## **Trustees Annual Report** For the period 01 April 2020-31 March 2021 Cylch Meithrin Creigiau Charity No: 1056147 Scout Hall, Castle Close, Creigiau, Cardiff, CF15 9NJ ## **Charity Committee** **Chair:** Richard Nelmes **Treasurer:** Victoria Jones **Secretary:** Vanessa Sadler **Vice Secretary:** ## **Structure, governance and management** Cylch Meithrin Creigiau is a non-maintained Early Years education provider and playgroup which caters for children aged 2-5 through the medium of Welsh in the small village of Creigiau in Cardiff. It is well received in this area in which Welsh is spoken widely, and where there is a Welsh stream within the local primary school. Cylch Meithrin Creigiau is governed by a Constitution which was adopted at the inception of the Cylch, and was reviewed by the current Committee in January 2019. Cylch Meithrin Creigiau is run on a day to day basis by one Leader who is responsible for the smooth running of the playgroup and for the childcare assistants. She is assisted by a Committee who are appointed from the parents of children who currently/previously attended the Cylch, and an administrator who is employed on a part time basis; they organise fundraising events, collect fees, pay staff wages, and provide additional information to families through regular contact and newsletters.Committee Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in the Autumn. Regular meetings of the Committee and Staff are held to discuss matters regarding the Cylch and to make important decisions. The Committee and Staff are also supported by Mudiad Meithrin and Cardiff County Council who provide advice and guidance. Disclosure and Barring checks are carried out on all members of staff (including students) prior to commencement of employment, and are renewed in a timely fashion. We work closely with the local Scout group from whom we rent the hall for the Cylch. All Committee members give their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefits. ## **Objectives and activities** Cylch Meithrin Creigiau aims to provide high quality early year’s education and childcare for children aged 2-5 through the medium of Welsh. We continue to offer sessions which work around the local school times, are reasonably priced and which have the best interests of local children and their families at heart. Our activities are designed to stimulate and engage young children, and encourage them to socialise with their peers. We work within the framework for early year’s education to provide a challenging curriculum with achievable goals. Young children benefit from the immersion into the Welsh language and get used to routines similar to those used in school. Our hours work in tandem with those of the local school, including a wraparound service for the nursery and Meithrin sections, which allows a full day’s childcare for working parents. Cylch Meithrin Creigiau welcomes all young children regardless of background, faith, language, or disability. ## **Achievements and performance** 2020/2021 has seen continued calling for full daycare to children in the area, in particular with the wraparound service with the local school Nursery/Meithrin which remains highly popular with working parents. Providing full daycare for 2 year olds also continued to prove popular with parents, with many children attending for full days. The Wraparound Scheme has further increased in popularity, with notable expansion into the English side of the local primary school, and we now hold a waiting list for wraparound places well in advance of children receiving a part time school place. All of this has stabilised occupancy and ensured that we are full every morning, and have a significant occupancy in the afternoon sessions, which are seeing increased uptake. We have been affected by the pandemic COVID – 19 unfortunately, where all our staff were placed on the government scheme furlough. Demand for early year’s provision in the area continues to rise and we work hard to meet that demand. The commencement of the 30 hours childcare scheme for 3-4 year olds in Cardiff (January 2019) and Rhondda Cynon Taff (September 2018) has led to children being entitled to either 17.5 or 15 hours free childcare per week (dependent on which LEA they reside in). Demand for this service around the part time school place they are entitled to has been significant and we provide childcare for a significant number of children through this scheme. As a result, the Committee took the decision to stop offering Early Year’s funded places (the equivalent of a part time school place where no place at the local school is available) and to concentrate on providing the Childcare aspect of the care – this was as a result of both the demand for this aspect of the funding from parents whose children had a part time school place, and the level of work involved to maintain the contract to provide EY funded places. No significant impact was noted as a result of this decision as any children who did not get a part time school place were able to retain their childcare place but receive funding for it, and no children were withdrawn as a result – mainly as parents wish to continue to receive the 30 hours funded place once their child was granted a part time school place. We continue to have 4 part time members of staff, all of whom live and work locally, and we are very proud to be able to offer employment to local people, who are able to work flexibly to meet their own personal childcare needs. We also employed a part time administrator to look after the paperwork of the Cylch. Fundraising has been slower than previous year due to the pandemic, including a Christmas Concert and a Ball. Plans to use the funds raised to build a designated external play area for the children in the grounds of the Scout Hall during Spring 2016 are still on hold as due to the Cylch’s success we were still looking to relocate to a larger building. Currently, no suitable building has been found, and we are looking into options with the Scout group to extend the current building. This is dependent on permissions from Cardiff County Council from whom the Scouts lease the building under a long term arrangement. ## **Financial review** 2020/2021 has seen the income fall due to the pandemic. This is largely due to us being closed from March – June. Legislation regarding the living wage for all employees, and increased pension costs. Although there was a drop in fees received due to many children benefitting from the 30 hours childcare scheme, this was more than compensated for by the funding received under this scheme. Our expenses did not increase by the same amount, with the most significant increase being in staff costs and therefore a surplus was made for the year. Cylch continues to fulfil the childcare needs in the local area, providing much needed childcare which coincides with the local state nursery, and its popularity is clear from the increase in fee income received as we reached capacity, and the increase in children attending from the English side of the school. Our current reserves policy is to maintain a reserve equivalent to 3 month’s operating costs, along with a designated reserve for redundancy costs should they become necessary. All income through children’s fees, 30 Hours Childcare Funding and fundraising/donations is put towards the general running of the Cylch, with general reserves fluctuating depending on occupancy levels. We aim to hold at least £10,000 cash in bank above the reserves detailed above to cover wages in times of low occupancy. ## **Public benefit statement** The charity trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties. ## **Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees** ## **Signature** ## **Full Name** Richard Nelmes ## **Position** Chair **Date Jan 2022** Income and Expenditure Account 202012021 Financial year 01/04120-31103/21 IncornÈ 202012021 201912020 Mudiad Grant Other grants Children's fees Furlough Scheme Grant Funding 30 Hours free childcare funding Fundraising Donations and sundries 4,000 2,000 22,406 16.229 28,843 2,745 1,299 400 45.332 35,388 3,013 666 Total 77.521 84,799 Ex enses Salaries Rent and heating costs Registrations and PAYE scheme fee5 Administration and training costs Equipment, materials and resources Fursdraising Other 61,984 3,738 63,096 6,484 299 206 268 3,744 2,293 118 1,807 Total 67.647 76,390 Surplus/(deficit) for the year 9,874 8.409 Cash in bank at year end 88,917 79,043 Unallocated cash at year end 87,528 77,654 Allocated cash at year end: Committed cash for building improvements Budgeted costs - 2 x Kiddibuse5 Children's play area cash raised.. Match funding for children'5 play area: Total allocated cash 689 700 1,389 S89 700 1,389 Cash held in bank increase 2020121: 9,874 Less: surplu5 9,874 Difference: Independent Exarninerfs Report on the Accounts Report to the Trustees/mernbers of Cylch Meithrin Creigiau On accounts forthe year ended 31 March 2021 The Charivs trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43121 of the Charities Act 1993 (the Actll and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: Examine the accounts {under sertion 43 of the Act) to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 4317llb) of the Act). and to state whether particular matters have wme to my attention. My examinatiork wa5 carried out in accordan￿ with General Directions given to the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a tomparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees oncerning any such matters. The prO￿dureS undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf wew and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. In the course of my examination. no matter has come to my attention - which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirement5: To keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Att: and To prepare account5 which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act- have not been met- or 2. to whi h, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the ac ts to be reached. Sign Date: Relevant professional qualificationl51 or bo￿ lif 3nyl- Address: 5 6&¥￿ LQALLU CFif 9?