Finance Score: 2
Governance Score: 4
Support Score: 10
  • Strong growth: +2
  • No PartB
  • Narrow trustee age band: -2
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +10
Overall GiG Score: 16 ?

SWINGS & SMILES

Most families take recreational play for granted. For families of children with special needs, this is impossible for some and extremely difficult for most. Swings & Smiles provides a fun and safe facility where children (SEND and their siblings) can enjoy play in a family setting appropriate to their needs and abilities. Outreach, online and sibling support services are also provided.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • The Board has little diversity in terms of age

Financial issues to consider:

  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23*£437£456£-19n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/22£380£375£4n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/21£381£322£60n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/20£13£18£-5n/an/an/an/an/an/a
?31/03/19£49£49£0n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/18£153£64£89n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/17£139£77£62n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/16£115£83£32n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/15£119£84£35n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/14£80£206£-125n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/13£107£31£76n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/12£60£27£33n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/11£98£27£71n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/10£134£40£93n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/09£103£21£83n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/08£99£33£66n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 17 years

www.swingsandsmiles.co.uk

office@swingsandsmiles.co.uk

01635 285170

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies House
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
GiG Classification
  • Child day-care services
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire, Wiltshire,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
National Lottery Community Fund£329,195
Garfield Weston Foundation£55,000
Postcode Society Trust£22,378
Masonic Trust£15,000
BBC Children in Need£10,270
Co-Operative Group£6,185
DCMS£6,171
The Clothworkers Foundation£5,600
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£15,000 10/01/2024
Unrestricted core funding for small charities
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Swings & Smiles
£5,600 09/10/2023
Purchase of specialist play equipment for a charity which works with disabled children and their families in Berkshire
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£25,000 25/11/2022
Specialist support for disabled children and their families
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Swings & Smiles - 14/07/22
£3,000 04/08/2022
Core Funding
National Lottery Community Fund - Swings & Smiles – Providing specialist support for disabled children & families
£325,000 01/08/2022
The project is using funding to provide tailored support for disabled children (0-18 years) and their families through a range of specialist services at their centre in West Berkshire. The funding will allow the group to continue to offer their ....more
Sport England - Storm 22 New fence
£935 15/03/2022
Funding under Sport England's Storm 22 funding programme for a Revenue project titled Storm 22 New fence. This project is a Adapted Sport project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
DCMS - ALB-Sport England-Storm 22 New fence
£935 15/03/2022
Funding under Sport England's Storm 22 funding programme for a Revenue project titled Storm 22 New fence. This project is a Adapted Sport project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
Postcode Society Trust - Necessary costs to support the running of the charity and deliver essential serv
£22,378 26/02/2022
This funding has allowed us to continue to offer vital specialist support to those in our community who need it most.
National Lottery Community Fund - Accessible Play for Disabled Children and Their Families
£4,195 18/02/2022
The funding will be used to deliver a weekly family play session for disabled children and their families at the Swings & Smiles centre. The project aims to strengthen relationships between families and through this contribute towards improved ....more
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Swings & Smiles - 22/06/21
£1,250 07/07/2021
Core Funding
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (2 Years) award - COVID19 response
£15,000 11/06/2021
24
Support, friendship and play for children with special needs and their families.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Swings & Smiles
£10,270 30/11/2020
This project will provide group sessions for disabled children and young people. Children and young people will improve their emotional wellbeing and confidence and make new friends.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Swings & Smiles
£6,185 24/10/2020
An addition of an outdoor gym to our fully inclusive play facility will help address health issues facing many children and families.
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£5,236 26/06/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots and small organisations who can provide an ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (2 Years) award - COVID19 response
£15,000 29/05/2020
24
Support, friendship and play for children with special needs and their families.
National Lottery Community Fund - Swings & Smiles A Place to Play
£337,850 20/03/2019
36
This project provides a specialist place for children with additional needs to play. The project will use funding to continue delivering and developing their core service to directly benefit over 400 children per year. The project will also use ....more
Masonic Trust - Core funding
£2,500 21/02/2018
Inclusive play sessions for people with special needs and disabilities, their carers, siblings and family.
True Colours Trust - towards its ‘Out & About’ outreach project
£5,000 09/01/2018
towards its ‘Out & About’ outreach project
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (2 Years) award
£20,000 26/09/2017
24
Swings & Smiles - A Dedicated Space for Children and Young People with Special Needs and their Families to Play
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 56-73
  • DEREK JOHN HARDMAN (Chair) Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Retired
  • JEFFREY KENNETH IVES Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired
  • MICHAEL MEGAN Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Accountant
  • QUONA ELLEN CONSTABLE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Manager
  • VICTOR HORMUZ MISTRY Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Finance Director
  • VICTORIA SANDARS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Marketing Consultant
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 17/08/2007, number: 1120598
  • Registered at Companies House on 26/03/2007, number: 06182577
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • 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
Filing Record
16 returns made; AR23: 6 days late,
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from BREAKTHROUGH LEARNING on 18/01/2023
Main office

A Place to Play
Lower Way
Thatcham
RG19 3RR

Objectives

3) THE CHARITY IS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE AND/OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF:3.1) CHILDCARE AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR (WITHOUT LIMITATION) CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS; AND3.2) FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF INDIVIDUALS, IN PARTICULAR (WITHOUT LIMITATION) CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED IN PRACTICE NATIONAL

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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