THE MEADOWS DAY CARE CENTRE

Registered charity 1069714 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE MEADOWS CENTRE (CHATTERIS)

Provision of Childcare (children aged 2 - 12) and Pre-school education

Objects

TO EDUCATE AND ASSIST CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN OR ATTENDING FULL TIME EDUCATION WITHIN THE TOWN OF CHATTERIS OR THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES ("THE LOCALITY") DURING THEIR PRESCHOOL AND OUT OF SCHOOL TIME SO TO DEVELOP THEIR MENTAL, PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL CAPACITIES TO ALLOW THEM TO GROW AS INDIVIDUALS AND MEMBERS OF SOCIETYTO OFFER APPROPRIATE PLAY, EDUCATION AND CARE FACILITIES, EXTENDED HOURS GROUPS ENSURING THAT ALL INHABITANTS OF THE LOCALITY ARE OFFERED THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES WHATEVER THEIR GENDER, RACE, CULTURE, RELIGION, MEANS OR ABILITYTO PROVIDE AND ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE RECREATION AND LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF INHABITANTS OF THE LOCALITY IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND SO THAT THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE MAY BE IMPROVED.

Area of benefit: CHATTERIS AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES

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

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£205k

Latest spending

£174k

Registered

1998

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £30.6k from its activities for the year ended 31 January 2025, resulting in total net assets of £294,113.03. The trustees' report notes that payroll costs remain the biggest expense at 69.3% of income, and while SEN Inclusion Funding has increased, it only covers approximately 50% of the associated support costs. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £124,761.52, which the trustees indicate are used for day-to-day running and to meet unforeseen expenditure or redundancy costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months payroll costs (held: £125k)

“It is advised to hold approximately three months payroll costs in reserves for this purpose. Should the situation arise, the cost to the centre at the end of the reporting period would have been in the region of £34.7k”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 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
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds 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

Trustees · trustee networks

JOHN RICHARD SMITHchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Deborah Maiden
SUSAN KELLY
Yvonne Jane Brown

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/01/2025	£205k	£174k
31/01/2024	£157k	£173k
31/01/2023	£151k	£149k
31/01/2022	£132k	£126k
31/01/2021	£133k	£131k

Common questions

Is THE MEADOWS DAY CARE CENTRE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £30.6k from its activities for the year ended 31 January 2025, resulting in total net assets of £294,113.03. The trustees' report notes that payroll costs remain the biggest expense at 69.3% of income, and while SEN Inclusion Funding has increased, it only covers approximately 50% of the associated support costs. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £124,761.52, which the trustees indicate are used for day-to-day running and to meet unforeseen expenditure or redundancy costs. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

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

MEADOWLANDS PRE-SCHOOL income £182k
RIVER MEADOW income £282k
MEADOW NURSERY SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION income £174k
GREENFIELDS CHILDCARE income £422k
Hanborough Meadows Preschool income £153k
YOUTH CLUB PRE-SCHOOL income £222k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE MEADOWS DAY CARE CENTRE	£205k	—	above	—	no doubt
MEADOWLANDS PRE-SCHOOL FY2025	£182k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
RIVER MEADOW FY2025	£282k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
MEADOW NURSERY SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£174k	—	above	—	no doubt
GREENFIELDS CHILDCARE FY2025	£422k	—	within	—	no doubt
Hanborough Meadows Preschool FY2025	£153k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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