Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 09 2022 31 08 2023 From To
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name EMERSON VALLEY PLAYGROUP Other names charity is known by THE WENDY HOUSE Registered charity number (if any) 1056708 Charity's principal address River Valley Centre, 6, White Horse Drive, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes Postcode MK4 2AS
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WendyCross | ||||
| AmyLannon | ||||
| Sarah Clarke | Chair | |||
| LyndsayAli | Until 07/03/23 | |||
| Aliz Szasz | ||||
| Natasha Wiggins | Secretary | |||
| Charlotte Ross | Treasurer | |||
| Nicola Kirby | From 07/03/23 | |||
| Samantha Ardley | From 23/05/23 | |||
| Luke Gibbons | From 23/05/23 | |||
| Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees) |
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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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
Type of governing document
Constitution (Pre-School Learning Alliance 2011)
(eg. trust deed, constitution)
Trust reapproved on 5/03/23 How the charity is constituted
(eg. trust, association, company)
Elected by members at AGM and/or co-opted by invitation of the Trustee selection methods committee
(eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
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 by: Summary of the objects of the Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning, charity set out in its together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become governing document involved in the activity of the group, ensuring that opportunities are offered to all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability.
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We are able to offer children play, education and care in accordance with Ofsted's Early Years Foundation Stage education and welfare requirements. Primarily this is through renting an appropriate space to provide these requirements and the employment of trained, qualified and experienced staff.
We admit children from families within the local community and the wider area within Milton Keynes from varied family backgrounds.
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)
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
-
policy programme related investment;
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contribution made by volunteers.
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
The playgroup had an Ofsted inspection on the 16[th] January 2023. It had been 5 and a half years since the last inspection. We were pleased to report at the time that the outcome was GOOD. In fact the inspector told us at the feedback that we were a strong good.
The playgroup reached capacity with almost all sessions taken by February 2023. However, it was a challenging year with a greater percentage of 2 years olds that we have seen for some time.
There were a number of staff changes. Two staff left and two new auxiliaries were employed. Two staff members gained their level 3 early years qualification. The outgoing Administrator reduced her hours with a view to retiring in the near future and the incoming Administrator started training to take over the role in March.
We had another successful trip to Rookery farm on the 4[th] May 2023 and the Open afternoon/evening in May was well attended with over 74% of our families making an appearance.
The playgroups committee had been in stage of slight unease during the year, because the management of the hall was due to be passed over to the local Parish Council. The initial date was in April and then May. We knew that our rent would be substantially increased, and that we would be asked to remove our wall displays. It didn’t happened and now won’t happen – apparently the terms of the lease that the parish council wanted, couldn’t be applied to this hall, and they changed their minds! (The lease wasn’t long enough)
There is an increase in Nursery Grant due to the increase in the hourly rate we received from Milton Keynes Council. We also reached capacity sooner than the previous year.
Wages costs has also increased. There was a large increase from April 2023 in National Living Wage and we needed more staff on some sessions because of the higher percentage of 2 year olds.
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Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the
charity’s policy on reserves
Our policy aims to hold to build and maintain a reserve a total of three working months income. This is to cover for contingencies including, the temporary shortfall in the Autumn term, redundancy, SSP, increases in National Living Wage, pensions. We carried over a larger than normal surplus from the year 2020 to 2021 - £13452. This was set aside for use during the two subsequent financial years as the starting number of children was much lower than normal, expenditure had increased and we did not anticipate reaching capacity at any time during these academic years and were projecting a loss. The 23/24 year is the same and expenditure will increase again.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
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
Charlotte Ross Signature(s) Charlotte Ross Full name(s) Charlotte Ross Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Committee member etc) Date 5th June 2024
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| SectlonA | IndependentExaminer'sRoport | IndependentExaminer'sRoport |
|---|---|---|
| Report to the trusteos | EmersonValleyPlaygroupTIATheWendyHouse | |
| Onaccountsforthe year | 31August2023 Charity no 1056708 |
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| onded | (ifany) | |
| Set | outonpages | |
| reporttolhetrusteesonmyexaminationoftheaccountsoftheabove charity("theTrust")fortheyearended3\ Anant,2022. |
||
| Responsibilities and basisofreport |
Asthecharity'strustees,youareresponsibleforthepreparationofthe accountsinaccordancewiththerequirements oftheCharitiesAct2011 |
|
| ("theAct) | ||
| IreportinrespectofmyexaminationoftheTrust'saccountscarriedout undersection145ofthe2011Actandincarryingoutmyexamination,I havefollowedalltheapplicableDirectionsgivenbytheCharityCommission under section145(5)(b)oftheAct. |
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| Indopondont oxaminer's statement |
Ihavecompletedmyexamination.Iconfirmthatnomaterialmattershave cometomyattentioninconnectionwiththeexamination(otherthanthat |
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| disclosedbelow")whichgivesmecausetobelievethatin,anymaterial | ||
| respect: | ||
| theaccountingrecordswerenotkeptinaccordancewithsection130 | ||
| oftheCharitiesAct,or | ||
| theaccountsdidnotaccordwiththeaccountingrecords;or | ||
| theaccountsdidnotcomplywiththeapplicablerequirements | ||
| concerningtheformand contentofaccounts setoutinthe Charities | ||
| (AccountsandReports)Regulations2008otherthananyrequirement | ||
| thattheaccountsgivea 'true andfair'viewwhichisnota matter | ||
| consideredaspartofanindependentexamination. | ||
| withtheexaminationtowhichattentionshouldbedrawninthisreportin | ||
| ordertoenableaproperunderstandingoftheaccountstobereached. | ||
| * Please delete thewordsinthe bracketsiftheydonotapply. |