ACORN EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION

Charity number: 1145108
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

Early years care and education in day nurseries and out-of-school clubs Forest Schools Training and development activities for early years practitioners

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 December 2024

Total income:
£13,168,610

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Donations and legacies £4.56k
Charitable activities £13.16m
Other trading activities £0
Investments £6.60k
Other £0

Total expenditure:
£13,028,023

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Raising funds £0
Charitable activities £13.03m
Other £0

£0 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £1,158 from 1 government grant(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

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Raising funds and other expenditure £0
Charitable expenditure £13.03m
Retained for future use £140.59k

People

476 Employee(s)

13 Trustee(s)

16 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£100k to £110k 1

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

This charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
How the charity helps:
  • Provides Services
Where the charity operates:
  • Bedford
  • Milton Keynes
  • Northamptonshire

Governance

Registration history:
  • 16 December 2011: Standard registration
  • 10 May 2023: Funds received from 278304 MULBERRY BEAR DAY NURSERY AND PRE-SCHOOL
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:
  • ACORN CHILDCARE (Working name)
  • ACORN CHILDCARE 2 (Previous name)
Company number:
07703801 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Not recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
  • Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education)
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases land or property

Trustees

Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service

13 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Nicholas Ireland Trustee 15 May 2026
None on record
Joslyn Hooper Trustee 13 February 2026
None on record
Denise Bragg Trustee 13 February 2026
None on record
Michelle Louise Sogga Trustee 24 October 2025
None on record
Hannah Cheetham-Joshi Trustee 30 April 2025
None on record
Dr Narendra Laljani Dr Trustee 30 April 2025
GOODS FOR GOOD (GLOBAL)
Received: On time
Olivia Margaret White Trustee 08 November 2024
None on record
Emma Cox Trustee 08 November 2024
None on record
Suzanne Marie Dawes Trustee 07 February 2024
None on record
Katherine Ruth Vernon Pillai Trustee 13 January 2023
None on record
Robert Prosser-Dryer Trustee 05 February 2021
None on record
Giles Ashley Chilton Trustee 02 December 2017
None on record
Carolyn Ann Norfolk Trustee 11 April 2017
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023 31/12/2024
Total gross income £6.98m £8.17m £9.58m £11.42m £13.17m
Total expenditure £6.93m £8.01m £9.57m £11.48m £13.03m
Income from government contracts £417.44k £417.44k £104.36k N/A N/A
Income from government grants £33.39k £64.89k £93.37k N/A £1.16k
Income - Donations and legacies £7.27k £5.49k £4.30k £4.32k £4.56k
Income - Other trading activities £0 £0 £0 £9.39k £0
Income - Charitable activities £6.97m £8.16m £9.57m £11.40m £13.16m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £157 £4 £17 £1.44k £6.60k
Income - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Charitable activities £6.93m £8.01m £9.57m £11.48m £13.03m
Expenditure - Raising funds £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Governance £8.76k £6.25k £14.23k £26.16k £23.05k
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Investment management £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.

Long term Investments

Investments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.

Other assets

These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.

Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.

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Asset / Liability 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023 31/12/2024
Own use assets £1.03m £1.05m £1.15m £1.18m £946.06k
Long-term investments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Other assets £483.92k £389.79k £329.62k £347.66k £745.78k
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £1.12m £894.58k £925.92k £1.03m £1.06m

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 31 December 2024 12 May 2025 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2024 12 May 2025 On time
Annual return 31 December 2023 15 July 2024 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2023 15 July 2024 On time
Annual return 31 December 2022 17 July 2023 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2022 17 July 2023 On time
Annual return 31 December 2021 14 July 2022 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2021 14 July 2022 On time
Annual return 31 December 2020 27 July 2021 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2020 27 July 2021 On time
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 13 JUL 2011 AS AMENDED BY CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION ON CHANGE OF NAME DATED 05 APR 2017 as amended on 01 Feb 2020

Charitable objects

4. THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS ARE TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN PRIMARILY UNDER THE AGE OF ELEVEN BY: 4.1 THE PROVISION OF HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE IN NURSERIES, OUT-OF-SCHOOL CLUBS AND FOREST SCHOOLS; 4.2 WORKING TO ENSURE THAT HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE IS AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES REGARDLESS OF MEANS, RACE, DISABILITY, GENDER, RELIGION, BELIEF OR ANY OTHER FACTOR; 4.3 IDENTIFYING OTHER SOCIAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL SUPPORT NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND SEEKING TO ENSURE THESE ARE MET; 4.4 ENCOURAGING, ENABLING AND SUPPORTING THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS AND CARERS IN THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT; AND 4.5 CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE WORKING IN CHILDCARE.

Contact information

Address:
Acorn Early Years Foundation
Unit 47 Waterside Barns
Lodge Farm Business Centre
Castlethorpe
MILTON KEYNES
MK19 7ES
Phone:
01908510309
Email:
info@acornearlyyears.org.uk
Website:

www.acornearlyyears.org.uk Open in new window