DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration Number:
14362812 (England and Wales)

Unaudited statutory accounts for the year ended 30 September 2024

Period of accounts

Start date: 1 October 2023

End date: 30 September 2024

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 30 September 2024

Directors report
Profit and loss
Balance sheet
Additional notes
Balance sheet notes
Community Interest Report

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Directors' report period ended 30 September 2024

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the period ended 30 September 2024

Principal activities of the company

In the year starting 1st October 2023 and ending 30th September 2024, we were active and trading with our forest school opening at the beginning of October 2023. We were running toddler ‘Stay and Play’ groups on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The children and their families attend sessions that have a theme each week - for example, butterflies. A range of crafts to do with the theme are provided as well as other invitations and opportunities for play and exploration. We have a mud kitchen, fairy den, gutter run, loose parts play, hammocks to swing on and much more. Each session sees a campfire-cooked treat of some sort - for example foraged elderflower fritters. The children and their families are learning about the natural world around them and developing pro-environmental attitudes. We developed access for children from birth, as lots of babies were attending with or without older siblings. We created a baby sensory area, cordoned off by straw bales to provide a safe and nurturing space for our youngest visitors. We kept our pricing the same (£9 per session). Our volunteer team had grown, including a participant who along with his wife were on the adoption pathway and needed to gain some extra experience working with children as part of the process. Our volunteers continued to support us with jobs around the woodland site and their help was greatly received. We came together for a social gathering away from the woods as a chance for us to say thank you with a cheese and wine evening. This group of volunteers have become friends and the feedback from them is always that they have enjoyed getting out and spending time in nature. Our oldest volunteer is a 78 year old woman who loves spending time at the woods. Our collaborative partnership with the Bicton College Arboriculture team continued. They visited the site to work on some of our diseased ash trees whilst using the space and relationship with us as a training opportunity for their students. The NHS Perinatal Mental Health department at Torbay Hospital visited monthly with groups of mums having mental health challenges. We facilitated a quiet, calm space for the group to meet in and explore, refreshments and an optional craft activity. These groups were so successful and valuable that they have been rolled out across other forest schools in the area. In February 2024 we ran a Bird box/ dormouse nest box-making workshop on a Saturday, which adults from the local community attended. We had a really good turnout and it was great to see adults enjoying the space and learning new skills. Richard O’Neil, Land & Wildlife Management instructor at Bicton, kindly ran thi session for us and all attendees went home with a bird or nest box that they had made. We hope to run some more of these sessions. In August 2024, we facilitated a session for families with children with SEND in partnership with Teignbridge Family Hub Action for Children. Nine families attended and enjoyed Hapa Zome, a nature hunt around the woodland and a range of sensory activities. Receiving a grant of £1500 from The Nineveh Charitable Trust in May 2024 enabled us to offer a total of 166 sessions free of charge to local families. We were keen to reach families from all backgrounds and didn’t want money to be a barrier to precious time in nature. As Emma and I are both teachers, we used our existing networks to target families who could benefit. We also quickly learned that local pre-schools, playgroups and family centres could also be a huge help in promoting this wonderful opportunity.



Directors

The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from
1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024

Sara Allen
Emma Gilboy


The director shown below has held office during the period of
1 October 2023 to 22 July 2024

Amy O'Dwyer


The director shown below has held office during the period of
5 September 2024 to 30 September 2024

Jack Shanahan


The above report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in part 15 of the Companies Act 2006

This report was approved by the board of directors on
22 June 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Sara Allen
Status: Director

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Profit And Loss Account

for the Period Ended 30 September 2024

2024 2023


£

£
Turnover: 4,891 0
Gross profit(or loss): 4,891 0
Administrative expenses: ( 7,468 ) ( 1,519 )
Other operating income: 2,719 3,340
Operating profit(or loss): 142 1,821
Profit(or loss) before tax: 142 1,821
Profit(or loss) for the financial year: 142 1,821

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Balance sheet

As at 30 September 2024

Notes 2024 2023


£

£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets: 3 696 928
Total fixed assets: 696 928
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand: 1,260 886
Total current assets: 1,260 886
Net current assets (liabilities): 1,260 886
Total assets less current liabilities: 1,956 1,814
Total net assets (liabilities): 1,956 1,814
Members' funds
Profit and loss account: 1,956 1,814
Total members' funds: 1,956 1,814

The notes form part of these financial statements

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Balance sheet statements

For the year ending 30 September 2024 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

This report was approved by the board of directors on 24 June 2025
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: Emma Gilboy
Status: Director

The notes form part of these financial statements

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 30 September 2024

  • 1. Accounting policies

    Basis of measurement and preparation

    These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 1A (Small Entities) of Financial Reporting Standard 102

    Tangible fixed assets depreciation policy

    Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rate calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following basis: Fixtures and fittings 20% straight line.

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 30 September 2024

  • 2. Employees

    2024 2023
    Average number of employees during the period 0 0

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 30 September 2024

3. Tangible assets

Land & buildings Plant & machinery Fixtures & fittings Office equipment Motor vehicles Total
Cost £ £ £ £ £ £
At 1 October 2023 1,160 1,160
Additions
Disposals
Revaluations
Transfers
At 30 September 2024 1,160 1,160
Depreciation
At 1 October 2023 232 232
Charge for year 232 232
On disposals
Other adjustments
At 30 September 2024 464 464
Net book value
At 30 September 2024 696 696
At 30 September 2023 928 928

COMMUNITY INTEREST ANNUAL REPORT

DAINTON COPSE FOREST SCHOOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Company Number: 14362812 (England and Wales)

Year Ending: 30 September 2024

Company activities and impact

In the year starting 1st October 2023 and ending 30th September 2024, we were active and trading with our forest school opening at the beginning of October 2023. We were running toddler ‘Stay and Play’ groups on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The children and their families attend sessions that have a theme each week - for example, butterflies. A range of crafts to do with the theme are provided as well as other invitations and opportunities for play and exploration. We have a mud kitchen, fairy den, gutter run, loose parts play, hammocks to swing on and much more. Each session sees a campfire-cooked treat of some sort - for example foraged elderflower fritters. The children and their families are learning about the natural world around them and developing pro-environmental attitudes. We developed access for children from birth, as lots of babies were attending with or without older siblings. We created a baby sensory area, cordoned off by straw bales to provide a safe and nurturing space for our youngest visitors. We kept our pricing the same (£9 per session). Our volunteer team had grown, including a participant who along with his wife were on the adoption pathway and needed to gain some extra experience working with children as part of the process. Our volunteers continued to support us with jobs around the woodland site and their help was greatly received. We came together for a social gathering away from the woods as a chance for us to say thank you with a cheese and wine evening. This group of volunteers have become friends and the feedback from them is always that they have enjoyed getting out and spending time in nature. Our oldest volunteer is a 78 year old woman who loves spending time at the woods. Our collaborative partnership with the Bicton College Arboriculture team continued. They visited the site to work on some of our diseased ash trees whilst using the space and relationship with us as a training opportunity for their students. The NHS Perinatal Mental Health department at Torbay Hospital visited monthly with groups of mums having mental health challenges. We facilitated a quiet, calm space for the group to meet in and explore, refreshments and an optional craft activity. These groups were so successful and valuable that they have been rolled out across other forest schools in the area. In February 2024 we ran a Bird box/ dormouse nest box-making workshop on a Saturday, which adults from the local community attended. We had a really good turnout and it was great to see adults enjoying the space and learning new skills. Richard O’Neil, Land & Wildlife Management instructor at Bicton, kindly ran this session for us and all attendees went home with a bird or nest box that they had made. We hope to run some more of these sessions. In August 2024, we facilitated a session for families with children with SEND in partnership with Teignbridge Family Hub Action for Children. Nine families attended and enjoyed Hapa Zome, a nature hunt around the woodland and a range of sensory activities. Receiving a grant of £1500 from The Nineveh Charitable Trust in May 2024 enabled us to offer a total of 166 sessions free of charge to local families. We were keen to reach families from all backgrounds and didn’t want money to be a barrier to precious time in nature. As Emma and I are both teachers, we used our existing networks to target families who could benefit. We also quickly learned that local pre-schools, playgroups and family centres could also be a huge help in promoting this wonderful opportunity.

Consultation with stakeholders

Our directors are Sara Allen, Emma Gilboy and Jack Shanahan. Our previous third director, Amy O’Dwyer resigned on 22nd July 2024 to be replaced by Jack Shanahan from the 5th September 2024 The directors have continued to work together to plan the ways forward for the project. Sara and Emma plan and facilitate the sessions at the woods and the day to day running of the business including writing grants. Jack supports us and also ran a ‘Go Fund Me’ to raise money towards our planning application. Our volunteers continue to be consulted to see what new skills they could teach/learn and to help plan the ways to develop the biodiversity in the woodland. Together they have planted over 200 trees. We also consulted regularly with the landowners on which our site is located. We love to get feedback from our visitors which helps to shape the ways forward for the forest school. This has been verbal as well as through questionnaires.

Directors' remuneration

No remuneration was received

Transfer of assets

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration

This report was approved by the board of directors on
22 June 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Emma Gilboy
Status: Director