Sowood Pre-School and Community Association Charity number 1166047
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 August 2025
Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
|**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**
1
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Trustees' report for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **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**
Malcolm James Chair Elizabeth Whyte Secretary Frank Greaves Treasurer Amanda Jackson Malcolm Gardner
## **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.
2
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **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 provide high-quality care and education for children aged 2–4, supporting families and offering additional sessions where needed through EYPP funding.
Our setting has welcomed new children and families throughout the year, and we currently support a high proportion of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment where every child can access a strong early education. We maintain positive working relationships with external agencies, including the ASD team, Portage, and Speech and Language services, ensuring that children receive the support they need.
We also have close links with our local primary school, which most of our children move on to after leaving preschool, helping to ensure a smooth transition.
The community centre continues to be a vibrant hub, used regularly five out of seven days each week. Activities include dog training sessions, WI meetings, and ad hoc community events, providing a valuable resource for residents.
## **Financial review**
The net receipts for the year were £6,071, including net receipts of £9,116 on unrestricted funds and net payments of £3,045 on restricted funds.
3
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **Reserves policy**
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £73,930.
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 2024/2025 expenditure, this would equate to between £35k and £52k. 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 23/2/26
Frank Greaves (Trustee)
4
## 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 2025, 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
25/2/26
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
5
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 August 2025
|Notes
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Receipts**
Grants and donations
(2)
309
Pre-school fees
9,158
Fundraising
456
Milk funding
267
Hall hire
10,475
Interest income
1,144
Other income
161
**Total receipts**
21,970
**Payments**
Salaries
1,981
Payroll fees
379
Resources and supplies
1,151
Printing, stationery and advertising
261
Professional fees and subscriptions
631
Utilities
1,358
Repairs and maintenance
1,228
Telephone and internet
555
Insurance
1,276
Food and beverages
910
Community centre consumables
299
Milk
240
Staff training
214
Fundraising costs
127
Other expenditure
242
Independent examination
989
Computer costs
1,013
Grant repayment
-
**Total payments**
12,854
**Net receipts / (payments)**
9,116
**Fund balances brought forward**
64,814
**Fund balances carried forward**
(3)
73,930|2025
Restricted
funds
£
88,244
-
-
-
-
-
-
88,244
80,316
-
1,450
-
-
9,257
-
-
-
-
-
-
266
-
-
-
-
-
91,289
(3,045)
25,807
22,762|2025
Total
funds
£
88,553
9,158
456
267
10,475
1,144
161
110,214
82,297
379
2,601
261
631
10,615
1,228
555
1,276
910
299
240
480
127
242
989
1,013
-
104,143
6,071
90,621
96,692|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|
|---|---|---|---|
6
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association Statement of assets and liabilities
|as at 31 August 2025
2025
Unrestricted
£
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank
73,860
Cash in hand
70
**Total cash funds**
73,930
**Debtors and prepayments**
Debtors
Prepayments
**Assets retained for the charity's own use**
Printers
Laptops
Various play equipment and furniture
**Liabilities**
Creditors
Accruals
Other creditors|2025
Restricted
£
22,762
-
22,762|2025
Total
£
96,622
70
96,692
2025
£
357
1,047
1,404
2025
£
580
1,062
298
1,940|2024
Total
£
90,130
491
90,621|
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 23/2/26
Frank Greaves (Trustee)
7
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **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.
8
## Sowood Pre-School and Community Association
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 August 2025
|**2 Grants and donations**
Calderdale Council
Department for Education
Other donations
**3 Restricted funds**
Early Education Funding
EYPP & Deprivation
Inclusion Funding
Apprentice Payment|Balance b/f
£
20,390
1,619
845
2,953
25,807|2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
309
309
Incoming
£
75,905
11,014
1,325
-
88,244|2025
Restricted
funds
£
88,244
-
-
88,244
Outgoing
£
76,356
10,390
1,590
2,953
91,289|2025
Total
funds
£
88,244
-
309
88,553
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-|2024
Total
funds
£
93,404
2,400
779
96,583
Balance c/f
£
19,939
2,243
580
-
22,762|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Fund name Purpose of restriction**
Early Education Funding For the supply of free early years provision for 2 to 4 year olds. EYPP & Deprivation To provide hot meals, extra sessions and resources to help learning and development of children from low income families. Inclusion Funding To provide one to one support and resources for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Apprentice Payment Towards apprenticeship training and assessment.
## **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.
9