2023-03-31-accounts

SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 2022 - MARCH 2023

Registered Company Number: 07289310 (England & Wales) Registered Charity Number: 1156526

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SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

CONTENTS
	Page
Charity Information	3
Report to the Trustees	4
Independent Examiner's Report	12
Statement of Financial Activities	14
Balance Sheet	15
Notes to the Financial Statements	16

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SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

CHARITY INFORMATION

Company Registration Number

07289310

Charity Registration Number 1156526

Management Committee Trustees Nitasha Kapoor Chair Mara Bodis-Wollner Treasurer Ariane Hanman Secretary Omarie Mears Trustee Chiara Farina Trustee Katherine Mengardon Trustee

REGISTERED OFFICE

2[nd] Floor, Northumberland House 303-306 High Holborn London WC1V 7JZ

ACCOUNTANTS

Gelfand Rennert and Feldman LLP 2[nd] Floor, Northumberland House 303-306 High Holborn London WC1V 7JZ

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

CHAIR REPORT

“I always know when I come to pick them up that they'll have eaten well and they’ll sleep well tonight.” - Parent, child 9 yr

This year marks the first since I’ve been a trustee when we didn’t have a global pandemic to contend with, and I’m pleased to report that we have made excellent progress towards a more consistent, sustainable service that benefits our community. That said this year was not without its challenges - the cost-of-living crisis created acute financial and emotional hardship that tested our most vulnerable and not so vulnerable families. SWAPA’s services continue to be a lifeline for so many young people and families to help make ends meet and provide opportunities to thrive.

Our community of young people (YP) is growing and becoming more concrete with 588 children visiting the playground between April 22 and March 23, totalling 3,700 visits! The consistency of our service over the last three years has produced a higher retention of YP starting secondary school and we now have a core group of 12-15 year olds that visit on a regular basis, taking more ownership over the playground and helping out. For example, we continued to provide free hot lunches during school holidays, often involving our YP in the cooking and serving. Around 60% of our hot lunches are served to children eligible for Free School Meals. To develop their skills further, a small group of our YP applied and won funding from Hackney Council’s Youth Opportunities Fund to have weekly cooking sessions over the winter months, culminating in a trip to the Michelin starred restaurant BRAT in London Fields where they made flatbreads in a wood fired oven and mocktails behind their beautiful bar. We then sat for a set menu lunch including things many of our YP had never tried before (and never thought they would!). It was an afternoon to remember, and we wouldn’t be surprised if some of our YP now go on to be high end chefs. Special thanks to head chef Tomos Parry and the whole team at BRAT for being amazing hosts and going above and beyond to broaden our YP’s food horizons.

As always, the playground structures and site in general are in constant need of maintenance and repair. We developed a partnership with Community Payback teams to have weekly maintenance days and East London Business Alliance (Elba) facilitated a steady stream of corporate volunteer sessions to help with building repairs and improvements - including a new tango swing platform and removing the zipline and tower.

The trustees and senior staff have done an incredible job at securing funding that has helped with outreach and an increased presence in the community, for example:

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• We continue to be visited by our local SEN school, The Garden School, and now welcome children from Grasmere and schools from the New Wave Federation including Grazebrook primary schools as regular visitors. We also started a weekly Home Education drop-in session to help families with children who fall outside of mainstream education environments.

• SWAPA hosted a 6-week arts program with Hackney Young Voices, culminating in a billboard SWAPA children designed being up in Gillett Square in Dalston for the last two weeks of August. It was beautiful and our YP were super proud!

• We secured Discover Young Hackney funding over the summer holidays which meant we brought in specialist tutors in music production, art, sensory play and skateboarding to run 32 workshops across August, and attract the older 11-16 year olds to the playground. This was the first time SWAPA had such a structured offer alongside free play over the summer months.

• We hosted 4 community open days over the year including what is turning into an annual bonfire day celebration during which we hosted 281 visitors, despite some drizzly weather.

• We are working with the music charity Free Youth Orchestra to bring exciting opportunities to experiment with sound making to the SWAPA community.

Needless to say there is a palpable momentum growing at SWAPA! This has been made possible by having a strong staff team and a growing board of trustees that can step back from the day to day running of the playground and focus on fundraising and outreach.

The start of this year introduced Sarah Wilson as our Senior Playworker and in January we made another great step forward in welcoming one of our long standing playworkers, Tilly Hawthorne into the newly created Deputy Senior Playworker role. Thank you to SWAPA’s long-standing and beloved playworkers Jake, Joel, George and Ebony-Marie for being the friendly faces year on year our kids have come to know and trust and we welcome our new playworkers Mark, Darlene and Tom to the team.

Finally, looking ahead to the coming year sees a mammoth challenge for the playground - our beautiful wooden perimeter fence is 45 years old and badly in need of replacement. We ran two “Playground Jam” fundraisers at the Baths in Hackney Wick with musicians Caribou, Floating Points and Four Tet donating their time to the cause, and in February we submitted an application to The Arts Council to co-design a ‘PlayFence’ - a playable structure that is simultaneously a boundary - with children and several high-profile artists. We hope that this innovative, ground-breaking way of working will produce a design that will be irresistible to funders. Many thanks to The Mayor of Hackney, Lucy McMenemy (Head of Culture) and Cllr Caroline Woodley (Head

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of Children and Families) for their letters of support and Stephen White and Hayley Birch for their ongoing support at Young Hackney.

We welcome local parents and community members to join our What’s App channel (07988 571 232) to keep up with news and volunteer opportunities. If you would like to join as a trustee please email [e-mail] for more information.

Nitasha Kapoor Chairperson, SWAPA trustees Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground

The trustees are pleased to present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.

Legal Status

Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground moved to use our charitable company Limited by Guarantee status as from July 2014, Shakespeare Walk Adventure, Company number 07289310 and charity number 1156526. We continue to use our alias SWAPA.

Charity

Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Association was established by a constitution on 2 December 1995 and is registered in England & Wales as a charity on 20 April 1976. Registered charity number Charity Registration Number 1156526. Company Registered Number 07289310

Aims

Our aim is to provide safe and stimulating open access play opportunities for young people, primarily through the site at Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground. Through our activities, we contribute to the development of individual young people’s social, emotional and physical development, and provide benefits to the local community, for example, increased community cohesion and reduced antisocial behaviour. The Trustees have paid due regard to Charity Commission guidance on public benefits in deciding what activities SWAPA should undertake.

Objectives

The objectives of the charity are to provide facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation for children resident in Stoke Newington, and to promote their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing to help improve their quality of life through play.

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This is achieved through the day-to-day experience provided by SWAP, and also through specific projects, such as trips to the seaside, bike repairs workshops etc

Hackney Play Association

This is an umbrella organisation for adventure playgrounds and play providers in Hackney. HPA also has a newsletter, which has information useful to our charity, such as fundraising ideas, training for our staff and the opportunity to advertise our open days and our AGM. We have also looked to recruit staff through HPA processes and have shared resources and asked for support for certain things, for instance negotiations with LB Hackney over the terms of the lease for the site.

How our activities deliver public benefits

The key activity of the playground is to offer an accessible and safe space for children to play. The opening hours are 3.30pm – 6:30pm on Wednesday to Friday and 12pm – 5pm on Saturday. Holiday opening hours are 12 – 5pm weekdays, with a free hot lunch served in addition to existing play activities.

Main objectives for the year

Our strategies for achieving stated objectives, with details of significant activities that will contribute to this:

• We aim to develop greater professionalism in terms of staffing structures and processes, on site accountability and support to staff.

• We aim to raise the general level of income to cover increasing costs and more on site staff input.

• We intend to serve more of the local community, by using the attractiveness of the new facilities to draw in parents and children who may not have had material contact with the playground before.

• We wish to engage more young people in the community by getting them involved in genuine and meaningful consultation, and through participation in decision-making.

• We have been developing enterprising ideas, one being hiring out our site (when not in use by the children) for corporate team days – this has proved very popular for businesses, and provides much needed help with tidying and site maintenance. We also have hired it for children’s parties – both bringing in much needed revenue.

Statement for readers

The extent of involvement from users from a variety of backgrounds has been encouraging. The participation of parents continues to be valuable and supportive to the play setting and activities.

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Policies

Improved communication now exists between SWAPA’s employees and its management committee. In addition, there is ongoing feedback and consultation from users and the rest of the community, accompanied by a solid process of monitoring.

SWAPA welcomes the wider community at its Open Days, and it takes every possible opportunity to engage in networking with other stakeholders, including local residents associations, local youth clubs and the police.

SWAPA takes a hands-on approach to trainees and volunteers, by training them on site.

SWAPA prides itself in meeting deadlines, whatever the nature of the task or project.

There has also been an expansion in the range of services offered to the community, for example the site has been made available out of working hours for external meetings, training, and social events.

Principal funding sources

LB Hackney

LB Hackney is our main funder, awarding us £59,000 pa to cover staff salaries and the running costs of the organisation.

Users

The children and parents have participated in fundraising events, including our open community days.

Local Businesses

SWAPA have had a positive relationship with local businesses that have helped provide funds for events and support with raffle prizes.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document:

Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground was established under a Memorandum of Association, incorporated on 18 June 2010 and registered as a charity on 3 April

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1. The governing document which established the objects and power of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

Recruitment of Trustees

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held every 12 to 18 months – it is just prior to this that we advertise for trustees. The invitation to become a trustee is included on our official notice of the AGM, which is sent as a public notice to social media, displayed as a poster in the local community, and handed out to users, parents and door to door.

Users themselves carry this out, as well as staff and the management committee. When talking ordinarily about the site to colleagues and friends, we often invite people to visit the site and encourage them to get more involved.

Induction

New members of the management committee are given an information pack to enable them to better understand how to contribute to the running of the playground.

We have a question-and-answer session and invite nominations for the roles of secretary and treasurer. Where possible HPA are there to assist this process, and we offer training via HPA and other recognised organisations/training providers to staff and new members.

Statement confirming major risks

Risks include:

• Increases in core costs (staff sickness and supply cover, maternity leave)

• Lack of trained staff pool

• Changes in Hackney Council’s funding policy; especially in the current financial climate

• Any legal action against SWAPA by a user, for example because of injuries sustained whilst using the site

The management of these risks includes

• Working with a planned budget, with staff and a management committee that are acutely aware of the funding issues;

• The reinforcing and reviewing of policies and good practices with staff and users;

• The provision of training, which is made available for all participants in all areas.

• Outsourcing specialist Human Resource and Health & Safety support and advice.

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• Increasing our insurance to protect our users, staff and management committee.

Reserve Policy

The trustees review their reserve policy periodically and aim to retain an adequate sum to ensure the continuity of its activities. This is to ensure that in the event of a significant drop in funding, the charity will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.

Plans for the future of SWAPA

This includes:

• Access to all outdoor play, focusing on inclusion (access for all with mobility and visual impairments).

• Extending the use of the site to community groups and other groups with an interest in play.

• Extending the membership of the management committee to include more parents/community members and seek advice in specialist areas where necessary.

• Continuing to acknowledge the importance of the “Every Child Matters” objectives, and encouraging healthy lifestyles through good diet and physical play.

• Continuing to seek to expand its variety of activities whilst remaining accountable, responsible and sustainable.

Balance sheet

Details of the major items on the balance sheet can be found in the notes to the accounts.

The fluctuations in debtors and creditors year on year are purely the results of timing of receipts and payment around the year end.

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Accountants

The Management Committee will not seek out other options for accountants at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Approved by the trustees on

And signed on its behalf by

………………………………………. ……………………………………….. Nitasha Napoor Mara Bodis-Wollner Chair Treasurer

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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 14 to 18.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject the audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

• Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act

• To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act

• To state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not prove all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

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:

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• To keep accounting records in accordance with the section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and

• To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met or

• (2) To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of accounts to be reached

• (3) After further examination, I concluded that the charity made the necessary steps to avoid significant changes in the funds and the services and managed the risk well.

Gelfand Rennert and Feldman LLP 2[nd] Floor Northumberland House 303-306 High Holborn London, WC1V 7JZ

…………………………………….

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Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Association STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 March 2023

Notes INCOMING RESOURCES Charitable activities LB Hackney Specialist grant ELBA Bookings - Garden School Coop Skate Ramp Furlough Voluntary Income Donations/Fundraising Rates Refund Total incoming resources RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable activities 3 Fundraising activities 3 Governance costs 3 Other Expenses - Staff expenses 3 Total resources expended NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	Unrestricted Funds £ 60,548 60,548 1,230 1,230 59,318 11,503	Restricted Total Funds 2023 £ £ 67,135 67,135 1,780 1,780 8,908 8,908 - - - - - 60,548 77,823 138,371 120,287 120,287 - 1,230 - - 120,287 121,517 (42,464) 16,854 8,506 20,009 (33,958) 36,863	Total 2022 £ 79,509 1,230 21,750 - - 3,264 14,343 -
			120,096
			112,102 - 2,841 2,832
			117,774
			2,322 17,687
	70,821		20,009

All activities relate to continuing operations.

The notes on page 16 form part of these financial statements

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Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Association

Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 5 Cash at bank CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 6 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS FUNDS 7 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds TOTAL FUNDS Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 March 2023	31-Mar-23 - 24,064 28,049 52,113 (15,250) 36,863 36,863 36,863 (33,958) 70,821 36,863	31-Mar-22 - 3,030 17,429
		20,459 (450)
		20,009
		20,009
		20,009
		8,506 11,503
		20,009

The notes on page 16 form part of these financial statements

For the financial year in question the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records for the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on 14th October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

...............................................................................

Nitasha Kapoor (Chair)

...............................................................................

Mara Bodis-Wollner (Treasurer)

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SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Notes to the financial statenpnts for the sear ended 31 March 21123 1. Ac¢ounting poli¢ies Basis of accounting The flnanclal slalemenls ha¥* been prepared under the hlslorkal cost CO￿entIOn and In aCCord￿ce with Accounting and Reporting by Chariligs.. Slalem ent of Recommended Practice appliCat￿e lo charities prepariig Iheir accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard aFvllcablo In thé UK aTh1 Rèpublc of Iroland (FRS102)(offècllvè 1 January 2015) (Charities SORP (FRS102)) Financial Reporting SlarKlard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and to the Com panies Act 2006. Shakespeare Walk A(fverture Playground is an incorporated charty dom iciled and registered in England, whlch conslltules a publlc benefit enltty as defin&J by FRS102. Assets Ilabllttles aro inilialty reassigned al cost or Irans&lion Val￿ unless olhenmise slated in the relevant accounting policy mles. Re¢onciliation with Previous Generallypzcepted Accounting Practice In preparing the accounts, the Trustees have considered whether in apptying the accounting policies required by FRS102 and Charities SORP FRS102 the reinslalemenl of com ￿ralPIe Ilom s was r8quired. Al th8 dal8 of Iran51ion thé Tru51885 consider that m slalom onl Is roquir8d. Incon All inccffl ing resources are irKluded in the Slalemenl of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity is legalty entitled lo the income and the amount can be q￿nITrIed with reasonable accuracy. Income Is reco(mlsed when11 Is due under terms of fundlnq atyeemenls. Expenthture All expendilLre 15 accounted for on an accrua15 basis as a labilty is ￿¢u￿9d. ExpondilLTe irKlud8S any VAT tha caTnoI be recovered and is reported as part of the expenditure lo which it relates. Expendture Is alh)cated between., Expenditure irKurred (Iredty in the fLlfilment of the charitys objectives (charitable expend￿re). Expondtturo In¢urr•d dtoclty In tho effort lo ralso voluntary ¢ortrlbullons (costs of furnlraisinq) Taxation The ch&ily is exem pl from cory)oralion l& on ils charitable acliifjties. Fund kcounting Unreslricled funds C￿ be used in accordarre with the charitable objeclwes al the discretion of tho Trust80s. Reslricled funds can onty be used for part￿ular reslricled purposes within the objects of the charlly. Restrlcllons arlse Wh￿ speclfled by the donor or w￿n funds are ralsed for partlcular reslricled PLwposes. Cash-now Statènwnt The Trustees have taken advanl•Je of the exempti￿ in FRS 102 from incluthng a cash flow siaem in the tha￿la1 statements on the ￿ou￿lS that the charity is small. 16

SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Notesto the fIn￿Cla st&emrtS for the ended 31 Mwch 2 Golry Concern The TNslees hav8 a reasonablo wxpoctation that the charty ￿11 c¢Jttinuo in operational existe￿@ for the foreseeable fijknre and is well placed lo manage its Iminess risks successfuly desFite the current uncertan cnomic ouuook The charty has SI￿lficant rese￿ and accudindy the Trustees continue to ￿lOpt the gi ccncarn basis. 2. Legal Status The comparry is limit￿1 by guarantee, not hamng a share eaFital, and is also a registered charity,. ti is not liaAe to C￿pOration lay. In the event of the charity Ixng wound up, the liability in respect of guarantee is limf(ed to £1 per mombar of tha limi￿1 liability ccffipary. 3. Expenditure Charitable aCtI￿7tieS Fund'ing activities )¥'nanee costs Total Total 2023 Salaries l EN Oth￿ &affino Cots Play Aclwities l Materials etc Promises Cc6ts Operational Costs Trustee Exwses LC(wn1￿¢Y Fees HR Ccnsuf(amcy Other - Saff exp￿SeS 8&047 86,047 85,843 732 2424 19,459 12356 2,424 19,459 12,356 10, 13,30) 381 1,501 913 1,9 2,832 1,TJO 1,230 120,287 1,2&1 121,517 117,774 4. Twstees No Trustee reC￿￿d ramunoraticn in the year, diract￿ ￿ indir&lly, from tha charty. e)qxnsas wera reimbjrsed to tha Trustaas durina the Year. 5. Debtors 2023 2022 Trada Dd￿Or5 17

SHAKESPEARE WALK ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground Notes to lh8 financial state￿ntS for the year ended 31 March 2023 6. Creditors 23 2022 Accruals Trade Credrt￿S PAYE Deff￿ed income ILBH} 15,2S) 7. Restricted Funds Balance at01 April 2022 Amount Arnount Balance at received in èxpended In Transfers 31 March year year 2023 ELBA LB Hackney C(K)p 1.780 67,135 11,7801 167,1351 18021 802 802 8. Capital Comitments The charty had £NIL c8Pital c(mmttments at 31 ￿arch 2023 12022- £3,000>. 9. Contingent LiabilitiBS h Ihe cpinion of the Trustees jh￿e w￿e no c(nb'noent liabilil'es at 31 Vorch 2(Y2312r22- £nill. la Related Party TransaCt￿n$ There were no relat￿ patytransactons durinq thefin8ncial year. 18