OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2024-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement 2023-2024

Contents

Page Number
Foreword 3
Legal and Administrative Information 4
About Us & Mission 5
Aims & Objectives 6-7
Core Values 8
Diversity & Inclusion 9-10
Play Sessions 11-12
Toy Loaning 13
Sensory Room 14
Parenting Support 15
Projects and Partnership Work 16
Community Hub & Events 17-19
Volunteering 20
Independent Examiners Report 21
Financial Statement and Activities 22-30

Foreword

We are delighted to present our Trustees’ Annual Report for 2023-24 reflecting on a transformative year of growth, collaboration, and impact for the Toy Library. This year has been marked by milestones that underscore our commitment to serving our community and evolving to meet its needs.

We moved into our new home at Somers Road, Walthamstow—a space we hope will be our forever home. After extensive refurbishment to revive a building that had stood empty for years, we were thrilled to create a new, welcoming environment for members. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the incredible support we received through our crowdfunder. To everyone who contributed, thank you for helping us turn this dream into reality.

Our official opening was held on 15 March 2023, attended by Stella Creasy MP and local councillors, and it marked a new chapter in our journey. Alongside this, we also broadened our charitable objectives within our constitution, enabling us to expand our remit and provide services for older children. This change reflects our ongoing commitment to adapt and respond to the needs of our community.

We were privileged to be named 17 & Central's Charity Partner of the Year for 2023 , a partnership that not only raised crucial funds but also connected us with new audiences. Together, we hosted a variety of engaging activities like our Halloween pop-up with spooky crafts, which brought joy to children and families alike.

Our CEO, Helen Crockford, was invited to speak at the School of Social Entrepreneurs , presenting to their board of trustees’ 'Mission Moment.' This opportunity allowed us to share our vision and inspire others in the social enterprise sector.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to local businesses like Radek, who built our Community Cupboard, and East of Eden and 17 & Central, whose fundraising support has been invaluable.

As we look back on a year of remarkable progress and community impact, we remain deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our members, partners, and supporters. Together, we continue to make a positive difference, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead in 2024-2025.

Noella Gooden, Chair of Trustees

Legal & Administrative Information

Company Address: William Morris Hall 6 Somers Road Walthamstow E17 6RX

Registered Charity Number: 1178098 Company Number: CEO13905

Trustees: Noella Gooden (Chair) Read Baurtally (Treasurer) Natalie Sleigh (resigned May 23) Kate Boyle (resigned Nov 23) Jeni Day Caroline Keech (appointed Nov 23) Esme Cooke-McGowan (appointed Nov 23) Kayleigh Gray-Layton(appointed Nov 23) Lorraine Pinter (appointed Nov 23)

Accounts prepared by: chromatic books

About Us & Mission

The charity works for the public benefit having as its objects the development and education of children and young people in particular by:

Our mission is to provide safe, creative spaces for children and their parents and carers to play, learn and interact.

Aims & Objectives Seven aims underpin our mission:

Support

Promote

Reduce

Encourage

Enable

Provide

Represent

To meet the aims our work is based around the following objectives:

  1. Provide a friendly, welcoming and safe environment;

  2. Run high-quality, structured play sessions led by experienced play workers;

  3. Make available a diverse range of toys for play and learning, providing play ideas for families to use at home;

  4. Support, promote and deliver health and well-being initiatives;

  5. Maximise access to our services, especially among those on a low income;

  6. Work with schools, colleges, Waltham Forest Business Education Partnership to provide volunteering opportunities;

  7. Work in partnership with other organisations, both locally and nationally, to promote our aims; and

  8. Involve our members in evaluating, improving and running our services.

Core values

The Toy Library adheres to its values by providing services that are:

‘”Thank you Toy Library for creating a nurturing environment where children feel safe, loved and most of all encouraged to explore their unique potential”.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our borough is one of the most diverse areas in the country. An estimated 53% of residents are from a minority ethnic background and this is reflected in our membership. Excluding White British the top five nationalities are; Romanian, Polish, Black British, Black Caribbean and Pakistani.

Waltham Forest is currently ranked 82nd most deprived borough nationally according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (an improvement from 35th in 2015, and 15th in 2010). Waltham Forest now ranks 12[th] most deprived London borough - an improvement from 7[th] in 2015. Waltham Forest has a younger than average population with 24.5 per cent of residents being aged 0 to 19 compared to 23 per cent in London and 23 per cent nationally.

The Toy Library continues to provide universal play sessions and toy loaning to families, not just from Waltham Forest, but further afield. We strive to assist families in financial need by providing free annual membership (usual cost is £15) and reduced play sessions fees at £1 for the first child and 50p for additional children (usual cost £5.50 for the first child and £2.50 for additional children). We don’t want finance to be a barrier to anyone. We support families who have no recourse to public funds or who are struggling financially. We offer free membership and a block of six free play sessions. Once the six sessions have been attended, more are offered or families pay what they can afford.

At the end of 31[st] March 2024, 2705 families were registered with us across both sites. 22% of members received free membership and reduced session fees. This is a 2% increase on the previous year. With funding, this is an area of our work that we would like to grow, with a greater focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Play Sessions

Our 90 minute sessions cater for children aged 0-5 and are led by trained staff. Children benefit from interactions with a wider age range than they are often exposed to in other early years settings, such as nursery. It also means that parents can bring younger siblings and childminders the full range of children they care for.

Sessions are based around different themes and stories each month. Staff have developed a successful structure which includes:

CIRCLE TIME: The final half hour of each session is devoted to circle time, which promotes social and emotional wellbeing as well as language development. The play worker encourages the children and their adults to participate in story time and singing favourite action songs and nursery rhymes. These sessions make use of story sacks and song bags, props and musical instruments to accompany the singing.

•

Play sessions don’t just focus on children, we also provide support to parents and carers. Everyone is greeted by a member of the team and offered a hot drink and listening ear.

We believe that investing in our team is not only important for their professional development, but that of our charity and the community we serve. In 2023/24, two members of the team received ‘Level 3 Forest School’ training. Three staff received ‘PEEP Learning Together’ training and one member of the team ‘Book Start’ training. The whole team received ‘Violence Against Women and Girls’ awareness training and incorporating ‘Music and Movement’ into play sessions.

At the Walthamstow Toy Library, we ran 348 play sessions, with a footfall of 7222 children.

This was our second full year at Leytonstone Toy Library. We ran 380 sessions, with a footfall of 3980 children. A slight increase on last years figure.

“The Toy Library is an inclusive community facility. We have attended sessions regularly since our daughter was three months old. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and show great care and expertise in the services they deliver. Our daughter has a variety of additional needs. The Toy Library went above and beyond in providing a listening ear, signposting and helping us to access the complicated early years SEND provision in the borough. They were there for us as a whole family at a time when we felt lonely and lost trying to navigate where to go next, to get the help that we needed for our daughter. As a result, we are now in a pre-school setting two afternoons a week. We feel this wouldn’t have happened so quickly without their support”.

Toy Loaning

We are the only toy library in Waltham Forest. At both sites we have a variety of toys and equipment which can be borrowed for two weeks at a time. Many items cost from £1 to borrow. This service is available to members, community groups and local businesses.

Across both sites 1182 families borrowed toys. 216 families from Leytonstone, a 14% increase on the previous year, and 966 families from Walthamstow, a 12% increase on the previous year. 19% of families borrowed 5 or more times and 55 families borrowed 10 or more times.

In 2022/23 we generated £21,338 in toy loaning income. Despite more people borrowing toys, in 2023/24 we saw a 12% decrease in income to £18,708, with less people borrowing larger items and borrowing regularly.

We continue to run our mobile toy loaning service for large items and orders over £15.

”The Toy Library has been an invaluable resource for me and my 19month old son. From loaning toys to mark his developmental milestones - from wooden walkers to sensory toys for travel - to attending morning Stay and Play sessions. We have used and loved it all. The service has now extended further for our family with my son attending weekly with his Grandmother in tow. It’s a space for everyone with something for all and I am so grateful to have it on our doorstep - how lucky are we!”

Sensory Room

“The space is amazing. I’d give it 10 out of 10. I don’t want anyone else to know about it, so we can have it all to ourselves!”

With support from St James Street Big Local and Lloyds of London Foundation we relocated the sensory room from Hurst Road and had it reinstalled with added features. We continue to work with the borough’s Early Years Inclusion Team and the Lloyd Park Children’s Charity ‘Somewhere 2 Belong’ running sessions to provide a safe and engaging space for children with SEND. It’s also available to our members to use for a fee.

Parenting Support

“You are so much more than a Toy Library. You are a lifeline for so many parents. I don’t know what I would have done without you this year”.

The staff continue to provide support and advice to families on a variety of topics or make referrals to specialist organisations such as food banks, housing and debt advice surgeries. The borough’s Speech and Language Therapy team attended several sessions across both sites to answer parents’ concerns and give helpful tips on developing their children’s language and communication skills. Each site also had a visit from HEET to advise on how to keep homes insulated and how to keep warm during the winter months. A specialist respiratory nurse also attended sessions and gave advice on asthma and general health and wellbeing. LBWF Adult Learning Service and the Library teams have also delivered activities with us.

At our Walthamstow site we have a designated room called the ‘Community Cupboard’ where families can donate clothes and equipment that is no longer needed. These can be taken for free or swapped for something new. We run a ‘Swap Shop’ at our Leytonstone site. We encourage families to take children’s books from our honesty library. These can be kept or returned. We also have a range of parenting books that can be borrowed for free for as long as needed, as we know how hard it can be for busy parents to sit down and read!

Projects & Partnerships

We partnered with a variety of organisations to provide activities which supported education, health and wellbeing or highlighted the climate and cost of living crisis.

Reuse & Repair Fair – 1-day of activity

Funded by LBWF and working in partnership with Artillery and Forest Recycling Project, we provided a give and take stall.

Supporting asylum seekers at the Ibis Hotel – weekly 1- hour sessions

In partnership with Worth Unlimited we delivered after school activities for 0- 8 year olds.

Friday Fun Free For All Homework Club, weekly 2-hour sessions

Funded by Awards for All and working in partnership with NEWPIN. We supported 5 – 11 year olds and their parents with after school learning, providing a variety of play activities, a quiet area and resources to complete homework as well as a cooked meal.

Langthorne Park Festival – 1-day event

Funded by LBWF and co-produced with local groups. The festival brings the community together in celebration of the people and area.

‘It’s Our Park’ Outdoor Cinema – 2-day event

Funded by LBWF ward funding we partnered with Stow Film Lounge and Friends of Langthorne Park to screen two free, family films.

Langthorne Park Youth Club – weekly, 2-hour session

We continue to partner with Worth Unlimited and Peabody to run a weekly youth club for 8 – 15 year olds. A highlight this year was working with artists from the William Morris Gallery on the ‘Radical Landscapes’ exhibition.

Community Hub & Events

These activities are vital, they help us generate an income to meet and sustain our charitable aims and objectives and act as a low-cost meeting place for the community.

Parties

The Toy Library remains a popular venue for party hire. It can be hired on Saturdays and Sundays for birthdays, christenings, naming ceremonies and baby showers. The space is hired for 3 hours and a member of staff is on site to open and close and assist if needed. Families can hire additional toys or bring their own.

”The Toy Library really is the best venue in town. It’s reasonably priced, easy to book and has everything you need to keep the kids happy. All our guests loved it so much that they are hiring it too”.

In this financial year there were 187 parties compared to 193 in 2022/23: 126 in Walthamstow (137 in 2022/23) and 61 in Leytonstone (56 in 2022/23. A slight decrease overall, due to Walthamstow moving and renovating the new venue.

Venue Hire

We continue to make our space available to a number of providers and community groups whose ethos reflects our own and whose services will benefit our members and the wider community. We have a tiered pricing structure, so it is affordable (£15p/h) for community groups who are offering free, reduced fees or donation only classes. At our Leytonstone site, the Probation Service’s Community Payback Team, use the room for free on a weekly basis. In return they help maintain Langthorne Park. At our Walthamstow site the Health Visiting Team have been using the venue for baby weighing clinics and development reviews. This has been a great partnership, as new families are introduced to our services.

“Fabulous venue in the heart of Walthamstow, accessible to all. Supportive, communicative, friendly staff; space is always clean and ready to use and competitive rates. Perfect!”

Events

With all events that we organise or partake in, there is a focus on bringing people together, combating isolation and building community. We ensure that our activities are fun, sustainable and promote family learning. We also use these events and activities to fundraise and promote our services to a wider audience or to campaign on issues that matter to our community.

At Leytonstone Toy Library we ran events for Easter, Halloween and Christmas. The ‘Light Up Langthorne’ football tournament in collaboration with Worth Unlimited, Peabody and the Langthorne Collective raised awareness about youth safety in the park. The Christmas lantern procession in Leytonstone, furthered this work.

At the Walthamstow Toy Library, we held our annual May Fair and ran ‘pop up’ play activities at the Ravenswood Family Day, World Refugee Day on Fellowship Square and Community Health Events in Walthamstow and Leyton.

Volunteering

We continue to offer volunteering opportunities to the local community and students. This year we have worked with 64 students through the Waltham Forest Business Education Partnership, Leyton Sixth Form College, Waltham Forest College and George Monoux.

Special thanks go to our regular volunteers Caroline, Judith, Terri and Susanne (for play session and toy loaning support), Steve (for fixing all the broken toys), John and Peter (for continued building maintenance), Robyn and Coral (for event support), Anna (for admin support) and the Good Gym team (for turning up each month and completing whatever tasks we throw at them).

“The team's dedication to providing valuable services and hosting fun, impactful events is truly inspiring. It's clear the Toy Library makes a real difference, as many of the families/residents have told me so. I’m proud to be able to support and be a part of an organisation that genuinely cares about those it serves”.

Independent examlnerfs report to the Trustees of Walthamstow Toy Llbrary and Play Centre I report ta the Iruslees on my examInat￿n of the accounts of Walthamstow Toy Library and Play Centre l.the CharWI for the year ended 31 $1 March 2024. Responslbllltles and ba818 of report As the charitys trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounis in a￿rdance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('Ihe Act"). I report in ￿SPecI of my examination of the Trust's acccunts Carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrylng out my examination. I have folkjwed all the applicable Directions glven by the CharSty CommissSon under sectbon 145(5){b) of the Act. Independent oxamlnèr's statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my att8ntion in connecah)n with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in aco)rd8nce with section 130 of the Ch8rities the accounts did not accord with the accoUn￿ng records., or the accounts dSd not comply with the applicable ￿qUirementS conceming the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have o)me across no olher matters in connection wilh the examination to which attention should be drawn In this reFQrt in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Name." Waqas Hussain FCCA Address.. 10 Knebworth Avenue. Wathamstow, London. E17 SAJ Date- 0711112024 Signed:

ststement of Flnanclal Actlvlty rt Yew End 31st V4r(h 2024 Notes Umostrlcted Reslrkted fvnds kncon nd5 Total l￿dS 2024 Total funds 2023 I￿[￿nI￿ resour Lknnations and legaues 73,702 15.288 88.9XJ 48,043 Charitable aCtI￿tieS 156,015 156,015 177,805 229,717 15.288 245.005 225.848 Re50urce5 expended Raising funds 5,747 5,747 1,789 Charitable actI￿tIeS 219.911 28.642 248.553 212.323 Other 6,866 6.866 5,271 rotal 232,524 28.642 261,166 219,383 Nèt In l￿d510r thÈ 14,2821 111,8791 116,1611 6,465 Total funds atlstAwll 2023 104,662 13.354 118.016 112.Cx16 Total fvnds aL31st March 2024 The Th)te5 forrn part of the accounts

Statem•nt of Flnanclal P051tlon count Year End315t Marth 2024 tes Unrwtrfrted Re$ttitted fund5 Total funth 20Z4 T•1 fu￿$ fu￿$ T3nglblea￿ts 1,391 1,391 3.116 1,391 1,391 3,116 Debtor5 14,340 14,340 3JOI Cash at b￿k and inhand 95,451 95,451 170.%9 109,791 I￿,791 174370 Creditor&amountsfallingdL v￿thin 0￿¥£ar 7,853 1475 9.328 59.019 NEtcurrertasSetsfvbll￿e4 IQL938 1,4751 IW,463 115.351 Total a5ts ￿C￿￿ent lIa￿e5 103,329 101,854 118,470 LcurroJlatEd fund io RÈstrlL￿d1nC1jmèffunds IA7S 1,475 Designated buildiwfund 55,Q¥NJ 55,LKKI 55.L Unrestrittedfunds 61,543 61,543 43.652 Resulttrihe perfc44 14,2821 111,8791 6AfjS 112,261 101,854 118A70 provedbythetrU5tee5aNl￿gned antheir behawbv.. Noella Go￿le￿ trarofTrustees The notesform part(theac(xyJnts

Mote l Polld Thelinanoèl ster￿n1$ be) we￿Ie￿In8CCcrfOrK￿fth1￿wrfW Suterrent of Pr•d¢e •PF4I¢le io th)riw prewrlw thtyr rt#Th#¢d wrp(¥e% %Mth the Finardal Rewtlnl StsndJrd ￿p￿k￿ in thE un￿e¢l Kir￿￿￿ LIK d Irel•r4 Icharffjes SCIIP FR$ 1021 tssued ¢M 16 X)14. the FiMrt4al Rewti Stsrthrd •Pp￿￿b UK•n6 ￿e￿￿1k01 1021 theCh¥ttie5MI 2011. Tr fin¥￿lar 5taiemerrt5 hr4ebEen prepared wderthe hthrial costCL¥NYntKn. Th￿fina￿lI ft•temonts•re wepwed lfiSterfIw￿ M thefunthcfj•l turrthwcliM e¢xrwry. lfi Twflnw￿al Sulen￿￿•re rwn¢lEd tothE reartyt £. ThetharfTat4ecomparyopEratesadefinedmntthtbn pernty]nsthEme. ContritroJliEffj5 popbk ID thecMrftibleLYftVry'S perthnfLhemè totrStittnfit cl In tr rel¢ reFtlr4st•ndtrd 102. redLKd ixk•Jretxenybrxis Trurt•es eommlt to e•pln¢the equlv•leni o13- 6 months runnlrli costs In iesefft to sateeuart a4aln5t Iwure chanees In Income. The pie5eni vel [5 £85kwhkh Is wlthin ih ran¢e. ÉSSk has bttn de5iinaied for tht rEnovation ol the Williaffl Morris Wall. We 18retd to spllt reno¥•tk)n costs whh our l•ndlord •nd •r• w•ltln810 be blll•d for th• works don• (replacin8 eas contral heatin8 and hot water sysrns, ronewln8 o1octrks. palntln8 and de¢or•tlfi& new floodn& roof m•lnninul. The0￿[￿ty hMt•kenioknrrt•y cli￿1￿1¢yl￿dI￿x¥rt 5tatement4 15 PEnTutted ty FRS 102 Thpfinaraal Rep]rtir8Stsnd¥d ipplublE iThthE LIK#F lkef Ire1•r￿... the requlrementsofSttikffj 7St•tement ofcuh A thelund5,11 hythblethatthe be I￿&￿￿nICan be rhwsured rellatAy. Liibilirie5 ￿ r¢ro8ni5¢d ￿¢￿￿￿kur¢i5¥Or￿ •sthere1s4 tommthln8thetharitytothat eXPEndltur¢ ills probatthata ￿￿￿trOfeC0￿Jrn￿ bEnefits ill b rnquiréd in settlement the¥mroJrrto[t￿eè11Itlo￿Cln be Measur￿ rdi•tty. Ewrtitw•ls cwnted IN wan acuuals basL$a￿l ha% ￿ dassiffed undÈr headiry that a88re8atÈall rdat￿tDthE rate4r￿. WhEreco&tstanTrx to dirèttty Ittdbthed to F￿0)￿r hm T•wltrAef#ed •9sets C￿r￿￿T￿7 15 iithE r•tes inorLkntowrth 451rt v•vlts Estimaled u5elul lrft. rr Ewiryr￿. 2￿M•strai￿¢ line bw Furnhure and Equipwt 33%tm• Stial8ht Ilre b•sb LhYestrirtedhJndscart bethed ifv•tctKdart¢e thètharitable obJ'tCti%*satt￿￿￿rfIN£1the trL¥ttes. RenrXtedfv￿￿n0n￿k¢￿￿Jf0r p•rtkuhr rertrkned pJrpo5es￿thSn theobjetts

Note 2 Income Analy%s of inc¢xne Umestricted Restricted funds Income funds Tatal fvnds 2024 Total funds 2023 Ck>nalions and legaciek. Donations and gifts Government JRS Grants 50.323 52.669 7.786 23,379 12,942 36,321 40,257 73,702 15,288 88,99) 48.043 Charitable activities: Toy Library Sesslons 59.789 59.789 66.564 Toy Library Events 11.714 11.714 9.599 Membership Fees 15,777 15.777 15,601 Venue Hi 68.517 68.517 86,017 Interest recetved 218 218 25 156.015 156,015 177,805 Total Income

N￿• 3 Exp•ndhr• ndrylrnts %747 X747 5,747 4747 198¢ 37 l.J37 LI iJJ9 141J95 14111 76 L710 Lno P•rt 35,735 2L? 57 utllfOeS 4YJ 499 119.911 1&642 14553 IiUZ3 L72$ 1.725 S2n

Note 4 Independent Examiners Fees 2023 Independent ex￿￿11￿$ 250 250 Note 5 Stafl Costs 2023 Salaries andw 159.4C 127.699 Pension costs lthfffd fL¥rtriiwtion scheme) 2.876 Total staff r05ts 162.770 130,575 No •ny10￿ rn¢4l¥•d•nwloy•• b•n•ffts l•Kludln8 •mploy•r peNlon ¢othl forthe wortlw perlod of morethan £60,( 2023 39.176 36.032 Av•raie H￿d Crytht 2023 Fundralslng Charltsble Actlvhles Total

Note 6 Tanglble assets Flxtures and At Aprll 2023 Iditions 9.998 Debyeclatlon At April 2023 Charge for the year At 2024 1.726 8.607 Net BookValu• t31 March 2Q24 t31 March 2Q23 1.391 3.116 Note 7 Debtor5 and prepayment5 2024 2023 Trade delknrs 5.622 1.642 Prepayments and accrued Income 8.718 1.759 Total

Not•8 Credltors •nd delerrtd InEom• ?yr 929 Totsl r4ot•9 Cash itth• bank and Sn hand Cxhatbvl¢ and ￿h# .451 170.%9 Totsl Not• 10 Funth mo¥•m•ht In ¢urrtnty•i Fund Trnn5kn br+x¥ General Fur t*shgnated Fund 9),117 229.n7 1232.$241 IL47SI 4S379 S5￿ PeMrf¢xed Fur 13.354 15288 128.6421 1.475 L475 Tot4 Furnls as pEr

Note 11 Related partles No related paty transactions took place in the year to 31 March 2024. None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from an employment with the charity or a related entity