Period start date **01 04 2020** **31 03 2021** ## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period end date **From** **To** ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name** River Meadow **Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1027272 **Charity's principal address** Thames Drive Newport Pagnell **Postcode MK16 9DS** ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
1 Sarah Brandon Chair
Lindsay Secretary
2
Buchan
3 Lisa Carvell Treasurer
4 Carmen Riley
5 Laura Walker
6 Jenny Tomblin
7 Susie Harris From November 2020
8 Amy Medrek From November 2020
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name** **Dates acted if not for whole year** March **2012** **TAR** 1 ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Type of governing document Constitution - (eg. trust deed, constitution) Unincorporated Charity How the charity is constituted - (eg. trust, association, company) Trustee selection methods Elected by members/parents at AGM - (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; - the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - relationship with any related parties; - trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. The major risk to the charity is if numbers of children fall and/or cessation or reduction of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG). There are no procedures that can be put in place to manage this situation, other than sticking to our reserves policy to ensure we can meet our commitments in the event of closure. We need to manage budgets carefully to ensure we maintain sufficient leeway to cover annual cost increases and for the short term any COVID-19 related extra costs. This has been noted in this financial year as although we are now able to take 30hr funding and therefore has enabled us to improve our numbers. We have seen a large fall in Breakfast Club income due to the stay-at-home government guidelines resulting in a reduced income year to year of £20K. We stayed open during the COVID shutdown for key children and for the Rising 4’s when numbers were restricted by the government due to COVID-19 and towards the end of the year when we were able to take the children who were willing to come back during COVID. However, this fall in numbers has also greatly affected our income - £14K less than the previous year. There would also be a risk of closure if the Charity were unable to recruit and retain sufficient staff to meet the ratio of staff to children that is required by Ofsted. To minimise this risk the Charity has an ongoing training programme and holds regular March **2012** **TAR** 2 staff meetings in an effort to maintain good staff morale. We have also asked all the staff to undergo an ongoing Mental health training programme. The Trustees and Management Committee maintain a good working relationship with their landlords (the school) but there is a potential risk to the Charity should they decide to terminate our tenancy for whatever reason. This would result in a search for alternative premises or possibly closure, but we do have a notice period of four months to allow time to make alternative arrangements if possible. |**Section C**|**Objectives and activities**| |---|---| |**Summary of the objects**
**of the charity set out in**
**its governing document**
To enhance the development and education of children,
primarily under statutory school age.
**Summary of the main**
**activities undertaken for**
**the public beneft in**
**relation to these objects**
**(include within this**
**section the statutory**
**declaration that trustees**
**have had regard to the**
**guidance issued by the**
**Charity Commission on**
**public beneft)**
Sessional Pre-School and Breakfast Clubin furtherance of the
Public Beneft.

The main income for the charity comes from Nursery Education
Funding, including those in receipt of 2-year-old funding. For the
remaining children, a fee is charged, only at a level sufcient to
cover staf wages and overheads and we aim to match this fee
to the NEG funded rate. Our fees are at a lower rate than
commercial childcare providers. Any surplus that may arise is
re-invested within the charity and used to provide additional
toys, equipment, and activities for the children.
**Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)**
You**may choose**to include
further statements, where
relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;

policy programme related
investment;

contribution made by
volunteers.
The charity is managed by a committee of volunteers,
predominantly parents of the children attending the Pre-school
and Breakfast Club. Parental involvement is also encouraged in
the day to day running of the sessions and fundraising activities.
Whilst this has no monetary value it is vital to the smooth
running of the group.|| ||To enhance the development and education of children,
primarily under statutory school age.| ||Sessional Pre-School and Breakfast Clubin furtherance of the
Public Beneft.

The main income for the charity comes from Nursery Education
Funding, including those in receipt of 2-year-old funding. For the
remaining children, a fee is charged, only at a level sufcient to
cover staf wages and overheads and we aim to match this fee
to the NEG funded rate. Our fees are at a lower rate than
commercial childcare providers. Any surplus that may arise is
re-invested within the charity and used to provide additional
toys, equipment, and activities for the children.| |Section D Achievements and performance|| March **2012** **TAR** 3 Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** Preschool has had a very difficult year due to the ongoing COVID-19 issues. Our waiting list was shorter this year as we were unable to take new children into the ‘bubbles’ just maintaining the children we had, but we have started to take children again from Easter 2021 helping to improve the funding situation. Even so we had a shortfall of £14K compared to the previous covid free year. Numbers for September 2021 look healthy. We will continue to market our preschool during the following year to inform local parents when we have spaces. Lower numbers of unfunded children have been noticed due to the impact of Covid on personal finances and job opportunities, however as we can now take 30hrs funding we are in the position to offer more sessions to the children as soon as they are funded, and the setting is well placed to ride out temporary downturns. Breakfast Club attendance took a massive hit this year (£20K less than the previous year), again to covid restrictions and has been running at cost. This should improve as soon as the government lift restrictions and parents return to work, thus requiring our services once again. We have invested around £3K in garden equipment to start the update of our outside area. We received a grant from Morrisons for the purchase of two light tables, but we had to also contribute £1K towards the cost of this. During this period we have also refurbished our toilets at a cost of £2K. These investments were planned prior to the Covid situation. ## **Section E Financial review** Our reserves policy is to maintain a fund amounting to 5 **Brief statement of the** month’s income, in order to be able to meet our commitments **charity’s policy on** in case the setting has to close for any reason. The reserves **reserves** are fully funded, and potential commitments will be monitored on an annual basis to ensure this remains the case. **Details of any funds materially in deficit** ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: - the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); - how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; - investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. March **2012** **TAR** 4 **Section F Other optional information** ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** Sarah Brandon **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** March **2012** **TAR** 5 ¢HAAIYY COMMISSION FOR f P4f71 ANt) WAlfS Recel ond nts accounts ¢C16a To Scclion A Receipts and payrnents Al Section B Slatcmcnt of assets and Iiahilities at tht end tsl the period fun¢¢ fur CHARITY COMMISSION Indeperbdent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A In(*ependent Examiner s Report 101>2?L 2011 (The￿￿). wjer 145 Lrfthe X•ll wt myewinat(m. I 145(SXbl d thefv IheA# 21 Nam•: VL Y rn•9A7 IER Octobw 2018 Section B Distlosure