2022-08-31-annual-report

Tannaghmore Afterschool Club

Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31 August 2022

Reference and administrative details

Charity Number	:	NIC105133
Address	:	Tannaghmore Afterschool	Club
		5 North Circular Road
		Lurgan
		Co. Armagh
		BT67 9DY
Trustee Details:		Michelle Nugent	Chairperson
		Noeleen Lavery	Treasurer
		Johanna Mc Conaghy	Secretary
		Ronan O’Hare	Committee Member
		Anne Davey	Committee Member
		Siobhan McCavigan	Committee Member
		Cathy Lyness	Deputy Chair
		Meabh McGrady	Committee Member
		Aimme Duffy	Committee Member

Structure, Governance and Management

The organisation is a charitable body registered with the Northern Ireland Charities Commission on 23 May 2016. The Charity is governed by its constitution which details the composition of its Management Committee, the Charity’s Trustees, together with its objectives and powers.

Since January 2017, all Trustees are appointed to serve on an annual basis on election at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) normally held in November each year. Nominations are proposed from amongst the membership, seconded and confirmed at the meeting. Outcomes are recorded in a formal minute and details made available to the wider membership. No further change to the membership is permitted until the next AGM. Founding members were elected on a similar basis on commencement of the charitable project to establish the after-school facility in November 2016 by an initial gathering of interested parents.

All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the Afterschool club are included within the Financial Statements.

The Trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the Charity each year, paying due regard to the Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance. This Report will look at what the

Charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work for the year ended 31st August 2022. This Review will ensure the charity’s aims, objectives and activities remain focused on its stated objectives.

Our purpose and activities

The object of the Group shall be to provide an after school childcare service for school aged children (aged 4-12 years) on the grounds of Tannaghmore Primary School, Lake Street, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, operating on a social enterprise basis, ensuing that any surpluses generated are primarily re-invested back into the service for the purpose of maintaining its sustainability for the benefit of the local community and its children

The direct benefits which flow from the purpose to advance education of the children of Tannaghmore PS include the children feeling settled and secure in an afterschool environment in their own school. They can engage in educational and recreational activities, especially learning through play, and they are able to do this with children from other year groups. These benefits can be evidenced though children being able to engage happily in their education during class time, knowing that their afterschool experience is a happy and safe one. Parents can also benefit from the security of an afterschool service on-site, especially for younger children. This allows parents to increase their working hours, safe in the knowledge that the children are in wrap around care until they are collected. The possibility of harm, for example by physical injury incurred by the participation in games and outdoor play, is outweighed by the benefit and significantly reduced by the policies and procedures in place to address such risks, for example safeguarding and child protection policy, health and safety policy, code of conduct for staff.

We will provide a registered sessional day-care for primary school children at Tannaghmore Primary School, in dedicated premises on the school grounds. This is to replace an unregulated facility that was set up in 2011, in response to the need for more afterschool day care in the area.

Achievement and Performance

During the year ending 31 August 2022, the Charity continued to successfully establish itself as a registered childcare facility, in line with its intended objectives, offering a service to children in attendance at Tannaghmore Primary School and their parents.

Principal achievements/activities included:

• The maintenance of premises and equipment of the afterschool building unit to meet “Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12” within the grounds of Tannaghmore Primary School;

• Purchase of appropriate insurance cover, security, and resources;

• Ongoing recruitment and training of core staff (a directly employed Leader and Deputy Leader and Acting Deputy Leader and support staff) as required;

• Training and promotion of staff;

• Ongoing Development and implementation of policies and procedures to support service provision and review and updating of existing policies;

• High occupancy rate thereby generating sufficient income to maintain the running of the afterschool at a competitive hourly rate;

• Service provision started with the beginning of the school year in Sept 2021;

• Advertisement and allocation of childcare places for the 2022-23 school year;

• Fifth AGM was held on Wednesday the 22nd of November 2021;

• Additional grant funding secured from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (£1,128), Health and Social Care Board (Childcare Partnership £2,340) and Bright Start (£656); and

• Additional funding of £4,005 from the Early Years Covid Related Closure Fund (CRCF) to manage the financial impact of Covid-19.

In the sixth year of operation of the service, the Charity has succeeded continuing to fulfil its purpose and to provide the public benefit to which it aspires. With approximately 60 children actively using the after school every week (representing some 40+ households), the service has been running close to full capacity from the outset of its existence providing a safe, friendly, and stimulating environment for the children who attend and assurances and reliability for parents. Places are offered in such a way as to maximise the service for the benefit of as many children and parents as possible within the limits of our formal registration. Children from across all primary class groupings (P1 to P7) are catered for.

Feedback is regularly sought and is consistently positive from both children and parents alike. Ongoing quality is evidenced through the successful annual inspection by Social Services and engagement with appropriate agencies like Early Years, PlayBoard Northern Ireland, and Childcare Partnerships.

Additional grant funding was secured in the year from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Health and Social Care Board and Bright Start. These funds were used to purchase materials for use in activities with the children and for investment in staff training and maintenance.

The Charity’s relationship with Tannaghmore Primary School, its management and teaching staff, is also maintained and cordial to ensure the smooth and safe transition of children from the classroom to the after-school setting. Partnership working with the school and parents was carried out during the year.

The Charity is also actively interested in improving and investing in staff training to ensure the absolute best experience for the children and to promote the creation of positive role models for them and more generally within the local community. Leader, Deputy, and Acting Deputy are trained to Level 5 in Leadership & Management for Children’s Care Learning & Development.

Due to the impact of rising costs and to ensure ongoing financial viability of the Charity, the Trustees took the decision to raise fees from £3 per hour to £3.50 per hour from 1 January 2022.

Impact of COVID 19

The COVID Pandemic continued to have an enormous challenge for the staff and trustees of Tannaghmore Afterschool. Despite this challenge, the Afterschool's facility remained open throughout the year except for the 24th January 2022 when there was an exceptional closure due to staff shortages as a result of COVID 19.

Financial Statements

Financial Statements for the Year ended 31[st] August 2022 are separately attached.

Signed, dated, and approved by

Cathy Lyness 12/01/2023

Deputy Chair – Tannaghmore Afterschool Club