THE ORCHARD PRE-SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUP

Registered charity 1036897 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as LUSTLEIGH PLAYGROUP

We are a parent-involving community based group providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment for children. The pre-school offers a tailored curriculum promoting the importance of play in the development of the child. Session themes centre around the natural environment with half of the sessions held entirely outdoors in our purpose-made nature garden.

Objects

TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN UNDER STATUTORY SCHOOL AGE BY ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY GROUPS

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: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£389k

Latest spending

£335k

Registered

1994

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £54,144 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward increasing to £160,383. However, the trustees have resolved to wind up the charity within 12 months, indicating an imminent closure rather than ongoing operations. The filing notes that rising costs, including the National Living Wage and premises expenses, necessitated fee increases to maintain standards prior to this decision.

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

What the accounts disclose

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“The trustees have resolved to wind up the charity within 12 months of the approval of these financial statements following a review of its activities and future plans.” — page 3

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.

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
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Register events

Received assets from another charity (14/07/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Daisy Elisabeth Thomas · trustee of 1 other charity
Gemma Houghton
Georgia Day
Peter Whyard
Sophie Smith

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

Operates in: Devon

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£389k	£335k
31/08/2024	£332k	£309k
31/08/2023	£282k	£239k
31/08/2022	£194k	£178k
31/08/2021	£81k	£73k

Common questions

Is THE ORCHARD PRE-SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUP financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £54,144 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward increasing to £160,383. However, the trustees have resolved to wind up the charity within 12 months, indicating an imminent closure rather than ongoing operations. The filing notes that rising costs, including the National Living Wage and premises expenses, necessitated fee increases to maintain standards prior to this decision. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/04/2020	£9k	Wellness Wednesdays at Orchard
The National Lottery Community Fund	25/06/2014	£10k	Outdoor Fun for Everyone
The National Lottery Community Fund	20/08/2007	£4k	Healthy living and environmental workshops

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ORCHARD.

THE ORCHARD income £106k
ACORN PLAYGROUP AND PRE-SCHOOL income £177k
DODDINGHURST COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL income £164k
SCALLIWAGS PRE-SCHOOL income £410k
CHIDDINGSTONE NURSERY SCHOOL CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION income £117k
THE GROVE PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP income £120k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ORCHARD PRE-SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUP	£389k	—	unclear	—	noted
THE ORCHARD FY2025	£106k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ACORN PLAYGROUP AND PRE-SCHOOL FY2025	£177k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
DODDINGHURST COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL FY2025	£164k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SCALLIWAGS PRE-SCHOOL FY2025	£410k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CHIDDINGSTONE NURSERY SCHOOL CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION FY2025	£117k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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