Sprowston Nursery Playgroup AGM 21[st] April 2021
Held by Zoom due to Covid Pandemic
Treasurer’s Report 2019-2020
End of year Balances 31/08/2020: £39,229.19 – current account £30,038.08 – reserves account
The Covid-19 pandemic caused a lot of uncertainty as to whether the playgroup would be sustainable we have been able to keep within budget, in fact we have ended the year with £38,294 profit,
This is largely due to the income being £28,206 above budget. Whilst we were unable to fundraise due to being shut, we were lucky enough to receive donations, one being from school lane at £8221.04, £1500 from Patchwork nursery both of which shut down. We also saw fees up by £7575 than budgeted. We also received a £7500 sustainability grant which was obtained prior to the pandemic which has enable us to plan to buy ipads for the playgroup and also improve other areas.
Expenditure was under by £10,088. This was largely due to the rent and lower wage bill due to being shut. I must thank David Hood and the church for being for understanding and helpful regarding this and also to the staff who agreed to be paid basic wages during the summer term. Another expenditure we did not have was the mini beast visit that was unable to take place.
We did go over budget on sundries, new equipment, postage, telephone and web and training but kept on budget for book-keeping and went under budget on licenses, repairs and wages (by £8066), water and cleaning. We had to buy considerably more PPE equipment and cleaning items and also do so much more telephone communication during the summer term.
Nothing was spent on refreshments, subsidiaries and Christmas.
In comparison to last year, the income is up by £27,760 (This year £130116, last year £102,356 and expenditure is down £9136 (This year’s £91,822 and last year’s £100,958) and overall we are up £33578 from last year’s profit of £4716.
The year has seen a lot of financial uncertainty and we began the year applying for a sustainability grant to provide a financial buffer due to many years of lack of increase in the funding rate for childrens fees. This continued when we heard that we would not receive funding whilst shut but thankfully the Government changed this decision and continued to pay the funding we would have received alongside not being able to furlough staff, which was preferable for us, or claim other grants. Our two major expenses are wages and rent, and with both these considerably reduced, we have managed to build a good amount to sustain the playgroup for the future.
Rebecca Cox – Treasurer – Sprowston Nursery Playgroup
- Committee report Sept 2019 Aug 2020
Thank you all for coming to attend this AGM. This will see a report on a year like no other that playgroup and the rest of the world has seen. September 2019 started a new year for us where we could not have for-seen what was to come.
In the Autumn term, as were trying to get new people to join the committee, we did not have any meetings. We had our Christmas parties as usual and were pleased to be able to donate £80 to Priscilla Bacon Lodge from our collection.
We had our Ofsted inspection in November, and were pleased to be rated as “Good” – the staff put so much hard work into this and they all did a fantastic job.
Both Carol Clarke and Rachel Barrett were awarded Level 3 Senco Qualification which was a great achievement.
We were able to buy new adjustable tables and chairs from a Co-Op grant and also other equipment and supplies from Patchwork nursery and other childcare setting which were sadly closing.
We have had some changes in staffing and in February we saw a change to our management team with Carol Clarke leaving after 18 years and Rachel Barrett start in her role as Supervisor, with Vicky Racher and Michelle Cutting-Green as deputies. It was not long after that the world started to see the spread of Covid-19 and all of the resulting repercussions.
We were devastated that on March 18[th] 2020, a few days before the national lockdown that we had to shut due to restrictions. Just like the rest of the country, this was very sudden and filled us with uncertainty.
We had to adapt and had our first meetings via zoom. The financial situation was very uncertain with not knowing whether we would get funding even though we were closed, or able to furlough staff or claim grants. The procedures and restrictions were also constantly changing and the amount of work that the staff have had to do to keep up to date was never-ending.
However, the staff were determined to always look to the positives and to try to work to still helping all of our children and to improve the playgroup environment. Due to ever changing regulations, we still could not open to children, but the staff were able to provide support to all our families, including helping towards transitions to school.
It was such a shame that we could not have our regular end of year celebrations with the staff and children, or have any of our usual fundraisers.
I would like to thank David Hood for the work he has put into helping us over the year in what has been a very difficult time.
The year has been un-precendented but the staff have all been amazing and have all done their utmost to keep positive and to still work in some capacity and to be of great support to myself and all the families that attend our setting. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated staff who are passionate about their work and I would like to thank them all, especially Rachel, Michelle, Vicky and Amanda who have had to put a lot of time into policies and procedures and trying to make playgroup as safe a place as it can be for everyone. Rachel has taken it all in her stride and led everyone with positivity and we ended the year looking forward with the optimism that we would be open again in September 2020.
- Julie Chettleburgh Chairperson
SUPERVISOR REPORT AGM 2021
Hard to believe that a year has passed since I began in the role of supervisor. And what a year it has been! Within 6 weeks of becoming supervisor our worlds were changing and normal life was taking a new dimension for us all. Due to restrictions playgroup had to close its doors on March 25[th] 2020 and by 27[th] March after national government announcements, the whole country was in a lockdown, a strange concept for us to adapt to.
When restrictions were lifted it was hoped the playgroup could reopen to parents of keyworkers and vulnerable children. However, after much discussions between myself& Julie this was sadly not an option for playgroup.
Staff came together and created activity packs for the children, recorded videos of stories & worked with schools for transitions. Brewers decorating kindly donated some paint and with permission from the church the busy and lobby was given a makeover. New equipment we ordered after we received the sustainability grant, room dividers, new draw unit and we will hopefully receive the new Ipads soon. Equipment was cleaned, the garden was also included with grass and hedges cut, the outdoor store painted and turned into an outside summer house, Michelle created a bug garden and areas to enable the children to plant and grow. The busy room was transformed and with government guidance, risk assessments we were ready to reopen in September.
We reopened in September and welcomed our returning children, new children and families back to playgroup. We all had to adapt to a new way of life, one area that raised questions and concerns was that parents would be unable to come into playgroup and would have to leave the children at the door. However we have found this to be a positive benefit to the children, and they all settled and transitioned far quicker and most importantly less anxious.
In December with Covid cases on the increase we sadly had to close until January as we had confirmed cases. Thankfully everyone recovered.
Teresa sadly left the team at playgroup we wish her well. Scarlett is currently studying for her level 3, we have Aimee as an apprentice also completing her level 3. Michelle has taken on the role of sendco and completed the 3 day course. All staff completed safeguarding training in March 2020 before the lockdown and supervisor team completed SLP training. In June we will update our first aid training, Jo and Maz will be starting their level 3 course. Jo is also working with Michelle supporting any children with additional needs.
We now see restrictions being lifted, the summer term has begun and as always this is a busy term with preparations for children leaving us to go onto their next chapter into infant school we will be working on transitions. We wait to hear as to if we will be able to do our visits to new schools with children. We are currently doing brief visits to playgroup out of hours for new children in the garden and following guidance and social distancing. We hope that the current roadmap the government has planned continues on its pathway and that we will be able to all come together and have a celebration in the form of a concert for all children who attend playgroup.
The eyfs has been under consultation and some changes have been made we wait further information and training on this, it will be applied September this year.
Fundraising this year for playgroup has been limited with now 2 years of not having our BBQ. However we set an Easter challenge for the children to walk a mile and we are currently seeing parents return sponsorship money for this. As we often support other charities that have impacted our lives, Michelle and Amanda made some treat baskets consisting of refreshments and facial treatments for Pricilla bacon lodge and the ICU unit at NNUH the children made cards to thank the staff from the doctors to the cooks and cleaners all of which have played a vital role. Michelle, Jo, Amanda, & Linda made some tasty cakes and did a staff bake sale this raised £240 of which £100. Was donated to Priscilla bacon lodge, £100. To Harper’s little helpers and the remainder £40 was to create a lasting tribute of a butterfly to Penny Brown a dear friend and former staff member who sadly lost her battle with cancer this year. Penny loved the garden at playgroup and it was penny who had the idea for the butterflies that we would hatch at playgroup and release them in the summer term.
All of this could not have been possible without so many others help and support. A big thank you to the church who has and continues to support playgroup. To David who has made adaptions to the
building with locks and hooks for doors, made sure we had hot water, heating and other supplies and has been a great support to playgroup. David has played a big part of enabling playgroup to reopen liaising with the church.
To the children and parents for your patience and understanding. The staff team who have worked so hard despite the challenges before them. They have adapted and overcome. They are exceptional team. To Amanda the administrative work that she does is a key part of playgroup but this is not her only skill she has been a massive support to myself in my new role and supporting the reopening of playgroup. Thank you Amanda. My assistant Michelle who also has also been a great support to myself and takes on any task asked of her and organizes so many fantastic ideas and activities.
To Julie who selflessly commits her time, dedication to playgroup and has also supported me in my role.
The committee for your continued support of playgroup.
Hope fully we will be able to have some future committee meetings in person.
Rachel Barrett - Supervisor
Sprowston Nursery Playgroup Income and Expenditure for the Year Ended 31st August 2020
| Fee income Grants and donations Other income Expenses Accountancy Bank charges Consumables / sundries Equipment & toys Insurance Licences & subscriptions Rent Repairs Staff costs Stationery Subscriptions Telephone Training Water Net income |
107985 21406 725 130116 900 157 2432 1462 1186 20 8798 53 74042 791 50 728 1059 144 91822 |
107985 21406 725 |
|---|---|---|
| 38294 |
The accounts for Sprowston Nursery Play8roup were audited by Salty Mann and found to be In order. Sally Mann 19.03.2021