JOLLY TOTS PLAYGROUP
CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 101995
TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD 1[ST] SEPTEMBER 2022 – 31[ST] AUGUST 2023
Jolly Tots Playgroup is based at Mayobridge Community Centre, Mayobridge, Newry, Co Down. Governed by our Constitution, we are community based playgroup affiliated to Early Years, the Children’s Organisation. The Playgroup is also registered by the Education Authority, Southern Region as a PEAGS Playgroup.
Throughout the year the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provided a benefit to the beneficiaries.
The charity is established to promote play based learning environments for all children under statutory school age in the area of Mayobridge and its surrounding environs in County Down without distinction of age, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion, by associating the statutory authorities, community and voluntary organisations and the inhabitants in a common effort to advance education, and in particular: a) to advance the education of the beneficiaries by the provision of safe and satisfying group play, with the right of parents/carers to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of the group; and to promote the preservation of health of the beneficiaries; and b) to support the values and principles of Early Years.
The direct benefits which flow from this include the preparation of each child for Primary education through mastering the basic skills of expression, communication, problem solving and the ability to relate to other children and adults.
These benefits are evidenced through feedback provided to the parents by the leader for each child twice in the playgroup year. An annual inspection is carried out by the Social Services Trust which requests feedback from parents and this forms part of the report.
Throughout the year at each session, the playgroup provided activities through which the children can learn through a range of activities. These included:
Indoor:
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table top games and toys
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water and sand activities
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construction corner
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daily storytelling
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dressing up and role play
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music, songs and rhymes
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ICT
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arts and craft including seasonal activities
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colour of the month display table
Outdoor
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climbing frame and slide
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other playground equipment
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bicycles
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gardening
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outdoor construction area
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nature walks
These activities improve each child’s abilities over the course of the year in terms of
confidence building, hand/eye coordination, talking, listening, concentration, agility & strength, team working, sharing and friendship building.
Vikki Dinsmore joined our team in September as a playgroup assistant. We still had spaces available and so we took in some children aged 3 in the July and August to fill what we call pre pre-school places.
We continued planting and growing with the children, to help promote their sensory needs. We grew Thyme, rosemary, tomatoes and other vegetables and then used them for our snack time.
The playschool closed for Christmas on 19th of December for two days as we had a burst pipe. We were able to use an alternative venue for the children’s Christmas party and as our Christmas concert was to be held in another venue, it too went ahead including the attendance of family and friends. The children enjoyed making lots of Christmas crafts to take home and helped to decorate the playroom with beautiful pictures. We held a Christmas hamper raffle draw to raise money.
The playschool was dried out over the Christmas holidays and repainted and refloored in the summer.
Our committee had a fundraiser, “tractor run for kids”. There was a raffle and breakfast baps on sale which all raised a total amount of £1500 for our funds.
For our annual school trip we went to Mount Panther open farm. It was the playgroups first trip here and going by feedback from parents was a good success.
Mairead Gallagher completed her level 5 in leadership and management in childcare in June.
To finish the year the children received a wonderful pack and a personalised book full of all their activities (photos) and pictures / paintings that they had done during their time at Jolly Tots.
The Trustees are grateful to all the parents, for their support and help throughout the year and to the staff for their commitment to the children.
Anne-Therese Quinn Chairperson