CHESTNUT PLAYGROUP

Registered charity 1090719 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHESTNUT PLAYGROUP (LINTON)

The playgroup is based in Linton, Cambridge and provides nursery care for the community for children aged from 2 to 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-SCHOOLLEARNING 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 · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£132k

Latest spending

£144k

Registered

2002

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity maintains unrestricted reserves of approximately £70,927, which the trustees describe as a 'large amount in savings' mandated to cover contingencies, redundancies, and closure costs. While the trustees report being in a 'good position' with a healthy cash balance, they explicitly anticipate an accounting loss in the coming year due to rising rent and payroll costs alongside reduced enrollment. The charity's reserves policy is stated as maintaining funds to cover at least three months of staff payments and closure expenses.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of unrestricted expenditure (held: £71k)

“The playgroup maintains a savings account with a balance of £35,000+. This is to cover contingencies and ensures there are adequate resources to pay staff for at least 3 months, and find a new building if necessary. Or to cover redundancies and appropriate closure costs if required.” — page 5

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
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
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

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (06/12/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (30/04/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Caroline Wilsonchair
Alyson Lee
Charlotte Kirby
Felicity Murray
Lisa Bowers-Hyett
Sophie Green

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£132k	£144k
31/08/2024	£135k	£124k
31/08/2023	£115k	£107k
31/08/2022	£112k	£104k
31/08/2021	£114k	£99k

Common questions

Is CHESTNUT PLAYGROUP financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity maintains unrestricted reserves of approximately £70,927, which the trustees describe as a 'large amount in savings' mandated to cover contingencies, redundancies, and closure costs. While the trustees report being in a 'good position' with a healthy cash balance, they explicitly anticipate an accounting loss in the coming year due to rising rent and payroll costs alongside reduced enrollment. The charity's reserves policy is stated as maintaining funds to cover at least three months of staff payments and closure expenses. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CHERRY TREE (CHERITON) PLAYGROUP.

CHERRY TREE (CHERITON) PLAYGROUP income £110k
CLUTTON PLAYGROUP income £137k
WINTON PLAYGROUP income £233k
YOUTH CENTRE PLAYGROUP (LYMINGTON) income £138k
ORTON LONGUEVILLE PLAYGROUP income £350k
WHITECHAPEL PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUP income £132k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
CHESTNUT PLAYGROUP	£132k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CHERRY TREE (CHERITON) PLAYGROUP FY2025	£110k	—	unclear	—	noted
CLUTTON PLAYGROUP FY2025	£137k	—	unclear	—	noted
WINTON PLAYGROUP FY2025	£233k	—	above	—	no doubt
YOUTH CENTRE PLAYGROUP (LYMINGTON) FY2025	£138k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ORTON LONGUEVILLE PLAYGROUP FY2025	£350k	—	above	—	no doubt

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