Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 April 2021 31 March 2022
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To
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Mortimer Playgroup Association
Other names charity is known by
Mortimer Pre-School
Registered charity number (if any) 287072
Charity's principal address St John's Hall
22 West End Road Mortimer Common Postcode RG7 3TF
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
1 Klara Hicks Chair (until Dec 21) From Nov 2019 Members
Jen Jenkins Secretary (until Oct From Nov 2018 – Oct Members
2
21) 21
Becky Stephen Treasurer (until Oct From Nov 2019 – Oct Members
3
21) 21
Mike Stephen From Oct 2020 – Oct Members
4
21
Anna Brading From Nov 2019– Oct Members
5
21
Jaki Hatch From Nov 2019– Oct Members
6
21
Gemma Wingfield From Oct 2020– Oct Members
7
21
Ana Corea From Nov 2019– Oct Members
8
21
Rachel Kennedy From Oct 2020– Oct Members
9
21
Zhanina From Oct 2020– Oct Members
10
Yordanova 21
11 Geoff Guest Oct 2020 – May 2021 Members
12 Yi-Shan Li Guest Oct 2020 – May 2021 Members
13 Mari Fleming Chair (from Dec 21) From November 2021 Members
14 Nicola Dymond Secretary (from Oct From Oct 2021 Members
21)
Nicki Retallic Treasurer (from Oct From Oct 2021 Members
15
21)
16 Clare Johnstone From Oct 2021 Members
17 Becky Corbin From Oct 2021 Members
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18 Hannah Teather From Oct 2021 Members
19 Hannah Lyons From Oct 2021 Members
20
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser
Name Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Jennifer Hudson (Pre-School Manager)
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Constitution (Pre-school Learning Alliance Model Pre-school Type of governing document Constitution 2011)
(eg. trust deed, constitution) Association How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company)
The majority of trustees are elected by members annually, at the Trustee selection methods Annual General Meeting. (eg. appointed by, elected by) In exceptional circumstances, some trustees may be co-opted onto the trustees’ committee (eg for specific professional expertise or specialist knowledge), and this is done through nomination and election by the existing trustees.
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
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You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
A complete set of policies and procedures is available covering all governance issues related to the Pre-School.
The Pre-School continues to develop close links with other charities in the village including St Johns Hall and the MVP. Further to this, we have strong relations with Mortimer St John’s Infant School.
Under more usual circumstances (outside of Covid) the PreSchool would look to support the work of other charities through joint events or activities such as the Loddon Valley Lions Father Christmas trail or visits from Guide Dogs for the Blind.
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
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Section C Objectives and activities
The aims of the Pre-school are to enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by:
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
(a) offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability;
(b) encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas;
(c) Instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and objects of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.
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)
Mortimer Pre-School provides early years education for children aged from 2 to 5 years old from the local community. The aim is to provide high-quality childcare and education that is accessible and affordable for the families in the local community, and encourage families to take an active role in their children’s education.
The children attending the pre-school came from a variety of socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and all children and their families are treated as equal members of the group. Children join us at different ages and stages of development and some children have specific additional needs, either through disability, medical conditions or developmental delay. The activities and resources provided during the teaching sessions are always adapted and augmented to ensure that all children are included and able to participate as fully as they aspire to.
The pre-school staff continue to work in association with other education, healthcare and social care professionals to provide support, advice and guidance for all families as and when required.
The pre-school is normally an active member of the local community, supporting local events and encouraging its member families to be involved in a range of community events and organisations. During this period there have been limited events due to Covid, however the Pre-School Committee continued to organise special events for the children where families could be involved virtually (eg the Christmas show). At the latter end of this financial year the Pre-School were planning an afternoon tea and cakes event for the families of children as well as the Mortimer Easter Egg Hunt. Re-engaging more widely with families (outside of Key Person contacts), and supporting families social interaction with other families (to encourage peer support) is a key focus for 21-22.
During this reporting period, all the trustees read the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission. Decisions made by the trustees were in accordance with this and with the setting’s constitution, and in line with the pre-school’s stated aims, which had previously been demonstrated as meeting the public benefit requirements.
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All trustees are now required to read the public benefit guidance as part of their induction when they join the committee.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
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contribution made by volunteers.
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Section D Achievements and performance
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
During the reporting period, continued Covid 19 social distancing restrictions were in place. Pre-School continued to offer sessions to all children on register. Unfortunately, in January 2022 during a regional peak of the Omicron variant, we were forced to shut for 2 days and prioritise sessions for Key Worker and vulnerable children for 3 days.
Since September 21 we have increased our sessions to deliver 30 hours of teaching each week for the 38 weeks in the academic year. We hope the additional hours will help support working families during a financially strained and post-Covid era. At the same time we have held our invoiced prices flat (since September 2016).
We are especially proud of the continued positive feedback we receive from families, the joy children seem to have being in setting and the consequent progress the children continue to make. .
Family involvement is strongly encouraged at Pre-School – as we know that working with families we can best support each child’s individual needs. We also believe in a small community those relationships families forge with others can be huge support. Unfortunately this year, social distancing has meant that larger social events have not been possible. However our parent and carer committee is as engaged as ever and have organised virtual events for the children to enjoy and their families to feel a part of their child’s Pre-School journey. As we exit this financial year there are plans for tea and coffee afternoons as well as the Easter Egg Hunt as the first opportunities to bring our families together socially.
The pre-school operates in St John’s Hall, which is also managed as a charitable organisation. The trustees of both groups continue to collaborated to make improvements to the fabric of the building.
In this financial year we invested over £4k into updating our garden area. This included renewing our all-weather flooring and revising our options for sun-protection. We also invested heavily in new toys. The children love exploring and playing in this more open environment and have more opportunity for growing and nurturing their own plans.
For the 2021-2022 financial year we have plans to invest further in 1) opportunities provided by specialised external suppliers (eg PE / Dance lessons) 2) caring for our mental health (children, families and staffing) – against a background of Covid, and now financial crisis for families. 3) We will also be investing heavily in staff training and development, which has at times been forced to take a back seat in the last 2 years. For us this means not only investing in the training courses, but investing in the time for staff to learn and to embed these learnings into Pre-School.
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Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
A reserves policy has been in place since 16[th] May 2017 and reviewed in January 2020, April 2021 and March 22.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
We broke even in this financial period.
Our income was down vs an exceptional previous year (previous year was an older cohort doing more sessions per week) but was in line with an average year. This same trend of an average age-cohort meant that we also saw a return to average of invoiced vs funded sessions.
In this period we also received a grant from Greenham Common Trust for mental health training (My Happy Mind) as well as a grant of £3000 from West Berkshire which we invested in our ourdoor play provision.
The majority of this income is invested in staffing. We continue to benchmark our salaries externally as well as implement NMW changes. As our staff are our biggest asset, further investment in their training and development will be key to us in 2022.
We have also had some exceptional one off costs such as new IT equipment (laptops, Zoom licenses, website changes). These monies will be invested against training costs for 2022.
We continue to anticipating a few lighter admissions years vs Y End 2021. This will be directly mirrored in our income. This trend is likely a result of the birth-rate decline between 2016 – to date (ONS). Further to this we anticipate that our funding rate will at best remain static for a number of year whilst our largest costs (salaries and rent) will continue to increase in line with the market. We continue to factor these and other SWOT in our 3 year budget plan.
Section F Other optional information
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) Mari Fleming
Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc)
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Date TAR March 2012
MAIN ACCOUNT
| April 2020 - | April 2021 - | YOY Difference | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2018 - March 2019 | April 19 - March 2020 | March 2021 | March 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | March 2022 Year End vs Prev Year Comments | ||
| Income | £99,402.23 | £113,147.81 | £121,701.06 | £113,478.26 | -£8,222.80 | ||
| WB payments | £86,007.19 | £78,344.90 | £108,368.61 | £89,455.92 | -£18,912.69 | In line with an average year intake / sessions. PY older cohort and more 30hours. | |
| Invoiced Sessions | £13,352.67 | £30,549.51 | £12,914.06 | £22,996.56 | £10,082.50 | In line with average year. Also higher vs LY due to Covid closures and non invoicing in financial year | |
| Other | £4,253.40 | £418.39 | £1,025.78 | £607.39 | £800 Good Exchange Grant - My Happy Minds. £1400 transfer from FR to pay for gardening spends | ||
| Expenditure | £101,902.61 | £95,400.09 | £126,345.35 | £114,046.79 | -£12,298.56 | ||
| Salary | £58,125.68 | £59,275.72 | £72,052.62 | £68,670.93 | -£3,381.69 | ||
| Over-time | £8,235.28 | £8,699.46 | £7,685.40 | £10,182.12 | £2,496.72 | Includes Friday afternoons (+3x vs OOH) -£1.6saving. And setup now paid as regular OT vs previous | |
| Tax | £5,575.14 | £5,540.57 | £5,658.27 | £6,211.94 | £553.67 | ||
| Rent | £7,568.00 | £9,757.00 | £5,104.00 | £10,134.50 | £5,030.50 | No increase - phasing of a £2.2k payment from LY. And Friday PM +£0.8k additional Friday pm. | |
| Play and Craft Materials | £1,659.15 | £1,796.28 | £1,908.73 | £3,178.16 | £1,269.43 | Enlighten Books = £600. Climbing Frame £250. | |
| Catering | £396.25 | £702.64 | £1,097.58 | £1,500.16 | £402.58 | £50 for composting. No Covid closures. And regular use of card vs expensing. | |
| Other | £4,861.28 | £365.35 | £2,843.36 | £3,846.66 | £1,003.30 | £1200 DinkOnes CIO, £800 IT laptop and tablet £1k My Happy Mind £600 new gate | |
| Transfer to Reserves Acc | £8,561.00 | £18,000.00 | -£18,000.00 | ||||
| Difference | -£2,500.38 | £17,747.72 | -£4,644.29 | -£568.53 | |||
| Opening Bank Balance | £43,524.83 | £41,024.45 | £58,772.17 | £54,127.88 | |||
| Closing Bank Balance | £41,024.45 | £58,772.17 | £54,127.88 | £53,559.35 | |||
| Difference | -£2,500.38 | £17,747.72 | -£4,644.29 | -£568.53 | |||
| Debts | |||||||
| St Johns Hall Q1 Rent | £2,217.00 | £0.00 | £2,257.20 | ||||
| Expenses (Jenny H) | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||
| West Berkshire Training | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||
| Fundraising Account | £0.00 | ||||||
| Insurance | £797.00 | £812.00 | |||||
| Dues | |||||||
| Invoices | £308.00 | £599.50 | £466.13 | ||||
| West Berkshire Invoice | £0.00 | ||||||
| raising transferred April | £3,729.94 | ||||||
| aising to be transferred | £523.46 | ||||||
| Total Profit / Loss | -£155.98 | -£7,698.49 | -£914.40 | ||||
| FUNDRAISING ACCOUNT | |||||||
| April 2018 - March 2019 | April 19 - March 2020 | March 2021 | March 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||
| Income | £4,636.48 | ||||||
| Fundraising | £1,636.48 | ||||||
| Grants | £3,000.00 | ||||||
| Other | £0.00 | ||||||
| Expenditure | £5,649.09 | ||||||
| PE | £1,560.00 | ||||||
| Garden | £2,869.66 | ||||||
| Other | £1,219.43 | Tea Towels £200, Parent Kind £80. £500 Toys and Crafts. | |||||
| Difference | -£1,012.61 | ||||||
| Opening Bank Balance | £1,454.98 | £4,875.52 | |||||
| Closing Bank Balance | £4,875.52 | £3,862.91 | |||||
| Difference | £3,420.54 | -£1,012.61 | |||||
| Total Profit / Loss | -£1,012.61 | ||||||
| BANK BALANCE | |||||||
| Total Profit / Loss | -£1,927.01 | ||||||
| BANK BALANCE | |||||||
| Cash | Balance | ||||||
| Business Account | £41,024.45 | £58,772.17 | £54,127.88 | £53,559.35 | |||
| Reserves Account | £35,040.09 | £35,110.81 | £53,125.74 | £53,131.07 | |||
| Fundraising Account | £7,292.35 | £1,454.98 | £4,875.52 | £3,862.91 | |||
| Cash / cheques | |||||||
| Total cash | £83,356.89 | £95,337.96 | £112,129.14 | £110,553.33 | |||
| Debtors | £308.00 | £599.50 | £0.00 | £466.13 | |||
| Total assets | £83,664.89 | £95,937.46 | £112,129.14 | £111,019.46 | |||
| Creditors | £2,217.00 | £0.00 | £2,257.20 | £0.00 | |||
| Assets less liabilities | £81,447.89 | £95,937.46 | £109,871.94 | £111,019.46 |
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