## **Foundations for Families & their Communities Trustees’ Annual Report** Sept 2024 – Aug 2025 Charity number 1169508 A CIO supporting the families and communities of the Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation ## **Contents** Section 1: Introduction..........................................................................................2 Section 2: Review of activities and achievements...................................................3 Section 3: Finances...............................................................................................4 Section 4: Policies & 1 Procedures............................................................................4 Section 5: Trustees Interests…………………………………………………………………………..5 ## Section 6: Future Plans..........................................................................................5 Section 7: Our Statutory Duty as a Charity ..............................................................5 ## **Section 1: Introduction** The Foundation for Families & their Communities CIO supports the communities and families of the 4 Nursery Schools that make up the Foundations for Children Nursery Schools (FFCNS) Federation in Northampton and Wellingborough. The charity raises funds to support the schools and other partnerships projects, including family groups for the local communities, training for Early Years professionals across Northamptonshire and action research to support the wider Early Years community. The organisation was originally registered as a Charity on 6th October 2016 as Parklands Playgroup. In March 2022, the Governing Board of Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation (FFCNS), together with the leadership team of Parklands Nursery School, notified the Playgroup staff that they proposed to expand the existing nursery provision to provide full time and part time places for 2- year-old children. A consultation was also held with families. It was explained that this change would enable the school to become more sustainable, as local authority-maintained nursery schools continue to face increasing constraints on funding; this would also address some of the challenges the Playgroup have faced with limited numbers. The Playgroup Trustees and Committee members decided that the best option for the children and families would be for the Playgroup to cease offering its provision for 2–3-year olds from the end of 5 August 2022. Children of this age range could attend Parklands Nursery School (in the same premises) with staff transferring across to the nursery school under 2 TUPE, and so in essence, there would be no fundamental difference in the service provided to parents and children because of the closure. The community work possible due to funds received by the CIO would continue. This work includes groups operated at the four Nursery Schools, such as Stay & Play, Time for Us and Baby Massage; funding projects to provide training for Early Years professionals across Northamptonshire and action research to support the wider Early Years community. A number of resolutions were passed at a meeting of the Trustees and Committee in May 2022, to reflect the new focus of the Charity. The resolutions included agreement to:- - Alter the purpose of the CIO to have a wider, more community-based focus - Change the name of the charity from Parklands Playgroup to Foundations for Families and Their Communities and register this with the Charity Commission - Amend the Constitution of the Charity to incorporate these changes and include the other strands of the Charity work Due to role and staffing changes the list of trustees was also updated; the trustees are now as follows: - Lyndsey Lambert, Executive Headteacher of Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation - Lauren Jacques (CIO Secretary), Senior Family Worker, Parklands Nursery School - Paula Stafford (CIO Chair), Community Engagement Lead for Foundations for Children Nursery School Federation - Claire Eustace (CIO Treasurer), Bursar of Parklands Nursery School The trustees will serve the charity until they choose to resign or the charity closes. Members are appointed for a term of two years by a resolution passed at a properly constituted meeting of charity trustees. Members are eligible for re-election. In electing trustees, the charity gives due regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the 3 effective administration of the CIO. All trustees complete DBS checks in line with statutory requirements. Trustees and members meet termly – a minimum of 3 times a year. The CIO currently has no direct employees but payments are made to the Nursery Schools from the CIO to cover the time used by employees to run projects on behalf of the CIO. ## **Section 2: Review of activities and achievements** During the year covered by this report – September 2024 to August 2025, there were no income and expenditure transactions linked to the previous responsibility of running Parklands Playgroup; but there were also new sources of income and expenditure, related to the CIO’s new purposes, including a Community Grant payment and expenditure linked to the running of community-based projects and Early Years training. ## **Section 3: Finances** As at 31/08/25 the CIO held a balance of £7,105.56; the income across the previous year totalled £3,207.50. 4 ## **Section 4: Policies & Procedures** Policies and procedures are in place to support all aspects of safeguarding, child protection and health & safety, during the work of the CIO. Policies are reviewed and updated regularly and are available on the Federation’s website : Policies | FFCN Schools | Northampton and Wellingborough The Federation’s Data Protection Officer is : Lyndsey Lambert, Executive Headteacher, Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation, Parklands Nursery School, Spinney Hill Road, Northampton NN3 6DE; llambert@fcnschools.com; 01604 64211 **Section 5: Future Plans** 5 Going forward the CIO will be focusing on raising funds to support our communities. A priority list has been drawn up of projects across the Federation and appropriate funding streams are continually being identified. ## **Section 6: Trustees Interests** ## **Section 7: Our Statutory Duty as a Charity** As trustees, we are confident that we have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Commission. ## **Declaration** The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustee’s Annual Report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:- PDStafford Trustee & Chair **Date** : 30/06/26 **Contact details** :- Foundations for Families & their Communities, Parklands Nursery School, Spinney Hill Road, Northampton Northamptonshire NN3 6DW. 01604 642118 pstafford@ffcnschools.com 6