SANDCASTLES PLAYGROUP

Registered charity 1029267 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The charity aims to encourage and enhance the development and education of children primarily under school age.

Objects

THE AIMS OF THE PRE-SCHOOL ARE TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN PRIMARILY UNDER STATUTORY SCHOOL AGE BY ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND BY:(A) OFFERING APPROPRIATE PLAY, EDUCATION AND CARE FACILITIES, FAMILY LEARNING AND EXTENDED HOURS GROUPS, TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT OF PARENTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES OF SUCH GROUPS, ENSURING THAT SUCH GROUPS OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CHILDREN WHATEVER THEIR RACE, CULTURE, RELIGION, MEANS OR ABILITY;(B) ENCOURAGING THE STUDY OF THE NEEDS OF SUCH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PROMOTING PUBLIC INTEREST IN AND RECOGNITION OF SUCH NEEDS IN THE LOCAL AREAS;(C) INSTIGATING AND ADHERING TO AND FURTHERING THE AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Get email alerts

Latest income
£508k
Latest spending
£492k
Registered
1993
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a net surplus of £17,027, increasing its unrestricted general reserve to £122,664. The trustees report that the charity expects to maintain a general reserve equivalent to at least two months of running costs. The independent examiner confirmed that no material matters came to their attention during the examination of the accounts.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: two months running costs (held: £123k)
“The Charity expects to maintain a general reserve equivalent to at least two months running costs” — page 2
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income
£508k
Total spending
£492k
Reserves (reported)
£123k
Employees
23

Reported reserves equal ~3.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Devon

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£508k£492k
31/08/2024£464k£432k
31/08/2023£393k£390k
31/08/2022£395k£383k
31/08/2021£374k£397k

Common questions

Is SANDCASTLES PLAYGROUP financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a net surplus of £17,027, increasing its unrestricted general reserve to £122,664. The trustees report that the charity expects to maintain a general reserve equivalent to at least two months of running costs. The independent examiner confirmed that no material matters came to their attention during the examination of the accounts. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund16/11/2006£5kPartnership between Castle School & Sandcastles

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SANDCASTLES PRE SCHOOL PLAYGROUP.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
SANDCASTLES PLAYGROUP£508k—0above—no doubt
SANDCASTLES PRE SCHOOL PLAYGROUP FY2025£104k—0unclear—no doubt
THE SANDCASTLE TRUST FY2025£159k—0within—no doubt
SUTTON CENTRE UNDER 5S PLAYGROUP FY2025£104k—0unclear—no doubt
ST MARYS PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP FY2026£238k—0above—no doubt
GREAT CHART AND SINGLETON PLAYGROUP FY2025£166k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.