**RAVEL RASCALS PARENT TODDLER GROUP GLENRAVEL** ## **Ravel Rascals Parent and Toddler Group Annual Trustees Report for the year 2023 to 2024** **Charity Name as on Register:** RAVEL RASCALS PARENT TODDLER GROUP **Northern Ireland charity (NIC) number:** 107619 **Charity Location:** Operated at St Mary’s Parish Hall, Lisnamanny Road, Martinstown, Glenravel, Ballymena County Antrim, BT43 6QH **Charity contact details/correspondence address:** Mrs P McKeown - Pauline.McKeown@northerntrust.hscni.net, 7 Lignamonagh Court, Martinstown, Glenravel, Ballymena, County Antrim, BT43 6QN ## **Charity Constitution Information:** Ravel Rascals Parent and Toddler Group Constitution, adopted on 19/09/2018 and signed by the Trustees (Chairperson and vice chairperson). We are administered by governing constitution documents noted above and also have relevant Safeguarding of children and Vulnerable Adults and Equal Opportunity Policies in place and reviewed and ratified October 2022. ## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** A full list of assets has been compiled consisting of equipment (DELL laptop and M3 hard drive), play items (including balls, soft toys, bricks, farm toys, slides, kitchens, water and sand table, train table, arts & crafts materials), and service items in regular use by the group (tables, trays, cups, plates, teapots). We do not have any Liabilities. ## **Charity Trustees for 2023/2024 year** Pauline McKeown (Chairperson) Josephine McIlhatton (Vice-Chairperson) Bernie McCafferty O’Loan (Treasurer) Josephine O’Hagan (Secretary) Our committee and general membership remain the same unless notified and ratified by next annual general meeting. ## **Principal aims & purposes** The aim and purposes of the charity are to enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age (0-4 years) by encouraging parents/guardians to understand and provide for the needs of their children by: - (a) Offering appropriate play facilities, with the right of parents/carers to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of the Group, ensuring that the Group offers opportunities for all children, regardless of gender, race, political, religious, disability, or sexual orientation. (b) Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of the needs of such children and their families in the local areas. ## **Main activities** **Northern Ireland Registered Charity NIC 107619** **RAVEL RASCALS PARENT TODDLER GROUP GLENRAVEL** As usual in 2023/2024 we aimed to provide play (social, interactive and physical play) and arts and craft activities and weekly sessions every Thursday in term time for children in the local Community aged 0- 4 years. To support the parents and carers of the aforementioned children through community involvement, provision of activities and support. All attendees are provided with refreshments at each session also. On average we facilitate approximately 30+ children and 15+ adults per weekly session, this will fluctuate depending on activities offered and time of year and the school terms of the nearby schools. ## **Main activities or public benefit, for the year 09/2023-31/08/2024** Activities as detailed in the section above were provided at weekly sessions every Thursday over 3 terms. We began at the start of October for this year. We did notice a slight increase again in numbers post Covid recovery. ## **Benefit and Public Benefit in this period** We observed significant benefit in our toddlers in their cognitive abilities and practical ability and social skills as we progress through our sessions. This increased steadily throughout the year. With reference to adults attending our group, our sessions offer a place of relaxation, support and a pleasant welcoming atmosphere to many of our parents who many not be local to the area, may be new mums and new breastfeeding mums and we offer support and help in all these areas. As a group we tried to maintain regular contact with all attendees through face to face interaction & social media means and by sharing information and activities free of charge online by private WhatsApp group, this continues to be used more frequently to disseminate information. We were unable to provide Jo jingles sessions as they are no longer offered in our area to this age group. Other options were explored but very expensive. We continued to run our own in-session parties at each terms’ end. The trustees believe that our purposes satisfy the elements of the public benefit requirement. No private benefit has flowed from any of these purposes. ## **Operating online** We continued to take great care in assessing security and safety in operating online with private groups and password protected logins in all cases. All users were also reminded not to share photographs outside our private group chat. ## **GRANTS OBTAINED** Unfortunately this year we were unable to support our sessions despite making several applications. ## **Regard to the Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance** Our Trustees in our planning for this period have given regard to the Northern Ireland Charity Commission's public benefit requirement statutory guidance and understand our legal obligations in providing benefit to our beneficiaries and fulfilling our obligations. ## **Financial Summary & Review – relating to the financial year 01 September 20022 to 31 August 2023.** Starting Balance as of 01/09/2023: £1354 Closing balance as of 31/08/2024:£1501 No debts are held by the Charity and we do not have a reserves policy. **Northern Ireland Registered Charity NIC 107619** **RAVEL RASCALS PARENT TODDLER GROUP GLENRAVEL** 04/04/2026 J McIlhatton Current CHAIRPERSON (2026) DATE Signed on behalf of all Trustees of Ravel Rascals Parent Toddler Group. **Northern Ireland Registered Charity NIC 107619**