The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note to the financial statements and comply with the charity'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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016).
Objects of the charity, principal activities and organisation of our work.
The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee, and is therefore governed by a memorandum and articles of association.
The charity's object and its principal activity is that of providing facilities for recreation for children resident in the St. Andrews and surrounding areas of the city of Leicester.
The charity is organised so that the trustees meet regularly to manage its affairs. There is a part time administrator, who manages the day to day administration of the charity. The remaining staff are employed at the Play Building.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The Project has enjoyed another very successful year in terms of attendance and use by Children and Young People in the Greater St Andrews area, which continues to reflect the diverse nature of the locality. This is all achieved without the need to advertise or promote the service, outside providing information pertaining to opening hours. Indicating that, Parents and Carers are recommending the Service to others. The Playground has never been busier than it currently is.
Links were maintained with Neighbourhood Policing Unit and further developed with specific Local Schools. The Beat Team used the premises to engage with local residents both on an ad hoc basis for specific initiatives and we liaised with the schools as circumstances required.
We were able to continue to provide fruit on a daily basis for the users and in conjunction with Fare Share, who also supplied most of the other surplus food that was provided to the users on a daily basis. The Food Pantry was supplied by Fare Share and toped up with funding from the Household Support Fund, facilitated locally by the Feeding Leicester partnership.
Interaction with those in need has inevitably led to more effective signposting to other services and help that individuals and families may need.
Funding from Feeding Britain meant that we could provide food and activities during the Summer Playscheme, without having to take part in the means tested HAF scheme, meaning all the users could take part on an equal footing.
The Projects involvement with the Food Provision has meant we’ve been invited to take part in further partnerships around issues affecting Public Health and wider food provision across the City. The mutual benefit of this kind of work is that we are better able to signpost the families of our users appropriate agencies and organisations as necessary.
The Trustees are satisfied that the Project continues to meet the needs of the local community, in terms of providing access to Play in a busy, ever changing, inner city environment.
Public Benefit
The Charity believes it has provided a public benefit during the year through areas outlined below and can confirm it is a social inclusion project. The Play Association aims to ensure that all play provision meets the appropriate levels of social, physical, intellectual, creative, cultural and emotional needs of all children and young people. The Play Association aims to promote integrated play opportunities.
The statement of financial activities shows a total income of £122,533 and expenditure of £127,384.
This provides a deficit of £4,851, deducted from the brought forward reserves of £29,887 and the charity carries forward reserves of £25,036. The reserves carried forward show £20,336 of unrestricted funds and a carried forward surplus balance of £4,700 of restricted funds.
Reserves Policy
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six months of normal expenditure. The trustees estimate normal ongoing annual costs to be between £90,000 and £100,000 per year.
The charity had closing reserves of £25,036 as at the 31 March 2025 down from £29,887. Therefore, the trustees believe the charity is just above a position of comfort to deal with any financing problems. Of these closing reserves there is a £4,700 surplus balance of restricted funds.
The trustees estimate that reserves at a level of approximately £30,000 would ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they would be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. It is desirable for the charity to maintain this level of reserves however due to the nature of the funding and economic circumstances the charity has not been able to maintain this level of reserves throughout the year.
Overall the trustees are content with the level of reserves at the year-end and wished they had greater assets at its disposal. However, because of the nature of funding it has made it impossible to build up the level of reserves that the charity would consider to be sufficient.
The present level of funding is adequate to support the continuation of the Play Project for the short term. However, the trustees would like to build up reserves as a protection against any potential future reductions in funding.
Restricted Funds
The charity received income of £90,185 from our principal funders Leicester City Council to run playground activities throughout the year, and Summer Playscheme. This has been classified as a restricted fund. Expenditure of £90,185 was made in the year. £19,550 was received as Household Support but only £15,250 of costs were incurred, therefore we have reported a surplus of £4,700 which is carried forward.
Unrestricted Funds
During the year the charity reported a deficit on its general unrestricted funds of £9,151 deducted from the brought forward reserves of £29,487. This means we carry forward £20,336 to be spent in future years.
Risk Assessment
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Plans for future periods
As a result of the withdrawal of Local Authority funding from the start of the next Financial Year, we will be required to seek alternative funding and generate additional income to maintain the current level of service. We have entered into a communal bid to the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund, with four other Playgrounds and will be looking at individual initiatives for the building, to subsidise current running costs.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year were:
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of St. Andrews Play Association (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
St. Andrews Play Association is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Playbuilding (Thirlmere Gardens), 111 Walnut Street, Leicester, LE2 7LA.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a statement of cash flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. 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 charity 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 their charitable objectives.
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 charity 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.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, 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 classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
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 charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measures at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans, which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
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 charity’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 charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
In the application of the charity’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.
Raising funds
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year and none of them were reimbursed for travelling expenses (2024- £nil).
One trustee, Daniel Ashman, was also employed on a part time basis to cover staff shortages on projects. He was paid £1,440 during the year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
No employee is allocated entirely to management: an assessment of part of each employee's involvement in management has been used as the basis for determining the above apportionment of costs for governance costs.
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:
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.
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
One trustee, Daniel Ashman, was also employed on a part time basis to cover staff shortages on projects. He was paid £1,440 (2024: £2,325) during the year.
The trustees have considered the longer-term position of the Charity after continuing dialogue with the local authority about funding requirements. The local authority extended its funding to 2025/26 to help the charity consider future funding opportunities. However, there is no funding provision beyond the end of March 2026. This loss of funding represents approximately 75% of the income funds the Charity receives.
Therefore, this loss of funding would represent a significant impact on the charity that would undoubtedly affect the scope of work the Charity could undertake beyond the following financial year.
Despite this the trustees continue to explore ways of adapting practices and services and generate sufficient income to enable the Charity to continue its operations.
However, the trustees acknowledge at the date of the signing of the accounts this potentially impacts the going concern status of the Charity going forward. Despite this the trustees have decided to prepare the financial statements on this basis as they believe it is the most appropriate method at this moment in time.