## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com ## REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR 01[ST] AUGUST 2023 TO 31[ST] JULY 2024 CHARITY NUMBER: 1175924 Written by: Emily Hender (Treasurer) OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 ## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com ## Trustees who served during the year: - S. Matthews (Chairperson) - E. Hender (Treasurer) - K. Howell (Secretary) - T. Russell (Trustee and nominated Ofsted contact) - H. Ravey (General Member) - A. Adams (General Member) - M. Adams (General Member) - J. Pallister (General Member) - P. Pallister (General Member) - C. West (General Member) - T. Dowding (General Member) - R. Fletcher (General Member) Principle Address: Brambles Childcare Colne Road Bluntisham Cambridgeshire PE28 3NY Bankers: Lloyds TSB Bank Plc 99 High Street Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE29 5DU Independent Examination: Mr C J Dyke of C J Dyke and Company The Old Police Station Priory Road St Ives Cambridgeshire PE27 5BB OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 ## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 July 2024 The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report along with the income and expenditure account and statement of assets and liabilities of the charity for the year ended 31[st] July 2024. The accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis as permitted by Part VI of the Charities Act 1993, in accordance with the charity’s constitution and requirements of the statement of Recommended Practice 2005, “Accounting and Reporting by Charities”. ## Objects and Policies: Brambles Childcare is a registered charity, created in 2018 by the merger of two local children’s charities, one a playgroup and the other an afterschool club. As a charity we are run by a Committee of volunteer trustees who make decisions about the way in which we operate and also support and assist the staff in our day to day running. We are also guided by legislation that has been set up since the introduction of the Children’s Act 2004. We have regular Ofsted inspections to ensure that we meet the required National Standards which enables us to receive Nursery Education Funding. Brambles Childcare is based on the St Helen’s school site, but is an independent organisation constituted as a Charity Incorporated Organisation under the constitution, adopting the Pre-school Learning Alliance CIO constitution 2017. The constitution defines the charity’s objects as being: “The Charity works for the public benefit having as its objects the development and education of 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.” OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 ## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com ## Review of activities and achievements The charity is based in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. The Annual payment and receipt summary can be found in APPENDIX 1. The charity raises funds, in addition to those received from the Local Education Authority, from parents by way of fees, through a variety of fundraising initiatives coordinated by the fundraising team sun-committee. During the year the charity received £265,268.91 from the Local Education Authority, parents of the children attending the setting and other local people and organisations. Payments of £233,635.278 were made during the year, resulting in a significant increase in the cash fund of £31,633.63. The day-to-day activities within the charity help the children to work towards the Early Learning Goals (Playgroup) and the afterschool care through a range of activities covering a selection of topics. ## Reserves Policy Previous years’ committees highlighted the need for reserves to allow the charity to be managed efficiently and provide a buffer; a figure of £10,000 was quoted. This sum is required to give flexibility to cover temporary timing differences and provide adequate working capital for our core asset, and it also proved to be a vital lifeline during the harsh Covid-19 of recent years. With recent minimum wage increases in April 2022 and 2023, this year the committee pledged to further increase this reserve to a minimum of £15,000. On 1[st] August 2023 the reserve amount sat at £10,098.95 and on 31[st] July 2024 the committee had achieved its target with the reserve sat at £15,256.01. ## Investment Policy The trustees have the power to invest in such assets as they see fit. Currently our reserves are currently all held as cash. ## Risk Management The trustees actively review the major risks which the charity faces and believe that maintaining our reserves in excess of the levels stated above over a period of time, along with maintenance of careful controls over the administering of funds, will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 ## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com ## Trustees: The trustees in office during the year and at the date of this report are set out in page 1. New trustees are nominated and elected by members and serve for a period of one year, with re-election being permissible for a maximum of six consecutive years. Each trustee has taken responsibility for certain activities during the year. ## Statement of trustee responsibilities: Charity Law requires the trustee to prepare receipts and payments accounts and statement of assets and liabilities that are consistent in their presentations. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the end of year statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets for the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: Chairman Date OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 ## **BRAMBLES CHILDCARE CIO** ## **Colne Road**  **Bluntisham**  **PE28 3NY** ## **Tel: 01487 843466** e-mail: brambleschildcare@outlook.com APPENDIX A. ## **Receipts and payments account Year ended 31st July 2024** ## PREVIOUS YEAR |**Receipts**
**Operating activities to further charity's**
**objectives**
FEES
LEA vouchers
FURLOUGH GRANT
**Operating activities to generate funds**
Fundraising activities
**Investment income receipts**
Interest on bank accounts
**Sub-total**
Other receipts (not counting as gross
income)
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
**Payments for generating funds**
Fundraising costs
**Charitable payments**
**i) Charitable activities**
Wages
Misc
Rent/accommodation cost
Classroom materials/snacks
Cleaning
Insurance, registration and licence fees
Staff training costs
Utility bills
Uniform costs
**ii) Support costs**
Phone, postage & stationery
**Total Payments**
**Net Receipts/(Payments)**|**2023 AUG -**
**2024 JULY**
**£**
88,814.10
169,005.52
7,292.23
157.06
0.00
265,268.91
(11,678.75)
(186,148.55)
(2,896.50)
(16,889.70)
(6,041.74)
(2,048.88)
(1,890.75)
(779.00)
(3,393.19)
(361.90)
(1,506.32)
(233,635.28)
31,633.63|**2022 AUG –**
**2023 JULY**
**£**
80,573.95
101,106.90
5,616.30
42.72| |---|---|---| |||0.00| |||187,339.87| |||(5,056.95)
(147,546.37)
(9,464.40)
(16,329.39)
(5,255.93)
(804.29)
(671.94)
(680.40)
(2,960.79)
(759.80)
(1,403.00)| |||(190,933.26)| |||(3,593.39)| OFSTED EY560545 Charity Number: 1175924 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Sectton A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trustees Brambles Childcare On accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024 Charity no {tf any) 1175924 Set out on pages meiw¥e' tr) inciiid umbp14 of.g#A¢knftA I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'the Trust") for the year ended 3110712024. Responslbllltles and basis of report As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounls in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'i. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's a￿Ount$ carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by th8 Charity Commission under se¢tion 14515)(bl of Ihe Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have examiner's statsment come to my attention in connedion with the examination which gives me cause to believe thal in, any material respect.. th8 accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, or the accounls did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the fomi and content of accounts set out in Ihe Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view whi¢h 15 not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 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 Ihe accounts ta be reached. Signed: Date: 17-5-￿1 Name: Chris Dyke Relevant profossional qualification(s} or body (if any): FCA Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Address: The Old Police Station Priory Road St Ives, Cambs, PE27 5BB IER Oct 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material mallers of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018