2023-08-31-accounts - Friends Of West Ashtead School

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Friends of West Ashtead
Presented at the Annual General Meeting on November 22nd 2023
The Leg of Mutton and Cauliflower, Ashtead. KT21 1AZ
— TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
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For the period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023
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Aim (Object) of the Charity

The aim of the Friends of West Ashtead (FOWA) is to advance the education of pupils at West Ashtead Primary School.

In planning the activities of the FOWA Charity for the year the Trustees and Committee kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The focus of the activities of the FOWA remains to fundraise to support the education experience of the pupils at the school, either through funding facilities, workshops or providing equipment.

Decisions on where the funds raised by FOWA are to be used are taken in consultation with the Head teacher and the committee. The FOWA committee is made up of parents and guardians who attend regular FOWA meetings. These meetings are open to all parents and guardians.

A fantastic contribution is made to the charity by a small group of very committed volunteer members. We are grateful for the many hours these volunteers have spent supporting the work of the FOWA in meeting its aim. This group includes the Class Reps and Committee Members and other Parents and guardians all of whom attend regular FOWA meetings.

Trustees

Chair Jennifer Turner Vice-Chair Anna Owen Treasurer James Balcombe

All Trustees give their time voluntarily and do not receive any remuneration or other benefits.

The FOWA operates within the guidelines of the national confederation of Parent Teacher Associations of which it is a member (membership number 21274). The FOWA has Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance to cover its meetings, activities, Officers and Volunteers.

FOWA delivered a calendar of seasonal events and fundraising activities throughout 2022/23 with the aim of bringing families together, helping build a social community and to create wonderful school memories for the children of the school.

Charity events run this year:-

Firework Night

Christmas Fair

School Christmas Cards

Christmas tree Sales

Christmas Wreath workshop Soundbytes Christmas Concert Quiz night Infant and Junior Disco Circus and Year 5 fair Ice cream Sale Smarties Challenge Krispy Kreme Sale Break the Rules Day Bags2School Collection nd 2 Hand Uniform Sale

Junior Production refreshments

This year’s fundraising enabled FOWA to purchase history and geography resources including props, artefacts and additional reference books to bring topics to life for the children in the classroom, enhancing their learning environment.

Friends of West Ashtead Registered Charity No. 1067628 Annual Report 2022/23

FOWA has also continued to fund the school’s cloud reading platform and also supported improvement of online safety for the pupils given access to Chrome books for a number of

pupils.

FOWA has also continued to subsidise the Year 6 leavers’ celebrations and the Infants Christmas Party and a free End of Term Junior Disco fully funded by FOWA and supported by FOWA and parent volunteers.

The future fundraising goal is to continue to support school workshops which will benefit all class years as well as exploring opportunities with Leo to further enhance pupils' experience. A summary of the funds raised in 2022/23 is shown in the attached accounts, and an independent auditor will be appointed to examine the full set of annual accounts. Serious Incidents

Nil return of serious incidents.

FOWA Responsibilities as a Charity

The charitable status of the FOWA confers certain responsibilities upon the charity and the Trustees. As a charity with an income of between £25,001-£500,000 FOWA are required to submit an Annual Return, comprising an Annual Report and reviewed annual accounts. Since April 2009 as a charity with an income above £25,000 per annum the FOWA are also now required to report on any Serious Incidents. There are no Serious Incidents to report from the past year.

Treasurer’s Report

The income raised less expenditure from this year’s fundraising was £22,138.

We had Charity expenses of £502 including £176 for new Zettles, £140 for Insurance (from Parent Kind), £98 for Bank Charges and £87 to repair the FOWA Gazebo.

During the year FOWA funded £8,596 of activities most notably History props £4,118, Infants Bee and Pond Workshops £1,550, Science week £600, a Poetry visit by Valerie Bloom £325, a Rivers trip for Year 5 £315, a Reading cloud Subscription for the whole school £660 and Online Safety Training for £625. James Balcombe ACMA - Treasurer

Appointment of Independent Examiner of Accounts

We have appointed John Whittaker as Independent Examiner of Accounts for Year Ending August 2023

Future Plans

In the wake of West Ashtead Primary School joining the Leo Academy of Schools midway through 2023, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture. This strategic move has prompted us, as Friends of West Ashtead, to contemplate how best to collaborate with Leo Academy and align our efforts to complement their enhanced focus on various school areas that our charity has historically supported.

Moving forward, Friends will maintain its commitment to fundraising in support of our children's educational journey at West Ashtead. While Leo takes the lead in essential infrastructure, Friends will spearhead efforts to fully fund and expand educational workshops. This includes, but is not limited to, collaborations with theatres, interactive sessions featuring writers, artists, scientists, and exploring historical topics that captivate young minds.

Expanding Horizons Beyond Workshops:

Building on this foundation, we are excited to work with the school, their teachers and the children’s pupil parliament to explore a range of initiatives that go beyond workshops to further enrich the educational experience:

● Guest Speaker Series: We would like to work with the school to invite professionals from various fields to give talks or presentations, offering students insights into different careers and real-world applications of their education. ● Environmental Initiatives and Community Service Projects: Initiatives promoting environmental awareness, such as school gardens, recycling programs such as Terracycle, and community service projects, will engage students in practical, real-world learning experiences. ● Arts, Music, and Literacy Programs: Supporting art and music education through workshops, performances, and author visits, along with our continued fund donations towards new books for the school library, will nurture creativity and a love for literature.

Friends of West Ashtead Registered Charity No. 1067628 Annual Report 2022/23

To ensure these initiatives resonate with the interests and needs of our students, we have enlisted pupils from the school committee to engage their classmates in brainstorming ideas. This collaborative effort aims to gather fresh perspectives and novel suggestions, fostering a more engaging and impactful educational experience for the children at West Ashtead.

As we embark on these exciting endeavours, we eagerly anticipate forging a strong partnership with the new head teacher and Leo Academy, collaborating closely to offer holistic support to our children and their families. Together, we aim to create an environment where every child at West Ashtead can thrive and excel in their educational journey.

Trustees Report

It has been a remarkable year of charitable events, activities, and fundraising at West Ashtead. Despite our school's modest size, we have achieved phenomenal success, thanks to the dedication of our core team of volunteer parents. These individuals, who consistently serve on the events planning team and act as class reps year after year, contribute their time and effort selflessly. Without their commitment, the charity wouldn't operate as seamlessly as it does.

This year, our focus was on running diverse events and activities throughout the school to raise funds for co-funded workshops for pupils and a new outdoor climbing frame for junior students. Remarkably, after two years of fundraising, we achieved our goal this year.

We expanded the scale of our larger events, nearly doubling the size of our Fireworks Night display to accommodate 700 ticketed guests—a sell-out once again. Our annual Christmas Fair was once again fully up and running since our post covid lapse, and we had the spectacular Happy’s Circus and Fair rounded out the year! Attracting 400 ticketed guests and featuring an array of captivating performances. The success of these events not only helped us reach our fundraising targets for the climbing frame but will also enable us to support additional charitable initiatives in 2023/24.

While the larger events are pivotal for income generation, we recognize the significance of smaller events in creating lasting memories for our children. Activities such as Krispy Kreme sales, school discos, mufti days, ice cream sales, and the beloved Break the Rules Day contribute to a well-rounded and engaging school experience.

With a tinge of sadness, we bid farewell to Lisa Austin, our dedicated secretary for four years, and Anna Owen, Vice-Chair. Lisa's organisational skills and volunteering spirit have been invaluable, while Anna played a key role in shaping our fundraising strategy and planning signature events. We also extend our best wishes to Mrs. Hall, our Head Teacher, who will retire in December 2023. Mrs. Hall has been an integral part of Friends of West Ashtead, attending and supporting numerous events and offering insights at our late-night committee meetings. She will be missed, and we hope she enjoys a well-deserved retirement with her family and garden.

Looking ahead, we anticipate an exciting year with Leo Academy and a new Head Teacher. We eagerly look forward to partnering with them, aligning our plans and support to create a wealth of wonderful memories and enhance the educational experience for our children at West Ashtead in the years to come. Jennifer Turner, Chair of Trustees

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Jennifer Turner
105 Stag Leys
Ashtead, Surrey. KT21 2TL
Accounts 2022/23
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Date 27 June 2024
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Income Statement

Friends of West Ashtead Registered Charity No. 1067628 Annual Report 2022/23

£ Net Proft summary; Christmas fair & trees Fireworks Circus/Summer Fair Krispy Kreme Sales Ice Cream/Other Front of School Sales Photos - July Christmas events Donatons Quiz night Your School Lotery Easy Fundraising Amazon Smile Bags2school Terracycle Discos Smartes Break the rules day Junior Producton - July YR 6 Fundraising and donatons Pety Cash Misc Expenses New Zetles Bank Charges Gazebo Repair Insurance INCOME LESS EXPENDITURE Funding Allocated Great fre of London - YR 2 Rivers Trip - YR 5 Reading Cloud Annual Subscripton Online Safety training school Christmas Tree Science Week workshop Ukraine Welcome Fund Topic and History Props 2022/23 BEE and pond workshop Valerie Bloom - Poetry Sports Day July Year 6 SAT books Pre-payments Circus 25 Accruals BEE and pond workshop Accrued Income Circus Estate Agent Boards	Income	Expense Net Proft

	8,700 8,145 10,487 1,521 707 1,051 1,065 942 1,075 847 613 309 469 70 1,563 459 398 227 1,018 71	(2,555) 6,145 (4,167) 3,978 (4,793) 5,694 (929) 592 (82) 625 0 1,051 (160) 905 0 942 (373) 702 0 847 0 613 0 309 0 469 0 70 (1,256) 307 (90) 369 0 398 (64) 163 (3,131) (2,113) - 71
	39,737	(17,599) 22,138
		(176) (176) (98) (98) (87) (87) (140) (140)
	-	(502) (502)

	39,737	(18,101) 21,636
		(132) (315) (660) (625) (31) (600) (68) (4,118) (1,550) (325) (28) (143) (8,596) 306 (450) 655

Balance Sheet

Friends of West Ashtead Registered Charity No. 1067628 Annual Report 2022/23

2022/23 2022/23	2021/22 2021/22	2020/21 2020/21	2019/20 2019/20
32,979 0 32,979 306 655	19,125 0 19,125 820 505	12,929 0 12,929 550	12,656 0 12,656 550 13,206 20,415 7,221 14,431
33,940 450 -	20,450 13,479 13,989 7,018	13,479 13,206 7,298 7,025
33,490 20,450 21,636 8,596
33,490	20,450	13,479	13,206

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Friends of West Ashtead School

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Friends of West Ashtead School (the Trust) for the year ended 31st August 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trust’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 Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

Friends of West Ashtead

Registered Charity No. 1067628

Annual Report 2022/23

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.

[John Whittaker BSc (Hons) ACA ] 10 Taleworth Road Ashtead, Surrey. KT21 2PT

th Date 27 June 2024

Friends of West Ashtead Registered Charity No. 1067628 Annual Report 2022/23