an emphasis on learning outdoors and ensuring children have a smooth transition into their first year at school. We welcome children regardless of their personal background, faith, gender or personal circumstances. ## Achievements and performance:- Covid 19 closed us from 23rd March until 1st June 2020. During this time our staff team continued to support our families remotely. They created a WhatsApp group, regularly emailed and phoned struggling parents and even did non contract toy drop offs to parents who needed it. Covid hugely affected our fundraising strategy which we need to ensure we achieve the necessary income to meet the expected expenditure. We reopened our doors on 2nd June, first to of our school leavers, who we spilt into two bubbles and offered them one mornings a week to start with. We ran completely outdoors in our woodland area and gradually managed to extend our provision to all children who wished to return. However, we did have to have limit our opening hours to mornings only, limit our numbers and there was no session flexibility for parents as children had to remain in their bubbles. We followed all government guidelines and at all times made sure our staff were happy and safe. Due to our closure we decided to run a successful holiday club for three weeks of the summer holidays, two days a week. This was a chance for the children who had missed so much during lockdown to have some fun and was especially popular with the school leavers. We continue our marketing strategy, including adverts with Grapevine and advertised in shops, Facebook and parish magazines around the local area. This will help us raise our pupil numbers for the autumn 2020. In January 2020 we made the decision to extend our opening hours too 8am until 5pm in the hope to appeal to families who wanted longer days. We run the extra hours as a 8-8.30am early bee session at a set cost and a 3.30-5pm late bee session also at a set cost. We originally planned to trial this for the spring term however because we had to close we decided to carry on the trial in Autumn term 2020. We had a new website designed for us in January 2020. This was a wise investment as our current one was very dated and not user friendly. ## Staffing:- We have the same wonderful staff team and due to us still receiving our funding grants during lockdown we were able to retain and pay our staff. The management has been consistence for the last few years and the team are now strong and cohesive. Two of our staff members are going to be embarking on a postgraduate university course to become Early Years Teachers at Brighton University from September 2020. They are both enrolled on a yearlong course and have qualified for a bursary to help and support them during their studies. Another staff member is also starting a threeyear course in Early Years BA hons also at Brighton University in September 2020. Honeybees will do all we can to support and assist them. ## Fundraising:- Covid 19 made fundraising difficult however we did all we could. We raised a total of £3,718.06 through multiple fundraising events such as the raffles, donations, curry and quiz night, sponsored events and charity shakers on shop counters and in our local pub. We also had two wonderful parents who completed the sponsored London winter walk for us. Statement of the Charity’s policy on reserves:- At the end of the financial year cash at the bank was £34,347.39. The Preschool’s reserves policy continues to be to retain sufficient funds in order to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur and to cover staff and rent costs in the event of reduction in pupil numbers, which usually occurs in the Autumn Term. ## Other Financial Information:- Our biggest cost remains salaries however we believe that it is important to provide good quality experienced staff to ensure the standards continue to improve and also to invest in our existing staff with further training. Our main source of funds continues to be from parents paying fees and also the monies paid by East Sussex Council for the Early Years Entitlement Funding of 15 and 30 hours per week provided for 3 and 4 years olds. We continue to rely on fundraising in order to meet the shortfall in funds, as the majority of our parents only send their children for the free hours. Our opening hours until January 2020 were 8.30am – 3.30pm Monday - Friday term time only. We then started our extended hours trial in January 2020 of 8am-5pm still Monday-Friday term time only. This enables the Preschool to be competitive, offer children the full 30 hours which is essential for income, funding, grants and growth. The Pavilion, King George V Playing Field, Plumpton Green, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3DP Tel: 01273 890 885 / Mob: 07745 570 882 Web: www.honeybeespreschool.co.uk Email:hello@honeybeespreschool.co.uk Charity No 1022441 HONEYBEES PRESCHCXX GROUP INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR END 31ST AUGUST 2020 2019 INCOME Coun￿1 FuTrJino Nursery Fees Sundry Income Prior Year 8dwsln*rt (Insurnn￿) 52690 41742 1217 76769.02 27418.21 1686.41 710.40 106584.04 95649 EXPENDITURE Wages. Tax and Pensix Staff Training Rent Advertising Telephonellntemet BookkeepingProfessI￿8l Fees Consumables l.T. Support General ExFenses Insurance Lewes Waste Website deswJn Printing. Stalionary, PoW8S Subscriptions Li¢ences Unifonr Equipment Aclivilies- Forest S(*thl etc Vleb HoslitVJ 85698 699 4170 329 1165 668 2104 1232 1119 710 351 92802.34 966.4S 2792.00 188.00 976.03 2460.07 82428 835.81 896.65 710.40 468.00 soo.00 118 85 100 455 2860 1165 138.IKI 50.IXI 347.31 174.74 -7379 Suiplusl(DefKi 1376.60 95PA9 106584.04 Fundratsing FundraisiTrJ income brthe year Less Exrenses 7380 -2705 4675 5710.46 -1992.40 3718.06 -2704 SurplusqDeficit) for the year 5094.66 32006 -2704 29302 Opening Balance SurpluSl(Def￿tt) for the year 29302.32 5094.66 34396.98 Represented by Cash at Bank ots Insurance Cash in Hand 29888 -710 124 29302 34347.39 49.59 34396.98 (rREASURER) DATE... Independent examinerfs report to the Trustees of The Honeybees Preschool group I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Honey Bees Preschool Group ('ihe Trusf) for the year ended 31 A￿ust 2020 Responsibilities and basis of report As the Charity Trustees of the Trust Y￿ are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordarrE with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,) I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts caffied out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying ¢JA my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by thè Ch*ity Commission under section 145{5){b) of the Act. Independent examlnef s statement I have rx)mpleted my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention in connecticn with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: accountirvJ records were not kept in res￿1 of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not ￿rd wilh those records. I have no concems and have come aL70SS no other matters in connecticn with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this ￿port in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. SigrEd: Name: Brian Clutterbuck DateJ5 Februwy 2021