The Ark Preschool Nursery, Liphook Trustees Report & Statutory Accounts Year Ended 31 July 2025 Registered Charity Number: 1168943
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Tru5tees' Annual Report Year Ended 31 July 2025 Admlnlstratlve Detalls Reglstered Charity Number: 1168943 Prlnclpal office and Address: The Ark Preschool Nursery• Liphook The Church Centre Portsmouth Road GU30 7DJ Other Name5 used: The Ark Trustees The Trustees who seTved during the period were: Edward Cummlng Bruce Valentlne Inglls-jones Henrletta Paterson Ireslgned 8 July 2025 havlng served the maxlmum permlssable term) Helen Coleman Hilton Carr Nlcola Parrott Jacquellne Taylor
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report Icontinuedl Year Ended 31 July 2025 Chalrfs Statement TheArk can celebrate anothersuccessful year, In whlch many familles have been supported and young Ilves Impacted. We were again operatlng at close to capacity In a competitlve envlronment demonstratingthatthe communlty we Serve recognise thevalue of the greatworkthatthe team does. The Ark had a regular Ofsted Inspectlon durlng the year, and although It was disappolntlng that we dldn't qulte achleve a repeat 'outstandinl ratlngi It was encouraging that the factors on whlch we were marked down were of relatlvely mlnor signlficance, The Inspector clearly recognlsed that the quality of servlce Is very high indeed. Financlally, we have maintained a robust position and have agaln been In a posltion to support the wider ministry of our landlord and partner, the parlsh church, The outlook for nurseries across the country has been hit by a legal Judgement towards the end of the year, to the effect that charging for lunchtlme supervlsion is not compatlble with acceptlng government provislon for free chlldcare, To date, there has been no compensatory Increase in government fijndingi absent whlch many nurseries wlll struggle to maintain quality provlslon to the less affluent. However, we are confident that the Ark Is relatlvely well placed. As ever we are indebted to the commitment and hard work of the staff team and many generous 5UPPOrters and volunteers, and we want to record our gratltude and appreclatlon for all that they do. Edwayd Cumming Bruce Chalrman
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report {Continued) Year Ended 31 July 2025 Ob ectlves & Actlvltles The stated Object5 of the Charity are: 11 The advancement of educatlon for the publlc beneflt by the provision of a preschool nursery In Llphook In accordance wlth Chr15tlan principles; and 2) To make grants for charitable purposes. The Trustees conflrm that they have complled with the duty In sectlon 17 of the Charltles Act 2011 to have due regard to the publlc benefit guldance published by the Commlsslon In determlnlng the actlvltles undertaken by the Charlty, Achlevements & Performance Key achlevements made in the perlod were as follows: Provldlng care, educatlon and support to over 40 children In the course of the 2024125 academlc year Provlslon of approximately 90% of pre-school sesslons at EYFS rates, provldlng a key service, free at the polnt of use, to the local population In an area prevlously suffering from a shortage of capacity. Fundralsln In line with prlor years, the Ark undertook fundra151ng activlty wlth indivlduals by way of written correspondence. We have not engaged any third parties to fundraise on our behalf durlng thls perlod. The Ark is not registered wlth the Fundraislng Regulator but Is committed to ablde bytheir Fundralslng Code of Prattlce. Staff and Trustees are aware of, and sensitive to, data protectlon issues and safeguardlng and applles these prlnciples to protect vulnerable donors, Optlons remaln In place to suppress communicatlons to supporters that are flagged as vulnerable, Durlng 2024125, The Ark recelved no fundraislng complalnts and no suppres51on requests from the Fundralsing Preference Service (FPS).
The Ark Preschool Nur5eryi Liphook Tru5tees' Annual Report Icontlnued) Year Ended 31 July 2025 Flnanclal revlew The 2024125 academlc year Saw The Ark tradlng at a sustalnable level. A surplus of £6,67112024', £19,822 surplus) was recorded, Demand for places remalns challenglng owlng to demographlc factors, strong local competltion and a reluctance to supplement government funded places with parental funds. A government directive that lunch tlme 5e5$1ons could not be charged from April 2025 has caused a fall income that wlll need to be closely monltored golngforward. Voluntary Income remalned relatlvely static, totalling £2,99912024: £2,178) In the perlod, Flnanclal Posltlon At the perlod end the Charlty net assets were £80,065 {2024: £73,394). Cash at the bank at 31 July was £70,41912024'. £71,847). The trustees monltor the level of Involces outstandingi the reason for late payment and the actlons taken to ensure receipt. They conslder It Ilkely some long 5tandlng invoices wlll not be pald and have therefore made a provislon In thls yearfs accounts for bad debt. Reserves The trustees are focussed on ensuring that sufficient free reserves are maintained to ensure the smooth continued operatlon of the preschool. To determlne the necessary level of free reserves for the preschool the trustees have assessed the potential financial Impact, adjusted for risk and likellhood, of a range of scenarlos In which the reseNes of the charlty would be utllised. Following thls revlew they have agreed that the Ark's free reserves should be sufflclent to cover,. An Income reserve In the event that income falls to achleve budget; Short term continulty of servlce In the event of unforeseen clrcumstances; and Costs of opportunitles that may arise whlch would enable the Ark to further Its charitable oblectlve5. There are no restricted funds12024: nlll.
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report (Continued) Year Ended 31 July 2025 The trustees have calculated free reserves at 31 July 2025 as follows., Total Funds at 31 July 2025 £80,065 Less unrestrlcted Flxed Asset5 £0 Less other commltments £0 Free Reserves at 31 July 2025 £80,065 Free reserves at 31 July 2025 were In Ilne wlth the mlnlmum requlrement Identitled by the Trustees. In the 2025126 academlc year It Is antlclpated that these free reserves wlll fall sllghtly. As a result, the trustees wlll continue to seek to manage the finances of the Preschool In such a way that free reserves over the comlng years will be maintained. A charltable donatlon was ma¢e to Llphook PCC. Investment Poll¢ Taklng Into account the reserves policy outllned above, the Trustees have decided that to the extent urrent worklng capital levels permlt, free reserves should be quickly reallsable wlthout any rlsk to thelr value. All cash funds are therefore to be held in current account5 or Interest bearlng deposit accounts. Structure overnance and mana ement The Ark Preschool is a charltable Incorporated organ15atlon located In England and reglstered wlth the charlty commisslon. Its governing document IS it5 CIO Foundation Constltutlon. Day to day running of the preschool is delegated to the Head of Preschool and her team of staff. The staff team's work is overseen by a board of between 4 and 7 Trustees. The Trustee5 set overall pollcy and strateglc guidelines for the charity. They agree annual operating plans and financial budgets and monltor outcomes againstth05e plans. The work of the trustee5 is carried out vla bl-monthly formal board meetings. Trustee5 are generallyappointed forterm5 of 3 years and cannot serve morethan 3 consecutlve terms wlthout a break from office. Recruitment is usually by nomlnation from Bramshott and Llphook PCC. Up to 5 trustees may be nominated by the PCC, There Is a150 one Ex-officio Trustee, belng the servlng rector of the Parlsh. The Pccseeks to recrult trusteeswho have experlence of education orwho bring needed professlonal skills In broader areas. All members of the Board of Trustees glve their tlme voluntarlly and recelve no benefits a5 Trustee from the charlty. Any expenses reclalmed from the charlty are set out In the notes to these accounts underthe headlng "Trustee Remuneratlon and expenses" Related party transactions are slmilarly set out In the notes.
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Tru5tees' Annual Report (Contlnued) Year Ended 31 July 2025 Rlsk Mana ement The trustees and staff team conduct a formal annual review of the malor r15ks to which the charity Is exposed. Key risk areas are revlewed regularly at board meetlngs. The Ark's procedure for risk assessment Is to aS5e55 the risk, Identify the level of seriousness, the consequence and the mltigatlng actlon that can be taken. Detalled procedures are in place to mltlgate major risks and they are assessed under the headlngs of Strategic and operatlonal risk. The Trustees consider that the Informatlon they recelve, the Internal control systems that are established and the regular Involvement of the trustees all combine to enable the board to be confident that the major risks to which the charity is exposed are Identified and that systems are In place to mltigate those risk5 to an acceptable level, Approprlate Insurance 15 in place to cover all common risks to both people and assets. The charity suffered no serious Incldent In the financlal year that required reportlng to the Charlty Commlsslon. Safe uardln The charlty provldes servlces to chlldren and therefore Enhanced DBS checks have been obtalned for all ellgible roles. Trustee Res onslbllltles The Trustees are re5ponslble for preparlng the Annual Report and the financlal statement In accordance wlth applicable law and regulations. Charity law In England and Wales requlres the Trustees to prepare financlal statements for each financial year. Under the law the Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with Unlted Klngdom Accepted Accountlng Practice Iunlted Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable lawl, The financial statements are required by law to glve a true and fair view of the state of affalrs of the charlty and of the surplu5 or deficit for that period, In preparlng those financlal statements the Trustee5 are requlred to: select sultable accountlng policies and then apply them conslstentlvi observe the method5 and princlples of the Charities SORP; make judgements and estlmates that are reasonable and prudent,. follow applicable accounting standards, and prepare the financlal statements on the golng concern basi5 unless It Is Inapproprlate to presume that the charity will continue In operation.
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Liphook Trustees, Annual Report (Continued) Year Ended 31 July 2025 The trustees are re5ponslble for keeplrsg proper accountlng records whlch d15¢1ose with reasonable accuracy at any tlme the financlal posltlon of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financlal statements comply with the Charitles Act 2011, the Charlty (Accounts and Reports) Regulatlons 2008 and the provislons of the governlng document. They are a150 responslble for safeguardlng the assets of the charlty and hence for taking reasonable steps for the preventlon and detettlon of fraud and other Irregularltles. Approved by the Trustees and slgned on thelr behalf bv: Edward CumiMiii& ljriice Edward Cumming-Bruce Trustee 10 March 2026
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report and Account5 (Continued) Period Ended 31 July 2025 Independent examlnerfs report to the trustee5 Of The Ark Pre-school Nurseryi Llphook I report to the trustees on my examlnatlon of the accounts of The Ark Pre-school Nursery• Llphook (the CIO) for the year ended 31 July 2025. Responslbllltles and basls of report A5 the charity trustees of the CIO you are re5ponslble for the preparation of the accounts In accordance wlth the requlrements of the Charitles Act 20111'the Act'l. I report in respett of my examlnatlon of the CIO'S accounts carrled out under sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act and In carrylng out my examlnatlon I have followed all the applicable Dlrectlons glven by the Charity Commisslon under sectlon 145151{bl of the Act. Independent examlnerfs statement I have completed my examlnation. I confirm that no materlal matter5 have come to my attentlon In connection wlth the examination giving me cause to belleve that In any material respect: accountlng records were not kept In respect of the CIO as required by sectlon 130 of the Act; or 2. the account5 do not accord wlth those record5; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requlrements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charltles (Accounts and Reports) Regulatlons 2008 other than any requlrement that the accounts glve a 'true and falr vlew, which 15 not a matter considered as part of an Independent examlnatlon. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connection with the examlnation to whlch attentlon should be drawn In th15 report In order to enable a proper under5tandlng of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Matthew Elkin5 FCA Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants Office Suite I, Haslemere House Lower Street Haslemere Surrey GU27 2PE Date.. 2£-
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report and Accounts Icontlnuedl Perlod Ended 31 July 2025 Statement of Flnanclal Actlvltles for the Year Ended 31 July 2025 2025 Total Funds 2024 Total Funds Income from: (note 2) Donatlons, Grants and Events Charltable Actlvlties Accrued income from HC Other trading actlvltle5 Investments 2,999 158,256 10,219 8,821 145,714 Total Income 171,474 154,535 Expendlture on: (note 3) Ralslng Funds Charitable Actlvlties Provislon for Bad Debt 163,220 1,583 134,713 Total Expendlture 164,803 134,713 Net Income and Expendlture 6,671 19,822 Reconclllatlon of Funds; Total Funds Brought Forward 73,394 53,572 Total Funds Carrled Forward 80,065 73,394 All the activltles in the above financlal years were derlved from continuing operations. The Notes ors pages 11-17 form part of these accounts
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report and Accounts (Continued) Period Ended 31 July 2025 Balance Sheet as at 31 July 2025 2025 2024 Flxed Assets Tanglble Flxed Assets (note 81 Current Assets Debtors (note 9) Cash at Bank Provlslon for Bad Debt Accrued income from HCC 3,984 70,419 11,5831 10,219 2,682 71,847 Llabllltles (note 10) Due withln l Year Due after more than l year 12,974) 11,1351 Net Assets 80,065 73,394 Funds of the Charlty Unrestrlcted Funds Restricted Funds 80,065 73,394 Total Funds 80,065 73,394 The financlal statements and notes on pages 11-17 were approved and authori5ed forlssue by the Board of Trustees on 10 March 2026 and slgned on Its behalf by Edward Cummlng-Bruce Trustee io
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustee5' Annual Report and Accounts (Contlnuedl Perlod Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements l) Ba515 of re ara lon and Pollcles The financlal statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reportlng by Charltles: Statement of Recommended Practice appllcable to charities preparing thelr accounts In accordance with the Flnanclal Reporting Standard appllcable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 (effective l January 20191 (Charities SORP IFRS 10211, the Flnancial Reporting Standard appllcable In the UK and Republlc of Ireland IFRS 102). TheArk Preschool Nursery meets the deflnltlon of a public benefitentlty under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are Inltlally recognlsed at historlcal cost or transaction value unless otherwlse stated In the relevant accountlng pollcy notelsl. The trustees have revlewed the charlvs financlal posltlon, reserves and future plans and conslder desplte the tough operatlonal clrcumstances currently belng faced there are no foreseeable material uncertaintles about the Charitls ablllty to contlnue as a golng concern and the accounts been prepared on that basls. Income Reco nition All income Is recognised once the Charlty ha5 entltlement to Income, It Is probable wlll be recelved and the amount of income receivable can be measured rellably. Hampshlre County Councll pald the last instalment of the Summer term fundlng I£10,219 after the financial year end (unlike prior yearl; this has been reflerted in the Statement of Flnanclal Actlvltles and the Balance Sheet. Grant Reco nltlon Grant5 are recognlsed In full In the statement of financlal activitles In the year in which the Charlty has entitlement to the income, the amount of Income receivable can be rneasud reliably and there is probablllty of recelpt. No grants were recelved In FY 2024-25. endl Expenditure includes attributable VAT, which cannot be recovered. Expenditure Is allocated to the particular actlvlty where the cost relates dlrectly to that attlvlty. Expenditure not dlrectly attrlbutable to one actlvity will be apportioned on a 5Ultable basis. Slnce operatlons commenced costs have only been Incurred dlrectly for charltable actlvitles, no costs are associated wlth raising funds. Governance costs include the c05t of governance arrangements which relate to the general running of the Charlty, including strategic plannlng for its future developments, external audlt, any legal advlce for the Trustees, and all costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements, such as the cost5 of the Trustee meetings and of preparing the statutory accounts and satlsfying public accountablllty. li
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustees, Annual Report and Account5 (Continued) Period Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal statements (Contlnuedl Flnancial Instruments A financlal asset or a financlal liabillty Is recognlsed only when the charlty becomes a party to the contractual provlsions of the Instrument. The charlty only has financlal asset5 ar)d flnancial liabilltles of a klnd that quallfy as baslc financlal Instruments. 8aslc financlal Instruments are Inltlally recognlsed at the amount recelvable or payable Including any related transaction costs. Debt instruments are subsequently measured at amortlsed cost uslng the effertlve interest method, sublectto materlallty. Flnancial assets that are measured at cost or amortlsed cost are reviewed for objectlve evldence of impalrment at the end of each reportlng date. If there Is objective evldence of Impalrment, an Impalrment loss Is recognlsed under the approprlate headlng in the statement of financlal activitles In winch the Initial galn was recognised. Any reversals of Impalrment are recognlsed immedlatelyi to the extent that the reversal does not result in a carrying amount of the financlal asset that exceeds what the carrying amount would have been had the Impalrment not previously been recognised. Tan Ible Fixed Assets Asset purcha5e5 over £500 are considered for caplta115ation. Assets are depreclated on a stralght.llne basis over 5 year5. Statement of Cash Flows As a small charity, no statement of cash flow Is requlred. Fund str ure Unrestrlcted funds are available for use at the dlscretlon of the trustees to further any of the charity's purposes. Restrlcted fund5 can only be used for partlcular restritted purposes withln the objects of the charity. Restrictlons arise when specifled by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanatlon of the nature of each fund is included in the notes to the flnanclal statements. Penslons and other ost retirement obll ations A deflned contrlbution plan is a penslon plan under whlch flxed contrlbutlons are pald Into penslon fund and the charlty has no legal or con5tructlve obllgatlon to pay further contributlons. Contributions to defined contrlbution plans are recognised as employee benefit expense when they are due. If contrlbution payments exceed the contrlbutlons due for servlce, the excess15 recognised a5 a prepayment. 12
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustee5' Annual Report and Accounts Icontlnuedl Period Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements {Contlnued) 2) Income Income from Charltable Actlvltles 2025 2024 Provision of childcare sesslons 168,475 145,714 The charlty Is predomlnantly funded from local authorlty {Hampshlre County Counclll Early Years Educatlon Fundlng IEY5508361. Incomefrom HCC for the reportlng period was £135,545 12024: £109,922) Incorne from Donatlons Grants and Legacles 2025 2024 Donatlons Fundralslng Event5 Grants 2,963 36 2,177 116 6,528 2,999 8,821 The highest value donatlon from an Individual was £900, No donatlons were recelved from related partles. 13
The Ark Preschool Nurseryi Liphook Trustees, Annyal Report and Accounts Icontlnuedl Perlod Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements (Contlnued) endlture on Charltable Actlvltles 2025 2024 Provlslon of chlldcare sesslons Charitable donations 154,803 io,ooo 134,713 164,803 134,713 Breakdown of chlldcare 5e551on expendlture Is asfollows.. 2025 2024 Childcare Staffing costs (note 41 Rent Other Costs Provision for bad debt 115,822 15,000 22,398 1,583 99,878 15,000 19,835 154,803 134,713 14
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Liphook Trustees, Annual Report and Account5 Icontlnuedl Perlod Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements Icontlnued) ees and Remuneratlon Aggregate payroll costs were as follows: 2025 2024 Wages and Salaries Soclal securlty Costs Penslon Contrlbutions (note 61 Supply staff 112,966 753 1,923 180 97,965 451 1,462 115,822 99,878 Soclal security costs dlsclosed above are stated net of employment allowance clalmed in the periods. At the end of the reporting perlod 9 people were permanently employed and I person was on a fixed term contract. The monthly average numberof persons Ilncludlng the Heads of Pre- School) employed by the Charlty durlng the year expressed a5 full tlme equlvalents was 5.1 12024.. 4.5) Head of pre-school Is regarded as the key management personnel. Payment5 totalllng£25,702 plus £584 of employers penslon contrlbutions were made to Indlviduals with thls job tltle durlng the year12024: £25,363 plus £5731, The Head of Preschool was the highest pald employee. No employee rece6ved remuneratlon of over £60,000 in the year {2024.' No employee). No Trustee received any remuneratlon durlng the perlod for acting In the capaclty of a trustee {2024,' nll). Three volunteers carrled out charltable activltles durlng the flnanclal year. 5) Trustee Remuneratlon and Ex enses Trustee payments In the period totalled £nil12024: £nlll. No costs relatlng to meetlng attendance were clalmed. Refer also Note 7. 6) Defined contrlbutlon en5ion scheme The charlty operates a defined contrlbution pension scheme. The pension cost charge for the year represents contrlbutlons payable by the Charltyto the scheme and amounted to £1,923 12024.. £1,462). 15
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Tru5tees' Annual Report and Accounts (Continued) Perlod Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements (Contlnued) 7) Related Pa Transactlons Trustees made no donations to the preschool during the year12024'. £Nill, Cleone Inglls-jones, the spouse of a Trustee, Valentine Inglis-jones, was employed by the Ark during the year, Inltlally as a Pre-school Asslstant before becoming acting Deputy Head and eventually Head of Preschool, Total payments madetocleone in the perlod were£25,702 plu5 £584 ofemployerfs pension contrlbutlons12024: £24,360 plus £5441, All terms of employment have been approved bythe Charity Commisslon. The charity paid rental of £15,00012022'. £15,000) to Bram5hott and Liphook PCC durlng the perlod for the space from whlch the playschool operates. The charity made no payments In the perlod to Bramshott and Liphook PCC (2024: £nill for ad-hoc hlre of additional facilities. Helen Coleman, a trustee, involced the charity £2,729 for SENCO Consultancy 5ervlces In the perlod12024: £2,874). 8) Flxed Assets External men Other E ul me Total Net Book Value: At 31 July 2025 16
The Ark Preschool Nursery, Llphook Trustee5' Annual Report arsd Accounts {Contlnuedl Period Ended 31 July 2025 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements (Contlnued) 9) Debtors Amounts falling due wlthln one year: 2025 2024 Trade debtor5 Other Oebtor5 3,270 714 1,969 713 3,984 2,682 10) Credltors Amounts falling due wlthln l Year 2025 2024 Trade Credltors Pension Credltor Other Creditors 1,497 459 1,018 84 1,051 2,974 1,135 11) Movement In Funds At 01 AUK 2024 Movement In year At 31 Jul 2025 Unrestrlcted Fund5 Restricted Funds 73,394 6,670 80,065 Total Funds 73,394 6,670 80,065 17