## **Annual General Meeting (AGM) Minutes Tuesday 15[th ] November 2022** 1 **9** .00pm at St James Church Little Paxton ## **1 Attendees** |**Attendance**|| |---|---| |Graeme Anness
Cha
ir / Safeguarding Champion|| |Duncan Chappell
Tre**a**
surer|| |Bev Elliott
Pra**c**
titioner & SafeguardingSupport(Member)|| |Katherine Bagot
Sec**r**
etary /FundraisingChampion|| |Áine Pozo
Bus
iness Manager(Member)|| |Sam Irvine
Me**m**
ber|| |Anne Grove
Sta**f**
f Member|| |Claire Cook
Sta**f**
f Member|| |Lizzie Whitehead
Ne**w**
Committee Member|| |CarlyWard
Ne**w**
Committee Member|| |**Apologies**|| |James Shiner
Me**m**
ber|| |**Minutes taken by**: Katherine Bagot|| ## **2 Introduction** (Katherine) - Graeme welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked the staff and commit **t** ee for their hard work over a few very turbulent years during Covid. They’re resilience to continue to provide an excellent standard of care and education to the children w **a** s admirable. - It is lovely to be able to resum **e** back to in person meetings rather than onlin **e** and expressed thanks to St James Church for accommodati **n** g us. - We had 2 parents attend that w **e** re interested in joining the committee – Carly and Lizzie - No new safeguarding issues needed to be raised. - No concerns were raised from l **a** st year’s AGM. - Graeme explained that Little Paxton Pre-School is a registered charity run b **y** a voluntary committee. To comply with good practice an **A** GM is held each year to look back on the last **y** ear and look forward to the next year in the life of the pr **e** school. At this meeting the committee steps **d** own and then members are elected for the next years’ co **m** mittee. To function the committee must hav **e** a Chair, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Staff members can al **s** o be committee members, but the majority of **t** he committee members have to be voluntary (i.e. not in a pai **d** position). P a g e 1 ## **3 Chairs Annual Report (Graeme)** This report was read out during the AGM by Graeme. There were no amendments. Report attached. - Graeme was recognised for his work this year as Chair, it was an ambiguous role after the last Chair’s departure, he has managed to work well alongside Bev to support and define the role. ## **4 Pre-school Managers’ Report** (Bev) - This report was read out during the AGM by Graeme. Please see below additions. Report attached. - Further to the report, Bev expressed her thanks to all the staff. They have shown great team work and the addition of the new team members have bought new energy and skills to the team. The introduction of a job share role has proven to be a positive experience. - The question was raised as to whether the job share role was a more expensive option than a full-time role. Duncan and Aine explained there is a minimal increase in wages to support the job share, however Bev explained that the dynamic and skills bought to the setting by the job share far out ways the small increase. It has proven to be very beneficial to the preschool. - It was asked if the parent Rota had yet been communicated, Bev stated they were still finalizing the process and will be sending out a communication shortly. It was confirmed that grandparents could take part. It was stated that this was an excellent opportunity to see the setting and how the sessions work alongside the resource available. This was forced to stop during Covid and many parents missed out on this opportunity so we are all pleased to see this reinstated. Lizzie suggested a shared spreadsheet may be a good option to allow parents to confirm when they would like to volunteer. ## **5 Treasurer’s Report** (Duncan) This report was sent prior to the meeting. Please see below additions. Report attached. - Duncan informed the committee that 2023 would probably be his last year in the role as treasurer. ## **6 Election of the Committee** James Shiner who was unable to attend the meeting in person had provided prior written consent that he wished to join the committee for the following year. Carly and Lizzie were consulted during the meeting and both wished to be members of the 2023 committee. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Name Role Proposed and Seconded by
Graeme Anness Chair Duncan and Sam
Duncan Chappell Treasurer Katherine and Graeme
Katherine Bagot Secretary Aine and Graeme
James Shiner Committee Member
Sam Irvine Committee Member
Lizzie Whitehead Committee Member
Carly Ward Committee Member
**----- End of picture text -----**
P a g e 2 New committee members will be required to fill out necessary paperwork (including DBS and confidentiality forms) prior to the first committee meeting. A follow up meeting should be held within 3 weeks’ time. It was agreed that the next meeting would be on Tuesday 6[th] December at 19.00pm at St James Church. The following members have stepped down from the Committee: Natasha Woodcraft - The preschool and committee would like to extend their upmost thanks to Tash for her dedicated service to the committee and preschool in dedicating over 10 years of service. Thank you Tash! ## **7 Actions from this meeting –** **Katherine** will contact volunteers with the necessary paperwork and will ensure that all volunteers requiring Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks have the instructions on how to complete this process. **Graeme** will contact the Charity Commission to amend member details when details from volunteers become available. **Duncan** will upload the AGM minutes, when signed, to the Charity Commission and complete the annual return. ## **8 AOB** - Aine thanked Katherine and Sam for their hard work maintaining the preschool fundraising throughout the year, the Lottery and Amazon Wishlist have generated substantial funds and resources. - Bev confirmed all current DBS checks are up to date. ## **9 Forthcoming Meetings** - Tuesday 6[th] December, 19.00pm at St James Church We will continue to meet approximately every 6 weeks throughout the year. ## **These minutes are accepted as an accurate representation of the meeting** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signed (Chair) Graeme Anness
**----- End of picture text -----**
P a g e 3 ## **AGM Chairperson Report 2022** The previous chair highlighted the need for a fundraising calendar to ensure planning is in place for the coming year I suggest this should be continued into 2023. I'm aware that a lot the fundraising falls to a few individuals both on the committee and staff members and this should perhaps be addressed. We have lost a valuable member of our Committee and our thanks go to her. We also welcome James as a new member and thank him for his assistance and look forward to working with him On a personal note, I'm extremely impressed during the time that I have been in the post of chair of the professionalism and dedication of the staff. I am conscious that I've not spent enough time attending sessions and I will attempt to address this in the future. Bev and I do meet, and I think we are working well. The accounts are encouraging, so thanks to Duncan ## **AGM Manager’s Report 2022** Another very busy at times, year has flown by. Things COVID related settled and we have been gradually reintroducing aspects of our Pre-School routine. We have had isolated cases over the year amongst staff and children but theses have been well spread out and we have had no ‘outbreak’ throughout the whole of this period. Staff training has continued to be held virtually apart from our paediatric 1[st] Aid which we all completed in May. We had 2 SEN children transition up to school this September, and as a setting we supported these children and they transitioned to school with EHCP’s which I am extremely proud of, and pleased that we were able to offer support. The transition to school in the last term worked really well, we liaised with the school and after several meetings between myself and the foundation/SENco team we organised regular visits for small groups of children accompanied by a Pre-School staff member, into the classroom for an hour on a weekly basis. We felt this was extremely beneficial, particularly for those children who had had no experience of the school environment, children that were anxious and as mentioned previously, our SEN children. The children thoroughly enjoyed these visits and it was lovely for the preschool staff to see the children excited to go and grow in confidence as they familiarised themselves with the foundation environment. We continued to use our Colour Monster stories to support behaviour and feelings and this is something that we will permanently implement into our curriculum. The new paperwork is now imbedded into our practice; however, this continues to be tweaked if necessary to suit us as a setting. We have had some staff changes since the last AGM. Heather after much heartache, made the decision to leave Pre-School. I know she found this difficult but to enable her to focus on her daughter’s health battle it was the right one for her. Staff covered for a period but it was realised that we would need to take on another staff member in her place. We advertised the post and we welcomed Katie to the team after the Easter break. Katie is due to complete designated SEN training this week and we will then be back up to 2 SEN co-ordinators in setting, including myself. Another role Heather had was that of ENCo (Equality Named Coordinator). Anne is currently undertaking training, for this role and is due to finish by the end of this half term. P a g e 4 At the end of the summer term, Sandra requested to reduce her hours for September. We welcomed Louise to our staff team this September, to work the hours that Sandra reduced. Although it has been tough to say goodbye to staff, our new team members are bringing some new ideas and different skills to our small team. At the last AGM, I said that we had ordered a climbing/balancing apparatus from some donated money. This was a very long process and after many phone calls to the company from Aine, we cancelled the order. Instead we purchased a whole new play kitchen for the children. They are really enjoying it and recently we purchased some more resources to use in this area. Moving forward, I would like to resume our parent rota, this is a great way for parents to see what the children get up to, how Pre-school sessions run and what is involved. I would like to thank the committee for all the support that they have given to our Pre-School over the past year and look forward to the year ahead. ## **AGM Treasurer Report 2022** The Preschool showed a surplus this year, which goes some way to offsetting the deficit shown last year. This was getting back to an almost ‘normal’ year after the effects of Covid. Two factors have contributed significantly to the surplus: The preschool staff have been working extremely efficiently, within specified teacher-pupil ratios, and this has resulted in only a very small increase in staff costs even with increased student sessions and hourly rate salary increases. Fundraising and donations income has increased markedly. P a g e 5 LITTLE PAXTON PRESCHOOL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31ST AUGUST 2022 LITTLE PAXTON PRESCHOOL RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS PERIOD 1 AUGUST 2020 TO 31 AUGUST 2022 2022 2021 Re¢eiptg Fe8s from parsnls Funding 20,078 97.524 15.538 88,921 117,602 104.459 Fund Raising Other Ineome HMRC JRS Donations Nel Bank Inierest 1.695 1.215 479 567 2,208 1.743 42 67 4,695 3.321 Paym•nts Consumables Staff Cosis Training courses Rent Rates Property Mairnlenar Donations Cleanin9 & Proledivo Clothing Telep*one Off￿e expenses Insurance Subscnptions Printing Postage & sl81ionery Fun¢Jraising Sundries Accounlancy Bad debls Entertaining Legal fee5 84nk fees Trips Oulings F¢)od & Refreshments 2,101 97,435 742 11,028 727 311 96.617 10,340 423 538 125 1.772 140 633 585 820 630 135 1,229 10 354 1.233 151 85 150 429 116,353 SurpluxllDeficitl For The Perlod 5,944 7.419 Page1 of3 LrrrLE PAXTON PRESCHOOL BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST AUGUST 2022 Flx•d 11 is the policy of thtr preschool to vrrite off capital exFendrture in ￿ar of purchase. 2022 2021 Curr•nt 0¥1ots Debtors Cash al Bank 42S 81.286 104.366 104.366 81,711 Currènt Llabllltl•& Creditors Accwals Pension R￿eipts in advance 1,274 876 308 87fj 15.719 18,377 14•t Current Ass•ts 8S,989 80,045 85.g89 80.045 R•present8d By . Accumulaled Surplus Balance at 1 st August 2021 SurplusllDefi¢tll for the Period 80.045 5,944 87.464 17,4191 Balance 3131st August 2022 85,989 80,045 rÈ8surer Chairperson Dale Date Pao•2of3 Indep•ndent E¥amtn•rf• report to the Trustots ol tho LItt￿ Paxton Pre8chool We hav8 ex8min8d Ihe ac¢ounts of the Litue Paxton Presch￿1 for the period ended 31st August 2022 During the course ol th• examlnation no matter has corne to our attention wh￿￿ would 9ive us reasonable cause to beI￿ve that In any material re3pect-. - ¥￿trUntIng records have not been kept in accudance wth Section 41 of the 1933 Charrties Acl . the accounls do not accord wth thosè r￿d5.. or . the statement of accounts does not comply wilh the 1993 ChJriii?s Act No furlher matters have come to oui attention whKh should b¢ induded to enable a proper underslanding of the accounts tD reached. s￿ne￿. For and on H Accountancy Limrted 1st Floor. caL House ingt(M Road. Littl8 Barford St Neots, Combs PE19 6YH Dale Page3of3