2024-08-31-accounts - Sowood Pre-School And Community Association

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Sowood Pre-School and Community Association Charity number 1166047

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 August 2024

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2024

Contents	Page
Trustees' report	2 to 4
Examiner's report	5
Receipts and payments account	6
Statement of assets and liabilities	7
Notes to the accounts	8 to 9

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 August 2024

Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors

The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates

Position Dates Malcolm James Chair Elizabeth Whyte Secretary Frank Greaves Treasurer Caroline Remmers Amanda Jackson Malcolm Gardner Andrew Holloway

Appointed 18 January 2024 Resigned 15 November 2024

Resigned 1 April 2024

Charity number

Charity number 1166047 Registered in England and Wales Registered and principal address Bankers Sowood Community Centre National Westminster Bank Plc Stainland Road 1 Waterhouse Street Sowood Halifax Halifax HX1 1JA HX4 9HY

Independent examiner

Katy Sargeant ACA West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Association formed on 14 March 2016 and is governed by a constitution as amended on the 7 February 2020.

Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees of the charity are appointed by the members at the AGM.

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024

Objectives and activities

The charity's objects

The charity is established for the public benefit:

To further or benefit the residents of Calderdale, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.

To develop and educate children and young people in particular by:

1) promoting their care and safety;
2) promoting their education and promoting parental involvement;
3) promoting their health and wellbeing;
4) providing services to support them and their families and carers;
5) providing services to individuals holding membership of the CIO; and
6) furthering the aims of the pre-school learning alliance.

The charity's main activities

We provide affordable and good quality childcare and early years education.

We look after the running and up-keep of Sowood Community Centre and promote it’s use by other local groups in the community.

Public benefit statement

In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular the advancement of education.

Achievements and performance

We continue to offer quality care and education to children aged 2-4, supporting families, and offering additional sessions where required using the EYPP funding.

We have continued to recruit new children, and families in to our setting and have had and have a high percentage of children with SEN in our care, our setting allows children to access a good, inclusive early education. We have positive links with outside agencies, including ASD teams, portage and speech and language team.

We also have close links with our local school, in which the majority of our children attend once leaving preschool.

The community centre is used 5 out of 7 days on a regular weekly basis, providing a base for exercising, dog training, WI meetings, and ad hoc hiring for the local community.

From the above our income has significantly increased during 2024.

Financial review

The net receipts for the year were £30,624, including net receipts of £27,470 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £3,154 on restricted funds.

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £64,814.

The policy states that a contingency fund or reserve should be held to cover any eventualities that could arise within the setting. The appropriate level was set at 3-6 months running costs.

Based on the 23/24 expenditure, this would equate to between £24k and £48k. The trustees are aware the reserves are currently over the target range, but for the coming financial year, they are being used to support ongoing operations. In addition, any excess reserves are being held to be able to run/purchase the Centre, should the opportunity arise in the future.

Trustees will continue to keep the policy under review to ensure that it is at a level that is appropriate to current needs.

Approved by the board of trustees on 19/5/2025

Michael Frank Greaves (Trustee)

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 August 2024, which are set out on pages 6 to 9.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Charities Act; 2 the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Katy Sargeant ACA

27/5/2025

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 August 2024

Notes 2024 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants and donations (2) 779 Pre-school fees 17,663 Fundraising 664 Milk funding 183 Hall hire 11,324 Other income 471 Total receipts 31,084 Payments Salaries 1,819 Payroll fees - Resources and supplies 580 Printing, stationery and advertising 133 Professional fees and subscriptions - Utilities - Repairs and maintenance 310 Telephone and internet - Insurance - Food and beverages - Community centre consumables 288 Milk 237 Staff training - Fundraising costs 72 Other expenditure 175 Independent examination - Computer costs - Grant repayment - Total payments 3,614 Net receipts 27,470 Fund balances brought forward 37,344 Fund balances carried forward (3) 64,814	2024 Restricted funds £ 95,804 - - - - - 95,804 69,979 257 2,777 963 345 8,744 - 994 1,252 2,781 - - 2,941 - 281 960 97 279 92,650 3,154 22,653 25,807	2024 Total funds £ 96,583 17,663 664 183 11,324 471 126,888 71,798 257 3,357 1,096 345 8,744 310 994 1,252 2,781 288 237 2,941 72 456 960 97 279 96,264 30,624 59,997 90,621	2023 Total funds £ 73,001 13,134 523 192 11,715 40 98,605 61,576 394 2,132 382 755 7,293 249 690 889 1,601 155 198 201 9 349 600 19 760 78,252 20,353 39,644 59,997

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association Statement of assets and liabilities

as at 31 August 2024 2024 Unrestricted £ Cash funds Cash at bank 64,323 Cash in hand 491 Total cash funds 64,814 (0) Debtors and prepayments Debtors Prepayments Assets retained for the charity's own use Printers Laptops Various play equipment and furniture Liabilities Creditors Accruals Deferred income - Autumn funding received in advance Taxation and social security Other creditors- Pension	2024 Restricted £ 25,807 - 25,807	2024 Total £ 90,130 491 90,621 (0) 2024 £ 1,432 1,115 2,547 2024 £ 788 990 21,719 666 293 24,456	2023 Total £ 59,962 35 59,997 (0)

The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 19/5/2025

Michael Frank Greaves (Trustee)

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 August 2024

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.

There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.

No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.

Taxation

As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

Sowood Pre-School and Community Association

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 August 2024

2 Grants and donations Calderdale Council (CC) Department for Education (DfE) Other donations 3 Restricted funds Apprentice Payment Early Education funding EY Pupil Pre'm/Dep'n funding EY Prof. Dev Programme Inclusion funding Lloyds Bank plc Disability Access funding	Balance b/f £ 2,953 16,211 2,046 - 463 607 373 22,653	2024 Unrestricted funds £ - - 779 779 Incoming £ - 80,621 4,665 2,400 8,118 - - 95,804	2024 Restricted funds £ 93,404 2,400 - 95,804 Outgoing £ - 76,442 5,092 2,400 7,736 607 373 92,650	2024 Total funds £ 93,404 2,400 779 96,583 Transfers £ - - - - - - - -	2023 Total funds £ 71,247 1,500 254 73,001 Balance c/f £ 2,953 20,390 1,619 - 845 - - 25,807

Purpose of restriction

Fund name Purpose of restriction Apprentice Payment Towards apprenticeship training and assessment. Early Education funding For the supply of free early years provision for 2 to 4 year olds. EY Pupil Pre'm/Dep'n funding To provide hot meals, extra sessions and resources to help learning and development of children from low income families. EY Prof. Dev Programme Towards training Inclusion funding To provide one to one support and resources for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Lloyds Bank plc To create a sensory garden. Disability Access funding To support a child with special needs.

4 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.

Trustee remuneration and benefits

No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.