----- Start of picture text -----
OQ
----- End of picture text -----
Trustees Annual Report for Clonduff Playgroup
Charity Number: XR91768
This report has been prepared for the financial year ended 31[st] August 2025.
Charitable purposes.
The group is established to promote play based learning environments for all children under statutory school age in the Clonduff area of County Down by the provision of play facilities and recreation activities in the interests of social welfare with the object of enhancing the education and development of the children without distinction of sex, race, religion or other opinions ad so that their conditions of life may be improved. We strive to prepare 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.
The Playschool can cater for up to 50 Children each year split between a morning and an afternoon session. For this year the full quota of places were not filled. We have highly skilled staff led by Pamela Turley, our Playgroup Leader.
The Playschool is managed by a voluntary Management Committee who are also the trustees of the charity. The management committee is appointed during the charity's annual public AGM.
The trustees who served during this financial year were as follows:
L WALLS, N O’HARE, C PARR, M GORMLEY, M CARVILL, A BROWN, S SMYTH, S FARRELL, S COUSINS, S-L GRAFFIN, D GRANT, K QUINN
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 purpose and provide benefit to the beneficiaries.
The charity is affiliated to Early Years, the Children’s Organisation who provide advice and various types of support throughout the year.
The Charity is governed by its constitution and governance documents. This sets out the various management policies as well as the powers of the committee and conduct of meetings. It also sets out the admission criteria.
Main activities during the year
Throughout the year at each session, the playgroup provided activities through which the children can learn through play: table top and floor toys, painting, arts and crafts, water play, physical outdoor play including mud kitchens, house corner, construction corner, reading corner, computer skills, various role play activities, music, song, rhymes etc. These activities improve each child’s abilities over the course of the year such as hand/eye coordination, talking, listening, concentration, muscle development, agility and strength along with personal value, confidence building and simply enjoyment!
During the year we enhance our children’s learning and development through having visitors come into the Playgroup and also our year end school trip. During the year this included; School Trip to Fort Evergreen, visit from Wee Critters and Parent Stay and Play to name a few.
We also have our annual graduation day to celebrate the year past and say goodbye to our outgoing children. At this the children are presented with a scrapbook individual to them as a memento of the year gone by which our staff work very hard to put together.
In addition to our management committee we have a hardworking fundraising committee. Throughout the year various activities are organised. Our big fundraising efforts are; the annual Halloween Walk Christmas in Kilbroney Park, the Christmas raffle and the Summer Fun Day which are enjoyed by the entire community. Also for the playgroup children, there is a Halloween dress up disco and Easter event.
Review of Financial Position
The Playgroup is also registered with the Education Authority, southern Region as a PEAGS Playgroup. The Education Authority provides funding for the allocated places and payment is received on a monthly basis. This is calculated on a flat rate per place and payment is based on attendance per month. This income constitutes the majority of the charity's income which can be seen from the financial statements. This is further substituted by our fundraising activities
throughout the year. The Playgroup also applies for funding as and when appropriate and this funding always has a specified use and therefore is not used to simply facilitate running costs of the Playgroup.
The Playgroup has various running expenses including staff wages, rent, resources, training, insurance etc. again this can be seen in the financial statements.
At the end of the year the financial statements showed a deficit of expenditure over income.
The Playgroup did not have any funds that were materially on defect at the year end.
No funds are held by the charity as a custodian trustee.
The committee recognised that a reserve must be held to ensure smooth cash flow and as a contingency for unforeseen circumstances and expenses. The committee is pleased to report that the reserve remains once again in a healthy position for this financial year.
The Trustees are grateful to all the parents for their support and help throughout the year and to several local businesses who helped with our fundraising efforts through sponsorship and donations.
This report has been prepared and agreed by the management committee at the annual AGM held on Tuesday 17th June 2025 and includes all relevant information for the year.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
Treasurer ___ Sinead Cousins
15.09.2025