## COREST-.ART
## **ANNUAL REPORT 2024**
Registered Charity Number: 1064759 Registration Ofsted Number: EY337731
**SURESTART ‘Where Kids Come First’, Ockendon Family Hub, 2a Afton Drive, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5PA** Tel **: 01708 670011** Mobile **: 07587 005472** E-mail **: surestart1@aol.com**
**Our Charitable Aims for our work with Children and Families**
Our charitable aim is _**“to provide children in our care with opportunities to LEARN THROUGH PLAY in a stimulating and exciting setting. We also wish to support families and encourage their involvement in their children’s education outside of the home. In providing quality care we are committed to developing the full potential of all our children and staff”** ._
**Our Groups and Fees from April 2024-March 2025**
|**GROUPS**|**AGE**|**TIME**|**COST**|**DAY**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Breakfast Club|Rising 5 to
12yrs|7.30am to 8.45
am|£6.93|Monday to Friday Term
time only|
|Pre-School
MorningSessions|2 to 5yrs|8.30am to
11.30am|£20.95 or free
entitlement|Monday to Friday Term
time only|
|Pre-School
Afternoon
Sessions|2 to 5yrs|11.30am to
2.30pm|£20.95 or free
entitlement|Monday to Friday Term
time only|
|Full-Day Care
MorningSessions|0 to 5yrs|8.00am to 1.00pm|£34.76|Monday to Friday
38/51 weeksperyear|
|Full-Day Care
Afternoon
Sessions|0 to 5yrs|1.00pm to 6.00pm|£34.76|Monday to Friday
38/51 weeks per year|
|Full-Day Care
Full Day|
0 to 5yrs|8.00am to 6.00pm|£66.04|Monday to Friday
38/51 weeksperyear|
|After School
Kids Club|Rising 5 to
12yrs|3.00pm to 6.00pm|£18.32|Monday to Friday Term
time only|
|Holiday Club|Rising 5 to
12yrs|8.00am to 6.00pm|£34.76|Monday to Friday using
Thurrock Council school
calendar|
|Holiday Club|Rising 5 to
12yrs|8.00am to 1.00pm
OR
1.00pm to 6.00pm|
£17.38
£17.38|Monday to Friday using
Thurrock Council school
calendar|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**DETAILS OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS**|||
|STAFF MEMBERS|JOB ROLE|START
DATE|EXPERIENCE/TRAINING/
QUALIFICATIONS|
|Lucy Pollock|Manager/Safeguarding
Officer/Keyworker|March
1993|NNEB III/First Aid/Child
Protection|
|Tanya Gould|Deputy Manager/ Room
Leader/
Keyworker/Behaviour
Officer|Jan 2000|Cache III/First Aid /Child
Protection|
|Rita Town|Cook|April
2002|Food Hygiene/Safeguarding|
|Tammy Marsh|Nursery Practitioner/
Keyworker/Speech &
Language Officer|June
2002|NOCN in Childcare II/First
Aid/Safeguarding|
|Kirsten Regan|Administrator/Cook|July 2003
Left Nov
2024|First Aid/Safeguarding/A
number of day courses|
|Jackie Goulden|SENCO/ Nursery
Practitioner
/Keyworker|June
2007|NVQ III in Childcare and
Education/First
Aid/Safeguarding|
|Lorraine Latham|Nursery Practitioner
/Keyworker|June 2017|Safeguarding/First Aid/A
number ofonline courses|
|Laura Dove|Cleaner|July2017||
|Angel Jolly|Nursery Practitioner
/Keyworker|Sept 2018|Children and Young People Level
II/First Aid/ Safeguarding|
|Tina Bottjer|Nursery Practitioner
/Keyworker|Feb 2022|Cache Level 4/First
Aid/Safeguarding|
|Katie O’Connell|Nursery Practitioner
/Keyworker|Mar 2023|Level 3 Diploma in Children’s
Learning and Development
(Early Years Educator)/First
Aid/Safeguarding|
|Holly Mathews|Nursery Practitioner|Sept
2023
Left Nov
2024||
|Munni Islam|Nursery Practitioner|Sept
2023|BA Honours in Childhood and
Youth Studies|
|Tia Reeves|Nursery Practitioner|July 2024|CACHE Level III Diploma for
the Children & Young People’s
Workforce/Probation until
December 2024|
|Gillian Davidoff|Administrator &
Finance|Jan 2025|Book Keeping Level 2, Sage
Online|
|Jo Town|Kitchen Assistant|Jan 2025|
Food Hygiene|
## **The SURESTART Staff 2024 (and Task Group names)**
**Lucy (Limpets) Manager Tanya (Terrapins) Kirsten & Safeguarding Lead Deputy Manager & Administrator Blustery Bay Room Leader & Cook (Left Nov 2024)**
**Tina (Turtles) Katie (Kingfish) Jackie (Jellyfish) Rita - Cook Calm Cove Room Leader Calm Cove Room Leader SEND Co-ordinator**
**Tammy (Tuna’s) Lorraine (Lobsters) Angel (Angelfish) Laura-Cleaner**
**Holly (Humpback Whales) Munni (Manta Rays) Tia (Tiger Sharks) (Left Nov 2024)**
**Gillian**
**Jo**
TRUSTEES ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
**Kirsten Regan – Secretary Left as staff member, joined the Committee**
I have lived in South Ockendon all my life. Upon leaving school I worked in the City, having a short break from work to have my children, before starting here at Surestart in 2003. I have seen lots of changes in Ockendon over the years and have a keen interest in our local community.
**Pricila Zanini Parent Representative**
I have a 14 month old son that has been attending Surestart for the last 3 months. I also have two daughters that have attended Surestart for over 3 years, until they started primary school, in 2021 and 2023. As our first language at home is Portuguese, my girls became fluent in English when attending Surestart. My youngest daughter has also developed so much confidence here, as she was very shy. My daughters still attend Holiday Club and love them! I have complete confidence that Surestart staff are dedicated and passionate for what they do and I can see how much my children have learned.
I joined the Committee in 2020 as a parent representative and hope to support with continued communication between parents and staff. My role is to bring a parental perspective to support the nursery to achieve its highest aims and standards.
**Samara Tor - Chairperson Parent Representative**
I'm Samara and I am currently the Chair of the Committee. I have two children who have previously attend Surestart. I attended Surestart when I was young therefore this nursery has always and will always be a huge part of my life and my family. Surestart and the incredible staff employed here go above and beyond each day to make a home away from home for your children and I have been committed to helping this nursery keep going.
**Mackenzie Klessa-Smith Community Representative**
Hi my name is Mack and I’m a current member of the Surestart Committee and have been for over a year now. I decided to join because I want to make a difference and help keep this wonderful charity running for another 30 years and beyond! I did also attend Surestart many years ago when I was a child and so I want to continue supporting the fantastic work that they strive for every day.
**Rebecca Willers - Treasurer Parent Representative**
I have a 3-year-old that has been attending Surestart since she was a year and I also have siblings that attended Surestart many years ago, providing our family with meaningful respite for my disabled sister. I am incredibly grateful for the wonderful opportunities and loving environment that is offered to my daughter at sure start and I wished to volunteer and offer my professional experience to the committee, therefore joining in June 2024. I am also a qualified special needs teacher and a designated safeguarding lead within my role at a maintained SEND school in Harlow.
**Chairpersons Report SURESTART ‘Where Kids Come First’ – 2024**
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome and thank you for attending the SURESTART ‘Where Kids Come First’ Annual General Meeting. This meeting is being held in person this year and is anticipated to last for 60 minutes.
The AGM is a legal requirement under our charitable status and Constitution and is held around this time each year. We have to make sure we report on the business side of the charity and its operations and this year covers the financial matters from 2023/24, as accounts are always a year behind. The rest of the report and information will pertain to the operational year 2024.
This will be my last report as Chair of the Committee as I will be stepping down as both the Chair and as a member of the Committee at the end of this meeting. I’ll start with introductions to the current Committee members.
Chair – Samara Tor Vice Chair – Kirsten Regan Secretary – Staff representative – – Treasurer Rebecca Willers
Parent representatives – Pricila Zanini, Leanne Starr Community representatives – Mackenzie Klessa-Smith
I have been on the Committee for about 6 years now. I took over as Chair after Terri Daniels left in early 2023. We have recently been joined by Rebecca Willers who is mum to one of our Surestart children as well as our Safeguarding Lead contact. We’ve also welcomed Leanne Star to our Committee family.
To be able to run as a Committee for this Charity we need a minimum of five members so we are constantly looking for others to join us so that we can always ensure we have the right level of support and challenge to keep us on our path of continuous improvement and remain operating in line with our Constitution and charitable status. We must continue to recruit to the Committee and grow numbers so that we can succession plan effectively for the future, always ensuring SURESTART can continue to offer their unrivalled services to the children and families in our local area so we urge you all to consider if you would like to stand for the Committee or if you know someone who may be interested in joining the Committee.
A role on the Committee is very rewarding and valuable with opportunities to get involved in sustaining and developing the business and it will give you the chance to have input into the running of the setting. You would need to be able to attend 4-5 meetings per year, with at least 50% of them held virtually to make attending easier. You may be occasionally asked to
take on a specific task such as helping with quality audits, recruitment, marketing or fundraising and events (only a few hours every few months).
This year has improved financially for all involved with the minimum living wage being increased as well as the introduction of nine-month-old funding. The Trustees are still committed to overseeing the financial processes of the charity.
We waved a very tough goodbye to Kirsten our admin who started a new job in the city however she has chosen to stay on our Committee as Vice Chair and a goodbye to Holly and welcomed our new admin Gillian, our new kitchen assistant Joanne and new nursery practitioner Tia to the SURESTART family.
Running a successful and sustainable nursery continues to be a huge challenge and the team at SURESTART continue to deliver an excellent service for the children and families in South Ockendon and beyond.
We continue to work in partnership with the Family Hub and other local community organisations to ensure that we support the local community as best we can. We have been lucky to receive help and donations from local businesses, including Nisa. Some of the Committee aims for the future include:
1. Continuing to encourage new members to join to increase membership and longevity of Committee.
2. Setting up regular Committee learning walks and audits to support an improved oversight and accountability for nursery operations, the curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning.
3. Using our new Fundraising strategy to identify grant funding sources that can support projects we identify to be beneficial to the children and families (for example, speech and language, SEND, emotional well-being and behaviour). We need to use our fundraising strategy to strengthen our financial sustainability.
4. Creating a succession plan to ensure SURESTART ‘Where Kids Come First’ is future proof and sustainable.
5. Setting a Committee Management Task Plan so the Committee know what duties are required, by when and by whom.
6. Setting up two parent forums per year so that we have more involvement and can share more information with parents.
If anyone has any good ideas and suggestions, please let us know.
Thanks again everyone for your help and support.
Regards Samara Tor Chairperson
Income & Expenditure Summary for The Years Ended 31" March
Income
2023
2024
Grant Funding
Full Day Less refunds.
Kid's/ holiday club
Pre-school & grants
Fundraising
Breakfast club
Lunch / Dinner club
Other income/donations
750
111,992
31,652
148, 150
204
118,807
27.447
112.921
77
2,639
4,434
263 366
299 161
'lull day income adjusted by unpaid cheques & refvnds.
(reimbursement offees)
Expenditure
Equipment& fittings
Fundraising/ photographs
Sundry/ food & supplies
Wage, Nat. Ins., pensions & Vouchers
Rent, rates & cleaning
Postage/stationary & office
Telephone, mobile & Internet
Bank charges
Insurances
Subscriptions, training, travel
Legal & prof. Fees
1.753
16
17,446
221,485
32,176
1,423
758
2,180
608
19,873
238,160
15,525
1,205
1,184
1,398
1,087
1,507
901
280 217
284 755
Surplus {Deficit)
Balb
fwd.
fwd.
(16,851)
137,357
120 506
14,406
120 506
134 912
'Represented by bonks os ot 31.3.2024,
pety cashJ7oot5. accrua15 ond creditors
checked and verrfied 12.01.2025
Bodell & Co
Accountants
ACCA
Tel: 01708 852505
Email: bodellfinance@gmail.com
## OUR THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT AND ALSO TO:
- Thurrock Council Early Years Team, especially Terri, Colette, Katie, Jenny, Paul and Dawn
- • Treetops Outreach team for their support
- • Jonathan, Julieta and the team at Nursery Kitchen in Basildon
- • James from Bodell & Co, our Accountants • Zoe our photographer (Smile Studios)
- • Chris Adlington for maintenance jobs
- • Georgia Regan for plumbing work
- • Nick Gould for toy repairs
- • Raffle prizes from Bargain Booze, International Shop, Nisa, Lidl, Smokers Paradise
- • P D Flooring for their donation of carpet squares for the children to sit on
- And to YOU for the donations of toys and equipment your children no longer use, for your support during this year, and for choosing us as your childcare provider!