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2022-07-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 01 August 2021 31 July 2022 From To Section A Reference and administration details Charity name Bridge Village Playgroup Other names charity is known by - Registered charity number (if any) 1029286 Charity's principal address Bridge Village Hall High Street Bridge Postcode CT4 5JZ

Section A Reference and administration details

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

----- Start of picture text -----
Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled
Trustee name Office (if any)
year to appoint trustee (if any)
Sarah Pinnington Manager Sarah stood down as
Manager at the end of
1 the year and has taken
on the role of Chair for
2022-2023.
Elspeth (Eppa) Treasurer
2
Hummerstone
Kayleigh Chair Kayleigh resigned as
3 Woodward Chair mid year in 2021-
22
4 Odette Johnson
Holly Broadley Joined in September
2021. Holly acted as
5
Secretary for a few
months in 2022.
Carla Devereaux Secretary Carla joined the
Committee in September
2021. Carla changed role
6 to Acting Chair when
Kayleigh left, but has
now returned to being
the Secretary
Helen Bridger / Member Helen joined the
7 Shillito committee in September
2021
Katie Johnson Member Katie has been on the
8 Committee since
January 2022
12
13
14
----- End of picture text -----

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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees) Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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

Constitution (Pre-School Learning Alliance) Type of governing document 1 May 2018 (eg. trust deed, constitution)

Unincorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted

We ask parents if they would like to join, and then we nominate them to Trustee selection methods become trustees in a Committee Meeting (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

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Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the
charity set out in its
governing document
Summary of the main
activities undertaken for the
public benefit 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
benefit)		 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:
(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 involve in the activities of such groups,
ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their
race, culture, religion, means or ability;
(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;
(c) instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and objects of the Pre-
school Learning Alliance.
Bridge Village Playgroup is a charity-run pre-school that operates out of the
Village Hall in Bridge. We employ 6 members of staff who have all been with
the Pre-school for many years, and are very experienced and well-regarded
in the community. Our primary activity is to provide early-years education for
children aged 2 to 4.
As a charity-run pre-school we actively encourage parents to get involved in
the running of the pre-school through the Committee, which includes current
and ex-parents of children at the pres-school.
The pre-school Manager keeps in close contact with the Early Years
specialist team at Kent County Council to ensure that we are compliant with
all requirements from Ofsted and are meeting the needs of all children
attending the setting.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and use the local
authority tracking system to track and follow the childrens’ progress.
Monitoring/ tracking kids
An indication of some of the activities undertaken at the pre-school are as
follows:
- walks around the village and trips to the local recreation ground for outdoor
play activities. These are aimed at allowing the children to develop their
gross motor skills and give them an opportunity to run, climb and explore
their natural environment.
- trips to the local allotment to grow vegetables, observe growth and changes
and to develop their Understanding of the World; one of the areas of the
curriculum.
- sensory play activities to encourage discussion around the child’s
experience of engaging in these activities, to help develop their verbal skills
- role-play activities including dressing up, and setting up different themed
areas such as a travel agent, shop, etc.
- numeracy activities to aid early development of counting and general
understanding of number as well as shape and space. Many of these
activities are also explored in our outdoor environment where we have
access to sand and water play; activities which also extend their scientific
understanding.
- early phonics activities with stories which also focus on developing all
aspects of Phase one phonics ie alliteration, voice sounds, rhythm and
rhyme.
- those children who will be attending Primary School the following
September, also have a focused morning carpet session which are planned
because of observations carried out over the week and target their specific
needs. These sessions are also aimed at providing them with small
challenges and extend their learning, as well as preparing them for school
readiness.

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During this academic year we have continued with certain measures to ensure the safety of staff and children in relation to Covid-19, such as :

Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning the charity’s activities

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

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Section D Achievements and performance

The pre-school had been in significant financial difficulty due to the Summary of the main ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and due to a historic shortfall in cashflow. achievements of the charity Furthermore, the Manager of the pre-school who had been in place for during the year 25years announced that she would be retiring in July 2021. The Committee worked incredibly hard to turn around the financial situation of the pre-school. In August 2021, the new Treasurer prepared a Business Plan to identify measures that the pre-school could undertake in order to improve its profitability and return it to a viable business. The Committee have done an exceptional amount of fundraising to restore a financial reserve, providing security for the staff and trustees. The preschool Manager and Committee have also worked hard to build up the number of children attending the preschool through marketing, advertising, fundraising events etc. The business had a much needed review of its pricing structure to improve income but also remain competitive. The Committee have applied for numerous grants to enable the preschool to improve its offering, purchase new materials and equipment, and provide the children with educational outings and experiences without impacting the finances of the business.

The pre-school has recruited new staff despite a very difficult market. Due to personal reasons, the Manager had to resign from the role, leaving at the end of the academic year. The Committee were able to promote an existing employee to be the new Manager for 2022-23, ensuring the preschool could continue in safe hands. The committee undertook training in order to carry out this recruitment process. Overall it has been a year of huge success and a lot of hard work for the trustees and staff at pre-school.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

Details of any funds materially in deficit

The pre-school was very recently operating with a minimal financial reserve that was not sufficient to cover costs should the charity need to dissolve. Furthermore, the pre-school sector is struggling to remain viable, and is vulnerable to financial difficulty. The charity is therefore keen to build up a stronger financial reserve to provide protection from ongoing challenges in the sector.

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

Fundraising has been a principal source of income in 2021-22, through events such as colouring competitions, boot fairs, children’s activities at a festival, school and village fetes, clothes collections, Christmas raffle, coffee mornings etc.

The pre-school has operated with a strict policy regarding expenditure this year, with the Manager asked to keep all expenses to essentials only. All purchases of financial significance have been funded through grants.

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)
Position (eg Secretary, Chair,
etc)
Date		 Eppa Hummerstone
Sarah Pinnington
Eppa Hummerstone
Sarah Pinnington

Treasurer
Chair
24.01.23
24.01.23

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Bridge Village Playgroup

AGM – Tuesday 6[th ] September 2022

Chairperson Report

- 2021 2022 Year

2021 – 2022 was a good year for the playgroup.

We started in a fragile position – in terms of both staffing and number of children attending.

But as year as progressed, both numbers increased.

The nursery practice has improved – it is now more forward thinking and more in line with other settings.

A good number of children attended the setting and all developed very well, and at a recognised pace.

The learning and development were not impacted by changing circumstances of staffing, covid, illness, bereavements etc.

The provision is strong.

Staff are more involved in the operations of the playgroup and there is more openness and transparency. E.g. staff understanding their pay slip, all knowing the cupboard.

Sarah left the manager role over the summer, and Julia has now taken on this responsibility. Julia will continue to take the playgroup forward (see below for year ahead)

At the AGM in July 2022, the accounts and annual report for the year 2020-2021 were approved.

Once the accounts for the financial year 2021-2022 are available, they will be presented to the committee along with an annual report for submission to the Charity Commission.

Financial position through 2021-2022

At the end of July 2021, as per the annual accounts, we can see that playgroup had only £2,500 in the bank. This was an incredibly difficult position to be in given that the playgroup receive no income in August. In September funds come in from KCC but not

immediately. Further, it takes a while for all of the new children to settle before the parents can be invoiced. Further, more time passes before the invoices are paid.

Numbers were lower in September 2021 than what we have currently for September 2022.

Costs are fixed, but income is variable.

In September 2021 we really had to focus on cutting staff hours. At that time, the business wasn’t viable and therefore we were totally reliant on the summer fundraising.

Currently our numbers are looking good which has boosted the cash coming in. As a business, the playgroup is now considered viable.

However, caution is still needed. More hall expenses will be incurred next year as we didn’t pay for the first term last year (as offered by the Bridge Village Hall Committee)

Almost £10k has been raised in fundraising for the 2021/2022 year. This is a fantastic achievement.

It is recommend and agreed by all that this £10,000 needs to be ringfenced. It means that if the worst happened, there is a redundancy pot. There may be more covid waves, more pandemics, more unexpected events and we need the reserves in place to protect the future of the playgroup.

A profit of around £4-5k is expected for the year 2021-2022. This is business profit, excluding fundraising. This is the ideal situation to strive for so that we do not need to be so reliant on fundraising for day to day costs.

Eppa now feels more comfortable with spending more money and investing e.g. uniforms for staff. As long as caution is still applied.

Significant expenditure (e.g. on garden) should be postponed until another year of consistent income has taken place – to provide some reassurance on the projected finances.

Committee are reminded that we still need to be very cautious, as the bank balance can change very quickly. For example, the bank balance currently contains grant money – which needs to be spent on the specifics related to the particular grants.

- Look forward to 2022 2023

Helen Groombridge has agreed to take over from Eppa as Treasurer. A handover will take place through September / October before Eppa submits her resignation. Both Eppa and Helen are happy with this timeframe.

The Committee acknowledges that new members are needed from September as we have only the minimum number of trustees at present which is too risky and an unfair burden on the current members.

All members will make an effort to recruit new joiners from September – and the importance of the committee to the survival of playgroup will be emphasised.

A note has been taken to promote the playgroup on a more positive successful brand to move away from the struggling theme that we had to emphasize through the pandemic. An article has been submitted for the local magazine noting Eppa’s achievement of finalist in the Kent Charity Trustee of the Year awards and how successful the playgroup now is.

Fundraising plans for the year include:

Charity No: 1029286

BRIDGE VILLAGE PLAYGROUP

INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022

Ackland Webb Chartered Certified Accountants Suite 1, First Floor 3 Jubilee Way Faversham Kent ME13 8GD

BRIDGE VILLAGE PLAYGROUP

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022

The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the trust for the year ended 31 July 2022.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document

The trustees are responsible for managing the Trust in accordance with the constitution adopted on 9 November 1993 as amended by the scheme document dated 1 May 2018.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Administrative office

Bridge Village Hall High Street Bridge Canterbury Kent CT4 5JY

TRUSTEES

The trustees serving during the year were:

S Pinnington K Woodward C D Smith H G Broadley E J Hummerstone O Johnson H Shilito

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Ackland Webb Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants Suite 1, First Floor 3 Jubilee Way Faversham Kent ME13 8GD

Approved by order of the trustees on and signed on its behalf by:

……………….... ……………………..

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF OF BRIDGE VILLAGE PLAYGROUP

I report to the Committee on my examination of the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 July 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Trust's governing document and generally accepted accounting principles.

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Club are not required to be audited under the Club's governing document and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Club's accounts. In carrying out my examination I have followed the principles laid down by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the Charities Act 2011.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

David Muggridge Ackland Webb Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants Suite 1, First Floor 3 Jubilee Way Faversham Kent ME13 8GD

Date: .............................................

2

BRIDGE VILLAGE PLAYGROUP INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022

Income
Fees
Raffles
Interest
Other income
Training and equipment grants
Coffee mornings
Cards/clothing
Bags to School
Easter event
Other events
Donations
Milk rebates
Expenditure
Supervisors
Employer pension contributions
Hire of Hall
Equipment, materials & resources
Fundraising event costs
Cost of services
Parties & outings
Refreshments
Sundries
Donations & gifts
Printing, postage & stationery
Ofsted fees, PSLA subscription & insurance
Advertising
Training
Cleaning & PPE
Telephone & computer
Repairs, renewals & garden maintenance
Accountancy charges
Bank charges
Depreciation
Surplus/(deficit) for the year		 31-Jul-22
£
52,633
2,208
-
695
4,785
97
-
-
-
4,136
2,976
15
67,545
41,243
274
2,348
3,505
503
2,118
104
313
-
332
271
1,838
-
-
30
250
228
200
37
213
53,807
13,738		 31-Jul-21
£
35,361
-
-
4,967
-
-
-
-
-
463
3,579
36
44,406
42,075
320
1,719
342
-
-
-
232
89
500
46
802
-
-
138
136
-
-
-
-
46,399
(1,993)

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BRIDGE VILLAGE PLAYGROUP BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2022

Assets
Computer equipment
Prepayments
Bank current account
Bank deposit account
Cash in hand
Liabilities
Trade creditors
Pension creditor
Net assets
Represented by:
Surplus brought forward
Surplus/(deficit) for the year
Surplus carried forward		 £
£
£
£
425
-
517
-
15,301
2,505
-
-
57
57
16,300
2,562
-
-
-
-
-
-
16,300
2,562
2,562
4,555
13,738
(1,993)
16,300
2,562
31-Jul-21
31-Jul-22		 £
£
£
£
425
-
517
-
15,301
2,505
-
-
57
57
16,300
2,562
-
-
-
-
-
-
16,300
2,562
2,562
4,555
13,738
(1,993)
16,300
2,562
31-Jul-21
31-Jul-22
-
-
2,562
4,555
(1,993)
2,562

Accepted and approved on behalf of the Trustee on by:

E Hummerstone Trustee

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