2022-07-31-accounts - The Ark Baby & Toddler Group

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 01 August 2021 31 July 2022

From

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Other names charity is known by The Ark Registered charity number (if any) 1178356

The Ark Baby & Toddler Group

Charity's principal address Aldreth Village Centre High Street Aldreth Postcode CB6 3PQ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
David Greene	Chair
Susan Greene	GroupLeader
LindsayFrost	Treasurer
Victoria Leeks		09/06/2022 – 31/07/2022
Margaret Duffield	Craft Co-ordinator
Maureen Hague		01/08/2021 – 19/04/2022

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address




Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Constitution adopted on 06/12/2017

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) How the charity is constituted

(eg. trust, association, company)

Trustees are appointed or reappointed for a period of three years at the Trustee selection methods Annual General Meeting held in April by the existing trustees.

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
Trustees are appointed for a term of three years. The initial appointments have been given staggered terms so that not all trustees come up for re-election in the same year.
There is a child protection policy in place. All Trustees & other volunteers helping run the group(s) have been DBS checked and are given copies of current policies.
At induction all volunteers are given a safety briefing and description of their role and are required to sign that they have understood it and will comply with the charities safety policy.
All trustees and volunteer helpers give their time voluntary and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

The objects of the CIO are to promote development, education and socialisation of children aged 0 to 3 and to provide support to their parents or carers by:

providing a regular group, or groups, where they can meet in the community and build relationships with others
ensuring that such groups offer equal opportunities to all families with appropriate aged children, regardless of race, culture, religion or means

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providing activities for 0 to 3 year olds that stimulate, challenge and develop them both cognitively and physically
providing information and raising awareness on matters relating to health and general wellbeing of 0 to 3 year olds by the provision of suitable books, signposting other organisations and training.
introducing the Christian Faith and its values in an age appropriate way through storytelling, songs and craft activities.

	• providing activities for 0 to 3 year olds that stimulate, challenge and develop them both cognitively and physically • providing information and raising awareness on matters relating to health and general wellbeing of 0 to 3 year olds by the provision of suitable books, signposting other organisations and training. • introducing the Christian Faith and its values in an age appropriate way through storytelling, songs and craft activities.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)	The trustees have kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning events and activities for the year. The Ark now run two groups each week in term time; on Mondays we have a group for Under Ones only and we are continuing with our Wednesday group for under 4s. In addition, we run a bi-monthly Saturday morning group for dads with under 4s. The main aim of these groups is to provide a safe and welcoming environment where the children can explore and discover new life skills, physical skills or educational skills in a fun and safe manner and their carers can relax, share concerns and experiences with each other or voice questions and be directed to agencies that will offer them further support. The Ark is a Christian based group, run mostly by Christians who attend various churches in the area. Our Wednesday group is offering families and carers of children aged three and under (plus siblings) a structured session based round themes including, crafts, sensory play, small world, construction, role play, exploration, snacks and music session. For the parents we provide a place to be able to meet with other parents and carers. Numbers wanting to attend the Wednesday group have increased exponentially in the last year and we have had to introduce a booking system to manage the spaces for the 28 families that we can safely accommodate in our building. The Monday group for Under Ones is a quieter session with opportunities to relax, chat and share experiences with other parents while their children explore various sensory and active play opportunities. Parents/Carers are encouraged to interact with their children in all the different activities and can therefore share activities that they may not wish to do or be able to do, at home. This is an important part of building child – parent relationships. As a Christian group we build some of the sessions around Biblical themes introducing values such as ‘Caring for others’, ‘Forgiveness’ and Sharing.

•
providing activities for 0 to 3 year olds that stimulate, challenge and
develop them both cognitively and physically
•
providing information and raising awareness on matters relating to
health and general wellbeing of 0 to 3 year olds by the provision of
suitable books, signposting other organisations and training.
•
introducing the Christian Faith and its values in an age appropriate
way through storytelling, songs and craft activities.

Summary of the main
activities undertaken for the
public benefit in relation to
these objects (include within
this section the statutory
declaration that trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit)

The trustees have kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on
public benefit when planning events and activities for the year.
The Ark now run two groups each week in term time; on Mondays we
have a group for Under Ones only and we are continuing with our
Wednesday group for under 4s. In addition, we run a bi-monthly Saturday
morning group for dads with under 4s.
The main aim of these groups is to provide a safe and welcoming
environment where the children can explore and discover new life skills,
physical skills or educational skills in a fun and safe manner and their
carers can relax, share concerns and experiences with each other or
voice questions and be directed to agencies that will offer them further
support.
The Ark is a Christian based group, run mostly by Christians who attend
various churches in the area.
Our Wednesday group is offering families and carers of children aged
three and under (plus siblings) a structured session based round themes
including, crafts, sensory play, small world, construction, role play,
exploration, snacks and music session. For the parents we provide a
place to be able to meet with other parents and carers.
Numbers wanting to attend the Wednesday group have increased
exponentially in the last year and we have had to introduce a booking
system to manage the spaces for the 28 families that we can safely
accommodate in our building.
The Monday group for Under Ones is a quieter session with opportunities
to relax, chat and share experiences with other parents while their
children explore various sensory and active play opportunities.
Parents/Carers are encouraged to interact with their children in all the
different activities and can therefore share activities that they may not
wish to do or be able to do, at home. This is an important part of building
child – parent relationships.
As a Christian group we build some of the sessions around Biblical
themes introducing values such as ‘Caring for others’, ‘Forgiveness’ and
Sharing.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

This work is only possible because of the huge commitment of our member volunteers and Trustees. We are extremely grateful for the many hours volunteers have spent setting up, moving boxes of toys, serving food and drink, sweeping floors and being available to chat, support and encourage all our families, not to mention the many hours of work that go into preparation and planning each term. None of this would be possible without them.

We are very grateful, too, for the massive ongoing support we have received in running this group. We have continued to receive donations of money from supporters, both regular and one-off, for which we are very grateful.

We have also had many donations of toys, clothes & equipment that we have been able to distribute to families in need during this year; thank you to all of you for your support.

Section D Achievements and performance

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Summary of the main
achievements of the charity
during the year

Highlights and Developments of 2021
•
We presented 26 Moving On books to the children who were
leaving us and moving up.
•
We continued through the summer holidays with the Under Ones
group meeting each week, as we felt this group needed the
continued support and we held two Wednesday sessions to which
we allowed older siblings to attend as well.
•
We started our regular meetings again in September 2021 but
with a limit of 25 families per session (later increased to 28) and a
booking system but we re-introduced a seated snack time for the
children.
•
In September we re-started the Who Let the Dads Out groups bi-
monthly on a Saturday.
•
On the 22ndSept. we joined in with the MacMillan Cancer
Support’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’. With a cake stall,
Bring and Buy stall and donations, we raised £165 for MacMillan
•
We have been able to purchase a new shed for the storage of the
large outside toys and equipment.
•
At Christmas we gave out story books to the older children and
mini maracas to the under ones at our Nativity Play session.
Highlights and Developments of 2022
•
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we gave the mums chocolate
hearts and the children sweets.
•
In March we celebrated Mother’s Day and gave the mothers all a
bunch of daffodils.
•
At Easter the children enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt and we gave
all the families a book on the Easter story.
•
On May 4thwe had a Pyjama Day to raise funds for the
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust to build a new children’s hospital.
We raised £85.
•
On May 25thwe had our outing to Church Farm and 101 of us
enjoyed a great day out together. It was so lovely to be able to do
this again after three years of being prevented by COVID
restrictions!
•
We introduced some craft activities for the parents at the Under
Ones, such as making hand print cards, sensory bottles and
ribbon rings.
Community Involvement
As well as the fund raising already mentioned for other charities, our
families gathered donations of items to send off to help refugees from the
Ukraine war. We were also able to raise money for the purchase of a new
bunk bed to help a local Ukrainian family taking in their relatives escaping
from the conflict. In December Waitrose gave us £250 under their Give a
Little Love scheme and we used it to make five gifts of £50 to families in
need of a little extra help.
We do try to support our families in various ways as and when needed
and we have been able to meet some families with particular needs
through our affiliation to a Christian charity Acts 435. We are building a
strong community in the group, where friendships are made and nurtured
and children feel relaxed and secure.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

Our Reserves Policy requires us to hold sufficient cash reserves in the current account to ensure that our core actives could continue during any period of unforeseen difficulty or period of lower income and that we would be able to meet any unexpected costs that may arise. To this end we aim to keep one month’s typical expenditure available.

Details of any funds materially We have cleared the interest free loan for the General Fund and have not in deficit needed any further loans.

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

Our current bank account balance is £2309, of which £112 is reserved for offsetting the cost of running the Who Lets the Dads Out? group. All of the remainder is unrestricted funds.

Our principal source of funding is from the small attendance charge we make for the group and donations from supporters. All of the money raised goes towards running costs, new equipment and engaging with our families. We have no paid staff.

investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Future Plans

We hope in the coming year to be able to develop what we offer families at both the Wednesday Group and the Under Ones sessions.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) David Greene Lindsay Frost Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)[ Chair ] Treasurer Date 04/05/2023

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Charity Name No (if any) The Ark Baby and Toddler Group 1178356 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/08/2021 31/07/2022

Section A Receipts and payments

A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 3,135 1,344 341 298 1,147 - - - 6,265 - - - 6,265 2,472 1,236 1,970 218 1,298 576 61 - - 7,831 - - - 7,831 - 1,566 83 3,705 2,222	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 83 195 112	Endowment funds to the nearest £	Total funds to the nearest £ 3,135 1,344 341 298 1,147 - - - 6,265 - - - 6,265 2,472 1,236 1,970 218 1,298 576 61 - - 7,831 - - - 7,831 - 1,566	Last year to the nearest £
Admission fees	3,135		- - - - - - - - -	3,135	1,502
Donations	1,344			1,344	3,964
Fundraising	341			341	59
Gift Aid	298			298	656
Other Incomes	1,147			1,147	389
	-			-	-
	-			-	-
	-			-	-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	6,265			6,265	6,570

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-		- - -	-	-
	-			-	-
*Sub total*	-			-	-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
			-	6,265	6,570

Equipment & Craft Materials	2,472		- - - - - - - - - -	2,472	1,290
Fundrasingfor other Charities	1,236			1,236	389
Hire of hall	1,970			1,970	885
Insurance & PAT	218			218	90
Outings & Snack	1,298			1,298	444
Miscellaneous expenses	576			576	608
Stationery& Printing	61			61	49
Debt Clearence	-			-	-
Governance	-			-	-
**Sub total **	7,831			7,831	3,755

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-		- - -	-
	-			-
**Sub total **	-			-	-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
			-	7,831	3,755

	- 1,566	-	-	- 1,566	2,815
	83	- 83	- -	-	43
	3,705	195		3,900	847
	2,222	112	-	2,334	3,705

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

05/05/2023

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets	Signature Details Details Current Account Cash PayPal Account - Restricted Fund Details Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 2,197 - 25 - 112 2,222 112 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Lindsay Frost David Greene	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)






			Date of approval
		Lindsay Frost	04/05/2023
		David Greene	04/05/2023

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

05/05/2023