Tiny Tots
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] September 2023 to 31[st] August 2024
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Reference and Administrative Details
Charity Registration Number: 1183769
Early Years Alliance Membership Number: 204826
Trustees: Samuel Ross Weeks; Helen Jane Chapman; Janice O’Halloran and Alice Clark-Wheeler.
Principle Address: Mudeford Wood Community Centre, Pipers Drive, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4TR
Objectives and Activities
Tiny Tots (‘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.
Tiny Tots provides an inclusive, diverse and stimulating setting of early years play, and education, for babies and toddlers. Through this setting, we facilitate a social support network for parents, carers and guardians. Our services are delivered through weekly, term-time sessions from a community facility, Mudeford Wood Community Centre, in the heart of Mudeford, Dorset.
We, the trustees, use the guidance and information made available by the Charities Commission as necessary to ensure right, fair and proper governance and practice. We regard guidance issued by the charities commission on public benefit, and work to ensure Tiny Tots is governed in accordance with its governing document, thus ensuring the main activities of Tiny Tots continue to work for the purposes of public benefit.
Volunteers’ dedicate their time to the day-to-day running of sessions, preparation and planning of activities as well as fundraising events. Volunteers work hard to follow the policies and procedures as set out by Tiny Tots, and to promote good practice, furthering the work of Tiny Tots to meet its charitable objectives as set out in our governing document. Volunteers’ bring a valuable range of skills and experience to Tiny Tots. Their input is respected and valued by subcontracted childcare practitioners and the trustees’. The Trustees’ recognise volunteers further
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the activities of the charity in meeting its charitable objectives greatly and would like to highlight our ongoing gracious thanks to our team of dedicated volunteers.
Tiny Tots is not a grant making charity, nor is social investment a core part of the charities’ activities. Therefore, Tiny Tots does not have a policy to cover either activity.
Achievements and Performance
Tiny Tots run a high-quality early years setting, offering a safe and stimulating environment for young children and families to socialise and network. Our group provides an environment which helps families interact and share experiences. This promotes early year’s education and supports the mental health of parents, carers and families combined.
During the 2023-2024 reporting period, Tiny Tots welcomed a core, sustained group of beneficiaries in addition to beneficiaries accessing services on an ad-hock basis. Each week, Tiny Tots saw an average of 68 families accessing sessions, which naturally fluctuated throughout the year as young people prepare to start nursery.
Tiny Tots regularly reviews and enhances its setting, ensuring that children have regular opportunities to explore new areas of play and learning. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring children have an inclusive and relevant range of books in the reading corner year-round, to introducing new role play scenes. Each week volunteers offer a themed craft activity, which often aligns to significant events or periods in the year, and supports children as they develop their fine motor skills. The sensory area continued to be a popular activity and was recently enhanced with ice play and play dough.
More fundraising took place during the 2023-2024 reporting period, despite a slight drop in fundraising income. The Christmas Grotto has become a popular annual event, and a new Easter Bounce fundraising event was launched, which will also run annually. Both events are now delivered in partnership with Mudeford Wood Community Trust, who we rent our hall from. Holding the events in partnership means the funds raised for Tiny Tots drops due to another benefiting charity, but it enables bigger and better events to be hosted, that are open to the wider community. Planning and delivering fundraising events is a big time commitment for our volunteers, so working in partnership eases this.
Financial Performance
The financial position of Tiny Tots continues to be positive at the end of the charities’ fifth year. Careful cost management from the trustees, and extensive fundraising activities from members and volunteers are the primary contributing factors to the
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current financial position. The continued reinvestment of funds enhances the services already provided and ensures the continued provision of the group.
Tiny Tots principal source of funds come from charging a nominal fee to access group sessions. Other sources of funding come from undertaking fundraising activities such as events. Tiny Tots also receives income from donations, but in the 2023-2024 financial period, did not undertake any grant writing to raise funds as the charity has done in previous years.
The primary costs involved in the provision of Tiny Tots are subcontractors (childcare practitioners) and the hire of a community hall in which to run group sessions. Trustees regularly review the financial position of Tiny Tots to ensure the organisation operates with financial viability, as well as operating in line with the charitable objectives of Tiny Tots as set out in the governing document.
For the period 1[st] September 2023 to 31[st] August 2024, Tiny Tots generated a net surplus of £342.11 , with a total income of £8,902.23 and a total expenditure of £8,560.12 .
Tiny Tots holds no reserves due to the low nature of the finances handled and the infancy of the charity. Outgoings are low and can be brought to a minimal, almost nil, level if required. Tiny Tots also has a reliance on volunteers, who can run the delivery of charitable activities if necessary. The trustees review this policy each year and have agreed the current policy shall remain for the financial period ahead. As at 31[st] August 2024, Tiny Tots held a cash balance of £3,690.08. Tiny Tots has no funds materially in deficit.
During the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in September 2024, it was agreed the principal risk faced by Tiny Tots continues to be rising costs. The trustees recognise the importance of access to charitable services and again elected to freeze the cost of participation for another year – despite rising costs. This will mark the 4[th] year running Tiny Tots has not asked members for an increased cost to access services. The biggest cost increases were the community hall in which Tiny Tots delivers its charitable services and the cost of subcontractors.
As part of trustees careful cost management, fundraising activities are planned in response anticipated rising costs or shortfalls in income from charitable activity. Tiny Tots does however have enough cash in hand to absorb a small amount of increased or unexpected costs in the short-term.
When discussing our highest costs, the trustees noted that subcontracted childcare practitioners have not increased their fees in 5 years, and we thank them for their support in doing so but agreed we should anticipate this cost to rise in the next academic year. Our practitioners are vital to the ongoing success of the group, and through working in partnership with them, we greatly excel Tiny Tots’ ability to meet its’ charitable objectives with the greatest of ease.
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Structure, Governance and Management
Tiny Tots is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) and is governed by a constitution. Trustees are appointed at the AGM by volunteers and members of Tiny Tots. In accordance with the constitution, trustees serve for a term of two years and may serve for a maximum of 5 consecutive terms. The day-to-day management of Tiny Tots is the responsibility of 2 subcontracted childcare practitioners, assisted by a core team of volunteers and trustees.
Exemptions, Disclosures and Declaration
Tiny Tots has no trustees acting as a custodian for funds, resulting in no disclosures to be made in relation to trustees holding funds as a custodian, and thus no exemptions of disclosure.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signature :
Full Name : Samuel Weeks
Position : Trustee Date : 27 May 2025
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Tiny Tots
Profit and Loss Report
01 September, 2023 - 31 August, 2024
| Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4900 - Other income | 162.09 | |
| 10000 - Fees | 7,387.00 | |
| 10001 - Donations | 200.00 | |
| 10002 - Fundraising Income | 1,153.14 | |
| Total Sales | £8,902.23 | |
| Direct Expenses | ||
| Total Direct Expenses | £0.00 | |
| GROSS PROFIT / LOSS | £8,902.23 | |
| Overheads | ||
| 7500 - Printing | 56.86 | |
| 8210 - Subscriptions | 175.10 | |
| 8220 - Clothing Costs | 110.68 | |
| 10005 - Room Hire | 3,200.00 | |
| 10006 - Subcontractors | 3,738.00 | |
| 10008 - Snack (For Children) | 166.64 | |
| 10009 - Refreshments (For Adults) | 127.24 | |
| 10010 - Fundraising Expenditure | 87.10 | |
| 10012 - Supplies (For Activities) | 53.50 | |
| 10013 - Consumables | 79.65 | |
| 10014 - Other Costs | 11.00 | |
| 10015 - Volunteer/Staff Entertainment | 185.61 | |
| 10016 - End of Term Parties | 123.46 | |
27 May 2025 19:16
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| 10018 - Play Equipment 445.28 |
|
|---|---|
| Total Overheads | £8,560.12 |
| NET PROFIT / LOSS | £342.11 |
27 May 2025 19:16
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