2024-08-31-accounts - Tansor Playgroup

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’ - CHAIRPERSON S REPORT 2023 2024

Thank you all so much for coming. As you will be aware, we are required to hold an AGM as a formality. I however like to see this annual meeting as a way to celebrate our achievements and contemplate how best we can improve to ensure that the needs of all our children are met and to make sure that Tansor Playgroup continues to flourish.

What a successful year the 2023-24 academic year was. My own personal experience of watching my two daughters walk into school so confidently and well-prepared was a powerful insight into the lovely practise that is seen each day at Tansor. As a teacher receiving Tansor children into my own class, Tansor children arrive at Reception with confidence and an understanding of school expectations. Our numbers speak for themselves- with 18 leaving to Reception classes this last summer, we now have a healthy 26 children on roll. Michelle and her team are working hard to exceed their ‘good’ Ofsted rating from 2023 and continue to deliver the ‘broad and well-sequenced curriculum’ that the inspector noticed.

Fundraising last year was an enormous success and helped to pay for the removal of the old bamboo in the garden and lay turf in its place, providing more space to play. The removal of the pirate ship was also paid for and an aim of ours for this academic year is to replace it with something similar, to aid the children on their imaginative adventures.

A point to raise is that the hall is being used more by the local community. It is therefore imperative that the committee and Michelle continue to keep on top of all health and safety checks. Health and safety is an area we take very seriously at the playgroup. The village hall committee informs us that there are a few repairs being undertaken soon, such as the picket fence to the side of the building. They have given us assurance that their risk assessments and fire safety checks are all up to date. On this note, they have increased rent again this year.

Happenings…

Tansor Playgroup, Tansor Village Hall, Main Street, Tansor, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, PE8 5HS www.tansorplaygroup.co.uk tansorplaygroup@yahoo.co.uk 07908 378862 Registered Charity: 1035283 Ofsted: 220301

Hannah Mytton is currently undertaking her level 3 and Tansor are supporting her through this in her volunteering role at the playgroup.

Christine Ambrose is planning the CIO change over this year. Within 6 months is the time frame that Christine expects.

Michelle has expressed a desire for her and her team to visit other EYFS settings this academic year- hopefully including mine!

Lastly we are required to report that there have been no safeguarding issues this period.

I need to mention how grateful Tansor is to the committee. The Ofsted inspector last year pointed out, and I quote, that ‘the dedicated manager is extremely well supported by the playgroup committee. This partnership continuously improves the provision for children.’ It is our duty to make sure this comment still rings true. We need to say goodbye to … and thank them for everything they have done for Tansor. New committee recruits are needed. We are a charitable organisation and require a committee in order to operate. Without a committee, we close. For this meeting to be constitutionally binding we are required to always have a minimum of 5 committee members. We would be delighted if any of you would like to sign up. We are friendly and all just want the best for our children. If you are interested in joining us, please let me stress the necessity for quick DBS checks and EY2 forms. Come and chat to me to discuss!

Alice Ticehurst

Chair of Tansor Playgroup

Tansor Playgroup - Treasurer’s Report FY 2023/24

Total Income for the Year: £92,175

Total Expenditures: £82,747 Fundraising: £1,254 Donations: £1,800

Current Bank Account Balance as at 31/08/2024: £35,392 Reserve Account Balance as at 31/08/2024: £32,851

ANNUAL SUMMARY

The accounts breakdown shows that we made a healthy profit of £9,428 by the end of the 2023/24 academic year. £5,500 of this has since been moved into the reserve account, ear marked for a new pirate ship project. We were incredibly lucky to receive another anonymous donation, for the second year in a row, as well as some solid fundraising efforts from both parents and staff alike, the provisions of which have been used for some incredible upgrades to enrich the environment and learning opportunities for the children.

These funds were cleverly used to purchase a tasteful new wooden dolls house, an extra-large mud kitchen, exciting new tools for the forest school class, and lots of fabulous new toys for the indoor play kitchen, among other things! A fair sum was spent on the intensive removal of the invasive bamboo plants in the garden, but we also secured some new storage containers and a bigger, more effective coat trolly to cater for our ever-expanding playgroup.

We currently have 26 children on roll; 16 of whom claim 15 hours universal government funding and 2 claiming the extended 30 hours funding. In addition, there are 2 children claiming the 2-year-old working families 15 hours funding and 1 child claiming the 2-yearold disadvantaged 15 hours funding. In comparison to last year where we only had 23 children on roll, 15 of whom were claiming 15 hours universal government funding plus 3 children claiming the 2-year-old disadvantaged government funding. On top of that, regular enquiries continue to come in, with 2 new children starting in Spring 2025 and 1 in the Summer 2025.

Income

Income increased marginally by just over £3,000 overall, due to efforts from both staff members attending courses resulting in generous grants, and successful committee fundraising. Thank you to everyone for the combined efforts last year!

Expenditure

Hall Rental – This increased to £2,400 per term for both Lent and Summer, an increase in £300 from the Michaelmas term in 2023. Tansor Village Hall has indicated that there will be further increases as costs of living continue to rise, possibly in line with inflation, although no exact details have been agreed upon to date.

The hourly rate was increased by 50p last year to cover the increased costs for Tansor Village Hall, which appears to be in line with what other settings charge.

PAYE/NI – This figure decreased as a result of a credit with HMRC due to a statutory payment made during the last financial year.

Resources – The increased spending in resources is for the items mentioned previously purchased for Tansor Playgroup by the Supervisor from fundraising and donations. Monies in this category are required to be spent within the year in which they are raised.

Cash Card – This year we introduced an expenses card for the Supervisor to enable spending for sundries and low-cost items without the need to submit reimbursement paperwork, thereby facilitating a smoother process with less time on administration and more time for the Playgroup.

Reserve Business Account

The money held in this account is a contingency fund, as per the Charity Commission recommendation, to cover costs of both redundancies and/or closure costs, in the event that Tansor Playgroup ceased operating, for example, hall rental, outstanding invoices for

products or services received. We have a healthy reserve account balance which is sufficient to cover around 6 months of operating costs and redundancy pay for our long-standing staff members. As mentioned previously, this account also currently holds the funds apportioned for a pirate ship replacement.

Recommendations

Continue the annual review of staffing costs, specifically any pay increases and bonus payments.
Retain and recruit high-quality, well-trained staff with fair pay and training opportunities, without compromising funds within the budget.
Examine business running costs closely and identify any overspending or areas where savings can be made to increase the resources budget; for example, consolidations of subscriptions – Microsoft, Amazon and other platforms offering waived fees for charities.
Maintain fundraising efforts and innovate where possible, to continue updating the current setting, for example, replacing the pirate ship, other outdoor equipment or potential experiences within playgroup. Fundraising ideas are always welcome!

Date: 23 October 2024

Harriet Morgan Treasurer