The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 1 January 2019).
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charitable company's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "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 1 January 2019).
The Objects for which the Company is established are to promote social regeneration by providing relief in particular but not exclusively to children, young people and their families who are resident or employed across the Humber Sub-Region who have need because of age, mental or physical disability, poverty or addiction. In particular, but not so as to limit the generality of the foregoing, to provide combinations of early years’ education, play work, youth work, community sports, family support and health advice, learning and employment services.
The vision and purpose
Our vision is: Communities where children and young people thrive.
Our purpose is: To create environments and deliver activities which enable children and young people to identify and realise both their aspirations and their potential.
How our activities deliver public benefit:
Our main activities are described below and focus on the objectives for which Child Dynamix was created in 2005, including changes to these objectives in 2014. The services provided to children, young people and their families are for the most part free and all are open and accessible to all. Where there are fees to be charged there are opportunities for those unable to afford these fees to access the service via other funding streams i.e., local authority/social services, two-year-old funding and early years education grants. In addition to this, the charity receives pupil premium for children in need within its Childcare settings. The trustees considered the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit when planning and developing the charity’s activities at all its meetings. For specific activities, funding is sought in partnership with the young person or group to enable them to achieve their aspirations. The Corporate Social Responsibility policy is embedded across the charity and explains the way in which the charity supports other small community organisations and takes a responsible approach to the environment.
Who used and benefited from our services:
Community Day Nurseries:
Child Dynamix now has 5 daycare settings, two in East Hull (Preston Road and Savoy Road) and 3 in West Hull (Boulevard, Rainbow Nursery and Rainbow Pre-School) In April 2025, Child Dynamix acquired the Rainbow Nursery and Rainbow Pre-School settings expanding our childcare offer across the city of Hull. Both settings were established in their communities and a team of 21 staff were transferred under TUPE. These settings offer a further 67 places and are based in the Avenues area of the city.
We know our day nurseries play a critical role in the learning and development of the youngest children, and we aim to offer the finest provision by providing stimulating learning environments for the children who attend. We also know the importance of quality day care to enable families to access employment and learning opportunities. We aim to provide a flexible approach to meet the needs of children and their families.
Our nursery teams regularly monitor and assess children’s learning and development to ensure we offer an early intervention and provide the right level of support to all our children and their families. Analysis of those assessments demonstrates increasing concern of children’s communication and how this can impact their learning. In response, we have implemented several approaches including Stories for Talking, and increased staff training in communication strategies to help address this issue, in particular to support children whilst waiting for a specialist service.
Recruitment of staff during this past 12 months has affected all our settings. However, we have successfully recruited our Level two and Level three students who have successfully completed their college courses into our settings. We continue to offer student placement in all our settings. We had relied heavily on agency staff to maintain our legal adult to child numbers but this has significantly reduced during the year. The recruitment of nursery practitioners is a national crisis and proving to be an ongoing issue for the profession. An incentive scheme launched by the Department of Education to encourage new or returning staff into Early years. Although we were eligible for this scheme and gave new starters the incentive payment this did not bring the interest we had hoped the scheme would bring.
We are pleased to see the Governments increase focus on early years including broadening the eligibility for free childcare, however, the issues around recruitment, retention and qualifications for practitioners creates concerns as to how the increased demand can be met.
Across April 2024 – March 2025, there were 429 children on roll across our nurseries. Of those 429 children, 32 were receiving additional support funding, with a further 59 children experiencing some other learning difficulty or development delay. This means 21% of children attending our settings had some kind of special educational need or disability. 60 children have English as an additional language, 48 of these at the Boulevard setting alone. We supported 68 families to access 30-hour funding, enabling them to increase childcare to meet their needs.
Children and Family Services:
Children and Family Services consists of two key and consistent elements; Little Stars Family hub and our Youth Service based at The Hut Youth Centre. Both of these services are part of Hulls Early Help offer to support Children, Young People and their Families and deliver a range of services and support. We also have various additional projects that enhance this key delivery and over the course of this year have included the Movement Fund, Blue Influencer and National Citizenship Service (NCS).
Little Stars Family Hub sits in the Early Help provision within the East Locality in the city of Hull. The team provides targeted family support and a range of services for local families including parenting support, understanding children’s behaviour with courses to help with parenting, child safety, infant feeding, budgeting, cooking and providing healthy meals, help to access early education funded nursery places and promoting parents understanding of early childhood development. The team provides regular stay and play sessions, creating a language-rich and stimulating environment in which children and their parents/carers can come together. The nature of the service means team members work closely with professionals from other agencies including schools and children’s social care, as well as local charities and voluntary organisations. This approach ensures children and families receive the level of support they need to make lasting change and get the help they need quickly. Family Hubs have a focus on the childs first 1001 days, infant mental health and the parent/infant relationship.
Our Youth Service is commissioned by Hull City Council and is delivered in partnership with Maximum Life Youth Project, and St. Stephens Neighbourhood Centre. The partnership delivers across East Hull using venues in Preston Road, Greatfield, Ings and Longhill Estate. The Child Dynamix Youth team work from The Hut Youth Centre where we provide a range of services for the community and young people and continue to utilise the fantastic facilities the building offers. The teaching kitchen with rise and fall worktops and accessible cooker, IT suite, dance and craft rooms have been used for individual and group session by the team, and by local groups who hire the spaces to deliver their projects. More broadly, the youth team provide a range of services including one to one support, small group work and larger sessions with as many as 40 young people on a Friday night. The team provides a range of activities for young people including music, sport, cooking, arts and crafts, and participates in annual events such as the Humber Night Challenge and Lifestyle. The team sourced additional funds to support its delivery from: Clarion Futures, Humberside PCC and Street Games. The team extend their delivery to other community venues including Eastmount Recreation Centre, Shelley Avenue Sports Pavilion and local parks and green spaces.
After the success of our Green Influencer scheme, from 2024 Child Dynamix will host a Blue Mentor to develop our Blue Influencer scheme. The scheme aims to remove barriers to accessing the outdoors, whilst helping young people create deep, lasting and meaningful connections to the natural environment via their local coasts and rivers by giving them a voice to make change in their community. The scheme is funded by the Ernest Cook Trust and allows us to work with children, aged 10 to 14 years old, from youth centres and schools across Hull.
With funding from NCS (National Citizenship Service) we formed a partnership with Rewilding Youth and Probe Hull to offer a series of 12 week programmes full of exciting experiences and opportunities to support 16 and 17 year olds in their journey back into a form of Education, Employment or Training that suits them. The project supports young people to build in confidence, get on the right track to achieve their aspirations and recognise their own potential.
This has been a great addition to our existing youth offer and allows us to work with young people from across Hull.
Across April 2024 – March 2025 the Children and Family services teams worked with approximately 3575 children and young people and adults.
Surveys and feedback
We regularly carry out stakeholder surveys, evaluations and seek feedback to help us understand the impact the charity has had,
Surveys and feedback – day nurseries
Our day nurseries conduct an annual Parent Satisfaction Survey to help shape our nursery offer and ensure we continue to meet the needs of our local families.
These are some comments received through the survey from parents:
Child Dynamix Community Nursery Savoy Road:
“Continuous help and support from staff. They care about the children and always ask how they are. My child has come on loads since attending and gained lots of knowledge. I feel confident leaving her there and would recommend the nursery and staff to others.”
“The staff are amazing with [Child], she enjoys nursery and has come on really well since attending here, I find the app a really good idea to see what Lola has been up to threw the day.”
“They keep you informed of your child’s day on the app which is the best! The staff are very supportive and are very on the ball with everything- sorting everything straight away for us. Range of activities throughout the day. My daughter after only a week was very settled and this a due to the nursery and how outstanding it is!”
Nursery parent feedback – Parent Satisfaction Survey – Child Dynamix Community Nursery Savoy Road
Child Dynamix Community Nursery Preston Road:
“I was very worried about sending my son to nursery but when I take him I can see how excited and happy he is to be there which reassures me that he enjoys it.”
“[Child] has thrived since being in nursery”.
“The staff who greet my child in in a morning are always happy and professional and make an effort to address my child.”
Nursery parent feedback – Parent Satisfaction Survey – Child Dynamix Community Nursery Preston Road
Child Dynamix Community Nursery Boulevard:
Through the parent satisfaction survey, we received these comments from our Boulevard parents:
“My son is very happy at nursery but was a struggle to get him to where he now and he’s come on massively”
“My daughter loves nursery after every session the staff tell me what she's been doing what she’s had to eat etc”
“The management and workers there are amazing they are friendly polite and always keep you updated with everything for every session. The work the ladies put into the children is amazing. They do one to one sessions and phonics with my children and their development has come on amazing since been at this nursery”
Nursery parent feedback – Parent Satisfaction Survey – Child Dynamix Community Nursery Boulevard
Child Dynamix Community Nursery Rainbow:
Through a parent satisfaction welcome survey, we received these comments from our Rainbow parents:
“Communication is fantastic. Notes at pick up times are always thorough and I always have lovely pictures to look forward to at the end of the day.”
“All of the staff have been fab and seem to know [Child] really well. Laura is brilliant.”
“Millie and Rubie do so much for my child”
Nursery parent feedback – Parent Satisfaction Welcome Survey – Child Dynamix Community Nursery Rainbow
Child Dynamix Community Nursery Rainbow Preschool:
Through a parent satisfaction welcome survey, we received these comments from our Rainbow Preschool parents:
“Absolutely all the ladies are so invested and this truly shows when they all tell us what our daughter had been doing.”
“Fantastic nursery and pre-school! my sons learnt loads since he's attended here. Would100% recommend it to friends and family. :).”
“my daughter is always so happy to attend preschool”
Nursery parent feedback – Parent Satisfaction Welcome Survey – Child Dynamix Community Nursery Rainbow Preschool
Surveys and feedback – youth services
Young people provide feedback through annual surveys, at the end of a project or one to one support, and perhaps most regular in conversations as part of the activities they are involved with providing in the moment views and opinions. The youth team apply each year for the Investing in Children Award. The award gives national recognition for actively including children and young people in dialogue that results in change. Here is some of the feedback gained through the assessment:
“The staff are great, if theres something we want to do activity wise they’ll just do it If they’ve got it”
“if you need someone to speak to and offload they offer one to one support”
“They tell us, if you enjoy something we do, well do it more”
“I like that if you don’t like the food option, they’ll look to see if they have something you like “
“ I’ve had help with my mental health. They don’t ignore it they help you and refer you to other services like councillors if needed”
“I enjoyed decorating the one-to-one room, making it bright and colourful for when people use it “
“I like that the staff don’t tolerate bullying, and people will be given warnings and sent out if they continue doing it “
“We get to be involved in picking trips for summer and activities “
“I enjoy coming to socialise and get involved with activities like baking in the kitchen”
“I enjoy karaoke”
“The huts a safe place to see your friends and youth workers”
NCS Project
“The project has helped me get out of the house and with my communication, it has helped me find who I am and what I like doing”
“You helped me with my confidence, focussed on my skills and now I am back at college studying music – on a higher level than I thought I would be able to study – and I love it. I want to use music to travel the world and now I feel I can achieve that”
Suzy and Neill, without you I wouldn’t have been able to do this. I got my CSCS card which helped me get a job.”
“It’s helped me recognise and realise that I have skills and strengths in things I didn’t know I had. You’ve helped me realise things I didn’t realise I was.”
“Without this programme I really don’t think I would be where I am today. The support Suzy gave me, it made me aware of so much more - who I was and what I could do. She challenged me, but I was in control of what I felt ready for.”
Surveys and feedback – family support
There are a number of ways in which our children, parents and their wider family members share their views of services delivered by the Family Support team. This includes comments and feedback given directly to a member of staff, through surveys or evaluations at the end of a programme or course, social media and through activities they have participated in.
“the team at little stars hub, are helpful and plan the trips well.”
“Thank you for a great day”
“My son enjoyed the animals and the rides”
“ [Child] had a really good day, loved the soft play and the bouncy pillow, really liked the tractor ride and cereal bars”
Feedback from a parent that attended a summer trip (2024)
“I like how welcomed I feel. It's easy to talk”
“Always warm welcomes when I arrive”
Feedback attending sessions at Family Hub (2024)
Volunteering at Child Dynamix:
We have seen fewer people coming forward to volunteer mirroring issues across the city. However, we have seen areas of volunteering grow over the year including in our Youth Service. We recognise that some people are not ready for a regular volunteering commitment. We have looked to identify more ways to lend a hand in the hope of engaging our service users and developing grassroots opportunities into something more regular and formal. We recognise the benefits both for the individual and to Child Dynamix in offering regular volunteering opportunities. This year volunteers offered over 50 hours of their time.
Charity events and fundraising:
In December, we held our annual staff away day aiming to bring our teams together to celebrate our work and have some relaxed time together. This year we rolled out the red carpet and the whole team went to the cinema to watch a classic Christmas movie followed by a relaxed afternoon together playing games and celebrating achievements from across the year.
Investment performance
Under the Articles of Association, the charity has the power to invest in any way the trustees wish.
We have seen an increase in occupancy across all our nurseries with the expansion of the education funding eligibility changes coming into effect over the past 24 months. We have reduced the amount of agency costs in this year and invested in more student placements and apprenticeships retaining and upskilling people to expand our workforce. We have adopted a Co-Leadership structure and reduced costs by removing some Senior Leadership roles as they have become vacant. Our strategy for the coming period focuses on expanding our childcare offer across the city and improving our financial position to support the core infrastructure of the charity.
Reserves policy
Child Dynamix’s reserves stand at £627,158
The Trustees of Child Dynamix aim to secure a cash reserve of £230,000 which represents 10% of the Charity’s average turnover (10 years). Close monitoring of the reserves is essential in helping us meet the demands of our strategic plan over the next three to five years. The target reserves amount of £230,000 has been calculated based on continuity planning, taking account of the Charity’s liabilities. This reserve also provides the Charity’s cash flow.
First and foremost, the Charity needs reserves to provide working capital to support its day-to-day operations, which is vital when waiting for invoices to be paid. Some contracts can be paid in arrears, leaving the Charity to cover general revenue costs for up to two months. Furthermore, many new funding streams are issued on a payment by results basis, which might split funding by as much as 50% which also then requires the Charity to hold funds to cover the full costs until final payment is made. The Charity Trustees would also consider proposals from the Charity’s Officers to create seed funding for development of new vital services, and finally the Trustees may be asked to consider extending individual or team contracts for interim periods of no more than 3 months to bridge gaps where new funding has been secured but a gap is created between funding streams.
The Trustees have provision for the appointment of a Finance Trustee who, within the Articles of Association (reviewed 2022) has responsibility for monitoring and reviewing the agreed steps the charity has taken to establish and/or maintain the reserves and for any proposals for using reserves. The responsibility, should the Charity face closure, will impact on the whole Trustee group, including the Finance Trustee, who would work with the Chief Executive Officer and senior leadership team.
The level of reserves which has been set by the Trustees (see above) is, where possible, grown through our Social Enterprise activities, which have three-to-five-year financial plans. The reserves development and maintenance form part of the general management accounting the Charity undertakes weekly, monthly and quarterly at differing levels. The Head of Finance and Human Resources creates “actual to projected” reports on a quarterly basis to the Finance committee and then on to the Board.
Future plans
As a social regeneration charity, Child Dynamix recognises the importance of the whole family in relation to the outcomes for children and young people. Our themes of work - early years and childcare, family support and services for children and young people - offer both universal and targeted support. Levels and intensity of support differ depending on the presenting needs, but we recognise the many strengths children, young people and their families have. We see these as a positive starting point to enable people to make long lasting change with support from our staff and volunteers.
We continue to grapple with the reducing number of grants to apply to and the increasing competition for the remaining opportunities. It is a real challenge to find funds which reflect the work Child Dynamix delivers to meet the needs of our service users and local communities. Our focus in the coming year will be on expanding our childcare, family support, play and sport services.
Governing document
The Charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a company limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
The company was incorporated on 11th March 2005.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The Trustees shall have power at any time to appoint any person to be a Trustee but so that the total number of Trustees shall not exceed the number determined under Article 34. Every Trustee shall be appointed for a term of three years unless agreed otherwise by the Trustees at the time of their appointment. A Trustee due to retire may, with the approval of a majority of the Trustees, stand for re-appointment for a second term so that Trustees may, if re-appointed, serve two consecutive terms. The Trustees may resolve by majority that because of exceptional circumstances a Trustee may hold office for a third term. The Trustees may resolve by majority that because of exceptional circumstances a Trustee may hold office for such further terms that are deemed to be in the Charity's best interests. The Trustees may make such rules pursuant to these Articles as they see fit from time to time with regard to the procedure for the appointment and reappointment of Trustees pursuant to this Article.
Governance Structure
The Trustees held four meetings during 2024– 2025. At the start of the year, a review of the governance structure resulted in a change to the number of quarterly committees and an internal co leadership structure due to the resignation of the CEO. The co leadership team whom the board delegates the day-to-day operations consists of the Head of Finance & HR, Head of Childcare and the Children and Family Services Manager all of whom report directly to the board of trustees. All sub committees were postponed whilst theses changes were being embedded to support the transition.
Child Dynamix Trading Ltd: (wholly owned trading subsidiary)
Mr Bryan Bradley Director
The Health and Safety internal audit of each of the charity’s premises takes place annually and are reviewed throughout the year in response to national and local guidance and restrictions.
Induction and training of new trustees
The charity has a comprehensive induction pack for new Trustees (The Trustee Handbook). This Handbook includes role descriptions, conflict of interest, and code of conduct, the Articles and policies including finance and reserves. All Trustees of the charity complete the volunteer recruitment process, which includes a DBS enhanced check and undertake safeguarding training. Induction meetings are held with the Chief Executive and/or Chair of the Board prior to the first Board meeting attended. Trustees are encouraged to attend seminars and conferences on Charity law and governance issues when they are able. Information from these events is shared at subsequent board meetings.
Risk management
Child Dynamix holds a risk register; the register considers financial, reputational and operational risks to the charity and is agreed with the Board annually. The charity has systems and controls in place to manage the exposure to its significant risks. The risk register is referred to and updated if required in each Board meeting. In addition to this, the charity uses risk analysis at a project and service level.
The auditor, TC Group, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Child Dynamix for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the Trustees are aware:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditor is unaware; and
- the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as Trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Child Dynamix (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
the trustees have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the charitable company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees' report; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including Fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
The objectives of our audit, in respect to fraud, are: to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses; and to respond appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the entity and its management.
Our approach was as follows:
We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, and through discussion with the directors and other management (as required by auditing standards), and discussed with the directors and other management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations;
We considered the legal and regulatory frameworks directly applicable to the financial statements reporting framework (FRS 102 and the Companies Act 2006) and the relevant tax compliance regulations in the UK;
We considered the nature of the industry, the control environment and business performance, including the key drivers for management’s remuneration;
We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit;
We considered the procedures and controls that the company has established to address risks identified, or that otherwise prevent, deter and detect fraud; and how senior management monitors those programmes and controls.
Based on this understanding we designed our audit procedures to identify non-compliance with such laws and regulations. Where the risk was considered to be higher, we performed audit procedures to address each identified fraud risk. These procedures included: testing manual journals; reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation; performing analytical procedures; and enquiring of management, and were designed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free from fraud or error.
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council's website as: https://www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Audit/Audit-and-assurance/Standards-and-guidance/Standards-and-guidance-for-auditors/Auditors-responsibilities-for-audit/Description-of-auditors-responsibilities-for-audit.aspx. This description forms part of our auditors' report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Child Dynamix is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 95 Preston Road, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU9 3QB, United Kingdom.
The Charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Charity.
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charitable company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charitable company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charitable company has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. 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.
Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquisition of unincorporated businesses over the fair value of net assets acquired. It is initially recognised as an asset at cost and is subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill shall be considered to have a finite useful life, and shall be amortised on a systematic basis over its life.
Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.
Intangible assets acquired on business combinations are recognised separately from goodwill at the acquisition date where it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity and the fair value of the asset can be measured reliably; the intangible asset arises from contractual or other legal rights; and the intangible asset is separable from the entity.
Amortisation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Fixed asset investments are measured at cost.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the charitable company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
At each reporting end date, the charitable company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charitable company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charitable company's balance sheet when the charitable company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charitable company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charitable company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charitable company’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The charitable company estimates the useful economic lives of fixed assets based in the expected period of use of the asset in operating the charitable company.
The charitable company owns one property and this is stated at cost with depreciation being charged based on the useful economic life of the asset. The trustees review the carrying value of the property on an annual basis, in light of the condition of the property and the operating performance of the nursery.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The loan is secured against the property and is repayable over 25 years at an interest rate of 7%.
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Henry Smith Fund - This is funding enabling us to continue our ‘Bump to Baby and Beyond’ project that supports families at the very earliest opportunity engaging with parents in the third trimester of pregnancy. The project offers intensive support to ensure parents are well prepared for their parenting journey.
Hut+ - This is funding was obtained to extend and refurbish our youth centre on the Preston Road Estate. As the funding has been fully expensed the balance on the fund has been transferred to unrestricted reserves.
National Citizenship Service - This is funding enabling us to deliver our 'META' programme. The programme is for young people aged 16 & 17 who are not in employment, education or training and aim to raise confidence, aspiration and ultimately support young people onto their next steps. We are in a partnership with Rewilding Youth (CIC) and Probe Limited to deliver this work.
Funding from Ernest Cook along with a grant from the Police and Crime Commissioners Community Safety Fund allows us to employ a full time Nature Ranger. Ernest Cook fund the ‘Blue Influencer’ element of the role, the Blue Influencer will work with young people aged 10 – 14 years old, in schools and youth centres across Hull. The scheme helps young people impact the environment through social action projects that benefit their communities, whilst helping them to create lasting and meaningful connection to nature. The Community Safety Fund allows our Nature Ranger to offer sessions to young people aged 8 – 13 years, engaging them in environmental projects which aim to engage young people into centre based activities at an earlier age leading to better relationships and sustained engagement through adolescence.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
At the reporting end date the charitable company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
Amounts contracted for but not provided in the financial statements:
The charity has purchased the assets of Rainbow Nursery (Hull) Limited for a total consideration of £85,000. The purchase completed on 2 April 2024.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
Details of the charitable company's subsidiaries at 31 March 2025 are as follows:
The intention was that the subsidiary gift aided its profits to the charity. The subsidiary has however suffered losses and has not made any gift aid payments to the charity.
The results of the subsidiary are not consolidated within these financial statements as the subsidiary is dormant and the results are considered to be immaterial.