Sign
along
th•
eommunl¢atlon ehorlty
chtsrity no.- IOJ9788
2023
ANNUAL REPORT

**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Registered company number: 02922636 (England and Wales) Registered Charity number: 1039788** 

## **Annual Report and Financial Statements** 

## **st for the year ended 31 December 2023** 

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Effective 1 January 2015). 

## **SIGNALONG** 

**1 Old Winery Business Park Cawston Norwich Norfolk NR10 4FE** 

_**www.signalong.org.uk**_ 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Contents** 

|Mission Statement|page|3|
|---|---|---|
|Introduction|page|4|
|Trustees’ Report|page|5|
|Company Information|page|12|
|Independent Financial Examiner’s Report|page|13|
|Statement of Financial Activities|page|17|
|Balance Sheet|page|18|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|page|20|
|Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|page|27|



2 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Mission Statement of** 

## **SIGNALONG The Communication Charity** 

## _**Signalong is committed to empowering children and adults with impaired communication to understand and express their needs, choices and desires by providing vocabulary for life and   learning**_ 

## **Aims** 

- Greater fulfilment of potential 

- Greater independence 

- Reduction in disturbed and challenging behaviour 

- Improvement in self-esteem 

- Improved relationships 

## **Signalong strives to achieve this** 

- by developing and promoting augmentative communication (manual signs, symbols, picture resources) 

- by researching and publishing sign vocabulary 

- by developing appropriate language resources for children with special needs 

- by providing resources to assist literacy and education 

- by teaching communication techniques to anyone living or working with people with impaired communication 

- by working with other organisations and individuals in this field 

- by freely offering advice to parents and professionals 

3 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Introduction** 

Signalong is a sign-supported communication system designed for children and adults who have speech and language difficulties. Most users have learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorders, but the system is available to anyone who needs signing, including those with physical disabilities or hearing impairment. 

Increasingly, Signalong is being used with children who are deaf and have a learning disability because BSL is too complex.  Signalong continues to be used with those who use alternative languages whilst they learn to communicate in English. 

Signalong is based on a consistent method of analysing and presenting signs, which enables users to select vocabulary relevant to their own situations. This avoids the need to constantly update sign vocabulary by attending further classes where many of the signs taught will be redundant and quickly forgotten through lack of use. By focusing on skills and providing a large library of 9,000 signs, Signalong is cost-effective and represents good value for money. In addition, the Signalong methodology of handshape, orientation, placement and movement enables you to translate idiosyncratic signs in a consistent manner. 

## **FIRST EDITION** 

Signalong was first published in 1992 at a Kent school for children with severe learning difficulties and its founders were two teachers and a speech and language therapist. Due to its success, Signalong became a registered charitable company limited by guarantee in 1994. 

The sign vocabulary is supported by diagrams, and the charity actively co-operates with expert organisations and individuals in the field of education, IT and child protection to increase the range of resources available. Its publishing activities are supported by a growing national network of registered Tutors and a free sign research and advice service for users. 

Signalong provides a range of training courses including Workshops, Introductory, Foundation, Foundation Extension, Signalong Training Assistant and Tutor Training for those who wish to train others. 

We also offer Signalong training for learners at Elementary and Beginners, Peer Learning, Introductory and Intermediate level. We currently have 528 pupils enrolled, 492 have already completed their course. 

In addition, Signalong produce a wide range of paper and digital resources. 

4 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Objectives and Activities** 

The principal activity of the charity has always been the engagement in the relief of suffering and the advancement of the education and communication skills of people with learning difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. Signalong is committed to empowering children and adults with impaired communication to understand and express their needs, choices and desires by providing vocabulary for life and learning. 

**TO NEED TO CHOOSE TO WANT** 

Signalong activities include developing and promoting augmentative communication (manual signs, symbols, picture resources), researching and publishing sign vocabulary, developing appropriate language resources for children with special needs, providing resources to assist literacy and education, teaching communication techniques to  anyone living  or  working  with  people  with  impaired  communication working with other organisations and individuals in this field and freely offering advice to parents and professionals. 

The charity's policies for achieving these objectives are as set out in the mission statement on page 3. The charity is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of association and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. 

## **Development** 

In January we appointed Annie Gray as Production Officer who is responsible for the production of our manuals and resources. Following training, Annie will also help to support our Tutors with the administration of their courses and registration. 

5 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

The development of the Android version of the Sign Studio App has been long overdue and was finally completed and launched in June. 

The App has over 30,000 downloads in the UK and worldwide. Newly developed signs are added regularly and there is nearly 9, 000 sign descriptions of vocabulary for early years to adulthood. 

This manual of sports vocabulary is an invaluable resource for individuals who rely on signing as their primary mode of communication within sporting environments. It is designed to assist sports venues in communicating more effectively with their patrons, as well as aiding coaches, teachers, and participants in sporting activities. 

It is important that we strive to include socially disadvantaged individuals, making sure everyone feels welcome and socially connected. 

The vocabulary contained in this manual covers a wide range of sportsrelated terms, making it an indispensable tool for anyone involved in the 

world of sports.  Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, this book is sure to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of sports through the use of Signalong. 

Due to demand, we have introduced the option of a commissioned license posters. This service is for those who wish to distribute their poster to a large number of staff, parents and service users. The license permits the commissioner to customize the layout and purchase the file allowing them to print the poster and saving costs. In addition, we also offer a digital version where the license holder can place the poster on their website or social media enabling anyone to download and print. 

The Signalong Friendly membership scheme is for those who are proud supporters of Signalong and would like to let others know of their commitment to provide a signing inclusive environment. The scheme continues to thrive and we are regularly seeing schools and organisations proudly displaying the logo on their websites, stationery and social media. At the end of the year we had 3 Bronze, 418 Silver and 10 Gold organisations. 

6 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

In June, Signalong had an exhibition at the Inspiring Leadership Conference in Birmingham. The event was attended by over 900 decision makers from the West Midlands, Cheshire and Oldham. Many thanks to all of our Tutors who came along to say hello, it was great to see so many of you. 

Towards the end of the year we invested in the development of a new online shop which complements our existing website. The new shop allows us to list all of our products including the index pages of manuals, advertise courses and take bookings. In addition, we have valuable access to sales statistics so that we can identify gaps in our offering. A huge thanks to Maxine for her hard work pulling it all together. 

We now have the option to add discount codes, gift vouchers and also have a range of merchandise which is proving to be very popular. 

7 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **HELLO** 

We are really excited to reveal that work has begun on the development of an avatar to support Signalong for Babies nursery rhymes manual. The avatar will sign the highlighted vocabulary in the manual accompanied by singing. We will be using local artists to record the vocals, arrange the music and develop the avatar. We anticipate the launch in spring 2024 and we are planning on attending several baby themed events throughout the year to promote the video, Signalong for Babies courses and identify additional Trainers to deliver our courses. 

We were delighted to welcome our Tutors to regional conferences in Swindon, Leicester, Essex, Norfolk, Scotland and Guernsey. However, many of our regular venues used to host our events have significantly raised their daily delegate rate. This has resulted in identifying alternative venues and new locations for some conferences. 

## **Training** 

Senior Tutors delivered 13 Tutor Training courses throughout the year in Carmarthen, Dorset, 2 in Scotland, Oldham, Norwich, Guernsey and 6 online courses. By the end of the year we had trained an additional 76 new Tutors. 

Our Tutor network delivered 204 Foundation courses, 36 Introductory and 480 Workshops training over 7,689 participants. The total number of registered Tutors currently stands at 510. 

We welcomed 2 experienced Tutors as Senior Tutors, Danielle Campbell who is based in Edinburgh and Nikki Duhig in London to deliver our Tutor Training courses. We would like to say a big thank you and best wishes for the future to one of our long-standing Senior Tutors, Rosie Dickens, who retired at the end of the year. 

## **Charitable Fund** 

Signalong operate a charitable fund and 2.5% of our annual income is allocated to donating goods and services to those who require assistance with training fees and resources. If you or anyone you know would benefit from a charitable donation, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

In 2023 Signalong donated £6,716 in manuals, posters, Sign Library subscriptions and reduced training fees. 

8 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Financial** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
MONEY<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


Sales of published materials decreased slightly on the previous year but income from training and conferences increased. Our advertising budget was increased to raise the profile of the charity and we will continue to build on this in 2024. 

With the significant increase in the cost of living, the board of trustees awarded staff a generous 10% increase in salary. 

## Comparison 2023 over 2022 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
300,000<br>250,000<br>200,000<br>150,000<br>100,000<br>50,000<br>0<br>Donations Training & Publications Online Investment/Misc Total Income<br>Conferences Subs/DVD/CD Income/ Grants<br>Actual 2023 Prior Year 2022<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
INCOME SPLIT 2023 INCOME SPLIT 2022<br>Donations Donations<br>Training & Conferences Training & Conferences<br>Publications Publications<br>Investment/Misc Income/ Grants Online Subs/DVD/CD<br>3,158 0 34 Investment/Misc Income/ Grants<br>157 [639] 90<br>66,163<br>68,217<br>185,894 167,840<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


9 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Financial Overview** 

## **Investment Policy** 

The board of trustees have adopted a policy of investing surplus monies in risk appropriate funds. Following a thorough review of potential providers, a suitable investment company was selected to manage the investment process. 

## **Reserves Policy** 

**TO SAVE** 

Whilst smaller organisations are less likely to hold up to 3 months reserves than larger organisations, the Trustees have considered the charity's need for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission. They consider that the charity should endeavor to maintain general funds of an amount approximating to   three months' direct running costs, which is now £59,381. This has once again been achieved. Signalong used their income to support the running costs of the charity in 2023 and did not need to access the reserve fund. 

10 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

## **Plans for the Future** 

In 2024 we will strengthen and grow the charity by increasing demand for training and looking to recruit additional Senior Tutors by advertising outside of our Tutor network. We will also seek to identify additional Tutors in new areas of the country by offering free online Signalong taster sessions to reach a new audience. Participants will then be invited on paid online courses at a reduced fee. 

We aim to be the no 1 digital sign supported communication system in the UK by developing new digital resources. We will look to increase membership of the Sign Library by uploading more videos and through the Apple and Android Apps using paid advertising on social media. Development of pdf books of vocabulary found in popular stories will begin in the spring and be offered for sale as a download on the new shop. Our avatar will be launched to promote Signalong for Babies courses and to recruit more Trainers at several main events across the UK. 

We will increase brand awareness by the sale of merchandise and attending national conferences and exhibitions across the UK. 

We are very conscious of our carbon footprint and we will strive to reduce our carbon footprint by using less plastic raw materials in our products. We want to build on our current statistics of 39% saving to 60% kg of C02e and maintain 0 kg to landfill. 

Where possible, we will email certificates to avoid printing but the cost of certificates will see a small increase as will Tutor Training fees. 

Following the success of the Sports for All manual, we will be developing a football manual. We will seek sponsorship from local football teams to enable us to offer the finished manual free of charge. 

## **Organisation and Governance** 

The charity remains reliant on its main asset, its intellectual property; the library of signs and the techniques of how they are catered to our members' needs and taught by our Tutors. 

The board have, as always, invaluable to the smooth operation of the charity. The Chairman, John Franklin, has continued to advise and provide support in IT and also to the CEO who meet regularly. Nigel Stancliffe has been instrumental in providing guidance for the investment committee and monitoring expenditure and credit control. Michelle Songest has ensured that we follow HR policies and procedures and Andy Evans has contributed to the development of the charity from an educational perspective. We also value the input of experienced Signalong Tutors Bev McCue, Jonathan Tate and Shahnaz Ashraf. 

11 



**ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 

The charity is organised so that the Board meets regularly to manage its affairs. Board meetings have been held bi - monthly with the implementation of a Code of Conduct to the Board of Trustees to ensure that they respect and uphold the values of Signalong. 

## **Governing Document** 

The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up on the 26[th] April 1994. It is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association. This is managed on a day to day basis by a Chief Executive Officer. 

## **Trustee Induction and Training** 

Advice for trustees published by the Charity Commission is given to new Board members and new guidance is notified and made available at Board meetings. Board members have free access to all members of staff to ensure that they can be fully aware of the activities and methods of the charity. There is an identified need for further input to the Board from people outside the field of special needs, although these have proved difficult to recruit. In the event of such people being appointed to the Board, a programme of familiarisation with the charity and its work will be put into effect, and the Charity Commission advice will be given to them. 

## **Organisation** 

The charity is an Association of Members, the business of which is governed by the Board who may exercise all powers of the Association. The Board of Trustees consists of no less than three and no more than ten members and is responsible for ultimate strategic decisions, having regard to advice from the senior management of the charity. The members of the Board are set out in the section of this report entitled "Directors". 

Membership of the charity is by subscription, and all registered Signalong Tutors are automatically enrolled. Current membership stands at 445. 

12 



> SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY = fie. &- 7% 

## REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES ae 2 Se 7 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 TE Se Se 

at **STRATEGIC REPORT** |= Si ebucie pt! heart **Financial review** ser **Training** Senior Tutors delivered 13 Tutor Training courses throughout the year in Carmarthen, Dorset, 2 in Scotland, Oldham, eT a) yes ce Setthetomrwreh Norwich, Guernsey and 6 online courses. By the end of the year we had trained an additional 76 new Tutors. wie mare ie oa cel erga oe alee pndi “geerete me Our Tutor network delivered 204 Foundation courses, 36 Introductory and 480 Workshops training over 7,689 ect participants. The total number of registered Tutors currently stands at 510. Ee “_ POelTT tene eeeoeey a F We welcomed 2 experienced Tutors as Senior Tutors, Danielle Campbell who is based in Edinburgh and Nikki Duhig in ms 0el* pt ee BS To, eo, eS we 2p et Se oe London to deliver our Tutor Training courses. We would like to say a big thank you and best wishes for the future to one of our long-standing Senior Tutors, Rosie Dickens, who retired at the end of the year. oea elieee SiotML eeEp etoeeeishe a, Soe i re ee . **Investment policy and objectives** pret4 Men “2708ST Following an audit of risk, a suitable company was identified and entrusted with our investment in several endowment The board of trustees have decided to invest funds, surplus to our reserve fund, using a management company. a2 oe" Te eeA 2 ee=a - -etee spt funds. Se **Reserves policy** M **e** ‘eetn bet have considered the charity's need for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission. They Whilst smaller organisations are less likely to hold up to three months reserves than larger organisations, the Trustees She.=e TRos inligtenheer d Eeees ome onoeertBwoae| 2 Sdetalaeee ee ee eePu te we consider that the charity should endeavor to maintain general funds of an amount approximating to three months' direct eee Me = ie ge i ee at running costs. This has once again been achieved. Signalong used their income to support the running costs of the eg ee ee ow charity in 2023 and did not need to access the reserve fund. Ii —Swee oe© Seee ewee 2 ereee eee ee Oe Oe s\n ee 

**Future plans** I In 2024 we will strengthen and grow the charity by increasing demand for training and looking to recruit additional wr ody py Sie Senior Tutors by advertising outside of our Tutor network. We will also seek to identify additional Tutors in new areas peeTr te Na atOegeley Ana phy *)awk TP aeSa = Beea re - > om | ot Se of the country by offering free online Signalong taster sessions to reach a new audience. Participants will then be invited a Oe eet on paid online courses at a reduced f . Pe oeSea pectanges.Gsles ete eens| ie St TAs je et se Be Seee resources. We will look to increase membership of the Sign Library by uploading more videos and through the Apple and Android Apps using paid advertising on social media. Development of PDF books of vocabulary found in popular We aim to be the number one digital sign supported communication system in the UK by developing new digital a Shereee aeealleeeeedeee eteeeeee **e** !ee) eleaeeeereee |te aesee)Se 2ea ee,ve **e** iDaoe oOcsx= me stories will begin in the spring and be offered for sale as a download on the new shop. Our avatar will be launched to pig FU «4 ee ee, ee ae co ae See | e promote Signalong for Babies courses and to recruit more Trainers at several main events across the UK. e **e** t Wie oteeegt a ee ee ee, ee eC We will increase brand awareness by the sale of merchandise and attending national conferences and exhibitions across 1 the UK. Se ee ee, oF i ae ayee We are very conscious of our carbon f A tprint and we will strive to reduce our carbon f tprint by using less plastic raw materials in our products. We want to build on our current statistics of 39% saving to 60% kg of C02e and maintain 0kg ‘el to landfill. ——. ee erele **e** dt Oe edeee teeaee oe ee ee eea ee- | Where possible, we will email certificates to avoid printing but the cost of certificates will see a small increase as will tea wo ee ce ee ee eS a eeto es i sie Tutor Training f i oT 7. a s. 

> Following the success of the Sports for All manual, we will be developing a football manual. We will seek sponsorship etee eele2 oe Sw mettle el alee et “SE "ed fh-E from local f Pe cote tball teams to enable us to offer the finished manual free of charge. ee oe! oe . i e) r eo2 oe RS **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** - as Pe LS. a Oo Seite **Governing document** Oe al in The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up on the 26 April 1994. It is governed by a 2, Se eget, at oS ee ey ee Tene” Samal: Memorandum and Articles of Association. This is managed on a day to day basis by a Chief Executive Officer. Bd acy lee Ss ee ad ca gee ae om brave1 Ricoe ise on 

13 



A) SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY OSE SL SLee | ee REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Me esiat Sa **e** ianoe ®t ehely=. LA 

**STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** » we, <8, 3 ot frie 2 “ys “ha **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees** ee ae So[de] Fwy Advice for trustees published by the Charity Commission is given to new board members and new guidance is notified ose a” ate eT hl om" po iei ae “Wn a“ ee CY me “el and made available at Board meetings. Board members have free access to all members of staff to ensure that they can ** -. Fil der force a ee ee es ee so wee (Boor? Oh 4 * ee ms =i be fully aware of the activities and methods of the charity. There is an identified need for further input to the Board from = = M ri fe ee tt =e! ee[ee] ee es = he i @. Tt people outside the field of special needs, although these have proved difficult to recruit. In the event of such people ng =«"4 a Ce ee ee ee - fee, “Hg wy being appointed to the Board, a programme of familiarization with the charity and its work will be put into effect, and Ce dk | me ae - "th oF ‘ar the Charity Commission advice will be given to them. gyeraet ee **Organizational structure** The charity is an Association of Members, the business of which is governed by the Board who may exercise all powers agt ltee oea TAee st ee nae ee peWe ale of the Association. The Board of Trustees consists of no less than three and no more than ten members and is responsible for ultimate strategic decisions, having regard to advice from the senior management of the charity. The lariesi a A ao Ve<1 “iaee& a eek=a) eenFe| % "te4 > =ct aeGeeg mt2k=F ceattaoo ws.* members of the Board are set out in the section of this report entitled "Directors". a-Ame. Fah, = eo — a =e4 Cpe Membership of the charity is by subscription, and all registered Signalong Tutors are automatically enrolled. Current ee, op ernest ms a er Pe ee hee Tle membership stands at 445. cm eeee pay The charity remains reliant on its main asset, it's intellectual property; the library of signs and the techniques of how they eete ee[Se][ ei][ee] a A ke are catered to our members' needs and taught by our Tutors. eM 7 SE SNC ee mR Ba! Te The board have, as always, invaluable to the smooth operation of the charity. The Chairman, John Franklin, has ee i ee ee a ie tells el A a Seees Se ee continued to advise and provide support in IT and also to the CEO who meet regularly. Nigel Stancliffe has been an instrumental in providing guidance for the investment committee and monitoring expenditure and credit control. to SteeleFl tf”“Leet cok. Sort2”?“~~ * Eo5 4ee 2 ors 4 Mids 1h i Tea = il et Michelle Songest has ensured that we follow HR policies and procedures and Andy Evans has contributed to the Pes (aS gO mae." 4 <2 a D™* eeeoe oS aemi oS),Sip votes,Mate S. SEE“ERfitAtelheBe fh development of the charity from an educational perspective. We also value the input of experienced Signalong Tutors i Bev McCue, Jonathan Tate and Shahnaz Ashraf. rl oee™ ' ire i reed 2) = a re ek ee ee | The charity is organised so that the Board meets regularly to manage its affairs. Board meetings are held quarterly with < > -—o ie - Ye Pet ta 8 uP oa ha Ag ei| OE ic -¥ Poa Ff an oo the implementation of a Code of Conduct to the Board of Trustees to ensure that they respect and uphold the values of ee ee ees Speke rt Aes ee St dee oO” Signalong. Wtiag 

## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** ee ion a ee **Registered Company number** i ee ee 02922636 (England and Wales) a .—T i a _ 

 Registered Charity number** “90 LF: 1039788 Te 

> **Registered office** aa en SE 1 Old Winery Business Park Se 

> Cawston rE ee 

> Norwich a at Norfolk 

> NRI0 4FE ri 

> **Trustees** ae A Evans 

> J Franklin (Chair) Sp td if pa M Songest ~ 7 Oo a B McCue N Stancliffe ~~ = J Tate F 

> S Ashraf iin" 

> **Company Secretary** es ot Qt T Goode Ads 

14 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

**REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Independent Examiner** Mr L Clifton FCCA Stephen Hill Partnership Limited 139-141 Watling Street Gillingham Kent ME7 2YY 

## **Bankers** 

CAF Bank Limited 25 Kings Hill A venue West Malling Kent 

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. 

Report of the trustees, incorporating a strategic report, approved by order of the board of trustees, as the company directors, on 24 April 2024 and signed on the board's behalf by: 

T Goode - Secretary 

15 



INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Signalong The Communication Charity ('the Company')** 

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2023. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act'). 

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect ofmy examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 201 I Act. 

## **Independent examiner's statement** 

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a registered member of FCCA which is one of the listed bodies. 

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention m connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: 

- I. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or the accounts do not accord with those records; or 

3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or 

4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic oflreland (FRS I 02)). 

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

Mr L Clifton FCCA Stephen Hill Partnership Limited 139-141 Watling Street Gillingham Kent ME7 2YY 

24 April 2024 

16 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## ST A TEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

|||||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|||funds|fund|funds|funds|
||Notes|£|£|£|£|
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**||||||
|Donations and legacies||34||34|90|
|Other trading activities|2|252,057||252,057|236,214|
|Investment income|3|3,158||3,158|639|
|**Total**||255,249||255,249|236,943|
|**EXPENDITURE ON**||||||
|Raising funds||39,887||39,887|58,387|
|**Charitable activities**||||||
|Charitable activities<br>Governance costs||177,905<br>2,680||177,905<br>2,680|147,315<br>2,554|
|**Total**||220,472||220,472|208,256|
|Net gains on investments||9,529||9,529||
|**NET INCOME**||44,306||44,306|28,687|
|**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**||||||
|Total funds brought forward||202,270||202,270|173,583|
|**TOT AL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**||246,576||246,576|202,270|



The notes form part of these financial statements 

17 



## SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## BALANCE SHEET 31 DECEMBER 2023 

|||||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|||funds|fund|funds|funds|
||Notes|£|£|£|£|
|**FIXED ASSETS**||||||
|Intangible assets|8|17,257||17,257|12,317|
|Tangible assets|9|2,766||2,766|3,036|
|Investments|10|140,529||140,529||
|||160,552||160,552|15,353|
|**CURRENT ASSETS**||||||
|Stocks|11|13,547||13,547|15,951|
|Debtors|12|20,294||20,294|24,261|
|Cash at bank and in hand||90,648||90,648|200,926|
|||124,489||124,489|241,138|
|**CREDITORS**||||||
|Amounts falling due within one year|13|(38,465)||(38,465)|(54,221)|
|**NET CURRENT ASSETS**||86,024||86,024|186,917|
|**TOT AL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**||||||
|**LIABILITIES**||246,576||246,576|202,270|
|**NET ASSETS**||246,576||246,576|202,270|
|**FUNDS**|14|||||
|Unrestricted funds||||246,576|202,270|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||||246,576|202,270|



The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 4 77 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2023. 

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. 

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for 

- (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and 

- (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company. 

The notes form part of these financial statements 

continued ... 

18 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## BALANCE SHEET - continued 31 DECEMBER 2023 

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. 

were The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 24 April 2024 and signed on its behalf by: 


J Franklin (Chair) - Trustee 

The notes form part of these financial statements 

19 



> SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY ee eaa ee Sl 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS et Se. ee a, FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Be Eeoe 

## **1.** : **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** a Se 

mom **Basis of preparing the financial statements** eae hg le Ailes tne The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS I 02, have been mS) oc “nae omehpe ow fold ae Pe Cee ea o_o prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement i et a of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial he i 1k al fer Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective I January 2019)', rer Teas cols es iee ee Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of sar Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost aDateei,wy k=S **e** ote<= awh SeFin_: Seae eeeeeg eeSa **e** rasSim: _! CE convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value. en)el ee ee be| fee **Financial reporting standard 102 - reduced disclosure exemptions** Saehe— REee ee we tn The charitable company has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemption in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of aS elee eHa ee iern le)ee alaeee a,a wae Ireland': ee the requirements of Section 7 Statement of Cash Flows. a yell) 8 ae **Income** — All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it el i ee ed ee ee a ee ee Po is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. oe eee, oe[eee,] 8 0 0 ‘ns Turnover is the amount derived from the provision of goods and services and is stated after trade discounts, other 1M pe ee ee et eresr Fe oO ee a, pee sales taxes and net of VAT. ee **Expenditure** -~ Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the [4m oe charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and Oo the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has “. - ee orei metre5 alI =Eens OeSSeeESee ofEeSeLeeREee iSo rsa4?et eeat aOneewe ygmf Be64J| been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly m= ;— + ‘a hb-us om - SS ee eee re ime “an ~ys B attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of Feeof wm Bee - wg in! ee ely! Ge ee = um ‘sro me = resources. FT oS **Support costs** oe fe Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable ae ee ee pe nd tee == ee ae ee[oe] eet activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which are s See tog PE ns 0 ey ee lg those incurred in connection with administration of the charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory Si a ae requirements. ee **e** rS ane dees Oe eee ee os * ee ee 

> **Allocation and apportionment of costs** ems ea Pe, a 2 

> Expenditure is classified under the appropriate activity headings. OA 6 -we *)& Ey ae wf a-*_ it “9! Costs of raising funds is comprised of a 2% apportionment on total staff, administrative and office costs. ‘tl, 3971, ofoe = ds no Se) a od fe 

ee Other trading activities expenditure includes the costs related to the development, publication and sale of books, i eh ee **e** en Le[a] hs [Lee manuals and resource packs, as well as the costs for training courses and conferences. tee, ee Fe a ©) Oe oe beSET Cee Expenditure on charitable activities includes the staff, administrative and office costs associated with activities a eee pe ee ee aSe et undertaken to further the purposes of the charity. me ae de i ee 

T= Support costs includes a 4% apportionment on total staff costs. OW eee Se ee 

> **Development costs** oe 01 ee Development costs, being the amounts paid to third parties in relation to book development, is being amortised =Oe a ee ke ok evenly over its estimated useful life of ten years. Beee ee 

**Computer software** boeC ones enitien 5 Computer software, being the amounts paid to third parties in relation to website development, is being In* ww 2 oo a ee wlae th. the bh oe oe r we amortised evenly over its estimated useful life of five years. 2 om ny =“ aar ' a ee ~_ 

continued ... stew 

20 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

## **I. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued** 

## **Tangible fixed assets** 

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life. 

- Fixtures and fittings 25% on reducing balance Computer equipment - 20% on cost 

## **Stocks** 

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items. 

## **Taxation** 

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities. 

## **Fund accounting** 

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. 

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. 

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements. 

## **Research and development** 

Expenditure on research and development is written off in the year in which it is incurred. 

## **Leasing commitments** 

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged against income on a straight line basis over the lease term. 

## **Company status** 

The company is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales. The members of the company are the trustees. In the event of the charity being wound up the liability in respect of the guarantee 1s limited to £1 per member of the charity. 

## **Deferred income** 

The charity provides training and course materials. Where receipts are made in advance of the course and materials being provided the income is deferred until such has been realised. 

## **2. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES** 

|**OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**|||
|---|---|---|
||2023|2022|
||£|£|
|Training and conferences|185,894|167,840|
|Sale of publications|66,163|68,217|
|Other income||157|
||252,057|236,214|



continued ... 

21 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

## **3. INVESTMENT INCOME** 

||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Investment income|3,158|639|



## **4.** 

## **NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)** 

Net income/( expenditure) is stated after charging/( crediting): 

||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
|Depreciation - owned assets|1,176|1,075|
|Hire of plant and machinery|2,797|2,970|
|Development costs amortisation|5,060|4,060|



## **5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS** 

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2023 nor for the year ended 31 December 2022. 

## **Trustees' expenses** 

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 3 1 December 2023 nor for the year ended 31 December 2022. 

## **6. STAFF COSTS** 

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: 

|||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|
|Average number of employees||5|4|
|No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.||||
|No employees received £60,000 per annum or more.||||
|**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**|**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**|||
||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
||funds|fund|funds|
||£|£|£|
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**||||
|Donations and legacies|90||90|
|Other trading activities|236,214||236,214|
|Investment income|639||639|
|**Total**|236,943||236,943|
|**EXPENDITURE ON**||||
|Raising funds|58,387||58,387|
|**Charitable activities**||||
|Charitable activities<br>Governance costs|147,315<br>2,554||147,315<br>2,554|



## 7. **COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** 

continued ... 

22 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

||NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued<br>FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023|NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued<br>FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|7.|**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES- continued**||**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES- continued**||
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|||funds|fund|funds|
|||£|£|£|
||**Total**|208,256||208,256|
||**NET INCOME**|28,687||28,687|
||**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**||||
||Total funds brought forward|173,583||173,583|
||**TOT AL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|202,270||202,270|
|**8.**|**INT ANG IBLE FIXED ASSETS**||||
|||Development<br>costs|Computer<br>software|Totals|
|||£|£|£|
||**COST**||||
||At 1 January 2023|40,831|3,000|43,831|
||Additions|10,000||10,000|
||At 31 December 2023|50,831|3,000|53,831|
||**AMORTISATION**||||
||At 1 January 2023|28,514|3,000|31,514|
||Charge for year|5,060||5,060|
||||--||
||At 31 December 2023|33,574|3,000|36,574|
||**NET BOOK VALUE**||||
||At 31 December 2023|17,257||17,257|
||At 31 December 2022|12,317||12,317|
||||--||



continued ... 

23 



## SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

## 9. **TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS** 

|9.|**TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Fixtures|||
|||and<br>fittings|Computer<br>equipment|Totals|
|||£|£|£|
||**COST**||||
||At 1 January 2023|3,002|7,987|10,989|
||Additions|222|684|906|
||At 31 December 2023|3,224|8,671|11,895|
||**DEPRECIATION**||||
||At 1 January 2023<br>Charge for year|2,190<br>258|5,763<br>918|7,953<br>1,176|
||At 31 December 2023|2,448|6,681|9,129|
||**NET BOOK VALUE**||||
||At 31 December 2023|776|1,990|2,766|
||At 31 December 2022|812|2,224|3,036|
|**10.**|**FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS**||||
|||||Unlisted|
|||||investments|
|||||**£**|
||**MARKET VALUE**||||
||Additions|||140,529|
||**NET BOOK VALUE**||||
||At 31 December 2023|||140,529|
||At 31 December 2022||||



There were no investment assets outside the UK. 

## **11. STOCKS** 

|**STOCKS**|||
|---|---|---|
||2023|2022|
||**£**|**£**|
|Paper and packaging|2,565|1,940|
|Books and resource packs|10,982|14,011|
||13,547|15,951|



continued ... 

24 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

## **12. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR** 

|**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**|||
|---|---|---|
||2023|2022|
||£|£|
|Trade debtors|16,328|20,295|
|Prepayments and accrued income|3,966|3,966|
||---||
||20,294|24,261|
||---||
||---||
|**CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**|||
||2023|2022|
||£|£|
|Trade creditors|1,412|4,476|
|Social security and other taxes<br>Accruals and deferred income|9,084<br>27,969|8,777<br>40,968|
||38,465|54,221|



## **13. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR** 

to Deferred income for the year ended 3 I December 2023 amounted to £26,969 (2022 £39,967). This relates tutor registration f s invoiced in advance for the next year. 

## **14. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS** 

|**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||Net||
||||movement|At|
|||At 1.1.23|in funds|31.12.23|
|||£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|Unrestricted Funds||202,270|44,306|246,576|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||202,270|44,306|246,576|
|Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:|||||
||Incoming<br>resources|Resources<br>expended|Gains and<br>losses|Movement<br>in funds|
||£|£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|Unrestricted Funds|255,249|(220,472)|9,529|44,306|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|255,249|(220,472)|9,529|44,306|



## **Comparatives for movement in funds** 

|||Net||
|---|---|---|---|
|||movement|At|
||At 1.1.22|in funds|31.12.22|
||£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|Unrestricted Funds|173,583|28,687|202,270|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|173,583|28,687|202,270|



continued ... 

25 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL ST A TEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

## **14. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued** 

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: 

||Incoming<br>resources|Resources<br>expended|Movement<br>in funds|
|---|---|---|---|
||£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|Unrestricted Funds|236,943|(208,256)|28,687|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|236,943|(208,256)|28,687|



A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows: 

|||Net||
|---|---|---|---|
|||movement|At|
||At 1.1.22|in funds|31.12.23|
||£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|Unrestricted Funds|173,583|72,993|246,576|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|173,583|72,993|246,576|



A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: 

||Incoming<br>resources|Resources<br>expended|Gains and<br>losses|Movement<br>in funds|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||£|£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|Unrestricted Funds|492,192|(428,728)|9,529|72,993|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|492,192|(428,728)|9,529|72,993|



## **15. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES** 

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 3 I December 2023. 

26 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

## DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||£|£|
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS**|||
|**Donations and legacies**|||
|Donations|34|90|
|**Other trading activities**<br>Training and conferences|185,894|167,840|
|Sale of publications|66,163|68,217|
|Other income||157|
||252,057|236,214|
|**Investment income**|||
|Investment income|3,158|639|
|**Total incoming resources**|255,249|236,943|
|**EXPENDITURE**|||
|**Raising donations and legacies**<br>Staff costs|2,978|2,460|
|Telephone|9|13|
|Postage and stationery|**88**|75|
|Computer costs|223|471|
|Computer equipment|18|16|
||3,316|3,035|
|**Other trading activities**|||
|Books|3,490|11,425|
|Training and conference costs|14,780|14,862|
|Repairs and renewals|1,474|1,350|
|Computer expenses|11,192|23,088|
|Subscriptions|575|567|
|Development costs|5,060|4,060|
||36,571|55,352|
|**Charitable activities**|||
|Staff costs|145,930|120,541|
|Rental of photocopier|2,797|2,970|
|Rent and rates|14,156|14,202|
|Insurance|1,521|1,692|
|Light and heat|755|138|
|Telephone|470|526|
|Postage and stationery|4,320|3,692|
|Advertising|4,660|690|
|Sundries|801|1,005|
|Bad debts|63||
|Carried forward|175,473|145,456|



This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements 

27 



SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY 

|SIGNALONG THE COMMUNICATION CHARITY|||
|---|---|---|
|DETAILED ST A TEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES|||
|FOR THE YEAR ENDED 3 I DECEMBER 2023|||
||2023|2022|
||£|£|
|**Charitable activities**|||
|Brought forward|175,473|145,456|
|Training costs<br>Fixtures and fittings|258<br>258|287|
|Computer equipment|900|772|
|Bank interest|1,016|800|
||177,905|147,315|
|**Support costs**|||
|**Governance costs**|||
|Accountancy f**e** s<br>Legal and professional fees|1,111<br>1,569|1,037<br>1,517|
||2,680|2,554|
|Total resources expended|220,472|208,256|
|**Net income before gains and losses**|34,777|28,687|
|**Realised recognised gains and losses**|||
|Realised gains/(losses) on fixed asset investments|9,529||
|**Net income**|44,306|28,687|



This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements 

28