**Felixstowe Opportunity Group** Registered Charity No. 1004101
## **Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts**
For the year ended **31 March 2025**
## **Felixstowe Opportunity Group Contents**
||**Pages**|
|---|---|
|Trustees Annual Report|1 - 4|
|Receipts and Payments Account|5|
|Statements of Assets and Liabilities|6|
|Notes to the Accounts|7|
|Trustees Responsibilities and Approval|8|
|Independent Examiners Report|9 - 10|
## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT**
## Felixstowe Opportunity Group
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Section A - Reference and Administration Details**
## **Charity name:**
Felixstowe Opportunity Group
## **Registered charity number:**
1004101
## **Principal address:**
Maidstone Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 9EF
## **Trustees who served during the year:**
|**Trustee**|**Role**|**Dates served (if not full year)**|
|---|---|---|
|Stephanie Collin|Chairperson|Full year|
|Beth Relph|Secretary|Full year|
|Jennifer Shepard|Trustee|Full year|
|Sandy Battiste|Trustee|Full year|
|Elizabeth Buckley|Trustee|Full year|
## **Custodian Trustee:**
The Official Custodian for Charities. Charity Commission for England and Wales, Harmsworth House, 13-15 Bouverie Street, London EC4Y 8DP.
## **Bankers:**
HSBC Bank plc, 12 Tavern Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3AZ.
## **Section B - Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Type of governing document:**
Constitution
## **How the charity is constituted:**
Unincorporated charitable association
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## **Trustee selection methods:**
Trustees are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
The Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction and management of the charity.
During the year, improvements were made to:
- Financial tracking and accountability
- Safeguarding awareness and procedures
- Clarity around responsibilities and decision making
- • Documentation and evidence of activities
The Trustees continue to monitor risks facing the charity and ensure appropriate procedures are in place to manage them.
## **Section C - Objectives and Activities**
## **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document**
The charity’s object is to enhance the development and education of children with special needs and their siblings, primarily those under statutory school age, by supporting families and providing appropriate play, education and care opportunities.
The charity works to encourage understanding of children’s needs, promote inclusion, support integration into mainstream settings and raise awareness of these needs within the local community.
## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit**
The charity advances the education and development of children with special needs by providing pre-school sessions that offer appropriate play facilities and learning opportunities.
It also supports families by encouraging understanding of children’s needs and promotes wider public recognition of those needs within the local community.
In planning and carrying out these activities, the Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Volunteers continue to play an essential role in supporting the charity’s work.
## **Section D - Achievements and Performance**
This year has been one of growth and development for the charity.
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A key achievement was the refurbishment of the playroom, including installation of a climbing wall and modernisation of the space, creating a safer and more engaging environment.
The charity also established Tulips, a peer bereavement support group, expanding support to include compassionate adult wellbeing.
Grant funding from East Suffolk Council enabled the development of this group.
The charity continued to benefit from support from:
- Felixstowe Town Council
- Morrisons
- The Co-op
- Local Masons
- Community donors
The drama group has matured and will now operate independently as a Community Interest Company.
The Trustees extend their thanks to all volunteers whose commitment made the year’s progress possible.
## **Section E - Financial Review**
The charity reported total income of approximately £27,415 during the year.
Expenditure supported the charity’s core objectives, including:
- Utilities
- Repairs and maintenance
- Activity materials
- Operational costs
Investment in the premises during the year strengthened the facilities available for beneficiaries.
## **Reserves Policy**
The Trustees aim to maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves to support the charity’s ongoing activities and ensure continuity of services in the event of short-term funding fluctuations or unexpected costs.
The level of reserves is reviewed regularly in light of operational needs and future plans.
There were no funds materially in deficit at the year end.
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## **Section F - Other Information**
No additional matters to report.
## **Section G - Declaration**
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Annual Report.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Signed: Stephanie Collin Position: Chairperson
Date: 10/03/2026
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## **RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
**Felixstowe Opportunity Group**
**For the year ended 31 March 2025**
||£|£|£||£||£|£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts**|||||||||
|Donations|4,041|-|4,041||6,433|-||6,433|
|Grants|8,474|-|8,474||-|-||-|
|Tulips Grant (Restricted)|-|7,812|7,812||-|-||-|
|Fundraising|316|-|316||-|-||-|
|Rental Income|3,080|-|3,080||2,100|-||2,100|
|Room Hire|444|-|444||428|-||428|
|Miscellaneous Income|1,497|-|1,497||1,066|-||1,066|
|Fees|-|-|-||582|-||582|
|**Total Receipts**|**17,852**|**7,812**|**25,664**||**10,609**|**-**||**10,609**|
|**Payments**|||||||||
|Utilities|5,328|-|5,328||8,020|-||8,020|
|Insurance|747|-|747||769|-||769|
|Repairs & Maintenance|8,479|-|8,479||-|-||-|
|Materials & Sundry Direct Expenses|616|609|1,225||1,870|-||1,870|
|Milk & Refreshments|61|-|61||189|-||189|
|Administrative Costs|238|-|238||-|-||-|
|Bank Charges|62|-|62||60|-||60|
|Drama Group Expenses|1,740|-|1,740||-|-||-|
|Professional Fees|135|-|135||-|-||-|
|Deposit Return|35|-|35||-|-||-|
|**Total Payments**|**17,441**|**609**|**18,050**||**10,908**|**-**||**10,908**|
|**Net surplus / (deficit)**|**410**|**7,203**|**7,614**||**(299)**||**0**|**(299)**|
|**Movement in Cash**|**£**||||||||
|Opening cash balance at 1 April 2024|5,599||||||||
|Net surplus for the year|7,614||||||||
|**Closing cash balance at 31 March 2025**|**13,212**||||||||
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## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES**
## **As at 31 March 2025**
|**Monetary Assets**
Current Account
Savings Account
Petty Cash
**Total Cash**
**Other Assets**
Land & Buildings (held by Custodian Trustee)
Outdoor Sensory Room
Equipment (estimated)
**Total Other Assets**
**Liabilities**
**Now due for payment**
Premises costs
**Total Liabilities**|**2025 (£)**
-
**2025 (£)**
10,951
2,196
64
**13,212**
**2025 (£)**
28,765
10,000
3,500
**42,265**|**2024 (£)**
1,587
3,948
64|
|---|---|---|
|||**5,599**|
|||**2024 (£)**
28,765
10,000
3,500|
|||**42,265**|
|||**2024 (£)**
-|
||-|-|
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## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **Basis of Preparation**
The accounts have been prepared on a **Receipts & Payments basis** , meaning income is recognised when received and expenditure when paid.
|**Restricted Funds**||
|---|---|
|Restricted income received during the year relates to:||
|- Tulips Grant – £7,812||
|These funds were applied towards bereavement support|services.|
|**Grants Received**||
|Grants during the year included support from:||
||**2025 (£)**|
|East Suffolk Council|1,030|
|Felixstowe Town Council|1,500|
|Int Nurses Team|5,000|
|**Total Grants Received**|**7,530**|
|**Notable Donations Received**||
|Large donations during the year included support from:||
||**2025 (£)**|
|- Languard Lodge|1,133|
|- Colneis Lodge|1,000|
|**Total Notable Donations Received**|**2,133**|
## **Funds**
At the year end, the charity held the following funds:
**Restricted funds** represent income received for specific activities, including bereavement support services (Tulips), which must be applied for those purposes. **Unrestricted funds** are available for general charitable use.
The movement in funds during the year reflects the surplus generated from activities and grants received.
|**Funds**
Restricted
Unrestricted
**Total**|**2025 (£)**
7,203
6,009|
|---|---|
||**13,212**|
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## **TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
The trustees consider that the charity is entitled to prepare its accounts on the receipts and payments basis in accordance with section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
## **TRUSTEES’ APPROVAL**
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
Signed: Stephanie Collin Chairperson
Date: 10/03/2026
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## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT**
Felixstowe Opportunity Group Charity Number: 1004101 For the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Section A – Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees of:**
Felixstowe Opportunity Group
**On accounts for the year ended:** 31 March 2025
**Charity number:** 1004101
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Felixstowe Opportunity Group (“the charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination.
I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to believe that, in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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## **Signed:**
**Date:** 9[th] March 2026
**Name:** Joanna Rose Adams
## **Relevant qualification or experience:**
Chartered Management Global Accountant CIMA CGMA
## **Address:**
50 Princes Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1RJ
## **Section B – Disclosure**
Not applicable.
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