STEPPING STONES PRESCHOOL (CANTERBURY)

Registered charity 1037668 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP (CANTERBURY), STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL

We operate as a preschool for the local community, providing education five days a week for 2-5 year olds.

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 · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Canterbury, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£97k

Latest spending

£99k

Registered

1994

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with payments exceeding receipts by approximately £2,380. The trustees identified the main risk as the disparity between funding avenues and outgoings, noting an ever-present gap between funding and costs that threatens reserves. However, the charity holds total reserves of £25,280, which exceeds its stated policy target of £10,000.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £10,000 (reserves figure: £25k)

“We currently require reserves of £10,000 to cover the costs of charity wind up and dissolution. This covers 3 months approximate running costs and all staff redundancies.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“The charity is ending this financial year with our payments exceeding our receipts by approximately £2,380.”

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.

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

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2025

Volunteers: 3
Government income: £73,825 — contracts £72,725 (1), grants £1,100 (1); 76% of the £97,108 total gross income on the same return
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2024

Volunteers: 3
Government income: £66,112 — contracts £64,312 (1), grants £1,800 (2); 71% of the £92,697 total gross income on the same return
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; other trustee benefit

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2023

Volunteers: 4
Government income: £60,452 — contracts £53,852 (1), grants £6,600 (2); 72% of the £83,409 total gross income on the same return
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Stepping Stones Pre School Canterbury (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Tesco Community Grants — “In 2021 Tesco Community Grants funded a brilliant project to bring children and staff together to use their imaginations to create and share…” (source page)
Canterbury City Council Councillor's Opportunities Fund — “In 2020 Canterbury City Council Councillor's Opportunities Fund funded a new resource for our children to use to express themselves, create …” (source page)
Canterbury City Council — “In 2021 Canterbury City Council funded an exciting intergenerational partnership with Age UK Canterbury bringing children and older people t…” (source page)
Kent County Council's Reconnect Programme — “In 2021 Kent County Council's Reconnect Programme funded a fantastic programme of activities for children and families to enjoy together.” (source page)
Kent County Council — “In 2021 Kent County Council funded the Solihull Approach Understanding Your Child training for parents and carers and provided resources and…” (source page)
Kent Community Foundation — “In 2023 Kent Community Foundation generously contacted £2500 from Kent Community Foundation to contribute towards our day-to-day running cos…” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Trustees · trustee networks

Matthew Blanchardchair
Abigail Stavroulakis-McMahon
Alice Parry
Anastasiia Kuznetsova
Chloe Osbourne
Elizabeth McElhinney
SALLY HEATH
Tiffany Carter
Victoria Hough

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

Operates in: Kent

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£97k	£99k
31/08/2024	£93k	£92k
31/08/2023	£83k	£85k
31/08/2022	£72k	£80k
31/08/2021	£74k	£72k

Common questions

Is STEPPING STONES PRESCHOOL (CANTERBURY) financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with payments exceeding receipts by approximately £2,380. The trustees identified the main risk as the disparity between funding avenues and outgoings, noting an ever-present gap between funding and costs that threatens reserves. However, the charity holds total reserves of £25,280, which exceeds its stated policy target of £10,000. 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	04/12/2013	£10k	Outdoor Canopy Project

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL LEVERINGTON.

STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL LEVERINGTON income £125k
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL income £59k
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL(ALDBOROUGH) income £71k
STEPPING STONES PRE SCHOOL (READING) income £309k
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL, LITTLEPORT income £221k
EAST-THE-WATER STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL income £328k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
STEPPING STONES PRESCHOOL (CANTERBURY)	£97k	—	unclear	—	noted
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL LEVERINGTON FY2025	£125k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL FY2025	£59k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL(ALDBOROUGH) FY2025	£71k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PRE SCHOOL (READING) FY2025	£309k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL, LITTLEPORT FY2025	£221k	—	above	—	no doubt

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