St John’s Playtime Pre-School
Annual Report and Financial Statements for year ended 31 March 2024 Charity Number: 1027030
Reference and Administrative details
Trustees
Miss Polly Fyfe (Chairperson) Mrs Joanne Wilder Mrs Chantelle Constable Miss Tayler Smith Miss Chloe Dade Miss Natalie Bailey
Charity Contact
Mrs M Oakes St John’s Playtime Pre-School St John’s United Reformed Church 1 Cowper Street Ipswich IP4 5JD
Registered Charity number
1027030
Bankers
HSBC 12 Tavern Street Ipswich IP1 3AZ
Independent Examiner
Mr Richard Wallace St John’s United Reformed Church 1 Cowper Street Ipswich IP4 5JD
1
Structure, governance and management
St John’s Playtime Pre-School is an unincorporated charity originally established under its constitution on 13 May 1992. It became a registered charity on 13 October 1993 and is governed by its trustees who meet on a regular basis. The current trustees are stated on the previous page.
Further trustees may be appointed at any time, at the discretion of the trustees. A new trustee would receive copies of the constitution, the latest annual report and accounts and relevant guidance publications from the Charity Commission.
Objectives and activities
The charity’s objectives are to enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups.
Public benefit
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance given by the Charity Commission on Public Benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Chairperson’s Report for 2023 – 2024
Unfortunately, due to a poor Ofsted rating in November 2023 we were unable to enrol new children until the beginning of June 2024 when our ‘Good’ Ofsted rating was reinstated. This has had a knockon effect on our finances and we have lost a substantial amount of money due to this. We hope this next financial year will allow us to begin to rebuild our pre-school, recruit more children and bring in a more stable income.
Our expenditure, £147,970, exceeded our total income of £128,806. The two main sources of income were from Suffolk County Council where we received grants totalling £94,740 and a total of £24,635 from private fees. The main source of expenditure was staff wages totalling £101,782 and a total of £11,980 in rental costs. At the end of this financial year, we finished with an unfortunate loss of £19,165.
Miss Polly Fyfe (Committee Chairperson)
2
Financial Review
The charity’s financial activities for the year are shown in the receipts and payments below and on page 4. The main sources of income were grants from Suffolk County Council and fees paid by parents.
The charity’s expenditure exceeded income by £19,164.54 for the year leaving bank and cash balances to carry forward of £5,657.93.
| Receipts and Payments | Account for the period ended 31 March 2024 | Account for the period ended 31 March 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total (£) | 2023 Total (£) |
|
| Receipts | ||
| Grants | 94,739.69 | 99,859.34 |
| Fees | 24,635.02 | 30,217.50 |
| Fundraising | 1,189.25 | 1,161.50 |
| Miscellaneous Income | 7,439.07 | 10,757.83 |
| Donations | 341.20 | 730.65 |
| T Shirt & Jumper Income | 0.00 | 15.00 |
| Trip Income | 461.50 | 588.00 |
| Bank Interest | 258.32 | 48.44 |
| ------------ | --------------- | |
| Total receipts | 128,805.73 | 143,378.26 |
| Payments | ||
| Wages | 101,781.78 | 104,118.18 |
| Activities | 360.96 | 459.68 |
| Premises | 11,980.00 | 11,040.00 |
| Administration | 2,774.61 | 3,298.65 |
| Miscellaneous | 16,119.82 | 368.45 |
| Insurance | 886,96 | 783.88 |
| Consumables & Equipment | 11,346.91 | 5,957.04 |
| T Shirts and Jumpers | 0.00 | 243.10 |
| Trips | 742.50 | 331.00 |
| Courses | 501.00 | 704.06 |
| Snack | 1,475.73 | 1,686.17 |
| ------------- | --------------- | |
| Total payments | 147,970.27 | 128,990.75 |
| Profit/Loss |
- 19,164.54 | 14,339.61 |
3
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2024
| 2024 Total (£) | 2023 Total (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| Current assets | ||
| Bank current account | 5,657.93 | 24,883.52 |
| Bank deposit account | 16,345.49 | 11,087.17 |
| Cash in hand | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| ----------- | ------------- | |
| 22,003.42 | 35,970.69 | |
| Liabilities | ||
| PAYE & NI | 3,736.59 | 581.61 |
The Receipts and Payments Account on page 3 and the above Statement of Assets and Liabilities above were shown to and approved by the trustees on 21[st] January 2025 and signed on their behalf by Polly Fyfe (Committee Chairperson).
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of St John’s Playtime Pre-school
I report on the accounts of the pre-school for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 3 to 4.
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 year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
4
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met, or:
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Richard Wallace
Treasurer for St John’s United Reformed Church St John’s United Reformed Church, 1 Cowper Street, Ipswich, IP4 5JD
21[st] January 2025
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