## **Cylch Meithrin Caban Hirael Trustee Annual Report** The board of trustees of Cylch Meithrin Caban Hirael present their annual report and audited accounts for the year ended March 31st 2025 and confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. ## **Our Aim** Our aim is to provide quality pre-school provision for children aged 2- 4years through the medium of Welsh, in a happy, safe and secure environment, having fun, meeting new friends and learning through play. We believe every child has a voice and the right to be heard. We create an environment that promotes independence and confidence encouraging all children to develop to their full potential building their self-confidence and preparing them for future opportunities and life experiences. We aim to work closely with the local school and other settings to provide a service for local children and families to access and thrive. ## **Our Objectives** Our objectives reflect our settings aims and ethos. It is important to us that we maintain and enhance the success of the setting and individual objectives are set for each year that will help the setting move forward in continuously achieving and working towards the highest of standards. Our key objectives for the past year included: - Continue to ensure that practitioners use the Welsh language effectively and consistently to improve children’s spoken Welsh (ESTYN Recommendation 2) - Improve resources and equipment in the outdoor area to ensure children are safe and have opportunities to develop to their full potential. - Review of our activities and achievements. Staff have attended online training throughout the past year to enhance and develop their professional skills and extend their understanding of the Welsh government curriculum, with excellent knowledge of child development, observational techniques, activities and assessment strategies practitioners can clearly evidence the individual progress of learners and service users within the setting. This year we have continued working in partnership with the local authority to provide numerous funding opportunities to service users in the local area. We continue to offer Early years education places for children aged 3 The childcare offer for working parents in Wales entitling parents to 30 free hours childcare a week These funding opportunities allow children and families with varying needs to be able to access the setting and for all children to have opportunities to feel happy, safe and secure in a fun environment where they can develop individually. Achieving a high standard in inspection outcomes is a constant aim whilst maintaining the quality of care, education and opportunities we provide. The setting leader and other practitioners continue to review the curriculum and opportunities provided to ensure they remain appropriate for our children’s individual development. Our future plans are financed primarily from local authority funding, Flying Start programme, fee income, fundraising events and grants. The trustees ensure the finances are healthy and a balance is maintained between the continuous improvements in the setting and the reserve of finances to ensure the security of the organisation. ## **Finances** The financial statements show gross incoming for the year for the setting as £68,816.90 The principal source of income is local authority funding accounting through grant funding of £36803.57 (53.48%) of the settings income. The board of trustees has deployed 100% of its income on the care, education and running of the setting. As an educational charity, we are unable to reclaim VAT input tax on our costs as we are exempt for VAT purposes. We pay tax as an employer through national insurance contributions we make. As shown on the accounts a surplus of £9908.02 was made for the year ending March 2025 with a closing cash funds balance of £13303.02. The surplus was incurred due to increased grant funding and support within the setting from external sources. The increase in receipts has enabled the setting to invest in extra resources. The board of trustees consider that given the strength of the increasing numbers in the later part of the year and the stable cash flow from local authority funding the ongoing popularity of the setting there is a good reserve to support any future needs. ## **Ethos, Strategies and Policies** Our ethos: a caring setting serving our local community, we are a setting which seeks to benefit the public through the pursuit of its stated aims. Our fees are set at a level to ensure the financial viability of the setting and at a level that is consistent with our aim of providing a quality care and education experience to children and families. Our Setting welcomes pupils from all backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity organisation and are committed to a working environment that is free from any form of discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability. We will make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of staff or pupils who have additional physical needs or who are disabled. Our setting is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and service users and expects all practitioners and volunteers to share this commitment. Parents and Carers are given regular information about their children’s progress through parent evenings, in addition to the end of term and year reports a weekly diary with information on activities, celebrations and interests of individuals are provided to parents with opportunities for them to contribute to. We maintain regular contact with parents throughout the year through informal contacts and through our newsletters. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The charity trustees are responsible for the overall management and control of Cylch Meithrin Caban Hirael and meet quarterly. All trustees give up their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year. The implementation of most policies and the day to day running of the setting is delegated to the leader. The Leader undertakes the key leadership role overseeing the care, education and administrative functions. The day to day administration for the setting is undertaken within the policies and procedures approved by the trustees which provide for only significant expenditure decisions and major capital projects to be referred to the trustees for prior approval. The trustees are responsible for the recruitment of all practitioners. The leader is invited to attend trustee meetings. Risk Management - The trustees are responsible for the overseeing of the risks faced by the setting. Risks are identified, assessed and controls established throughout the year. A formal review of the charity’s risk management processes is undertaken on an annual basis. Risk is managed under the headings of financial sustainability, setting safety, child welfare/ safeguarding and employment. The main risks that the trustees have identified and the plans to manage those risks are: Finances. Our ability to continue is reliant on children’s fees and the ability to pay bills as they fall due. This risk is managed by local advertising, having a good reputation in the local area and fundraising events held throughout the year. General setting safety is monitored by the setting leader and risk or actions required reported to the trustees to act upon appropriately. Child welfare / safeguarding is managed with robust safeguarding policies and procedures. All practitioners have appropriate safeguarding training along with members of the board of trustees. Safeguarding policies and procedures are covered in-depth during staff inductions and are regularly discussed in in house training and staff meetings. Employment and the turnover of staff is managed by staff recruitment policies, staffing policies and a good relationship between trustees and the practitioners. We offer good hourly rates of pay, training opportunities for practitioners to further develop their skills and have regular meeting, supervisions and annual appraisals to monitor and encourage staff. Through the risk management processes established for the setting, the Trustees are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated where necessary. It is recognised that systems can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed. CHARITY COMMISSION IUH LNtsLANU ANL) WALL5 Cylch Meithrin Caban Hirael Receipts and payments accounts 1205761 CC16a For the period 011041￿24 To 3110&Q025 Section A Receipts and paYn￿nts Restrict funds funds Total lund5 Last y*ar fA) ty• n•x••tt t• th• I￿r￿tt ts tr• n•x••t t lfyth• wr••tz A1 R￿tiPts EaucaDw Gr3nt cNidcaFd Offer 25.K7 11.137 13.707 11.106 13.707 18.106 GQnts Dmauovs Sub totallGross fLY AR) 17 GOJ17 A2 Assèt and in%*slment salès, (seè tabkl. Sub total 6B.817 68.817 A3Pa Equit￿￿[ Rèsvj Fee6 Ir￿UranCe 14.613 14É13 6CnPJLn6 TrJnin HVRC I PA￿ I NI NE=T ?èpsbn 2.664 24• 727 727 Sub total 51.> 50.?0> A4 Asset and inveslment Sub tot81 Total payments 58.909 Plet of receiptsl(payments) A5 Transfers between fund5 A6 Cash fLmd5 last year end Cash funds this year end 9.900 5.000 14.90 5.000 14.908 CCXX R13cuxwts ISSI 0211212t125 Section B Statemenl of assets and liabillties at the end ot the period ij.J•J fl-.'•i 4) 11-2r Cylch Meithrin Caban Hirael Accounts For The Period Ended 31 March 2025 INDEPENDENT ExA￿￿ER's REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF CYLCH MErrFIiiM CABAII HIRAEL CHARITY PWMBER.. 1205T61 I rtport to the tru#ees M my •yarn1r￿￿1 ofih• ofthe th¥*y llh* Trpjsfi Ir* th• yrK•J en¢JÈd 31 M￿h 2025. Resp(￿51b11l1•￿s and basis ol rèport uv*mwts Ch¥iliès Ad 2011 fthè kf}. I rep)rt in resFeCt of my eXaMinat￿n of the Tnjsvs carr*d under 5ed*Jn 145 of Ihe 2D11 AL •n¢l li earyn9 Out myexarnlnatic￿. I hawo fobya*d JFplwbk Th"re¢trJns gi¥en by the Charty Comrni55b?n under 5ectw 14515Xbl of Ihe A(t In*endent exwThnerfs 5tstement I h•ve tomwed my *x•minaty4YI. l <>>thrm th* no Materi￿ rnatt￿ hJv* wne to my attentbx in >ine￿￿ the examinaiiw 9ives m* eause to beh.evt th* in. ￿ Malen￿ rtsptct . the ac£c￿nIng reDJrds were not ke0 in acCCrtar￿e 5eckn 13D Lrfthe A￿. or set out In the Charths (Accounts and ReF4Ntsl ReguLakns 2008 othef than arry re￿1re￿￿nt that the •c£4xir*s 9wè 3 and farf vio* is rKJt a matter cons￿1￿￿ as part of an Independent Q￿Mmat￿￿. I have no ￿￿cernS and have ct¥ne acr055 ￿ other rnattÉY5 in (￿Decli0n ¥•ith eXarnrati￿ to *thich shwkl ￿ ¢knm ￿ tht5 rwt in order to enat4e a PfDper urMJer51arnling ofthe a￿￿nts to be reathed. IL Bo6e ch Meithrin Caban Hirael Recel l• and P4 1Ma h 21125 Tolal F¥nd• TIMI l¥nd• Gr•ffji 25.•￿ 02 tl.1%75 13 7fy194 10,INJ9 2co rffj 60.118 ty) r•c• P*m•rrt• 39 lop Je 547 40 14310 2W20 H￿Rc I PAYE INI NEST P**ItyI Acojurrfs CC￿1 o) TIA•l ptyD¥4nM 000 SUry￿ ID•l•¢h> F¥ iJ.xi Th• fA•f• *• 30....11. 2 025 tEoc&i¢CTJ i Dav ies Choi'rpcrson. Cyich Mei+k fin CLts)Dfi Hiiau.