2024-03-31-accounts - Mortimer Playgroup Association

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		Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	Trustees' Annual Report	for theperiod	for theperiod	for theperiod
		From	Period start date			To	Period end date
			01	April	2023		31	March	2024

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

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
Mari Fleming	Chair (from Dec 21)	From November 2021	Members
	Secretary (from Oct 22)	From Oct 2021	Members
Nicki Retallic	Treasurer (from Oct 21)	From Oct 2021	Members
Clare Johnstone		From Oct 2021	Members
Claire Jones		From November 22	Members
Jade Hall	Secretary from November 2023	From March 23	Members
Klara Hicks	Chair (until Dec 21)	From Nov 2019	Members
Tessa Rowse		From Nov 2023	Members
Sarah Fulbrook		From Nov 2023	Members

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)

March 2012

TAR

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 Constitution Type of governing document 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 Annual Trustee selection methods 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)

You may choose to include A complete set of policies and procedures is available covering all additional information, where governance issues related to the Pre-School. relevant, about:

policies and procedures The Pre-School continues to develop close links with other charities in the adopted for the induction and village including St Johns Hall and the MVP. Further to this, we have training of trustees; strong relations with Mortimer St John’s Infant School.
the charity’s organisational The Pre-School has also resumed it’s support of other local charities
structure and any wider including supporting the Loddon Valley Lions (with their Father Christmas
network with which the charity trail and leaflet deliveries). ‘
works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

March 2012

TAR

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: (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. 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 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 the Pre-School Committee have supported other charities such as the Loddon Valley Father Christmas collection, community book sales and coffee mornings as well as stay and play sessions for children and their families to socialise together. Engaging with families (outside of Key Person contacts), and supporting families social interaction with other families remains a key focus of our PreSchoool. 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. All trustees are now required to read the public benefit guidance as part of their induction when they join the committee.

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

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 Summary of the main activities able to participate as fully as they aspire to. undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these The pre-school staff continue to work in association with other education, objects (include within this healthcare and social care professionals to provide support, advice and section the statutory guidance for all families as and when required. declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance The pre-school is an active member of the local community, supporting local issued by the Charity events and encouraging its member families to be involved in a range of Commission on public benefit) community events and organisations. During this period the Pre-School Committee have supported other charities such as the Loddon Valley Father Christmas collection, community book sales and coffee mornings as well as stay and play sessions for children and their families to socialise together. Engaging with families (outside of Key Person contacts), and supporting families social interaction with other families remains a key focus of our PreSchoool.

March 2012

TAR

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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

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

March 2012

TAR

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

During the reporting period, we have supported 40 children and their families. Following an increase in our sessions versus the previous financial year we continue to open 9-3 Monday – Friday and our sessions continue to be in high demand.

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 community book and coffee mornings and stay and play events (including the Pop Up Play village) specifically focussed on creating opportunities for our Pre-School families to get to know one another have consequently been an important part of our calendar.

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 have continued investment in our garden area, specifically with regards to planting and growing. The children love exploring and playing in this more open environment and have more opportunity for growing and nurturing their own plans. We have also continued to invest in activities and classes provided by specialised external suppliers (eg PE) and have introduced music classes with KinderMusic.

March 2012

TAR

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 is regularly reviewed (latest review April 2024)

Details of any funds materially in deficit

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;
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

In this financial period our funding rate increased by 10% bolstering our income. This was spent on additional staffing hours (zero hours childfacing contract and an administration role to enable qualified teaching staff to focus their time child-facing).

In the same period NMW and +10% inflation has led to a significant increase in our expenditure. Whilst we maintain our Quality Supplement rate based on the experience and qualifications of our staff team, our salaries remain at NMW rates.

To continue to ensure we meet the staffing ratios we believe are necessary in a single room, mixed-age environment to best support all children in our care, we know we will need to increase our invoiced rates in the period 2024-2025. The challenge associated with this is the increased availability of funded hours and the decline in the ratio of invoiced:funded hours. In this reporting period we saw an decline of c. 25% in invoiced sessions vs funded sessions (partly due to increased extended hour funding claims and fewer invoiced 2 year olds). A consumables cost to cover play and craft / catering costs of £1 per session (3 hours per session) has been introduced to help cover some of these deficits. Families on government supported funding / EYPP are exempt from these costs.

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) Date

March 2012

TAR

FUNDRAISING ACCOUNT
	March 2021	March 2022	March 2023	March 2024	YOY difference
Income		£4,636.48	£1,786.57	£3,976.90	£2,190.33
Fundraising		£1,636.48	£1,786.57	£801.90	-£984.67
Grants		£3,000.00		£3,175.00	£3,175.00
Other		£0.00
Expenditure		£5,649.09	£2,896.65	£3,589.62	£692.97
PE		£1,560.00	£1,584.00	£2,040.00	£456.00
Garden		£2,869.66			£0.00
Other		£1,219.43	£1,312.65	£139.62	-£1,173.03
Farm				390	£390.00
KinderMusic Difference Opening Bank Balance Closing Bank Balance Difference Total Profit / Loss	£1,454.98 £4,875.52 £3,420.54	-£1,012.61 £4,875.52 £3,862.91 -£1,012.61 -£1,012.61	-£1,110.08 £3,862.91 £2,752.83 -£1,110.08 -£1,110.08	1020 £387.28 £2,752.83 £3,140.11 £387.28 £387.28	£1,020.00
BANK BALANCE
Total Profit / Loss		-£1,927.01	-£10,901.47	-£450.49
BANK BALANCE
Cash
Business Account	£54,127.88	£53,559.35	£41,178.40	£40,340.63
Reserves Account	£53,125.74	£53,131.07	£53,364.77	£54,081.82
Fundraising Account	£4,875.52	£3,862.91	£2,752.83	£3,140.11

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