Meadowlands Pre-School
Reg. Charity No. 1024742
Annual Chair of Trustees Report 2022/23
Aims;
The aims of the pre-school are 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 :
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(a) 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, means or ability;
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(b) 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;
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(c) Instigating and adhering to and furthering such aims and objects of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.
This last year has been a challenging year to say the least. We have been hit very hard by the cost of living crisis, with a significant increase in our energy costs and the continuing rise in food prices for the snacks we provide for our children. We have had a very small increase in the funding for each child, which comes nowhere near to the rise in inflation, and the increase in the minimum wage nationally has inevitably lead to us making a loss this year.
Once again, our fantastic staff have rolled up their sleeves, and got on with the business of looking after our children, and preparing them for the move up to “big school”.
There have been a few staff changes lately, one of our inclusion workers left at the beginning of June and another of our inclusion workers will be leaving us at the end of the month, and we have another member leaving at the end of term. Our only lunch staff member will be leaving at the end of July also. The two co-managers will be covering the lunch period from September on a trial basis, this will relieve us of taking recruiting more lunch staff at this time, so minimising the risk of having to let them go later down the line if our finances do not improve. This situation will be monitored until the October half term, when a decision will be made as to how to proceed from then on.
Our fundraising got off to a good start, with the Halloween disco proving to be a resounding success and my thanks go out to all of the parents who got involved with the organisation of the event. The children will be going out to visit Church Farm later this month, and some parents/carers will be accompanying our staff for the visit.
Last year we received a donation of £16k from a setting that had closed down, the money is being spent on facilities for the children, as stipulated in the donation, and we are currently in the process of costing new flooring throughout the building and also new tables. We have just bought a new climbing frame and that is now being used by the children in the garden area.
In my report last year I informed you all of the inspection we had from OFSTED, and we were awaiting their report. I am pleased to say that we were awarded the status of a GOOD PROVIDER. This goes to prove how good our staff are, in fact, the inspector said that she would have no problem sending her own children to our setting. High praise indeed. Well done to you all, and a big “THANKYOU” from myself and the other trustees.
At the time of writing the future is not clear as to how our costs can be brought down, we need a big uplift in the amount of funding we receive per child from central government. Last year I was writing about how we would be taking on extra staff, sadly we are now seeing staff leave. September will bring a full intake.
After a lot of heart searching, I have decided the time is now approaching when I will step down as Chair, and I would like that to be in the spring of next
year, I will however stay on until a new Chair has been appointed. I have enjoyed my time with the wonderful staff at Meadowlands pre-school, and thank each and everyone of you for your loyalty, work ethic and dedication to the setting. Once again I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your unselfish efforts during the last 12 months.
Steve Hunter (Chair) June 2023.
Final 11/06/2023
Meadowlands Pre-School
Registered Charity Number 1024742
Accounts for the Period Ended
31 August 2022
Meadowlands Pre-School Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Approval statement | 2 |
| Profit and loss account | 4 |
| Balance sheet | 5 |
| Notes to the accounts | 6 |
Meadowlands Pre-School Registered Charity Number 1024742
Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts
Report to the trustees of Meadowlands Pre-School on the accounts for the period ended 31st August 2022 set out on pages 2 and 3
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is our responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
-
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
-
state whether particular matters have come to our attention.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
Our examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In the course of our examination, no matter has come to our attention:
1 - which gives us reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
-
proper accounting records are kept in accordnance with section 130 of the Act; and
-
accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or
2 - to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Lounds & Co Chartered Accountants 01/06/2023
367 Chester Road Little Sutton Ellesmere Port Cheshire CH66 3RQ
1
Meadowlands Pre-School Registered Charity Number 1024742 Income and Expenditure Account Period Ended 31 August 2022
| Sales Funding Fees Inclusion Fundraising Bank interest received Expenditure Accountancy fees Cleaning Clothing Costs Bank Interest and Charges DBS Checks Educational equipment and materials Excursions and subsistence Fire Extinguishers Food and drink Insurance costs Light, heat and water Ofsted Postage and stationery Premises Expenses Rent Repairs and maintenance Staff Salaries Staff training and welfare Subscriptions Telephone Excess of expenditure over income for the period |
2022 £ 126,276 11,574 6,768 16,551 6 161,175 1,585 826 (21) 119 234 11,479 430 159 1,622 2,025 4,554 50 1,572 5,570 500 1,393 127,932 298 288 1,026 161,641 (466) |
2021 £ 129,397 2,532 19,321 20 6 151,276 1,188 706 622 90 143 3,040 - 108 1,162 1,990 3,284 50 1,781 3,221 500 7,170 122,262 944 341 1,231 149,833 1,443 |
|---|---|---|
2
Meadowlands Pre-School Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2022
| Current assets Trade Debtors Sundry Debtors Current account Deposit account Petty Cash Current liabilities Accruals and Creditors Net assets General Fund Balance at start of period Excess of Expenditure over income |
2022 £ 163 - 8,584 39,479 5 48,231 (3,935) 44,296 44,763 (467) 44,296 |
2021 £ 225 3,845 11,245 33,374 13 48,702 (3,939) 44,763 43,320 1,443 44,763 |
|---|---|---|
3
Final 11/06/2023
Meadowlands Pre-School
Registered Charity Number 1024742
Accounts for the Period Ended
31 August 2022
Meadowlands Pre-School Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Approval statement | 2 |
| Profit and loss account | 4 |
| Balance sheet | 5 |
| Notes to the accounts | 6 |
Meadowlands Pre-School Registered Charity Number 1024742
Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts
Report to the trustees of Meadowlands Pre-School on the accounts for the period ended 31st August 2022 set out on pages 2 and 3
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is our responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
-
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
-
state whether particular matters have come to our attention.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
Our examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In the course of our examination, no matter has come to our attention:
1 - which gives us reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
-
proper accounting records are kept in accordnance with section 130 of the Act; and
-
accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or
2 - to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Lounds & Co Chartered Accountants 01/06/2023
367 Chester Road Little Sutton Ellesmere Port Cheshire CH66 3RQ
1
Meadowlands Pre-School Registered Charity Number 1024742 Income and Expenditure Account Period Ended 31 August 2022
| Sales Funding Fees Inclusion Fundraising Bank interest received Expenditure Accountancy fees Cleaning Clothing Costs Bank Interest and Charges DBS Checks Educational equipment and materials Excursions and subsistence Fire Extinguishers Food and drink Insurance costs Light, heat and water Ofsted Postage and stationery Premises Expenses Rent Repairs and maintenance Staff Salaries Staff training and welfare Subscriptions Telephone Excess of expenditure over income for the period |
2022 £ 126,276 11,574 6,768 16,551 6 161,175 1,585 826 (21) 119 234 11,479 430 159 1,622 2,025 4,554 50 1,572 5,570 500 1,393 127,932 298 288 1,026 161,641 (466) |
2021 £ 129,397 2,532 19,321 20 6 151,276 1,188 706 622 90 143 3,040 - 108 1,162 1,990 3,284 50 1,781 3,221 500 7,170 122,262 944 341 1,231 149,833 1,443 |
|---|---|---|
2
Meadowlands Pre-School Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2022
| Current assets Trade Debtors Sundry Debtors Current account Deposit account Petty Cash Current liabilities Accruals and Creditors Net assets General Fund Balance at start of period Excess of Expenditure over income |
2022 £ 163 - 8,584 39,479 5 48,231 (3,935) 44,296 44,763 (467) 44,296 |
2021 £ 225 3,845 11,245 33,374 13 48,702 (3,939) 44,763 43,320 1,443 44,763 |
|---|---|---|
3