2024-08-31-accounts

Kids United Pre-School Annual General Meeting

29th November 2024

Present:

Cath Tanner – Committee Chair Paula Thompson – Pre-School Manager Emily Luscombe – Committee Treasurer Lesley Hartt – Committee Secretary Rio Edwin – Parent Michelle Stone – Parent Siobhan Murtagh – Parent Carolyn Versey - Parent

1. Introduction and Welcome

Cath, as chair of the committee, introduced the committee members and welcomed everyone to the AGM, thanking those present; explaining an AGM is a statutory requirement as Kids United Pre-school is a registered charity.

One of our committee members, Claire Richardson is currently taking a break from the committee and hopes to return in the future.

2. Chairperson’s Report

Cath formally thanked Paula, the pre-school manager and the Kids United team for their hard work over the last academic year.

Paula summarised the current situation regarding low numbers of children attending the setting and the financial pressure it put on the pre-school. Post covid, the pre-school has had fewer children on the register compared to pre covid. Kingston Early Years has assured Paula that demand for pre-schools exist in Kingston, but Paula is unsure where the children are. Rio, one of the parents attending said that Kids United was not included on the Kingston Achieving for Children pre-school setting list. Siobhan only found out about Kids United by walking past the hall and seeing the banner.

Prior to the AGM, Paula had asked for parental and carer feedback on the pre-school. The feedback formed the basis of discussion during the AGM:

• The social media presence needs to be improved and kept up to date for a new audience; Siobhan, Carolyn and Rio happy to help the staff with set-up / training. Rio has a camera the pre-school could borrow for good quality photos.

• Ensure the website is up to date, improve the photo gallery and use real photos to show the incredible thought which goes into the activities and provision. Highlight a couple of case studies to show how funded hours can be

used, such as for sessions as well as lunch clubs or split hours between Kids United and childminders. Obtain more up to date parental reviews.

• Create an Instagram page, parents can drive this and hand over to the staff

• Kids United already has a Facebook account, but it needs to be set up with Kids United work email instead of Paula’s contact details. This will enable staff to upload more easily and for the Facebook and Instagram accounts to be linked. Carolyn is happy to look at linking Facebook and Instagram.

• Post on local Facebook groups to raise awareness of the pre-school, e.g. ‘Surbiton Neighbourhood’ and ‘South of the borough’

• Paula will poll parents via WhatsApp to confirm permission for photos of the children to be used. Parents and prospective parents want to see children having fun and view activities from the curriculum, such as ‘today we are focusing upon…’

• Parents feel that their children benefit from the smaller numbers of children attending the setting and the Kids United should promote this aspect of the provision.

• Is it possible to decorate the corridor which parents wait in?

• First impressions are important, could it be made more colourful/redecorated by either the pre-school (staff/volunteers) or the church? Can the noticeboard show our ‘learning this week’, also consider that this acts as marketing viewed by other hall users – such as the Wednesday parent and toddler group.

• Could the pre-school open on a Wednesday?

• The Church will not move the parent & toddler group from its Wednesday morning slot. It would be very difficult for Kids United to use the alternative Elgar Hall as all the equipment is on the Raeburn Hall side.

• Actions for Paula

• Paula to WhatsApp parents for quotes to use on the pre-school website

• Paula will ask parents for any social media support they can provide

• Contact United Reform Church regarding redecorating the corridor

A discussion was held on the expansion of funding entitlement, whereby eligible working parents with children from 9 months and above will receive up to 30 hours of free childcare per week, effective September 2025. Concern is that numbers could drop further as Kids United is unable to offer the full 30 hours of funded childcare.

• Actions for Paula

• Survey existing parents with a potential offering of 9.15am-2.15pm Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri, providing up to 20 hours a week. Gauge whether eligible parents would want to stay with Kids United or look for settings offering 30 hours a week.

• Consider when to hold planning meetings, observation related discussions with the staff. These meetings normally happen on a Thursday afternoon.

3. Treasurer’s Report

Paula presented the financial report for the 2023/24 academic year, highlighting a profit of £3,187.42. A bank balance of £36,482.37 was carried over to the 2024/2025 academic and financial year.

Discussions centred upon financial sustainability and the need to mitigate the 63% drop in voluntary contributions compared with 2023/24. Income for the pre-school is in effect dictated by the government and the setting is unable to chase voluntary contributions, as the childcare is ‘free at point of access’ for those eligible children. The suggested voluntary contribution is currently set at £6 per session for funded 3 & 4-year-olds who had not joined under the government’s ‘disadvantaged 2-year-old’ criteria. Only a couple of parents paid the voluntary contribution during 2023/24. The committee is of the opinion the setting needs more financial resilience. Suggestions during the AGM were as follows:

• Link the voluntary contribution payment to ‘financial sustainability’, rename the payment

• The current £6/session – which equates to approximately £150 per half term for children attending all 4 sessions a week, was felt to be too high. More people are likely to contribute if it was more affordable. The committee will discuss and set the suggested payment at the next committee meeting

• If eligible, then parents can claim tax back from the voluntary contributions. Paula to flag this to parents.

Paula re-iterated that Kids United pre-school is a charity, it is not owned by anyone and is committee run. Any money the pre-school makes in profit is re-invested. In the event of closure, Kids United would fulfil its legal requirements, paying any outstanding rent and redundancy payments to the eligible staff. Any remaining money within the bank account, toys and equipment would then be transferred to a similar charitable pre-school setting.

It was also felt that the setting should charge a regular fee for the fruit and other healthy snacks made available to the children each day.

• Children benefit from the social aspect of snack time

• Food includes fruit, breadsticks, cheese, crackers, water and milk

• Staff will share photos to promote and raise awareness of snack time

• Paula will buy little stickers ‘Today I Tried….’

• Picky eaters more likely to try new foods to join in with their friends

Kids United should also consider asking for monetary and physical donations for craft activities/supplies.

• Paula to message parents, perhaps they have items their children no longer use

• Paula to look at setting up an amazon wish list, parents could buy items, e.g. pens, books and then donate

Fundraising activities were also discussed, as fundraising fell by 92%, from £772.40 in 2022/23 to only £65 in 2023/24. There will be a concerted effort this year, including:

• Art gallery, each child gets a canvas with a little stand, all their own abstract art for their parents to buy. Parents will opt-in to this activity and pay upfront. Any children not taking part will still get to produce artwork, but on paper instead.

• Sponsored bounce, Carolyn has a bouncy castle suitable for 2–5-year-olds which Kids United can borrow. The sponsored bounce is always very popular and normally raises a substantial amount of money. There will also be a small trampoline for the children to use if they prefer.

• Select from previously enjoyed fundraising events such as cake sales, pyjama day, fancy dress day and a crazy hair day

4. Nomination and Election of Committee Members

The current committee members are:

Cath Tanner – Chair Emily Luscombe - Treasurer Lesley Hartt – Secretary and they are happy to stay on.

Claire Richardson is currently taking a break and will hopefully return.

New committee members welcomed, we meet once a half term, normally over zoom for 1.5-2 hours on a Monday or Tuesday. Within each meeting we review previous meeting minutes, policies, fundraising, finances, staff wages, any new legislation as well as anything else that Paula needs to discuss.

A DBS check is required and Ofsted will check suitability.

Both Siobhan and Carolyn expressed an interest in joining the committee. Michelle is also happy to review policies.

5. Any other business

Kids United was OFSTED inspected in June 2024 and maintained the ‘GOOD’ status. Paula will ensure the Kids United website is updated to link to the latest OFSTED report. The notice board will also be updated to reflect the most recent report. Paula very pleased with the inspection, the inspector frequently checked upon the wellbeing of the staff during the inspection.

The children will have a Christmas party on the last day of term, with a visit and present from Father Christmas. It was felt that a suggested payment of £2 per child was fair. Cath will donate children’s books for Paula to use as presents.

There are currently 10-12 children in each session, Kids United is registered to take up to 32 with OFSTED. The perfect point is 24-26 children per session. Most of the children are taking their full 4 sessions a week, but Paula will let the others know they can request extra ad-hoc sessions for the session price of £25. Paula will also let parents know they can add on extra paid lunch clubs as well. Ideally parents would give as much notice as possible, but in emergencies they could enquire on the day. At present there is flexibility because the staff to child ratios would still be met.

Rio enquired whether lunch clubs could run on Tuesday and Thursdays (at present they run Monday and Fridays). Paula will check with the staff first and confirm the hall is free; offering a Tuesday would be manageable but Thursdays are more difficult as the planning and staff meetings take place then. Would need 6 or so children for the lunch club to be viable. Could introduce the Tuesday lunch club in the Spring term. The cost would be £15 per lunch club for anyone who has already used up their funded hours.

The AGM was concluded with Paula thanking everyone for their attendance.

Kids United

Treasurers Report 2023 2024

AGM - 29th November 2024

	2023/ 2024	2022/2023	% change
Balance brought forward	£33,294.95	£40,251.72
Receipts
Fees	£60,906.37	£54,639.26	11%
Voluntarycontribution	£624.00	£1,686.00	-63%
Grants	£3,387.99	£0.00	0%
Fundraising	£65.00	£772.40	-92%
Trips	£0.00	£0.00	0%
Uniform	£270.00	£125.00	116%
Donation	£10.00	£119.00	-92%
Sundries	£0.00	£0.00	0%
Total receipts foryear	£65,263.36	£58,210.66	12%
Payments
Salaries	£48,919.18	£51,321.79	-5%
Rent & rates	£9,996.00	£9,292.00	8%
Staff Training	£0.00	£0.00	0%
Pension	£928.41	£1,026.88	-10%
Tax,Insurance & Membership	£1,026.95	£1,539.64	-33%
Equipment & supplies	£150.25	£523.70	-71%
Uniform	£365.03	£307.06
Trips	£0.00	£0.00	0%
Catering	£9.50	£21.32	0%
Cost of fundraising/ Refunds	£0.00	£251.00
Office costs	£680.62	£1,532.33	-56%
Totalpayments foryear	£62,075.94	£65,167.43	-5%
	£3,187.42	-£6,956.77
Total balance carried forward	£36,482.37	£33,294.95	10%

Inde endent examiner's re ort and statement Respective responsibilities of trustees and the examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: Examine the accounts (under section 43 (3) (a) of the Act)" Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43 (7) (b) of the Act). and State whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's statement My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordan￿ with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. I Ihj kn51 , M,,la Signed Date 6/6/2, Relevant professional qualification or body (if any) ,Rciilra Address p(IvV&s7aiV U £-i)F-LcI 4.ry V" I"b( d PILS kfT15r