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← Birmingham Playcare Network

2025-03-31-accounts

Registered company number 04566497

Registered Charity number 1166691

Birmingham Playcare Network

Accounts

31 March 2025

Birmingham Playcare Network The Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

INTRODUCTION

The trustees are pleased to present their annual directors’ report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2015.

The Company is exempt from Audit understion 477 of the Company act 2006 in respect of small companies.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects of the charity, as set out in its Memorandum of Association are:

To enhance the development and education of children and to facilitate contact, share information, offer support and encourage, to promote the right to play of all children and to encourage best practice in child-centred playcare within the City of Birmingham by:-

This year, the charity provided the following services :

Play provision: 3000 craft and play packs were distributed across the city as part of the Holiday Activity and Food programmes led by Street Games on behalf of Birmingham City Council. BPCN were commissioned to create and distribute packs to children who were not able to access holiday playscheme provision to provide children with activity and play opportunities.

Workforce Development: BPCN continued to deliver a successful summer of playscheme activity at both Martineau Gardens in Edgbaston and Stockfield Park in Acocks Green. Green spaces and parks in the south of the city were offered open access schemes with trained and upskilled playworkers. Working with our local community has also provided the opportunity for volunteers to gain new skills and secure paid work.

Information and Member services: BPCN offered community groups, schools, artists, the Early Years sector and the general public access to The Birmingham Scrapstore. This is a community re-use facility that takes clean business waste that is upcycled for play and creative projects.

Quality: BPCN support and promote the importance of play in childhood. Our activities seek to ensure that playful opportunities are accessed by children across our city. These opportunities should offer choice, innovation in play and environments that promote creativity, problem solving and fun.

All of the Centre’s activities are aimed at supporting quality playcare, and supporting providers of playcare across the City of Birmingham. No member of the company, including the Trustees, receive any financial benefit from their involvement with the Centre.

In developing activities and delivering services, the Trustees have taken account of the guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Birmingham Playcare Network The Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Our key achievements over the last twelve months include:

Our key achievement has again been distributing craft and play packs as part of the Bring It On Brum campaign. We have ensured that children receiving our packs had the basic elements such as stationary, sports equipment and craft resources to provide them with activities to do during the school holidays. This project is now a much more sustainable and focused piece of work with volunteers supporting the design of activities, sessional staff supporting the collation of the packs and partner organisations supporting the design work. We still have a very strong relationship with National Literacy Trust who provide us with more than 3,000 books each year to be included in these packs.

Our location in Northfield at The Hollymoor Centre is now a ‘Warm Welcome’ supported by Household Support Fund and visitor numbers increase each month. We have expanded our Warm Welcome offer to include a monthly bereavement support group called ‘Golden Threads’ café and our bi weekly over 50’s craft group is now almost self-sustaining with a waiting list. We also now offer a quarterly hoarding support group ‘The Big Sort’ along with our partners at Clouds End CIC to work alongside those who hoard to donate unwanted items to our scrapstore. Weekly exercise classes are also now provided as part of our Warm Welcome offer hosted at Scrapstore but delivered by our partners at Inspire Fitness.

Through our Warm Welcome offer we are trialling craft and play sessions for families who choose to home school their children. These sessions started in March 2025 and run weekly with 2 groups, one for teens and one for primary aged children.

Our relationship with local businesses and individuals is developing strongly and we are now working closely with partners at International Synergies who support SME to reduce their carbon emissions through our scrapstore facilility by donating their unwanted items or resources.

Our scrapstore facility is supported by volunteers from across BPCN with the number of volunteers hours exceeding 80 hours per week.

The Momma moves programme continues to invite mothers and their babies or children under 5 to come along to gentle keep fit and play sessions based at the Hollymoor Centre. This year we have partnered with Thrive Together Birmingham and CADENT Gas to offer slow cookers and cookery sessions to share cooking on a budget tips with our families. Healthy eating and using a slow cooker for young children’s meals has been very well received by our families.

BPCN continue to work with Stockfield Community Housing Association and Arts in the Yard on their Building Community project which is a five-year funded Big Lottery programme. Again this year by partnering with colleagues at Rubix Arts and Wellbeing the play in parks also received match funding from the Bring it on Brum programme. This allowed all children who attended the scheme to receive a healthy lunch as well as access to artist and more sports focussed provision. They also had healthy food activities, cold cooking opportunities and lots of free fruit and vegetables to try.

We have this year expanded our project funded by BCC though the Household support fund to address issues of bed poverty in children under 5. This scheme is called ‘Safe Sleep Scheme’ and provides cots, moses baskets and other sleeping equipment to families who are referred to us through the Birmingham Forward Steps Children Centre Network. A pilot scheme ran last year only in the north of the city but this year these scheme is now available city wide. Referrals have come from Midwives, Health Visitors, Birmingham Children’s Trust as well as community partners. This scheme continues to shine a light on child poverty in our city and highlight the need for a city wide baby bank to support the most vulnerable children in society. During this financial year 722 individual families have received new sleeping equipment for their children as well as bulk orders of essential equipment (stair gates, sterilizers, pottys, changing mats) being sent to Family Hubs and Children’s Centres across the city.

We have worked collaboratively with a range of partners including:

Stockfield Community Housing Association, Arts in the Yard, Thrive Together Birmingham, Edgbaston Foundation, Northfield NNS, In Kind Direct, Warm Welcome Network, Clarion Housing, 3c Solutions, Martineau Gardens, Incredible Surplus, Rubix Arts and Wellbeing, Clouds End Hoarding Support, Early Years Alliance, Birmingham Forward Steps, Big Lottery, International Synergies, Birmingham City Council, The National Literacy Trust, Westborn Ltd, Street Games, Jerico ReUsers, Digikick, Building Community Together, Longbridge Childcare Strategy, Northfield Community Partnership, Inspire Fitness, BCAT, and The Reuseful Network.

The Trustees would therefore like to thank our dedicated staff team, our volunteers, our partners and funders for their support over the year, enabling us to positively change the lives of so many children.

Birmingham Playcare Network The Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Overall there was a deficit in Unrestricted funds of £6,072 reducing our Unrestricted reserves to £78,779.

This year we secured new funding from Clarion Futures Essentials and Resiliance funds, as well as continued support from Stockfield Building Community Together consortium, Street Games BCC Household Support Fund and Northfield Neighbourhood Network Scheme.

The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate our exposure to the major risks.

Where grants are given for specific purposes, they are treated as Restricted Funds. In the year to 31 March 2025, there were 7 restricted funds and 1 designated fund, and tracking and managing these funds is an important part of the charity’s financial management. We are grateful to all our funders for their valuable support.

In the year to 31 March 2025 25% of the expenditure went on staff salaries and employer costs, and 66% on the direct costs of the charity's activities. The remaining 9% was spent on premises, overheads and governance.

The Trustees have adopted a policy on reserves. Due to uncertainties and the short term nature of much of the charity’s funding, the aim is to hold sufficient reserves in the Unrestricted Fund to allow it to operate for a period of 6 months and/or to meet redundancy costs for posts that cannot be sustained. The current free reserves of 78,779 will cover this amount,

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The company is constituted as a not for profit Company Limited by Guarantee having no share capital. It was registered as a charity in April 2016. It is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association, and the policies made from time to time by its Directors, who are also the trustees of the charity. The members have not required an audit.

Every Trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as Trustees, the Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the Company.

The Company is entitled to exemption from Audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies

Registered Company number 04566497

Registered Charity number 1166691

Registered office

Hollymoor Centre 8 Manor Park Grove Northfield Birmingham B31 5ER

Trustees

Yvette Oruye Maxine Yvonne Mills Sarah Ann Wood Jesse Gerald Harriet McCann (appointed 7 October 2024)

Key personnel

Day to day Management is devolved to the Business Development Manager, who regularly reports to the Board of Trustees

Birmingham Playcare Network The Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to :

Approved by order of the board of trustees on its behalf by:

Trustee Harriet McCann Date: 4 December 2025

Birmingham Playcare Network Independent Examiners Report

Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Birmingham Play Care Network

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Birmingham Play Care Network for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act.

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's financial statements as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

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

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 financial statements to be reached.

Jasbi BVSC Latham House 33-34 Paradise Street Birmingham

B1 2AJ 22 December 2025

Birmingham Playcare Network Statement of Financial Activities incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2025

Current Year
2025
Unrestricted
Fund
Note
£
Income and Endowments from
Charitable Activities
54,292
Investment Income
4
4,918
Total
59,210
Expenditure
Raising Funds
5
5,685
Charitable Activities
5
58,196
Net Income / (Expenditure)
63,881
Reconcilition of Funds
(4,672)
Total funds brought forward
84,851
Transfer between Funds
(1,400)
Total funds carried forward
78,779		 Current Year
2025
Designated
Fund
£
9,660
-
9,660
-
70,712
70,712
(61,052)
56,494
1,400
(3,158)		 Current Year
2025
Restricted
Fund
£
259,773
259,773
-
223,772
223,772
36,002
24,587
-
60,589		 Current Year
2025
Total Funds
£
323,725
4,918
328,643
5,685
352,680
358,365
(29,722)
165,932
-
136,210		 Prior Year
2024
Total Funds
£
247,509
2,963
250,472
5,685
213,354
219,039
25,749
140,183
-
165,932

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

Birmingham Playcare Network Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 March 2025

Note
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year
Net current assets
Net assets
All funds
Unrestricted Funds
Designated Funds
Restricted Funds
Total Funds		 2025
£
10,278
160,250
170,528
(34,318)
136,210
136,210
78,779
(3,158)
60,589
136,210		 2024
£
2,064
167,995
170,059
(4,127)
165,932
165,932
84,851
56,494
24,587
165,932

The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

The member has not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Act.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts .

The accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The profit and loss account has not been delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

Trustee Harriet McCann Issued by the Trustees 4 December 2025

Birmingham Playcare Network Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 General Information

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

2 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that the Company will continue to operate. The validity of this assumption is dependent upon the continuance of support from the Company's key grant funders and in response to the progress made by the Company in pursuing a viable budget including the obtaining of further grants and other funds. The Company's current business plan shows that the Company will be able to operate in the foreseeable future. Based on this understanding, the directors believe that it remains appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. The financial statements do not include any adjustments, which would result from the basis of preparation being inappropriate.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life (assets with a cost below £1,000 are not capitalised) :

Fixtures, fittings & equipment

-25% per annum straight line

Income

"Items of income are recognised and included in the accounts when all of the following criteria are met:

Expenditure

"Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted Funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. From 2023 it has been decided by the Trustees Play Advocacy as a designated fund rather than Unrestricted.

Restricted funds can only be used for the particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are rasied for a particular restricted purpose.

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

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.

Birmingham Playcare Network Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

Pension Costs

The Company operates a money purchase pension scheme for employees. Employer contributions are charged as an expense in the period to which they relate and are allocated to activities in line with the related salary cost.

Stockfield BIG
Northfield NNS
Eveson Trust
Brummie Mummies
Martineau PIP
Safe Sleep Scheme
Warm Welcome
Clarion Resiliance Grant
Designated Fund Income
Income from Charitable activities
Other income
4
Investment Income
Bank account interest
5
Direct costs of charitable activities
Staff costs
Staff training & travel
Premises & office costs
Direct cost of activities
Independent Examiner's Fee
Scrapstore
Central function costs		 2025
£
9,852
783
-
-
4,857
233,881
10,400
-
259,773
9,660
51,816
7,394
59,210
328,643
2025
£
4918
2025
£
86,886
590
22,198
8,989
234,017
352,680		 2024
£
24,970
4,540
2,252
10,500
3,928
55,500
3,000
9,619
114,309
74,740
52,902
5,558
58,460
247,509
2024
£
2963
2024
£
79,397
312
23,095
8,527
107,158
550
219,039

Birmingham Playcare Network Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

==> picture [408 x 167] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |Raising funds:|£|£| |Staff costs|5,285|5,285| |Other direct costs|400|400| |5,685|5,685| |358,365|219,039| |6|Staff costs| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Wages and salaries|90,586|83,097| |-|-| |Employer costs - National Insurance| |Pension costs|1,585|1,585| |92,171|84,682|

----- End of picture text -----

The average number of full time equivalent employees during the year was as follows:

==> picture [100 x 17] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
||| |---|---| |2025|2024| |3.0|3.0|

----- End of picture text -----

There were no trustees remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st March 2025 nor for the year ended 31st March 2024.

There were no trustees expenses paid for the year ended 31st March 2025 nor for the year ended 31st March 2024.

7 Debtors

==> picture [389 x 157] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Trade Debtors|10,278|2,064| |10,278|2,064| |Creditors: amounts falling due within one year| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Trade creditors|33,999|3,287| |Income tax and social security|-|491| |Accrued expenses|319|349| |34,318|4,127|

----- End of picture text -----

8 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Birmingham Playcare Network Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

9 Analysis of net assets between funds

Fixed Assets
10
Movement in Funds
Unrestricted Funds
General Fund
Designated Funds
General Fund
Restricted Funds
Northfield NNS
Stockfield BIG
Brummie Mummies
Martineau PIP
Safe Sleep Scheme
Warm Welcome
Clarion Resiliance Grant
Net Current Assets/(liabilities)		 Opening
Balance
84,851
84,851
56,494
56,494
4,515
2,413
7,300
(4)
744
-
9,619
24,587
165,932		 2025
Total
& Unrestricted
Funds
136,210
136,210
Movement in
fund
(6,072)
(6,072)
(59,652)
(59,652)
(2,855)
(3,691)
(7,354)
-
57,632
1,889
(9,619)
36,002
(29,722)		 2024
Total
& Unrestricted
Funds
165,932
165,932
Closing Balance
78,779
-
78,779
(3,158)
-
(3,158)
1,660
(1,278)
(54)
(4)
58,376
1,889
-
60,589
136,210

NNS - This is a club developed for local women over 50 to deliver craft sessions and a selection of crafty trips and events. The workshop were delivered at our scrapstore facility with the group showcasing their talents and leading the workshops. We also showcased healthy lifestyles with our partners at Cuppa Squad to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Building Communities Together – This is a five year Big Lottery funded programme that BPCN deliver along with partners Stockfield Community Housing Association and Arts in the Yard. Based in the Stockfield area of Acocks Green the project aims to reduce isolation, provide play opportunities and increased access to the arts

Clarion Essentials Fund – Brummie Mummies this scheme is to support local mothers and their young babies to access keep fit, cookery sessions and access to household essentials to combat the cost of living crisis. The group meeting weekly during term time and are now a strong independent support to each other.

Clarion Resilience Fund – Governance review. Money received this year to be spent in the new financial year 24 – 25 to run a governance review and strengthen the sustainability of the organsation.

BCC household support Fund – Safe Sleep Scheme, a pilot scheme to address issues of bed poverty in children under 5.

Warm Welcome – BCC Household Support Fund – to provide refreshments to our visitors along with a warm, friendly welcome from our staff and volunteers along with the opportunity to signpost for support if needed.

Martineau Gardens – this is a 2 week summer playscheme for children living in the Edgbaston District and also those from temporary accommodation across the city. Free play along with healthy meals and snacks are provided for up to 50 children every day for 2 weeks.

Birmingham Playcare Network Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

11 Related Party Transactions

There were no transactions with related parties during the year or previous year that require disclosure in these accounts.

12 Ultimate Controlling Party

The charity is wholly under the control of the board of Trustees.

13 Comparative Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31st March 2024

Unrestricted
Notes
Funds
£
INCOME FROM:
Donations & legacies
Charitable activities
3
58,460
Investment income
4
2,963
TOTAL INCOME
61,423
EXPENDITURE ON:
Raising funds
5
5,685
Charitable Activities
5
44,028
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
49,713
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
11,710
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS:
Total funds bought forward
85,084
Transfer between Funds
-11,943
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
84,851		 Designated
Funds
£
74,740
-
74,740
80,184
80,184
-5,444
48,481
13,457
56,494		 Restricted
Funds
£
114,309
-
114,309
94,827
94,827
19,483
6,618
-1,514
24,587		 2024
Total
Funds
£
247,509
2,963
250,472
5,685
213,354
219,039
25,749
140,183
-
165,932