2025-08-31-accounts - Chestnut Playgroup

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	Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	for theperiod	for theperiod
	From	Period start date	T	Period end date
		Day Month Year	o	Day Month	Year
		01 09 2024		31 08	2025

Section A		Reference and administration details

Charity name		Chestnut Playgroup

Charity name	Charity name	Charity name		Chestnut Playgroup	Chestnut Playgroup

Other names charity is known by

Registered charity number(if any)				1090719

Charity's principal address				The Cathodeon Centre, Horseheath Road
				Linton
				Cambridge
				Postcode		CB21 4LU

	Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
		Trustee name	Office (if any)		Dates acted if not for whole year		Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	1	EmilySteele	Chair		Sep2020 -
	2	Felicity Murray	Treasurer		Sep 2020 -
	3	Monica Haig	Secretary		Sep 2024 -
	4	Layla Cornell			Sep 2024 -

	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
1	EmilySteele	Chair	Sep2020 -
2	Felicity Murray	Treasurer	Sep 2020 -
3	Monica Haig	Secretary	Sep 2024 -
4	Layla Cornell		Sep 2024 -
5	Lisa Bowers-Hyett		Sep 2024 -
6
7
8
	Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
	Name		Dates acted if not for whole year

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

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1 2023-24

Constitution adopted 10/10/1999, Amended 30/09/2009

Type of governing document

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted

Unincorporated association

(eg. trust, association, company)

Trustee selection methods

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Volunteer committee elected from membership at AGM or further meetings if applicable

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

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2 2023-24

Section C Objectives and activities

The playgroup aims to enhance the development and education of preschool children by offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups. We recognise the right of Summary of the objects of the parents/carers to take responsibility for and become involved in the charity set out in its governing document activities of such groups, and offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, gender, culture, religion, means or ability.

Provision of sessional play, education and care

The trustees employ a Playgroup Leader, Deputy and other full time and Bank Staff to provide sessional play, education and care to preschool children at a setting in the local community. Sessions run in term time (in line with the village schools) on mornings, lunch and afternoons from Monday to Friday. Children may attend playgroup from the age of 2 until school age, and all sessions include a mix of ages. We can also provide 1- Summary of the main activities 1 care for any eligible child if required. undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these Involving parents objects (include within this Parents/carers are encouraged to volunteer to join the committee and section the statutory actively contribute to the development of local preschool children through declaration that trustees have the playgroup. Furthermore, parents/carers are occasionally invited to had regard to the guidance attend and help at playgroup sessions/outings if they wish, or as part of issued by the Charity settling in their children. We also encourage parents/carers to share their Commission on public benefit) skills or hobbies in group sessions where appropriate. Statutory declaration

The 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:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

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3 2023-24

Section D Achievements and performance

The playgroup has continued to develop from the progress made over the previous Summary of the years, building on processes internally as well as continuing to develop the EYFS main achievements learning protocols. of the charity during the year

The staff team continued to provide a high quality level of care for the children, assisting in their educational and emotional development, through use of a broad array of resources. These ranged from equipment and toys, art facilities, as well as a large outside area with playground equipment, vegetable patches, mud kitchen and a sandpit. All whilst adhering to all protocols and changing guidance.

Activities have also included story-telling, free-flow play, painting and other crafts, role-playing, outside play, singing, messy play, contributing to community events, family events, library visits and various fundraising events. We have also been on outings to local places.

The staff and committee have again worked hard this year. We have again managed to raise more than our fundraising target which we are very pleased with. We were also lucky enough to again be given specific grants which allowed us to purchase new toys and equipment.

Financially, the playgroup has not had such a good year as previously, partly due to the way cashflow and accounting records are shown. We have however got plenty of funds in reserve to cover any loses, and planned this carefully. We have also had changes in staffing, and chose to spend money on training and equipment, or on specific grants, which also have to be taken into account in the year spent not necessarily in the year the money is allocated/raised. We had a change of Preschool Leader this year and there was a significant overlap for handover in this time, and also extra money spent on the recruitment process and training, as the new manager was from outside the setting. We had fewer children at the playgroup this year and were not as full from the start of the academic year as in the previous year, which led to less income than the previous year. As our rent was almost doubled from the beginning of the last academic year, we have tried to keep outside hours events/meetings to a minimum to help reduce this cost. We were also informed that the rent would be increasing again and from September 2025, which will make it more than double that of August 2023. Overall, we are happy with the finances for this year as purchases were carefully managed. This therefore means we are still in a good position going into next year. Once again we will likely have less income due to the number of children due to be reducing from the start of the year. We will also have an increase in our payroll as there will also be a rise in the Living Wage again in April 2026.

We continue to have a large amount in savings which we are mandated to have to cover redundancies and closing costs in the unlikely event we were to close (as below/on next page). We will also carefully considering making extra purchases, outside our normal spending. We also have funds in savings to cover any loses.

We will continue to open for 5 days a week, and offer the extended hours funding, within the playgroup opening hours. We will enter the next year with a healthy cash balance, but we anticipate and are prepared that next year we could make an accounting year loss because of the increase in staff costs and rent, and the fewer number of children predicted to attend the playgroup.

Section E Financial review

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4 2023-24

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves

The playgroup maintains a savings account with a balance of £35,000+. This is to cover contingencies and ensures there are adequate resources to pay staff for at least 3 months, and find a new building if necessary. Or to cover redundancies and appropriate closure costs if required. This amount was as last year when a thorough review was carried out, and due to increases in costs in all areas, but especially payroll (which increases redundancy amounts), payroll fees, pensions, and rent.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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

Signature(s) Caroline Wilson

Full name(s) Caroline Wilson

Position Chair

Date 15 June 2026

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5 2023-24

Charity Name No (if any) Chestnut Playgroup 1090719 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/09/2023 31/08/2024

Section A Receipts and payments

A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 99,969 16,270 12,387 2,897 552 - - - 132,075 - - - 132,075 119,233 4,204 9,554 2,145 3,038 612 1,204 1,717 51 2,709 144,466 - - - 144,466 - 12,391 - 83,318 70,927	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 99,969 16,270 12,387 2,897 552 - - - 132,075 - - - 132,075 119,233 4,204 9,554 2,145 3,038 612 1,204 1,717 51 2,709 144,466 - - - 144,466 - 12,391	Last year to the nearest £
CountyCouncilgrant	99,969				106,137
Fees	16,270				21,455
Othergrants	12,387				4,500
Fundraising	2,897				2,184
Bank Interest	552				463
Miscellaneous	-				-
	-				-
	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	132,075				134,739

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					134,739

Staff salaries	119,233				101,384
Fundraising, Grants Spent	4,204				3,693
Rent	9,554				9,720
Payroll bureau & recruitment	2,145				1,897
Equipment & stationery	3,038				2,847
Snack money	612				618
EYA/Ofsted etc & insurance	1,204				1,169
Training	1,717				728
Telephone	51				40
Other	2,709				2,076
**Sub total **	144,466				124,172

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-
	-
**Sub total **	-				-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
					124,172

	- 12,391	-	-	- 12,391	10,567
	-	-	-	-	-
	83,318	-	-	83,318	72,751
	70,927	-	-	70,927	83,318

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Current accounts Saving accounts Cash *Total cash funds* Details Details Details Details Signature Caroline Wilson ~~2~~	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 34,045 - 35,786 - 1,096 - 70,927 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name CAROLINE WILSON	Endowment funds to nearest £
		-
		-
		-
		-
		OK
		Endowment funds to nearest £
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		When due (optional)






		Date of approval
Caroline Wilson	CAROLINE WILSON	15/06/2026
~~2~~

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

15 Granta Leys

Linton

Cambridge

CB21 4YT

h.angetter@gmail.com

To Whom this may concern

My name is Hilary Angetter I am a bookkeeper, and a member of the institute of certified bookkeepers.

I have been bookkeeping in the agricultural industry for over 35 years.

I have examined the accounts for the Chestnut playgroup and wish to inform you that everything is in order.

I do not have any connection with the play group, I was approached by a friend regarding this.

Hoping that this is sufficient

Yours faithfully

Hilary Angetter M I C B