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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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Castlewellan Community Playgroup

  • Status

    Received: on time

  • Income

    £69.1K

  • Spending

    £64.7K

Charity no. 103545 Date registered. 16/12/2015

Public benefits

The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include a high level of education received from qualified staff, trained in delivering the national curriculum for pre-school children, a safe and secure environment where children can be actively social and engage with other children with similar backgrounds and also children from different

backgrounds, religions and race. The children have on offer, a wide range of activities and equipment which are managed and delivered by specially qualified staff, children receive specialised support for a range of areas including, language and communication, behaviour management, social development and physical support among many others. The children in the setting have the opportunity to develop their overall holistic development through a range of activities and facilities on offer. For the majority of children in the setting this will be their first time spending time away from home and will therefore benefit greatly by a positive and supportive setting set up to challenge, develop and enhance their individual needs. Children have the opportunity to develop their social skills and begin to understand and mature their emotional needs. The children’s progress and development are measured through daily and monthly observation’s which assist the staff in promoting positive learning experiences that the children take forward into the rest of their school years. The families involved in the setting benefit greatly from the organisation through a variety of ways which include, specialised support for their child, security in knowing that their child is being looked after in a positive and supportive learning environment, access to information which could be beneficial to their family life, such as, social security numbers, helpline numbers, housing benefit support connections and citizens advice. Parents and carers also have support from other parents in the setting and have opportunity to meet up, talk and meet socially. Parents also have opportunity to take part in training courses suited to their needs which will further enhance their life and work skills. The organisation has enlisted a number of volunteers over the years which enables them to develop skills, knowledge, and appreciation of working in an educational environment. They are given the opportunity to train and access all the specialised help and support on offer from the staff team. The local community also benefits from this organisation as the organisation promotes a range of positive and progressive approaches to life. It sets children up with the hope and possibility of a lifetime of open-mindedness and tolerance in their local community. The children that attend the setting go on to further education in the community with a head start in their holistic development which will assist with their future education and social development. These benefits are demonstrated through the continual number of applications received for the playgroup each and every year. The playgroup receive annual questionnaires and feedback from, parents, outside agencies such as social services, health services, Early Years and the local schools on how the organisation has such a positive impact on the children and families in the area. The playgroup supports up to48 families per year. The purpose of our organisation causes no harm to the public or to the beneficiaries involved. The charity’s beneficiaries are the children that attend the setting, their family as a whole, the staff and volunteers involved in the setting, the local community including the primary schools in which the children will move onto after their time in playgroup is over. The only private benefit flowing from this purpose is the 4 staff members that receive a wage and the students and volunteers that gain experience from training in good governance, and this is incidental and necessary for the fulfilment of the organisations charitable purposes and benefit to the public.

What your organisation does

Our organisation promotes and sustains the early education and development of preschool children in a formal pre-school setting. Our setting increases the individual and collective knowledge and understanding of specific areas of study, skills and expertise. We dedicate ourselves to the individual needs of each and every child in our setting

ensuring that they achieve all they can, to the best of their ability. Children are observed and monitored and relevant observations are recorded in individual files from which activities and targets are planned in order to develop, progress and enhance learning. The beneficiaries of our setting include the children who have the opportunity to attend and the parents and families of those children who are in attendance.

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of education

Who the charity helps

  • Asylum seekers/refugees
  • Carers
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Learning disabilities
  • Mental health
  • Parents
  • Physical disabilities
  • Preschool (0-5 year olds)
  • Sensory disabilities
  • Travellers
  • Unemployed/low income
  • Volunteers

How the charity works

  • Education/training
  • Playgroup/after schools

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 30 June 2024

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 30 June 2023

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 30 June 2022

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charitable purposes

The objects of the Company is to enhance the development and education of young children by encouraging parents/guardians to understand and provide for the needs of their children by: (a) Offering appropriate play facilitates, with the right of parents/carers to take responsibility for and become involved in the activities of the Company, ensuring that the Company offers opportunities for all children, regardless of religion, culture, race or means. (b) Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs of such children and their families in the local areas. (c) Providing the necessary facilities for the daily care, recreation and education of children during out of school hours and school holidays. (d) Advancing the education and training of persons involved in the provision of such care, recreation and education.

Governing document

Memorandum and Articles

Other name

  • 3 Trustees
  • 5 Employees
  • 2 Volunteers

Contact details

Public address

  • Castlewellan Community Playgroup, 32 Circular Road, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9ED

Trustee board

Trustee
Joanne
Ms Hannah Leslie
Mrs Mary Ferris

List of regions

  • In Northern Ireland