## **Foundation Years Information and Research** ## **Annual report and unaudited financial statements** **6th April 2021– 5[th] April 2022** **Charity no. 1158170** ## **Reference and administration details** **Charity registration number** 1158170 **Charity name** Foundation Years Information and Research **Registered address** 35 Ulleswater Road London N14 7BL **Telephone number** 020 8372 1516 **Email address** office@fyir.org.uk **Website** www.fyir.org.uk **President** Lord Field of Birkenhead CH **Co-Chairs** Karen Buck MP, Catherine West MP **Trustees** Karen Buck MP (appointed 2016) Robin Balbernie (appointed 2020) Dr Sunil Singh Bhopal (appointed 2020) Marcus Codrington-Fernandez (appointed 2016) Professor Gabriella Conti (appointed 2016) Professor Dame Sarah Cowley (appointed 2014) Merle Davies (appointed 2021) Professor Pasco Fearon (appointed 2016) Lord Field of Birkenhead CH (appointed 2014) Dr Rob Hale (Vice Chair) (appointed 2014) Professor Jane Hurry (appointed 2018) Dr Amanda Jones (Vice Chair) (appointed 2014) Professor Eva Lloyd (appointed 2021) Dr Carine Minne (appointed 2014) Ron Orders (appointed 2014) Jane O’Rourke (appointed 2017) Nick Peacey (Secretary) (appointed 2014) Andrew Pitt (Treasurer) (appointed 2014) Dr Matthias von der Tann (appointed 2014) Catherine West MP (appointed 2018) 2 **Bank** National Westminster Bank Muswell Hill Branch, 190 Muswell Hill Broadway, London N10 3TF The trustees present their reports and financial statements for the period 6th April 2021-5[th] April 2022. ## **Structure, governance and management** Foundation Years Information and Research is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and was established with approval of the Charity Commission on 7[th] August 2014. The CIO is governed by a constitution. The first trustee appointments were made in August 2014 for a three-year term. Trustees may serve up to three consecutive terms before a break is enforced. The Trustees meet three times annually and hold an Annual General Meeting. New trustees are briefed on relevant trust matters by the Secretary. ## **Officers** Karen Buck, MP, and Catherine West MP are Co-Chairs. The first Chair of FYIR was Lord Field of Birkenhead. Lord Field resigned as Chair in September 2015 and has now become president of FYIR. ## **Objectives and activities** The objects of the CIO are: - To advance public education and understanding of the substantial body of scientific work on the extent to which the earliest relationships play a major role in shaping a baby’s brain and in influencing their future mental and physical health - To promote research and study into all aspects of the foregoing, including improved knowledge of neuroscience and developmental processes and to make available the useful results 3 ## **Report** ## **After the pandemic** Trustees agreed that after our pandemic time successful Zoom meetings in 2020-1, which engaged foreign and farflung UK participants so easily that we would arrange fewer in-person events in future. We have acted on this decision and,after some more excellent online meetings, now offer a wide range of topics in the thirteen speakers’ presentations on our Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSAP17lTNQc8RcAGrguDH1A ## **Seminars and Meetings by Zoom** ## **Educating Society about the Early Years 20th April 2021** We were delighted to welcome Aida Cable, Chief Advisor to the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Felicity Gillespie of Kindred Squared to our Zoom event on 20th April for two fascinating presentations. Aida gave us an insight into the Foundation's far-reaching objectives following their Big Survey on attitudes to early years. Felicity explained Kindred Squared's drive to teach all students about the science of the first 1000 days by commissioning an Oxford University team to develop a secondary curriculum resource. ## **13th December, 2021** **Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant then Screwed (PTS)** , updated us on their powerful campaign on child care and discrimination against mothers. She stressed their major campaigning theme: challenging the ubiquitous categorisation of resources that support mothers through the 1,000 days and beyond as costs to the Exchequer; setting out the unanswerable case seeing their use as investments that are economically and socially beneficial. **Aurélia Rabe & Marion Charpentier of Ensemble pour l'education de la petite enfance (EduEnsemble** ), explained the EU initiative **First Years, First Priority,** (EduEnsemble is French National co-ordinatin organisation), and the Family-Friendly Company badge scheme to improve employer approaches to the first 1000 days of life. The EU initiative is of considerable significance: it allows countries in the EU to choose from supported early years themes with an emphasis on drawing commitments from the whole of society to the improvement of under 3s provision Marion explained – in tune with the EU initiative – how EduEnsemble had put in place an action plan for parents with some well-known employers in France: Joeli’s experience of this sort of scheme led to some valuable discussion of the possibilities and pitfalls. ## **10th January, 2022** **Nikki Humphrey, Director, People, John Lewis Partnership** described the company's new equal parental leave policy, recognised as the first commitment by a major UK retailer to address equality in this area. Nikki stressed that this was early days for the initiative, but that response from employees with children 4 had been extremely positive. We look forward to hearing more about this promising development as its results emerge in greater detail. ## **14th March 2022.** ## **Reforming the Early Learning Care and School-Age Childcare System in Ireland: Recent Policy Development, Early Implementation** ## **Professor Eva Lloyd, University of East London, Hazel O’Byrne, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) (Ireland) & Toby Wolfe, (DCEDIY) (Ireland)** We were delighted to hear from three speakers at the centre of the recent Irish reviews of early learning care and childcare and workforce issues relating to the age group. Our Trustee, Eva Lloyd, had been a leading voice in the review groups which made a fine case for the sort of universalising reforms that many would like to see in this country **.** The Irish government has accepted the conclusions of both reviews and funding has been provided to allow the reforms proposed to move ahead. ## **Impact statement** The charity has always worked with policy leaders on interesting and innovative developments in the field of the under 3s, and in 2021-2022 we were particularly lucky in the quality and quantity of exciting ideas we were able to showcase in our meetings. We do not know of any other organisation in the UK providing this sort of broad menu of initiatives from the UK and abroad. The charity trustees, throughout the year, raised awareness of issues based on members’ concerns concerning 0-3 year olds in a time of COVID with policy makers and others, not least through Parliamentary Questions. For example: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament 5 ## **Financial review** There are no funds materially in deficit. The principal sources of funding in the period to 5[th] April 2022 were: • Funds carried forward from the previous year’s operations: £2369 FYIR’s expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity through the continuation of the organisation’s seminar programme, meetings and collaborations alongside development of the website to include a Youtube channel to broaden the scope of information and evidence we make available relevant to the organisation’s aims. ## **Reserves Policy** The aim of the trustees is to hold at least 6 months overhead expenses in reserve. The fund at 5[th] April 2022 meets this test. 6 ## **Statement of financial activities incorporating income and expenditure account for period 6th April 2020 to 5[th] April 2021** ||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**2020/2021**
**Total**
**£**| |---|---|---|---| |**Incoming resources**|||| |Incomingresources -grants|0|0|0| |Donations|0|0|0| ||||| |**Resources expended -**
**charitable**|||| |Administration/staff
development|0|150|150| |Design|0|0|0| |Phone|0|0|0| |**Refreshments/sustenance**|**0**|**0**|0| |**Speakers**
**honoraria/hospitality**|**0**|**0**|0| |**VAT**|**0**|**0**|0| |**Accommodation**||**0**|0| |**Total expenditure**|**0**|**150**|**150**| ||||| |**Surplus/deficit for the**
**period**|**0**|**(150)**|**(150)**| |**Brought forward from**
**previous financial**
**year**||**2369**|**2369**| |**Carried forward**|**0**|**2219**|**2219**| 7 ## **Balance sheet** **As at 5[th] April 2022** ||**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**£**| |---|---|---|---| |Fixed assets|0|0|0| |Current assets|0|2219|2219| |**Net assets**||2219|2219| Accounting policies a) Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards. ## b) Income Grants are credited to income when receivable. ## c) Expenses Expenses are recognised in the period when they are incurred. ## d) Restricted funds These are grants received for specific purposes. Expenses incurred for these purposes are charged to the restricted fund. ## 2. Staff costs The charity has no employees. Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf Catherine West MP, Chair Date: 20.1.23 8