2025-07-31-accounts - Sydenham Road Under Fives

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Annual Report of the Management Committee 2025

Sydenham Road Under Fives Preschool is a wonderful place. The children have the most magical time learning and growing in a safe, nurturing and engaging environment. I am proud to be part of the preschool as the committee chair and work with such a dedicated, warm and passionate staff team who make the preschool the magical place it is.

The preschool is a not-for-profit registered charity open to children from aged 3. It is managed by a voluntary committee and run by committed and experienced staff members who provide excellent early years provision for the children in their care.

The last OFSTED inspection in December 2021 graded the preschool a 'GOOD' rating overall but with grading of ‘OUTSTANDING’ in Behaviour and Attitudes and 'OUTSTANDING' in Personal Development. The team are incredibly reflective and work hard to make continuous improvements to their practice, the environment and the provision. SRUF has once again been awarded the Bristol Standard accreditation last year. The Bristol Standard is recognised nationally and internationally as an outstanding framework to support a journey of continuous improvement for Early Years practitioners.

This last year has been a tricky one for the preschool and the committee. We have faced some financial difficulties and we have had some big decisions to make. We have had to update some of the current systems and procedures to enable the charity to move forward and develop into a more sustainable model. I am so proud of every member of the committee and staff team who have worked so hard to envision and deliver the changes this year. It hasn’t been easy, but I truly believe that we have helped to secure the future of the preschool within the Totterdown community and I thank everyone who has been instrumental in bringing that about.

SRUF is a wonderful community resource and the more I speak to people around Totterdown about my connection with the Preschool and Committee I am often regaled with stories from others fondly remembering their children’s time at SRUF or their own time given to the committee when their child was attending, sometimes going back over 30 years or more ago. The children with their high-vis jackets on, holding onto the walking rope and heading into Arnos Vale has become an iconic sight within the community. Our community links to Arnos Vale and daily off site visits continue to provide the children with opportunities to learn and play outdoors. SRUF is passionate about giving children time in nature, allowing them to access connection, risky play, imaginative play, physical challenge and natural learning daily. These daily adventures are part of what makes SRUF special and sets them apart from other similar settings. It is clearly a highlight for the children too as we received great feedback about this in our annual parent survey.

When reading the feedback from the survey it was heartwarming to read the comments by the children themselves speaking so happily of the preschool and staff. The parents continue to recommend us to others and are happy with the levels of confidence developed by their child, the caring and dedicated staff and the breadth of curriculum covered .

SRUF is dedicated to responding to the needs of its children and families and offers a

wide range of activities, resources and expert knowledge in helping children learn through play.

The Committee

The committee meets bi-monthly to support the running of the preschool. The committee takes its responsibilities to the preschool seriously and works hard to action and support when needed. This year has been particularly difficult, and I am thankful to all those who have served this year and brought their perspectives, problem solving skills and opinions to the meetings to help us make the necessary changes needed to secure the preschool’s future.

The committee have also helped to raise £895 through fundraising and donations and this has gone back into the preschool, helping to buy resources for the children’s learning and play.

We are very grateful to Simon for staying on as vice chair this year. We thank him for his continued support and guidance. His wealth of early years and business knowledge has been of great benefit to the charity.

Thank you to Hannah, who has been our secretary this year after serving as chair the year before. We thank you for your dedication, advice and guidance which has been invaluable to us in this turbulent time.

We thank Steve for taking up the role as treasurer this year and working closely alongside Maria to get to grips with the new role. He is an active member of the committee helping with dedication and efficiency.

Thank you to Hollie, Hilary and Katie for giving their time and support to the committee this year. We are grateful for your input and opinions in our decision making this year.

The Team

The management committee would like to thank the whole staff team, they are the heart, without each one SRUF would not be the amazing preschool it is. We know you go the extra mile, we see your commitment and we thank you for your hard work!

We would like to thank our team leader Jo Williams, who works tirelessly to make SRUF the nurturing and inspiring preschool it is. She is incredibly passionate and professional. Her dedication to the team, children and their families is clear and she looks after them all with a wonderful warmth and commitment. It has been a hard year and she has done such a great job delivering the changes needed whilst keeping true to the heart and ethos of SRUF. We are very lucky to have her. She is always striving to make SRUF the best it can be for the children and builds wonderfully strong relationships with them as individuals.

We would also like to thank…

Liz Davis, our deputy leader. Liz is adored by the children and her calm and caring manner speaks to the children and allows her to really get to know and understand the children in the setting. Liz’s kindness and consistency provides the children with such wonderful support, she is always so thoughtful about the children’s individual needs and how best to support them.

Kerry Houselander, our preschool assistant, is such a wonderfully attentive and warm presence at SRUF. She knows the children so well, always building strong and happy bonds both with the children and their families. She is fantastic at encouraging the children, believing in them and helping bring them out of themselves. Her smiles and happy demeanor brighten the children’s days and helps them to build their confidence and belief in themselves.

Max Yeo, our preschool assistant, is always warm and welcoming to all. The children adore her humorous happy ways. She is devoted to the children and to giving them the best preschool experience possible. The children know they can find comfort and a cuddle if needed.

Sarah Warnes, our preschool assistant, has an easy friendly way with the children. Making them feel at ease and safe from the moment they step into the setting. She has a true dedication and enthusiasm for the children and their learning, both indoor and out. The children and families feel so supported and prioritised by her; she really takes the time to know the children in her care.

The committee would also like to thank Maria Hulme, our administrator. Without her we would be lost. Maria is amazingly efficient and organised, she welcomes new families and guides them through their journey with SRUF. Thank you for all the invaluable support you give to the committee and staff team. We truly appreciate the hard work, commitment and energy you bring to SRUF, especially in the recent tricky times.

We also thank our landlord, Totterdown Baptist Church, for their continued support. We have such history here, SRUF has run as an official preschool since 1978 and started as far back as the mid-sixties as a church-based playgroup. We are so grateful for our space within the church which helps to place us in the heart of the community.

Finally, we would like to thank Michelle Smith from BAND. We are incredibly grateful for her expert advice and support over the past year, especially for helping us navigate the changes we have made to improve the financial stability of SRUF whilst continuing to meet the needs of the children and their families.

One last thank you must go to all the families and those in the wider community who continue to support SRUF. As I said earlier SRUF is held in high regard, and with much affection, in the community and hopefully with the strong community links we have we can continue to go from strength to strength and build a stronger setting for the future.

These are challenging times for Early Years Educational settings and I am grateful to every single person who is involved with SRUF, I’m proud to be here and be part of the SRUF family. I’m happy to see the horizon now looking brighter for our setting, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings.

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES

ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31[st] JULY 2025

Charity Number 1045367

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

CONTENTS	PAGE
Legal and Administrative Information	1
Trustees annual report	2 to 8
Independent Examiner’s Report	9
Statement of financial activities	10
Balance sheet	11
Notes to the Accounts	12 to 17

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Status

Sydenham Road Under Fives is a registered charity governed by its constitution. Charity number 1045367.

TRUSTEES

Hannah Marvel-Smith Chair appointed October 2024 Hannah Malone Secretary appointed October 2024 Naomi Dippie resigned October 2024 Hollie Callaghan appointed April 2024 Eliza Turner resigned October 2024 Steven Hannan appointed April 2024 Simon Jay Vice Chair appointed April 2024 Hilary Cuddy appointed October 2024

Hannah Malone resigned as Chair on the 24.10.24 where she was then appointed as the Secretary.

Hannah Marvel-Smith was appointed as Secretary on the 15.11.23, she was later appointed as Chair on the 24.10.24 after Hannah Malone resigned.

Registered Office

Totterdown Baptist Church Jarman Hall Sydenham Road Totterdown Bristol BS4 3DF

Independent Examiners

Joanne Trowbridge MAAT Bristol Community Accountants CIC The Park, Daventry Road, Knowle Bristol BS4 1DQ

Bankers

Lloyds TSB 55 Corn Street Bristol BS99 7LE

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES’

TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2025.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

Structure, Governance and Management

Organisation

The trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at AGM held in the autumn term. The committee shall meet at least three times a year and shall consist of not less than two and no more than nine elected members and if the committee so decides, not more than three members co-opted by the committee.

Objectives and activities

Objects of the Charity

The objects of the charity are:

To enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of children through community groups and by offering appropriate play facilities, together with the right carers or parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of the group, ensuring that we offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability.

To instigate and adhere to and further the aim of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Public benefit

In shaping the objectives for the year and planning activities, the trustees have considered the Charity commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance 'public benefit: running a charity (PB2)'.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Achievement and performance

SRUF is a wonderful community resource and the more I speak to people around Totterdown about my connection with the Preschool and Committee I am often regaled with stories from others fondly remembering their children’s time at SRUF or their own time given to the committee when their child was attending, sometime up to 25 years ago. The children with their high-vis jackets on, holding onto the walking rope and heading into Arnos Vale has become an iconic sight within the community. Our community links to Arnos Vale and daily off-site visits continue to provide the children with opportunities to learn and play outdoors. SRUF is passionate about giving children time in nature, allowing them to access connection, risky play, imaginative play, physical challenge and natural learning daily. These daily adventures are part of what makes SRUF special and sets them apart from other similar settings. It is clearly a highlight for the children too as we received great feedback about this in our annual parent survey.

SRUF is dedicated to responding to the needs of its children and families and offers a wide range of activities, resources and expert knowledge in helping children learn through play.

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The Committee

The committee have also helped to raise £895 through fundraising and donations and this has gone back into the preschool, helping to buy resources for the children’s learning and play.

Thank you to Hollie, Hilary and Katie for giving their time and support to the committee this year. We are grateful for your input and opinions in our decision making this year.

The Team

We would also like to thank…

Kerry Houselander, our preschool assistant, is such a wonderfully attentive and warm presence at SRUF. She knows the children so well, always building strong and happy bonds both with the children and their families. She is fantastic at encouraging the children, believing in them and helping bring them out of themselves. Her smiles and happy demeanour brighten the children’s days and helps them to build their confidence and belief in themselves.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

We also thank our landlord, Totterdown Baptist Church, for their continued support.

One last thanks must go to all the families and those in the wider community who continue to support SRUF. As I said earlier SRUF is held in high regard, and with much affection, in the community and hopefully with the strong community links we have we can continue to go from strength to strength and build a stronger setting for the future.

Pre-school Team Leader report

We spend lots of time as a team evaluating and planning to make pre-school a safe, exciting and welcoming place to be, where children become independent learners, build friendships and feel confident to share their own thinking, opinions and interests. Staff co-play with children throughout each session, being present in the moment to respond to children’s play and extend their ideas and learning. We use observations and children’s previous play to plan resources and activities to extend children’s interests, ideas and encourage curiosity. After speaking with families and evaluating our setting we took the opportunity to change the times we opened and stagger pick up and drop off times, giving families more flexibility while children get a lovely time to settle into and end their pre-school day.

We take daily walks into the local community, where children build a sense of belonging, recognising routes, sharing stories of experiences from home while building new experiences and gaining knowledge with their peers. Children enjoy their time at Arnos Vale where they explore and learn freely at muddy mountain, base camp, climbing tree etc. Children build resilience, take manageable risks and build friendships learning and caring about the natural environment, splashing puddles, climbing trees,

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YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

learning in their own way, making their own choices and deciding how to explore in a classroom with no walls. Children plant, grow and eat what they’ve grown at the community space, this year we grew strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins and lots of colourful flowers for the bees and butterflies to enjoy. We also visit local parks and vegetable shops. Children gain experiences of all weathers and watch the seasons as they change gaining an understanding of growth and life cycles.

Some highlights from last year were a visit from the farm who brought in snakes, guinea pigs and other small creatures for the children to meet and learn about. We had a lovely time meeting at Victoria park for sports day and family picnic and we ended the year with the end of year graduation show where we said goodbye to the children moving onto school.

In March we completed the Bristol Standard, the Bristol Standard gives us the opportunity as a team to evaluate and celebrate our strengths and set ourselves future goals and targets to work towards. We were also very excited to take part in the pilot of Unlocking Outside Learning alongside other Bristol settings, we feel very passionate about the benefits of learning outside, and this was a great way to share our enthusiasm and gain knowledge of other settings experiences.

Amy joined our team in January, bringing energy, calmness and understanding, Amy decided to not return in September but does stay with us as part of wonderful bank team alongside Milly, Sam, Patinya and Sheena who do a wonderful job stepping up to cover when needed, keeping children’s learning and routines consistent.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Liz, Kerry, Sarah and Max who work so hard to give every child and family a positive and fulfilling experience at pre-school, facing new challenges with humour, patience and kindness. Always putting every child’s learning, wellbeing and individual needs at the fore front of all they do to ensure that every child thrives and becomes confident and independent learners.

Thank you to Hannah and the committee for all your support, help and time, sharing Sydenham Roads vision to make pre-school a special place to be where everyone is welcomed. Thank you, Maria, for your help, support and advice, Maria is the first point of call to families joining pre-school and she does this with a smile on her face, always happy to help.

Financial review

This year has been a challenging year for SRUFs. At the start of the academic year, we were low on numbers of preschool children and we only reached capacity in April 2025. We have also had to employ an extra member of staff from January – July which increased our expenditure for the year. For this financial year we have made a loss of £4,397.

Income

Total Income = £114,604

This is mainly made up of FEEE (£100,663) and Parent fees (£4,542).

We secured a £1,000 Tesco Stronger Starts donation which was used to buy a new wooden climbing frame and other equipment.

We also raised a total of £895.34 through fundraising and donations.

We introduced a Daily Contribution charge to cover the cost of snacks and non-consumables. This raised £6,745.00 towards our income.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Expenditure

Total Expenditure = £119,002

Staff wages continue to be SRUFs largest expenditure, this totalled to £98,598 (this includes cost of an extra member of staff to work 1:1 from January 2025 – July 2025), followed by rent of £11,634 and teaching resources and materials of £4416.

Reserves

We have a reserve account £38,812. This ensures that we hold a minimum of 2 terms running costs as a reserve to give us greater financial stability. This will be reviewed annually to ensure that it continues to represent overall running costs of the preschool.

In October 2024 we invested £45,000 into a high interest 1-year Savings Bond account to sustain and further strengthen our financial position. This yielded £2,104.40 in interest, available on the maturity date. We have reinvested this into a fixed interest 1-year account (4.1% interest) and we will review this annually.

Future outlook-2025/26

We have employed 2 extra members of staff for this academic year to work 1;1 with 2 children. This has obviously increased our wage bill but due to higher numbers of children starting in September and the introduction of the Daily Contribution charge (currently £6 per day), SRUF is currently predicted to make a small profit at the end of this academic year and we are in a much stronger financial position going forwards.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:-

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the governing document. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

The trustees are also responsible for the contents of the trustees' report, and the statutory responsibility of the Independent Examiner in relation to the trustees' report is limited to examining the report and ensuring that, on the face of the report, there are no material inconsistencies with the figures disclosed in the financial statements.

The financial statements have been prepared implementing the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

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Hannah Marvel-Smith
……………………………………………. …………………………………………………….
(His72FF0054984B4F0... by:
Signed by:
Steven Hannan
……………………………………………. ……………………………………………………
C8BB9D853B1844E...
22/10/2025
Date ………………………………………
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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Sydenham Road Under Fives’

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Sydenham Road Under Fives’ for the year ended 31 July 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

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

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Joanne Trowbridge MAAT ……………………………………………………. (<c C2F8368E1B574EA...DocuSigned by: Bristol Community Accountants CIC The Park Daventry Road, Knowle Bristol 6/11/2025 BS4 1DQ Date ..............................................

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (including Income and Expenditure Account)

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Unrestricted Funds £ 113,235 - 370	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 114,235 - 370	Total Funds 2025 £ 98,586 95 288
113,605	1,000	114,605	98,969
115,840 2,162	1,000 -	116,840 2,162	102,386 2,036
118,002	1,000	119,002	104,422
(4,397) 93,602	- 722	(4,397) 94,324	(5,453) 99,777
89,205	722	89,927	94,324

All of the activities of the charity are classed as continuing

The notes on pages 12 to 17 form part of these financial statements

As required by paragraph 4.67of the SORP, the brought forward and carried forward funds above have been agreed to the Balance Sheet.

*Details of the allocation of 2024 total funds between unrestricted and restricted are shown in note 18

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BALANCE SHEET

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

		2025		2025
	Note	£	£	£
Current assets
Debtors	11	-		191
Cash at bank		92,474		95,957
		92,474		96,148
Creditors : Amounts falling
due within one year	12	(2,547)		(1,824)
Net current assets or liabilities			89,927	94,324
Total net assets or liabilities			89,927	94,324
The Funds of the Charity
Restricted funds	15	722		722
Unrestricted funds	15	89,205		93,602
			89,927	94,324

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22/10/2025
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These financial statements were approved by the trustees on ……………………...............…………. and are signed on their behalf by:

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………………………………. 72FF0054984B4F0... ………………………………. C8BB9D853B1844E...
Chairperson
Steven Hannan
Hannah Marvel-Smith
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The notes on pages 12 to 17 form part of these financial statements

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

1 Basis of Preparation

a) These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective from 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP(FRS 102)) and with the Charities Act 2011.

b) The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern as they have a surplus (made up of profits over the years) of nearly £90,000, which strengthens their financial position
c) The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

2 Accounting Policies

a) Income from donations is included in income and endowments when these are receivable, except as follows:

i) When donors specify that donations given to the charity must be used in future accounting periods, the income is deferred until those periods.

ii) When donors impose conditions which have to be fulfilled before the charity becomes entitled to use such income, the income is deferred until the pre-condition have been met.

b) Expenditure is recognised in the period in which they are incurred. Expenditure includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.
c) Most expenditure is directly attributable to specific activities, and have been included in those cost categories. Support cost have been allocated 100% towards the charitable activities of the charity.
d) Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
e) Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

g) The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. Pension costs charged in the financial statements represent the contribution payable by the charitable company during the year.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Income and Endowments From:

3 Donations and legacies

Fundraising and donations Pre-School provision	Unrestricted Funds £ 918 112,317	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 -	Total Funds 2025 £ 1,918 112,317	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,303 95,283
	113,235	1,000	114,235	98,586

Donations and legacies prior year - all unrestricted

4 Trading Income

Admin fees	Unrestricted Funds £ -	Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2025 £ -	Total Funds 2025 £ 95
	-	-	-	95

Trading income prior year - all unrestricted

5 Investment Income

Bank interest	Unrestricted Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2025 £	Total Funds 2025 £
	370	-	370	288

Investment income prior year - all unrestricted

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Expenditure on:

6 Charitable activities

Unrestricted Funds £ 3,416 98,598 11,634 - 873 640 158 368 153	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 - - - - - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 4,416 98,598 11,634 - 873 640 158 368 153	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267 -
115,840	1,000	116,840	102,386
Unrestricted Funds £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267
102,386	-	102,386

7 Other

Other
Payroll Independent examination Insurance	Unrestricted Funds £ 528 1,073 561	Restricted Funds £ - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 528 1,073 561	Total Funds 2025 £ 520 975 541
	2,162	-	2,162	2,036

Other prior year - all unrestricted

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

8 Net incoming resources for the year

This is stated after charging:

This is stated after charging:
Independent Examiners Fee Staff costs and numbers The aggregate payroll costs were: Wages and salaries Social security costs Employers pension costs Less Employment allowance	2025 £ 1,073	2025 £ 975
	2025 £ 97,042 7,024 1,556 (7,024)	2025 £ 85,411 3,888 2,563 (3,888)
	98,598	87,974

9 Staff costs and numbers

No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000.

The average monthly head count was 10 staff (2024: 8 staff)

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the board of trustees & the Senior Play Leader. The total employee benefits of key management personnel, during the year, total £27,008 (2024: £23,904).

10 Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

11 Debtors

Trade debtors Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Creditors Accruals: Deferred income Independent Examination HMRC PAYE	2025 £ -	2025 £ 191
	-	191
	2025 £ 374 1,100 1,073 -	2025 £ 237 - 975 612
	2,547	1,824

12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

13 Related party Transactions

There were no related party transactions during the year (2024: £nil)

14 Trustee remuneration

The charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil) neither were they reimbursed expenses during the year (2024: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2024: £nil).

At 01-Aug 2024 £ 722 -	Incoming resources £ - 1,000	Outgoing resources £ - (1,000)	Transfers £ - -	At 31-Jul 2025 £ 722 -
722	1,000	(1,000)	-	722
93,602	113,605	(118,002)	-	89,205
94,324	114,605	(119,002)	-	89,927

Restricted funds:

Bristol City Council - Capital improvements to the kitchen and nursery environment Tesco Stronger Starts Grant - Educational resources

16 Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds
Cash at Bank and In Hand Other Net Current Assets/Liabilities) Total	General Funds £ 91,752 (2,547)	Restricted Funds £ 722 -	Total Funds £ 92,474 (2,547)
	89,205	722	89,927

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

17 Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year

Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year
Cash at Bank and In Hand Other Net Current Assets/Liabilities) Total	General Funds £ 95,235 (1,633)	Restricted Funds £ 722 -	Total Funds £ 95,957 (1,633)
	93,602	722	94,324

18 Analysis of charitable funds - previous year, as required by paragraph 4.2. of the SORP

Unrestricted Funds £ 98,586 - 95 288	Restricted Funds £ - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 98,586 - 95 288
98,969	-	98,969
102,386 2,036	- -	102,386 2,036
104,422	-	104,422
(5,453) 99,055	- 722	(5,453) 99,777
93,602	722	94,324

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ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31[st] JULY 2025

Charity Number 1045367

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

CONTENTS	PAGE
Legal and Administrative Information	1
Trustees annual report	2 to 8
Independent Examiner’s Report	9
Statement of financial activities	10
Balance sheet	11
Notes to the Accounts	12 to 17

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LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Status

Sydenham Road Under Fives is a registered charity governed by its constitution. Charity number 1045367.

TRUSTEES

Hannah Malone resigned as Chair on the 24.10.24 where she was then appointed as the Secretary.

Hannah Marvel-Smith was appointed as Secretary on the 15.11.23, she was later appointed as Chair on the 24.10.24 after Hannah Malone resigned.

Registered Office

Totterdown Baptist Church Jarman Hall Sydenham Road Totterdown Bristol BS4 3DF

Independent Examiners

Joanne Trowbridge MAAT Bristol Community Accountants CIC The Park, Daventry Road, Knowle Bristol BS4 1DQ

Bankers

Lloyds TSB 55 Corn Street Bristol BS99 7LE

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2025.

Structure, Governance and Management

Organisation

Objectives and activities

Objects of the Charity

The objects of the charity are:

To instigate and adhere to and further the aim of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Public benefit

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Achievement and performance

SRUF is a wonderful community resource and the more I speak to people around Totterdown about my connection with the Preschool and Committee I am often regaled with stories from others fondly remembering their children’s time at SRUF or their own time given to the committee when their child was attending, sometime up to 25 years ago. The children with their high-vis jackets on, holding onto the walking rope and heading into Arnos Vale has become an iconic sight within the community. Our community links to Arnos Vale and daily off-site visits continue to provide the children with opportunities to learn and play outdoors. SRUF is passionate about giving children time in nature, allowing them to access connection, risky play, imaginative play, physical challenge and natural learning daily. These daily adventures are part of what makes SRUF special and sets them apart from other similar settings. It is clearly a highlight for the children too as we received great feedback about this in our annual parent survey.

SRUF is dedicated to responding to the needs of its children and families and offers a wide range of activities, resources and expert knowledge in helping children learn through play.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

The Committee

The committee have also helped to raise £895 through fundraising and donations and this has gone back into the preschool, helping to buy resources for the children’s learning and play.

Thank you to Hollie, Hilary and Katie for giving their time and support to the committee this year. We are grateful for your input and opinions in our decision making this year.

The Team

We would also like to thank…

Kerry Houselander, our preschool assistant, is such a wonderfully attentive and warm presence at SRUF. She knows the children so well, always building strong and happy bonds both with the children and their families. She is fantastic at encouraging the children, believing in them and helping bring them out of themselves. Her smiles and happy demeanour brighten the children’s days and helps them to build their confidence and belief in themselves.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

We also thank our landlord, Totterdown Baptist Church, for their continued support.

Pre-school Team Leader report

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Financial review

Income

Total Income = £114,604

This is mainly made up of FEEE (£100,663) and Parent fees (£4,542).

We secured a £1,000 Tesco Stronger Starts donation which was used to buy a new wooden climbing frame and other equipment.

We also raised a total of £895.34 through fundraising and donations.

We introduced a Daily Contribution charge to cover the cost of snacks and non-consumables. This raised £6,745.00 towards our income.

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Expenditure

Total Expenditure = £119,002

Reserves

Future outlook-2025/26

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

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TRUSTEES REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

==> picture [374 x 189] intentionally omitted <==

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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Sydenham Road Under Fives’

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Sydenham Road Under Fives’ for the year ended 31 July 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

Independent examiner’s statement

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

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (including Income and Expenditure Account)

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Unrestricted Funds £ 113,235 - 370	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 114,235 - 370	Total Funds 2025 £ 98,586 95 288
113,605	1,000	114,605	98,969
115,840 2,162	1,000 -	116,840 2,162	102,386 2,036
118,002	1,000	119,002	104,422
(4,397) 93,602	- 722	(4,397) 94,324	(5,453) 99,777
89,205	722	89,927	94,324

All of the activities of the charity are classed as continuing

The notes on pages 12 to 17 form part of these financial statements

As required by paragraph 4.67of the SORP, the brought forward and carried forward funds above have been agreed to the Balance Sheet.

*Details of the allocation of 2024 total funds between unrestricted and restricted are shown in note 18

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BALANCE SHEET

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

		2025		2025
	Note	£	£	£
Current assets
Debtors	11	-		191
Cash at bank		92,474		95,957
		92,474		96,148
Creditors : Amounts falling
due within one year	12	(2,547)		(1,824)
Net current assets or liabilities			89,927	94,324
Total net assets or liabilities			89,927	94,324
The Funds of the Charity
Restricted funds	15	722		722
Unrestricted funds	15	89,205		93,602
			89,927	94,324

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----- Start of picture text -----
22/10/2025
----- End of picture text -----

These financial statements were approved by the trustees on ……………………...............…………. and are signed on their behalf by:

==> picture [343 x 29] intentionally omitted <==

The notes on pages 12 to 17 form part of these financial statements

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SYDENHAM ROAD UNDER FIVES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

1 Basis of Preparation

a) These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

b) The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern as they have a surplus (made up of profits over the years) of nearly £90,000, which strengthens their financial position
c) The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

2 Accounting Policies

a) Income from donations is included in income and endowments when these are receivable, except as follows:

i) When donors specify that donations given to the charity must be used in future accounting periods, the income is deferred until those periods.

ii) When donors impose conditions which have to be fulfilled before the charity becomes entitled to use such income, the income is deferred until the pre-condition have been met.

b) Expenditure is recognised in the period in which they are incurred. Expenditure includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.
c) Most expenditure is directly attributable to specific activities, and have been included in those cost categories. Support cost have been allocated 100% towards the charitable activities of the charity.
d) Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
e) Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

g) The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. Pension costs charged in the financial statements represent the contribution payable by the charitable company during the year.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Income and Endowments From:

3 Donations and legacies

Fundraising and donations Pre-School provision	Unrestricted Funds £ 918 112,317	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 -	Total Funds 2025 £ 1,918 112,317	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,303 95,283
	113,235	1,000	114,235	98,586

Donations and legacies prior year - all unrestricted

4 Trading Income

Admin fees	Unrestricted Funds £ -	Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2025 £ -	Total Funds 2025 £ 95
	-	-	-	95

Trading income prior year - all unrestricted

5 Investment Income

Bank interest	Unrestricted Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2025 £	Total Funds 2025 £
	370	-	370	288

Investment income prior year - all unrestricted

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

Expenditure on:

6 Charitable activities

Unrestricted Funds £ 3,416 98,598 11,634 - 873 640 158 368 153	Restricted Funds £ 1,000 - - - - - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 4,416 98,598 11,634 - 873 640 158 368 153	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267 -
115,840	1,000	116,840	102,386
Unrestricted Funds £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 3,190 87,974 9,499 15 655 653 133 267
102,386	-	102,386

7 Other

Other
Payroll Independent examination Insurance	Unrestricted Funds £ 528 1,073 561	Restricted Funds £ - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 528 1,073 561	Total Funds 2025 £ 520 975 541
	2,162	-	2,162	2,036

Other prior year - all unrestricted

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

8 Net incoming resources for the year

This is stated after charging:

This is stated after charging:
Independent Examiners Fee Staff costs and numbers The aggregate payroll costs were: Wages and salaries Social security costs Employers pension costs Less Employment allowance	2025 £ 1,073	2025 £ 975
	2025 £ 97,042 7,024 1,556 (7,024)	2025 £ 85,411 3,888 2,563 (3,888)
	98,598	87,974

9 Staff costs and numbers

No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000.

The average monthly head count was 10 staff (2024: 8 staff)

10 Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

11 Debtors

Trade debtors Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Creditors Accruals: Deferred income Independent Examination HMRC PAYE	2025 £ -	2025 £ 191
	-	191
	2025 £ 374 1,100 1,073 -	2025 £ 237 - 975 612
	2,547	1,824

12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

13 Related party Transactions

There were no related party transactions during the year (2024: £nil)

14 Trustee remuneration

At 01-Aug 2024 £ 722 -	Incoming resources £ - 1,000	Outgoing resources £ - (1,000)	Transfers £ - -	At 31-Jul 2025 £ 722 -
722	1,000	(1,000)	-	722
93,602	113,605	(118,002)	-	89,205
94,324	114,605	(119,002)	-	89,927

Restricted funds:

Bristol City Council - Capital improvements to the kitchen and nursery environment Tesco Stronger Starts Grant - Educational resources

16 Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds
Cash at Bank and In Hand Other Net Current Assets/Liabilities) Total	General Funds £ 91,752 (2,547)	Restricted Funds £ 722 -	Total Funds £ 92,474 (2,547)
	89,205	722	89,927

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025

17 Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year

Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year
Cash at Bank and In Hand Other Net Current Assets/Liabilities) Total	General Funds £ 95,235 (1,633)	Restricted Funds £ 722 -	Total Funds £ 95,957 (1,633)
	93,602	722	94,324

18 Analysis of charitable funds - previous year, as required by paragraph 4.2. of the SORP

Unrestricted Funds £ 98,586 - 95 288	Restricted Funds £ - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 98,586 - 95 288
98,969	-	98,969
102,386 2,036	- -	102,386 2,036
104,422	-	104,422
(5,453) 99,055	- 722	(5,453) 99,777
93,602	722	94,324

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