Registered Number: NI642900 Charity registration number: 106777 HMRC charity reference: EW94304
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Trustees’ report and annual financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025
| Page(s) | |
|---|---|
| Reference and administration information | 1 |
| Trustees’ Report | 2 – 3 |
| Independent examiner’s report | 4 |
| Statement of financial activities | 5 |
| Statement of financial position | 6 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 7 – 11 |
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Reference and administration information
Trustees
Fiona Kearney Sarah McNicholl Sheena McCullagh John Patrick Kearney Martin Turner
Registered number NI642900
Charity Commission number 106777
Registered Office
St John’s Primary School 30 Moneysharvin Road Swatragh Maghera Co. Derry BT46 5PY
Bankers
Bank of Ireland 11 Market Street Magherafelt Co. Derry BT45 6EE
1
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 December 2025
The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025 which complies with the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts under the Companies Act 2006. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
Reference and administrative details
Details of registered office, directors / trustees, and independent advisers are given on page 1.
Structure, governance and management
St John’s Bright Start was incorporated by guarantee on 29 December 2016. It has no share capital and is recognised as a charity by the Charity Commission and HM Revenue and Customs. The guarantee of each member is limited to £1. The governing document is the memorandum and articles of association.
Trustees of the charity
The trustees of the charity are its directors for the purposes of company law. The trustees who served during the year ended 31 December 2025 and up to the date of signing were as follows:
Fiona Kearney Sarah McNicholl Sheena McCullagh Martin Turner John Patrick Kearney
Membership shall be open to persons aged eighteen years or older who have an interest in furthering the Objects of the charity and whose applications for membership have been approved by the directors.
Public Benefit Statement
The public benefit requirement is defined in the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and states that purposes must be for the public benefit to be charitable. The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty to have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 4(b) of the Charities Act (the public benefit requirement statutory guidance). The trustees are confident that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
Objectives and activities
The charity’s objectives are:
-
To enhance the social and personal development, education, health and wellbeing of school age children, regardless of religion, culture, race, means or ability, by providing high quality and affordable daily child care facilities for pupils at St. John’s Primary School and those from other schools in the Swatragh / Maghera are and its environs; and
-
To facilitate parents or carers of school age children to engage in education, training and employment opportunities.
Achievements and performance
The trustees are satisfied with the results for the year and the year end position of the charity. They are hopeful that contributions will increase next year.
2
St John's Bright Start (a ¢ompany limited by guydrantee) Trustees, report for the year ended 3AIt December 2025 (continued) FinanciAI revfiew The rrsuli$ of the year&Tr fvlly s¢t out iD thc 5tat¢ment of fmaDcial activ$. Funds held is custodln trustse on bebalf of others The charity bokJ5 funds as custodiin tswsteeson bchalf of others. Stt¢ment of trustees. re$pon51bllltle$ ID respett of the IIMDclal statements The trn5t¢es I0 areakn direciorn forthe PU0$¢1 ofcompany jaw) •re responsfjjk forprrpajitig the trustce8' annual report and Ihe fty)ancial star¢ments in aecotdancc wh appkable and Uni¢¢d Ktilplom Ac¢ountuig Standards (Unii¢d KOrn &rtetalty Accepted Accounlitig PraciKel. Compony ]awffqures the Iru5tees ioprepare fllLancialstaim¢nis forea¢b yur.Underibat ]Nw th¢ tTusiee5 have pffpared the fman¢iAI Statements in actoan¢t Unilcd KThiytom Generally Acc¢pied Accounting (United K10M Accounting St#rtdards and appkabk k•wl. edIng FRS 102 "The Financknil Reporting Sindard appiKabk in iht UK and Rcpubk of ITehnd". Under ¢ompADy lllw rh¢ trusi¢¢s must not aPPTvve the rmancia1514tem¢nts unte&s they are saiL4f%d thai Ihey w¢ o iNe and farYw ofthe statc of ihe Arrairs of rhe chhrit8bk company Ind of the incoming mour¢¢$ and app]Kart of resources. in¢hLdiig ihe income ar¥J expenditUT¢, of the charitabk ¢ompany for ihii pcrn)d. In pYeparm8 thcs¢ fm•rt¢iil ststcmcnts the ttustees aR r¢quw¢d to.. s¢leci suilabk a¢¢ounLIn8pos and then appty them con$w¢nity' observe Ibc methods and prnJcipk8 in Lb¢ Cbaritrs SORP; make jud8emenLS and csiThaies that are ft¥sotsabk 8od pNdent' $t81¢ whether apPeb IonI18$1•nd0s have been folk)rd. wbject its loy m•t¢rial depirtures di%clos¢d And expLqined li the fmancMI Sthl¢m¢nt¥ 4nd PTtpar¢the fmanckqlstatem¢nt$ontheyiDg concern basi&unks5 il is tii&ppropri&tetopr¢8ume thatthe charny COllLti)u¢ in opernlwn. The tnJ51ees arcTf5ponwlJk for keepllig pmp¢ra¢couDtiniTEcoTrls th•Id¢se with re8soft8bleaccuraey &tAOy time the fmart¢iIlp05itn of the ¢harity andenabk ih¢m to ensure that ihe fthancwlstalcmen¢5comply the Compani¢$ Aci 2006. They are al80 spOnSibk fOrSafe8uainS the ¥s8ets of the chaiity •nd h¢nce for thking reasonabk s¢¢ps for the PTcventK)n and deiectwjn of fTAud and oiher UTEbwi4iti¢$. Small ¢OmPADles exemption This report ha5brfn prepared in ac¢otdAncewvih ihesp¢¢i#l prnwisn forsm&ll companKuThd£rrt 15 of the Compn*s Act 2006. Sy8ned on bchalf of tht board of iwsle¢s on FM)na Kea Trustee
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31[st] December 2025
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of St John’s Bright Start
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 which are set out on pages 5 – 11.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiners
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
It is my responsibility to:
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Examine the accounts under section 65 of the Charities Act;
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Follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act; and
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State whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
I have examined your charity accounts as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and my examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act.
My examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also included consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as charity directors/trustees concerning any such matters.
My role is to state whether any material matters have come to my attention giving me cause to believe:
-
that accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 63 of the Charities Act;
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that the accounts do not accord with those accounting records;
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that the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act; and
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that there is further information needed for a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination and have no concerns in respect of the matters (1) to (4) listed above and, in connection with following directions of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, I have found no matters that require drawing to your attention.
_____ Kerry Brennan Chartered Accountant
19C Hillside Road Maghera
4
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 December 2025
| Note | 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds £ £ £ £ £ £ |
|---|---|
| Incoming resources Income from charitable activities 6 Total incoming resources Resources expended Cost of charitable activities 7 Total resources expended Net incoming/(outgoing) resources 8 Fund balances brought forward Fund balances carried forward |
35,234 - 35,234 31,114 - 31,114 |
| 35,234 - 35,234 31,114 - 31,114 |
|
| (26,578) - (26,578) (23,748) - (23,748) |
|
| (26,578) - (26,578) (23,748) - (23,748) |
|
| 8,656 - 8,656 7,366 - 7,366 |
|
| 46,225 - 46,225 38,860 - 38,860 |
|
| 54,881 - 54,881 46,225 - 46,225 |
All incoming resources and resources expended in the year presented above are derived from continuing operations.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year.
5
StJohn's Bright Start (Yd Company Jimited by gur8ntre) ststemeDI of fjnaneial posltlon As 8t 3111 December 2025 2025 2024 No N•tstllrrent assets Fixed assets Totsl nonurrent •5sets io 36.726 30.720 41,3J7 41.317 Current •Yts Cash ai bank and in hand Totsl eurrDt iu¢ts 18.547 18J47 5.300 5,300 Cr¢dlton: mounts flllll8 d#e lthlJ one year (392) (392) Net t¥rr¢Nt Av¢ts 18.155 4.908 Tothl •As¢ts los cwrent libllldes 54.881 40.225 Net Jyell 46,225 Fmno ofih¢ ¢h•rlty Restri¢t¢d funds Unrestricted fund$ Total charlty fundl 12 46,225 In PTEPaJiD8 these fmnciAI $ifttemeThis: (•) the ditectots Aye of theopmb)n ih¥i Iheeompany is eniitkd to exemptwn from audrt underArti¢Je 257A of the Companie5 (Northern IteJandlOrd¢r 1986,. Ibl no noiicc hAS been deposrtcd under Artick 257BI21 by o memberffqllirffj8 tn iudit, ll) r¢Lqtion to t rwartciql $talernen15 for ¢he fmancial ycar. (cl the diTc¢¢ors acknowkdge tbex responsjbility for. (al ensuring tbi ihecompinykco$properaccouniui8TecoTds in accothncewith S¢¢tx)tt 386 of the Compan5 Ac¢ 2006, alld (bl preparmg fanCial slatem¢n15 wh*h 8we 4 true Ind fair view of the stale of aff¥iw5 of the ¢ompADy asatibe cndof theyearandof ossuryS forih¢ fmancialyearlli #¢¢OTdance wilh tl requirernen¢s of SeCtn 396 •thd oihcrw¥¢ compty with the requirerncnt5 of ihe CompaniesAci 2006Yelattrl8 to the fm4n¢iolstatement4 go fAra$ appkibk ¢0 the cornpany. These fman¢i&l stAtements have been pwared and deltred in acconCe with the PTDVigiDnS appbcabic companies Jubject to ibe Small cornpanr$' rrgone and in a¢cordAnte wxh ScctM)n l A FRSI 02"The Financial R¢porting Standard applicable in thc UK and RepublK of lff Lqnd-. The fmancilllstatements wtre approved by th¢ bo1 on .1 . I and Wer¢ si8ned on it5 behalf by: F Ke8rney TTui¢ee ReglstratioD Number: N1642900 The not¢s on pages 7 to I I fomi part of these llttaudiied fmancilll 48iements.
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2025
1. General information
The charity is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in Northern Ireland. The company’s registration number is NI642900 and the address of its registered office is St John’s Primary School, 30 Moneysharvin Road, Swatragh, Maghera, Co. Derry, BT46 5PY.
2. Statement of compliance
The financial statements of St John’s Bright Start have been prepared in compliance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective March 2018 (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the Companies Act 2006.
3. Summary of significant accounting policies
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented, unless otherwise stated.
(a) Basis of preparation
These financial statements are prepared on the going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The trustees have prepared the financial statements on the going concern basis, giving careful consideration to the results during the financial year.
St John’s Bright Start meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost and transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s). the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis. Taking account of the risk review undertaken by the trustees they do not consider there to be a risk to the going concern status of the charity.
(b) Tangible assets
Tangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. The cost of tangible assets is their purchase cost, together with any incidental costs of acquisition.
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of tangible assets, less their residual values, on a straight line or reducing basis over the expected useful economic lives of the assets concerned. The annual rates used are as follows:
Property, plant and equipment – 10% straight line
The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted, if appropriate at the end of each reporting period.
(c) Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks.
(d) Incoming Resources
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
(e) Resources Expended
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
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St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 (continued)
(f) Governance costs
Governance costs include those costs incurred in the governance of its assets which are associated with constitutional and statutory requirements.
(g) Allocation and apportionment of costs
All costs relate to the single activity of the charitable company and are recognised accordingly.
(h) Fund Accounting
The company has various types of funds for which it is responsible and which requires separate disclosure. A definition of the various types of fund is as follows:
Restricted Funds
Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meet these criteria is identified to the fund, together with a fair allocation of overhead and support costs.
Unrestricted funds
General funds are amounts received or generated and which are expendable at the discretion of the company in furtherance of its objectives.
(i) Taxation
The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
4. Critical judgements and estimations of uncertainty
Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Critical judgements in applying the entity’s accounting policies
There are no critical judgements in applying the charity’s accounting policies.
Critical accounting estimates and assumptions
There are no critical accounting estimates and assumptions.
5. Legal status of the charity
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.
8
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 (continued)
6. Income from charitable activities
| 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds £ £ £ £ £ £ |
|
|---|---|
| DOH SPPG Other income |
- 5,789 5,789 - 6,141 6,141 - 29,445 29,445 - 24,972 24,972 |
| - 35,234 35,234 - 31,114 31,114 |
7. Cost of charitable activities
| 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds £ £ £ £ £ £ |
|
|---|---|
| Costs directly allocated to activities Staff costs Staff training Resources General expenses Bookkeeping Insurance Maintenance costs Registration fees Food expenses Bank fees Depreciation Governance costs Accountancy |
- 16,542 16,542 - 15,589 15,589 - 1,344 1,344 - 338 338 - 1,465 1,465 - 1,149 1,149 - 10 10 - - - - 160 160 - - - - 1,044 1,044 - 876 876 - 980 980 - - - - 92 92 - 35 35 - - - - 813 813 - 66 66 - 73 73 - 4,591 4,591 - 4,591 4,591 |
| - 26,294 26,294 - 23,464 23,464 |
|
| - 284 284 - 284 284 |
|
| - 284 284 - 284 284 |
|
| - 26,578 26,578 - 23,748 23,748 |
8. Net incoming / (outgoing) resources
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| This is stated after charging: | ||
| Staff costs (Note 9) | 16,542 | 15,589 |
| Fees payable to the independent examiner | 284 | 284 |
| Depreciation | 4,591 | 4,591 |
9
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 (continued)
9. Analysis of staff costs
| 2025 £ |
2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Staff costs Wages and salaries |
16,542 16,542 |
15,589 15,589 |
The average monthly number of persons employed by the company during the year was 5 (2024: 3).
There were no employees who received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000.
The trustees did not receive any emoluments during the year.
10. Fixed assets
| 10. Fixed assets | |
|---|---|
| Equipment £ |
|
| Cost At 31 December 2024 Additions At 31 December 2025 Depreciation At 31 December 2024 Charge for the year At 31 December 2025 Carrying amount At 31 December 2025 At 31 December 2024 |
45,908 - |
| 45,908 | |
| 4,591 4,591 |
|
| 9,182 | |
| 36,726 | |
| 41,317 |
11. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| 2025 £ |
2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|
| Accruals and deferred income | 392 392 |
392 392 |
10
St John’s Bright Start (a company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 (continued)
12. Fund reconciliation
| Unrestricted Funds | Opening Balance Income Expenditure Transfers Closing Balance £ £ £ £ £ |
|---|---|
| General funds | 46,225 35,234 (26,578) - 54,881 |
| 46,225 35,234 (26,578) - 54,881 |
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