COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 03157152
CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1053008
Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Unaudited Financial Statements
31 March 2025
EXCEL ACCOUNTANTS
Chartered accountants
Excel House
3 Duke Street
Bedford
MK40 3HR
BEDS
LTD

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial Ststsments
Year ended 31 March 2025
Page
Trustees, annual report (incorporating the director's report)
Independent examiner's report to the trustees
13
Statement of financial activities (including income and
expenditure account)
14
Statement of financial position
15
Staternent of cash flows
17
Notes to the financial statements
18

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantse
Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)
Year ended 31 March 2025
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company18w, present their report and the
unaudtted financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Roforonco and administrative details
Registered charity name
Bedfordshire Open Door
Charfty registration number
1053008
Company reglstratlon number 03157152
Prlnclpal offlc• and registered 120 Tavistock Street
offlce
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK40 2SA
The trustees
O Atunrase
S J Gardner
S Pearce
A Parsons (appointed 3 October 2024)
Y Mackenzie (appointed 26 November 2024)
K Fletcher (appointed 9 March 2025)
H A E Hendrickx (appointed 9 March 2025)
S A Reed (active in year, resigned post year end)
M Fletcher (active in year, resigned post year end)
W HaNey (resigned 6 July 2024)
M A Richardson (resigned 26 November 2024)
Please note the following members are active trustees at the time
of signing of these accounts however were appointed post the
year end period:
M Saha (appointed 14 April 2025)
V Sisodla (appointed 14 April 2025)
F M Allen {appolnted 9 August 2025)
M Harris (appointed 9 August 2025)
Management slaff
Michele Flynn (Operations Manager)
Donna Galea-Bateman (Clinical Manager)
Independent examiner
Ex￿1 Accountants (Beds) Ltd
Excel House
3 Duke Street
Bedford
MK40 3HR

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustses, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) fcontlnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Structure, Governance and Management
Goveming document
The company was established under a Memrandum of Association, which determine the objects and
powers of the company and is governed under its Artides of Association.
The charity is managed and controlled by its Trustee Board which is responsible for setting the
strategic direction of the charity, and the policies it adopts.
The company is limited by guarantee and does not have share capital. Trustees each guarantee an
amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the company in the event of a winding up. The total
number of such guarantees at 31 March 2025 was 7 (2024: 7).
Recruitrnent and appointment of new trustees
The charity seeks to have board members with the right skills to enable it to be managed in an
effective manner. The trustees may appoint a person who is willing to act as a trustee, either to fill a
vacancy or as an additional trustee.
Inductlon and tralnlng of new trustees
All trustees are given a copy of the Charity Commission Pamphlet CC3 prior to their appointment and,
at their induction, a copy of the latest accounts, together with the governing document and operating
procedures. The latter include such topics as "Trustees Code of Conduct Conflicts of Interesf, and
"Trustee Eligibility" Where considered necessary, trustees are invited to undertake training in the
workings of the Charity 8nd the responsibilities of a trustee.
Objective8 and activities
The objects of the charity are to provide free counselling seniices to young people in Bedford and
surrounding areas. We have continued to offer the counselling service free to clients.
Strateglc report
The following sections covering the focus of our work, achievements and perforrnan￿ and financial
review form the strategic report of the charity.
Purposes and Alms
Bedfordshire Open Door offers an ac￿Sible, confidential and free professional counselling Servi￿ to
young people living in Bedft)rdshire. Our aim is to enable local young people to strengthen their
resilien￿, emotional and psycholo9ical wellbeing.
We offer a space where young people can be accepted. be safe and be heard.
A free, confidential counselling Servi￿ for people aged 13-25 in Bedford Borough & North
Central Beds
Drop in and one-off counselling sessions
Group work
Schools based counselling
Community based counselling in youth clubs and supported accommodation
Counselling and ret￿ats for young unaccompanied asylum seekers
Specialist counselling for young victims of crime, exploitation and violence
Specialist counselling for neurodivergent young people
A weekly social support group
Co-production I participation and engagement activities wlth young people
Mini onsite "Foodbank" for young people uslng our service who are living in povety

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantse
Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Directoes Report) (eontinued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Multi agency working with GPS" CAMHS., adult mental heakh services; the police. social
services" other local voluntarylstatutory agencies to ensure clients are given the most
appropriate professional sUPPOrt.
We have been established for over 29 years. We have extensive knowledge of the lo(21 area,
established partnerships, a strong board of trustees, loyal volunteers and staff and an experienced
management teatn. We have a strong reputation in the local community and ¢￿dibIlIty amongst local
young people, who often recommend the Servi￿ to their friends.
Our organisation is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
and adheres to the BACP Ethical Framework for Standards and Practice. The Clinical Manager is the
Designated Safeguarding Lead and responsible for clinical practice. The Operations Manager is
responsible for finance and funding. data. reporting, administration, health and safety and premises
management. service development and is Deputy DSL. All members of the team are DBS checked.
The work is delivered at our counselling centre. in schools and communty venues. Our team of
qualified, experienced counsellors and student counsellors work within a framework of clinical
supervision and management supported by a small team of administrators.
Vile offer a blended
service of face-to-face, telephone and video counselling. Our counsellors offer a range of modalities
including person centred, psychodynamic, humanistic, CBT, EMDR, systemic approaches. We also
integrate creative approaches including sand tray, art and music. We have a multi-agency, person-
centred approach, enabling young people to access relevant support to meet their individual needs.
Our serdice users are young people aged 13 - 25 experiencing issues including suicidal Ideation, self-
hanning, eating disorders. domestic violen￿, abuse. crime. exploitation, drugs, alcohol. anxiety,
depression, bereavement, bullying, relationships, identty issues and homelessness. These issues
impact on their mental health and wellbeing. INe offer specialist seNices for unaccompanied asylum
seekers, victims of crime and exploltation and young people with autistic spectrum Ineurodivergent
conditions. The aim is to increase resilience, improve emotional wellbeing. promote integration and
improve access to education, training and employment. Young people access our servio via self-
referral or signpost from other agencies.
INe have a strong partnership approach working as an integral part of the multi-agency mental health
and wellbeing °system of support.. We work with other agencies, communty and faith organisations to
improve access for those who might not tradttionally engage with mental health sepdice8.
In June 2022 it was annoUn￿d that we were awarded The Queens Award for Voluntary Service. This
is the most prestigious avRrd a voluntary organisation can achieve and is equivalent to an MBE.
COUNSELLING PROVISION AND PERFORMANCE:
Our charitsble activities focus on providing free counselling services and support to young people and
are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit. The year 2024 to 2025 we
continued to experience high levels of demand from local young people.
Bedfordshire Open Door provides up to 12 sessions of free, confidential counselling for 13-25
year olds. Vlthere it is clinicalty indicated we will extend the nurnber of sessions to ensu￿ the
safety and wellbeing of the individual young person. We are the only fr￿ ser11￿ for young
people in the Focal area offering this model of serrfice. other providers either charge a fee for
their sep4ice or offer a model with 4 - 8 sessions.
We offer young people the options of a blended Servi￿ wlth face to face, online or tel8phone
counselling. Our experien￿ is that most young people wish to have their counselling face to
fa￿ (890/0) but appreciate the flexibilty of remote sessions should circumstances arise that
prevent them frorn accessing the face-to-face provision.

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (contlnu•d)
Year ended 31 March 2025
In the year we had a team of 35 counsellors, a mix of volunteers, students and paid counselling
positions. In February 2026 a new cohort of 6 students will join us to commence their
placement.
Bedfordshire Open Door's counselling provision is largely provided by circa 26 professionally
accredited volunteer counsellors offering at Feast two sessions of counselling per week wrthout
payment. Some of these qualified counsellors also pr¢)vide additi'onal sessional counselling
hours to enable us to meet demand and reduce our waiting lists.
During the year we employed 5 part-time paid counsellors, 2 of whom worked in secondary
schools. 3 working at our counselling centre bringing a wealth of experien￿ including working
with young people affected by alcohol and substance abuse, victims of crime and exploitation
and neurodivergent young people.
All counsellors, induding our volunteers, require professional operational and clinical
management support, clinical superdision and must complete a minimum of 30 hours CPD per
annum. We also need to staff our Bedford counselling ￿ntre in order that there is always
someone to welcome young clients. making them feel safe and to ensure appointments, the
necessary paperwork and record keeping. are diligently administered.
As a result of reduced funding our counsellor capacity was lower and, as a result, less young
people were able to access one to one counselling. To extend engagement we offered
facilitated groupwork and outreach workshops. The total number of young people seen was
853. 772 were engaged in 6,582 one-to-one counselling sessions and 81 young people
attended 120 separate small groups and workshops.
680/0 were aged between 13 and 18 (202&24'. 660A) and 320A were aged 19-25 (2023-24.. 34Oh).
850A of young people were from Bedford Borough. 13% from Central Bedfordshire, 2% Other.
Our seNice extends to meet the needs of our culturally diverse communty. We have seen
more young people from a viider range of ethnic backgrounds ac￿SsIng our Servi￿ in the past
3 years than previously. We have also recruited more counsellors from diverse ethnic
backgrounds. Vts have also succeeded in our goal to diversify our Board of Trustees and now
have a good mix of ethnicities, genders and skills.
68% of our clients were vthite, 20 % black and Asian, 9¥0 mFxedlmultiple ethnic. 2010 Other ethnic
groups and 1% did not disclose.
Most young people using our Servi￿ state that they do not follow a religton, however we do
have a mix of faiths that some of our clients follow and this is respected in our servi￿. To
deepen understanding within our team, we delivered leaming opportunities focused on faith and
cultural competence. 60°A of our dients do not follow a religion, 22¥0 Christian, 8 % Muslim, 2%
Sikh,1¥o Hindu, 30A other religions and 4Yo prefer not to say.
Our referrals come from a range of sources. The majority are self-refeTrals, and this is in
keeping with our ethos of enabling young people to direct access our service without requiring a
professional referral. Respecting and championing the autonomy of the young person is central
to our way of working with young people. Overall health sources contribute to 20% of our

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (contlnu6d)
Year anded 31 March 2025
referrals for the year and our other key referral source is education which ties in with our VK>rk in
schools, although we also receive referrals from school for our Tavistock Street counselling
ntre work. 380/0 of our clients self-referred,. 200k were referred by health., 21 Ok by education"
9% by familyfftiend. the remaining 12¥0 came from a mix of poli￿. social services, housing. job
centre and other voluntary agencies.
We continued to work in partnership with local supported living organisations, enabling us to
ach some of the most vulnerable young people in our community who have eXperIen￿d
relationship breakdowns and been part of a hidden community of sofa surfing or street living.
Many have a history of abuse, offending, drug or alcohol abuse and mental health issues and
counselling at this time can support them in managing the impact of the past and building
resilience and confidence for the future.
We are one of the only SeNi￿S offering specialist counselling to neurodivergent young people
in Bedfordshire. We deliver this Servi￿ both at our counselling centre and onsite sessions in
schools. 12.5% of our clients seen in the year were autistic and 9 % have ADHD. Adapting
working practices to meet the needs of individual neurodivergent clEnts is key to successful
working with this cohort of young people. To support this, we have delivered a range of CPD for
the team in the year including:
Rethinking Autism by Dr James ￿nkwOrth, lead dinKal psychokgist CAMHS.
This one-day training provided an overview on all core con￿pts provided in the National Autism
Training Programme (NATP). Dr James Winkworth delivers this training to full CAMHS teams,
to develop knowledge, skills and neuro affirming practices and extended this to our servi￿.
Other courses included
Managing Risk when wort(ing with neurodivergent clients
Ethical Dilemmas.. working with n8ur0div8￿ent clients
Understanding Autism
Worknng ¢￿atIvely with young people
Using the sand tray in therapeutic pTrctice
We worked in partnership with local authorities in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton to
provide mental health support for young unaccompanied asylum seekers, many of whom have
eXperIen￿d extreme trauma. The work involves specialist one to one counselling using
interpreters and creative groupwork. We also ran a two4ay summer retreat for this cohort of
young people.
In June 2023 we established the BOD POD our own weekly group I safe space. The group met
on a weekly basis. Over the year the programme of acts"vib"es has been co-produced with the
young people. A key Suc￿sS VRS the first young person-led campaign relating to eco-friendly
period products. For our 2024 AGM the group put together a display of their art and one of the
group members gave a short presentation on the benefits of the group.
We continue to work with a wide range of presenting issues and whilst we capture the
predominant issue for each client as part of our reporting it is important to note that all of the
young people we see have a complex range of issues that they are facing in their life and these
can result in a range of additional behaviours such as suicidal ideation, self- hamiing. use of
drugs and alcohol, engagement in criminal actNities and gangs, emtionally based school
avoidan￿, disordered eating, aggression and anger, withdrawal. selective mutism and others.
To ensure our counsellors are skilled to work with such a wide range of issues we are

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantse
Tru8tse8' Annual Report {Incorporatlng the Directorfs Report) (contlnue
Year ended 31 March 2025
committed to providing them with a wide range of CPD and training opportunities above and
beyond the mandatory training programme.
Counsellors have had sessions on issues such as
Working with Muslim clients
Working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people and interpreters
Shame and Honour in the South Asian Community
Gambling and Gambling Harm
Girls and Gangs
Suicide Risk and Safety Planning
Working Online (80 hour course)
All BOD team members are required to complete annual mandatory safeguarding training.
Managers are required to complete Designated Safeguarding Lead Training. Counsellors
complete Level 3 safeguarding children. Admin are required to complete Level 2 safeguarding
children. Everyone is required to complete Level 1 Safeguarding Everybody as it indudes
adults. Trustees are required to complete NSPCC Trustee Safeguarding training for chanty
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THE NEED FOR BEDFORDSHIRE OPEN DOOR SERVICES:
The need for our senfice has grown year on year and we retain an excellent reputation amongst local
young people and their families ft)r delivering a high-quality Se￿ICe. National research evidence
supports the need for improved, responsive mental health services for young people as they continue
to adjust to life following the impact of the pandemic in a context of global unrest, environmentsl
COn￿rnS and national economic problems. These factors all impact on individual young people and
their sense of security, stability and safety and, for some, has a significantly detrimental impact on
their mentsl health and wellbeing. Our role is to support the individual resilience and Confiden￿ of
local young people in a turbulent and unstsble national and global environment.
It is recognised that half of all mental health problems manifest by the age of 14, and 75°h by the age
of 24. An estimated one in three adult mental health conditions is associated with adverse childhood
experiences, including children who have experienced adversity and trauma. A post Covid report into

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limitsd by Guarantee
Trustees. Annual Report {Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (¢ontlnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Children and Young People's Mental Health (2021) , highlighted that services were experiencing not
only an increase in demand, but an increase in the severity and acuty of cases that were being
referred. High levels of need continue to be expertenced locally across Bedfordshire. The report noted,
even prior to the pandemic, li was well*stablished that ￿rtain groups of young people face a higher
risk of mental ill health. Young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to fa
mentsl distress; LGBTQ+ and trans. gender diverse young people are twice as likely as their peers to
report serious mental distress: young people from Black, Asian and minorty ethnic backgrounds often
struggle to access the services. particularly young black males.
The following statistics and research outline a stark and concerning picture of the need and challenges
faced by young people today. It gives a solid evidence base for the need for the work we do with
young people.
Mental Health in Bedford: A Research Study 2024 (Bedford Giving)
°Initial reSea￿h by The Ha￿ur Trust revealed that more than 60Yo of young people in Bedford
consider mental health to be a 'massive challenge." Other analyses support this.. the Thriving Places
Indexl identrfies mental health as a disbnct area of weakness for Bedford due to the prevalence of
depres￿On and lOng-te￿ mental health conditions. Govemm8nt data shows that since 2019,
Bedford's suicide rate has risen consistently and is now well above the national 8verage. National
research also reflects a similar pattem of issues and concems. Little direct data is available on the
number of people requiring mental health support in Bedford. However, we know that there are
approximately 43.000 people aged L%1 7 in 88dford, and around 19,000 aged 10-17 (IO% of Bedford's
population). If we 8ssum8 that mental health i&sues ar8 no more or less common in Bedford than
elsewhere in England. we can estimate that around 3,800 people aged 10-17 in Bedford require
support..
In the direct consultations with local young people undertaken by Bedford Glvlng as part of the above
research several young people specifically mentioned Bedfordshire Open Dwr as a positive service in
the k)cal landscape of mental health provision.
The Big Mental Health Report 20241MIND UK)
In England, it's estimated about 1 in 4 people will experien￿ a mental health problem at some
point each year.
Research shows that adults and young people alike feel their vrfellbeing is getting worse, with
adults also reportedly feeling lonelier. 7.8% of adults in the UK felt lonely '8lways or often, in
2024.
Young people and children are experiencing a number of difficulties with their mentsl health.
but the sep41￿S in the NHS and schools simply can't cope with the level of need.
1 in 5 school-age child or young person has a mental health difficulty. Only a third V￿re able
to aC￿sS treatment last year in England.
In England, 110h of 8-16 year olds with a mental health difficulty had missed more
than 15 days of school in 1 term.
Children and young people in England with a mental health difficulty were significantly more
likely to have been bullied online compared to those without.
Mind research suggests that things have started to backslide after years of improvements in
attitudes to mentsl health.
Mental health stigma and discrimination are found in the healthcare system too. And racisrn,
racial violence and hate crimes threaten the safety and mental wellbeing of many
communities.
Annual SuNey (Young Mlnds 2023124)

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (contlnuodj
Year ended 31 March 2025
In 2023, one in five children and young people aged elght to 25 had a probable mental health
condition. This number has been rising since 2017, most notably in the 17-19 age group.
The number of children and young Feople referred to emergency mentsl healthcare rose by
100A between 2023 and 2024, with many of these young people being stuck on waiting lists
for NHS support for months and years.
Suicide was the leading cause of death for people aged 5-35 In England in 2022. Around
three quarters were boys or young men.
Almost one third (32.80/0) of 17-24 year olds have self-harmed or attempted to self-hami at
some point. This rises significantFy to 89.50h of young people with a probable mental health
condition.
The cost of living in the UK places a huge strain on the mental health of young people, with a
huge 90 % of young people worrying about eaming enough money to support themselves.
One in five young people aged 8-25 had a probable mental health condition in 2023. It has
big impact on several areas of their lives. and can continue into adulthood.
Almost a third (300/0) of 11-16 year olds with a probable mental health condition missed
week or more of school in 2023 (compared to 10¥0 of their peers without a mental health
condition)1, and 740h of teachers believe that poor mental health is negatively impacting their
pupils, ability to learn.
850k of young people aged 8-16 with a probable mental health condition experienced regular
disruption to their sleep- and this rose to 96¥A of young people aged 17-23.
35% of 18-24 year olds in employment reported needing to take time off work due to poor
mentsl health or stress.
One third of mental health problems in adulthood are directly connected to an adverse
childhood experien￿ (ACE).
300￿ of 11-16 year olds with a probable mental health condition missed a week or more of
school in 2023.
Ifs gettlng harder for young people to access the support they neod..
In 2023124, there were 78,577 young people waiting over a year for mental health treat￿Ent
from the NH.S, with 440￿ of these were waiting over two years. This has risen significantly
since 2022123.8
Long waiting times for support have negative ConseqUen￿s. 59% of young people report their
mental health getting worse during the wait for support
Parent confldence In supportlng young people re: mental health (M&S l Young Minds 2025)
New research commissioned by M&S and Young Minds, UK national mental health charity for young
people, reveals a concerning gap betrween young people's needs and parents, confidence in
supporting them. 38 % of young people say they feel most comfortable turning to a parent or carer
when struggling with their mental health. Yet, 35% of parents say that the worry they'll make things
worse by talking about it makes it difficult to have the conversation, and 300/0 have avoided
conversations altogether because they're unsure what to say.
th 1 in 4 young people aged 16-24 now experiencing a common mental health condition[1]. the
need for open, supportive conversations at home has never been greater. However, over half of
parents (51 OA) admit to feeling judged when their chikl struggles, and 450A say they would benefit from
a guide to help them approach difficult topics.
The Blg Ask 2023 (The Chlldren Commlsslon•r UK)
More than half of young people with mentsl health disorders had no contact with mental heatth
services,. only 340/0 had at least tsvo contacts.

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (conllnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
320A of those referred for treatment did not receive it.
The averdge waiting time was 40 days, up from 32 the previous year.
Around 1 % of total NHS budget allocations were spent on mentsl health servi￿S for children
and young people- a total of £927 million.
FUNDING OVERVIEW:
We remain reliant on funding from grant making bodies and intemally generated fund-raising initiatives
to continue f￿ provision of one-tO￿ne counselling to young people in the 13-25 age group and on a
12-session therapeutic model.
The biggest risk for the future is that our core funders the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF)
have indicated that after our current 5 year grant, which tapers off in years 4 and 5, it is unlikely we will
re￿1ve a further substantial grant as we will have benefited from 11 years of funding and are advised
of the need to diversify our funding base and seek funding from statutory sources to support the
continuation of our work. However, the reality of securing funding from health sources is significantly
challenged due to extreme budget cuts for the bcal NHS services and CAMHS mental health
services. Commissioning opportunities are greatly reduced and during the period the East London
Foundation Trust took the Ioc21 tier 2 CAMHS wellbeing service in-house rather than procuring
communty-based delivery providers.
We deliver an essential early intervention and prevention service, one of a kind for young people
locally. and it is known that statutory services rely on our interventions as a key element of the servi
provision localty. If our capacity is reduced then this pla￿S young people at higher risk and moves
them into the need for ststutory health and scKial care servtces which will result in higher spend on
acute and inpatient Setvices. Investment in early support is critical to reducing the number of young
people at significant risk of suicide and self-ham in our community.
We are now in our second year of a 5-year NLCF grant.
We were successful in being awarded 8 3-year BBC Children in Need grant for V￿rk with
clients aged 1 &18.
The Harpur Trust has been a key supporter of our charity over the years. Their strategic
objective of funding successful, evidence based local voluntary services in the local
community has meant we have been able to secure funds to support our core serrfice and in
2024 we were awarded a further 2-year grant.
The Bedfordshire violen￿ & Exploitation Prevention Partnership (VEPP>. fomierly known as
the Bedfordshire violen￿ & Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), continued to support our
work with victims of crime and exploitation and those at risk with a further 1-year grant.
We have also received funding support from a range of other organisations and trusts and
extend our thanks and apprecFation to." Waitrose; The Rotary Club of Bedford Park., The
xamtree Trust,. the Gale Family Trust" the Panacea Charitable Trust; Bedford Academy;
Biddenham School, Bedford Counselling & Training, Bedford Charitable Trust and the
Clothworkers Foundation for their grants and donations towards our counselling work in the
year. V*le also thank and everyone who attended and supported our fundraising events and
those who kindly donated raffie prizes.
We are most grateful for a £5,000 legacy gift from the estate of Mr Donald Stevenson,
prevtous Trustee and a staunch supporter of our cause for many years. We appreciate and

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limitsd by Guarantee
Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Directoes Report) fcontlnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
thank all of the Friends of Bedfordshire Open Door for their ongoing support and regular
donations.
We are thankful to all the above funders and donors, and other individuals not mentioned and
those who have chosen to remain anonymous.
Investment policies and objectives
The Trustee Board has the power to invest or deposit monies not immediately required for its
purposes in any lawful manner whilst having regard to the suitability of investments and the need ft)r
diversification.
The charity will aim to invest any funds not expected to be needed in the short-term in deposit
accounts in order to achieve a return on those reserves. It is the policy of the charrty to spread the
reserves of the charity across several banks and building societies to provide maximum protection
from the Financial SeNices Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The charity will only deposit funds with
institutions covered by the FSCS.
No funds will be invested in sGhemes that cannot guarantee the return of the original investsnent or
where the original funds are in any way at risk.
No funds will be invested in schemes which require a noti￿ period of more than six months to
withdraw the funds.
Reserves policy
The Trustee Board have established a policy whereby the total unrestricted funds not invested in
tangible fixed assets, and not required to meet future budgeted expenditure, being the "free reserves.,
should be sufficient to support the future growth of the charity, support coping with the loss of
significant funding stream I donor, gaps in restricted funding, short-term cessation of project actNity
and redundancy. To mitigate the impact of a potential loss of funds on costs, Bedfordshire Open Door
employs part-time paid counsellors on short term contracts.
The Twstees have targeted a free reserve level of six months of operational cost {£170.000) and
£60,000 to cover the Ios5 of a significant donorlfunding stream. The trustees have taken account of
the fact that Bedfordshire Open Door owns a property with a purchase price of £224,000 in 2009 and
believe the propety to have increased in market value. At 31 st March 2025 the mortgage against this
propety was £20,365. The trustees have the option in an emergency to increase the mortgage
against the propety to increase free reserves.
Free reserves at March 31 st 2025 V￿re £174,621
Incoming resources and expenditure
Total income for the year increased 18°/0 from £287,516 in 2024, to £338,262 in 2025.
The proportion of income ￿CeIvable for restricted and unrestricted purposes represents was 89%
{2024: 89¥0) and 11 Oh (2024.. 110/0) respectively of the total incoming resources.
Overall, the results show a deficit for the year of £ {2.052) {2024): deficit of £ {53,916). At 31 March
2025, restricted fund balances totalled £355.933 (2024.. £371,623), of which £287,925 (2024:
£293,040) relates to the historic purchase of the Bedford Tavistock Street propety and subsequent
improvements, which was largely grant funded. Unrestricted fund balances totalled £174,621 {2024:
£160,983)
10

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantse
Tru8tse8' Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlrectorf8 Report) (conthiued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Plans for the Future Period..
The fandscape for funding is becoming increasingly challenging and this is coupled with the challenge
of retaining eXperIen￿d staff who are employed on short tsrm contracts due to funding generally
being allocated for one year. Vve are mindful of the continuing cost of living crisis and the effect this is
having on the voluntary sector, forcing some volunteers to prioritise paid work over volunteering. We
continue to strive to maximise income to enable us to meet the needs of young people in our
communty. INe are aware of increasing constraints within statutory and other voluntary sector
serrfices and the impending financial challenges faced nationally. bve are focused on ensuring the
sustainabilty of our service arKI the need to ensure core provision is adequately funded to ensure
stability in the future.
Next year is our 30th anniversary year and we plan to use this opportunty to tske positive steps to
ensure our organisational resilience for the next 30 yearsl We have a key objective of recruiting new
Trustees to develop a new strategic plan driven by the Board and management. The plan will focus
on fvture proofing the organisation WFth a structure fft for the future and a fvnding strategy to resource
and develop ongoing acts"vittes. To aid this plan, we have applied to the Cranfield Trust to undertake
their Journey to Excellencep prcwJramme which, by working with their pro bono management
consultancy. will help us to measure our organisation's progress. growth and success. also have
plans to diversity our funding streams to mitigate for grant funding we anticipate coming to an end over
the next 2-3 years.
We are updating our systems and improving efficiency through investment in a new databaselcase
management system tailored to the needs for our service.
The continued high demand and signposting through other agencies underpins our faith in our 12-
session counselling model. l*Ve continue to belleve in provlding a free service to all young people
between 13 and 25 years of age.
In a re￿nt letter The Harpur Trust stated..
'Thank you for your end of grant monitoring report and for updating us on your achievements and
challenges. The numbers of people and the hours of therapy provided is impressive. The high
percentage of self-referrals stood out demonstrating the centr81 role you play in the community and the
respect the community has for the charity.
A short Senten￿ summed up why having such serwces readily available to young people is so
important. °These sessions have helped me so much and Changed my lrfe..
The bedrock of our organisation is a strong voluntary ethos from the majority of our counsellors. These
can be people relatively new to counselling. looking to gain experience, or can be very eXperien￿d
professionals, wanting to give something back.
We have a solid reputation for providiro high quality. well supported student pla￿ments that include
clinical superrfision, clinical management and enhan￿d CPD to support the development of new
counsellors. We have extended our reach to more counselling training providers and the demand for
placements is high. In a dimate where the recruitment of qualified volunteers has become more
challenging, we have found this initiative to be an essential part of maintaining capacity and ensuring
our counselling team is suitably experienced in wotking with young people.
Extending our participation and engagement opportunities is a central theme for the coming year,
including providing volunteering and development opportunities to support young people in building
employabilty skills and experience. Our main forum for this will be via our BOD POD group.
11

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (¢ontInu￿)
Year ended 31 March 2025
As always, young people are at the heart of everything we do. We need to ensure their voices and
experiences are central to our all aspects of our delivery and development.
The trustees, annual report and the strategic report were approved on 16th October 2025 and signed
on behalf of the board of trustees by Sam Pear￿ (Chair):
Sam Pearce
Chair
12

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Bedfordshire Open Door
Year ended 31 March 2025
I report to the trustees on my examlnation of the financial ststements of Bedfordshire Open Door ('the
charty,) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responslbllltles and basls of report
As the trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are
responsible for the preparation of the financial ststements in accordance with the requirements of the
Companies Act 2006 (Yhe 2006 ACY).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16
of the 2CN)6 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of
the 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 2011 Act.
Independent examinerfs statement
Since the charty's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body
listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that l am qualified to undertake the examination
because l am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW),
which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection
with the examlnation glvlng me cause to believe:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the
2006 Act. or
the financial ststements do not accord with those records" or
the financial statements do not compty with the accounting requirements of section 396 of
the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which
is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination., or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordan￿ 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 of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concems 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.
Independent Examiner
Excel House
3 Duke Street
Bedford
MK403HR
£ffefJccountants
Excel House
3 Duke street
Bedford. Mk40 3HR
01234 860590
13

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Statement of Financial Activities
(including income and expenditure account)
Year ended 31 March 2025
2025
Restricted
funds Totsl funds Total funds
2024
Unrestricted
funds
Income and endowments
Donations and grants
Investment inc>)me
33,992
1.922
302.348
336,340
1,922
285,698
1,818
Total income
35,914
302,348
338.262
287,516
Expenditure
Expenditure on raising funds:
Costs of raising donations and
grants
Expenditure on charitable activities
Total expendlture
9.485
12.791
1.416
316,622
10,901
329,413
340,314
10,294
331,157
22,276
318,038
341,452
Net (expenditureyincome and net
movement in funds
13.637
{15,690)
(2.052)
(53.936)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carrled fO￿ard
160,983
174.620
371.623
355.933
532.606
586,542
530,554
532.606
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised In the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 18 to 26 fomi part of these financlal ststements.
14

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Statsment of Financial Position
31 March 2025
2025
2024
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
14
358,564
367.279
Debtors: amounts falling due after more than one year
15
252,137
282.829
Current assets
Debtors: amounts falling due within one year
Cash at bank and in hand
16
243.506
142.014
259,207
81,403
340,609
385,520
Credltors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year
Net current assets
17
198,612
186,907
797,608
168,408
172,201
Totsl assets les$ current liabilities
822,308
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
Net assets
18
267,054
530,554
289.702
532,606
Funds of the charity
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
355.934
174,620
371,623
160.983
Total charity funds
19
530,554
532,606
Of the restricted funds of £355,934 propety reseNes comprised 81 OA (2024: 790h)
For the year ending 31 March 2025, the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under secb'on 477
of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors, responsibilities:
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the
year in question in accordance with section 476.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act
with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
These financlal statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to
companies subject to the small companies, regime.
The statement of financial position
continues on the following page.
The notes on pages 18 to 26 fonn part of these financial statsments.
16

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantse
Statsment of Financial Position fcontlnuod)
31 March 2025
These financial ststements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 161h
October 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by..
S Pearce
Chair
/. L"AJVI IArt FL A
20*5
ceCAcco¥fftdnts
Excel House
3 Duke Street
Bedford. Mk40 3HR
01234 160590
The notes on pag88 18 to 26 forni part of th888 financial Statèments.
16

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Llmitsd by Guarantse
Statement of Cash Flows
Year ended 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Cash flows from operating activitie8
Net (expenditure)lincome
(2,052)
(53,748)
Adjustments for
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Other interest re￿1vable and similar income
Interest payable and similar charges
10,274
(1,922)
11,186
{1,818)
1,515
1,855
Changes in."
Accrued {income)lexpenses
Trade and other debtors, prepayments and accrued incxjme
Trade and other creditors
15,187
46,3g3
(2.333)
67,062
{162,814)
141,988
882
Cash generated from operations
(62,656)
Interest paid
Interest received
{1,515)
{1,855)
Net cash (used Inyfrom operating activities
65,547
{64,511)
Cash flows from Investlng actlvltles
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Purcha￿ of tangible assets
PrO￿edS from sale of tangible assets
Net cash used in investing activities
1,922
(1,560)
1,818
(1,436)
362
382
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings
Net cash used in financing activities
{5,298)
(5,298)
(4.958)
(4,958)
Net (decrease)fincrease in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equSvalents at beglnning of year
Cash and cash equSvalents at end of year
60,611
81,403
142,014
(69,088)
150,491
81,403
The notss on pages 18 to 26 fomi part of these financial statements
17

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statsments
Year ended 31 March 2025
General information
The charity is a public benefit enb'ty and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in
England and Iplales and a registered charity in England and Wales. The address of the
registered office is 120 Tavistock Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 2SA.
Statement of compliance
These financial statements hwde been prepared in Complian￿ with FRS 102, 'The Financial
Reporting Stsndard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland,. the Statement of
Recommended Practs'ce applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the
Financial Reporting Standard applicabk in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities
SORP (FRS 102}) and the Companies Act 2006.
Accountlng pollclos
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the
revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair
value through income or expenditure.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functs'onal currency of the entity.
Golng concern
There are no material uncertainties about the chaiity's ability to continue.
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements,
estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These eStI￿￿teS and judgements
are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors. including expectations
of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circUmstan￿s.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the
charity's purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future project or
commitinent.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or
through the tems of an appeal. and fall into one of two sub-classes.. restricted income fvnds or
endowment funds.
18

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (contlnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Accounting policies (contlnued)
Incomlng resources
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has
passed to the charity,. it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction
will flow to the charty and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specffic policies
are applied to particular categories of income..
income from donatv)ns or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the
gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entiUement is established.
income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is
impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor
or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and sendices are recognised in the
accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for
the contribution of general volunteers.
income from contracts for the supply of seNices is recognised with the delivery of the
contracted servi￿. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual
requirement for it to be spent on a particular purpose and returned rf unspen[ in which case
it may be regarded as restricted.
Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liabilty is incurred. Expendlture includes any
VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of
financial actNities to which it relates..
expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, non-
charitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking
activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries. including those
support costs and costs relating to the govemance of the charty apportioned to charitable
activities.
other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the
charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs
attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned
between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.
Tanglble assets
Tanglble assets are initlally recorded at cost. and subsequently stated at cost less any
accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Any tsngible assets carried at revalued
amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluatlon less any subsequent
accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
19

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continu￿)
Year ended 31 March 2025
An increase in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of a revaluation. is recognised in other
recognised gains and losses, unless it reverses a charge for impainnent that has previousty been
recognised as expenditure within the statement of financial activities. A decrease in the carrying
amount of an asset as a result of revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses,
except to which it offsets any previous revaluation gain, in which case the loss is shown within
other recognised gains and losses on the statement of financial activities.
Depreclation
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual
value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows..
Freehold propety
lrnprovernents to property
Fixtures and fittings
Computer equipment
0% and 20/0 Straight line
2% and 100h straight line
15Yo and 20% straight line
33Yo Straight line
20

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limitsd by Guarantse
Notes to the Flnanclal Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Limited by guarantee
The company is limited by guarantee and does not have share capital. Details of the guarantees
provided by each Trustee is provided in the Report of the Trustees.
Donation8 and legacies
Unrestn'cted
FurKIs
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2025
Donations
Donations
33,992
302,348
336,340
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2024
Donations
Donations
30,867
254,831
285,698
21

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limitsd by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (eontlnued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Investment Income
Unrestricted Total Funds Unrestricted Total Funds
Funds
2025
Funds
2024
Income from investment properties
Bank interest receivable
1,922
1,922
1,922
1,922
1,818
1,818
1,818
1,818
Costs of rdlslng donatlons and grants
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2025
Costs of raising donations and grants
9,485
1,416
10,901
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2024
Costs of raising donations and grants
6,186
4,108
10.294
Expendlture on charftsble actlvftles by fund type
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2025
Charitable activities
Governance costs
21,256
1,020
22,276
318,038
339,294
1,020
340,314
318,038
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted Total Funds
Funds
2024
Charitable activities
Governance costs
10,643
1,020
11,663
329,789
340,432
1.020
329,789
341,452
Expendlturo on charitsblo activities by activlty type
Activities
undertaken
directly
Support Totsl funds
costs
2025
Total fund
2024
Charitable activities
Goveman￿ costs
339.294
339,294
1,020
340,432
1,020
341,452
1,020
339.294
1,020
340,314
22

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements {conelnu•d)
Year ended 31 March 2025
10. Net (expenditureyincome
Net (expenditure)lincome is stated after chargingl(crediting):
2025
2024
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
10,275
11,336
11. Independent examlnatlon fees
2025
2024
Fees payable to the independent examiner for.
Independent examination of the financial ststements
Other assurance ServI￿S
1,020
805
1,020
600
1.825
1.620
12. Staff costs
The total stsff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows..
2025
2024
Vlkages and salaries
260,213
261,349
The average full time equivalent head count of employees during the year was 7sl (2024: 8). The
average number of full-time equivalent employees during the year is analysed as follows:
2025
No.
2024
No.
Number of staff - office
Number of staff - counselling
All stsff are employed on a part time basis by Bedfordshire Open Door and the majority of
counsellors undertake their roles voluntarily. The average number of part-time employees during
the year was 13 (2024: 14)
13. Trustee remun•ratlon and expenses
No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity were
received by the trustees.
Trustees were paid in total of £135 relating to a safeguarding course & a training coun8e.
23

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
14. Tangible fixed assets
New
Constwction
Freehold Plant and
Fixtures
propety machinery and fittings Equipment
Total
Cost
At 1 April 2024
Disposals
Additions
324,097
162.116
20,448
8.750 515,411
1,560
1,560
8.750 516.971
At 31 March 2025
324,097
162,116
20,448
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024
Disposals
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2025
67.230
56.253
19,361
5.289 148,133
4.482
3.603
1.686
10,274
6,975 158.407
71,712
59,856
19,865
Carrylng amount
At 31 March 2025
1,560
252,385
102,260
105,863
583
1,775 358,564
3,461 367,279
At 31 March 2024
256,867
1.087
1 S. Debtors: falling due after more than one year
2026
2024
Prepayments and accrued income
252,137
282,289
16. Debtors: falling due within one year
2025
2024
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
6.750
251,291
1,166
259.207
240,823
2,683
243,506
17. Creditors: amounts falling due wlthln one year
2025
2024
Bank loans and overdrafts
Accruals and deferred income
Social security and other taxes
5.448
189.783
3.381
198,612
4,349
158,533
5,526
168,408
24

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limitsd by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (conthiued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
18. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
2025
2024
Bank loans and overdrafts
Accruals and deferred income
14,917
252,137
21,314
268,388
267,054
289,702
Bank loans and overdrafts relate to a mortgage ban secured against the propety at 120
Tavistock Streed, Bedford.
25

Bedfordshire Open Door
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Ststements (contiiiued)
Year ended 31 March 2025
19. Analysls ol charftablo funds
Unrestricted funds
(All amounts stated in GBP)
At 1 April
2024
Income Expenditure
At 31 March
2025
Unrestrlctsd funds
General - Other
160,983
35,914
(22.276)
174,621
Restricted funds
Property Funds
293.040
(5,115)
287.925
Non4>roperty Funds
The National Lottery Community Fund
BBC Children in Need
V*hamtree Trust
Gale Family Charity Trust
Harpur Trust
Biddenham International School
Bedford Academy
Panacea Charitable Trust
Rotary Club of Bedford Park
VERU
CAMHS Direct Referrals
Other- Waitrose
Other Anonymous
Frank Branston Fund
Clothworkers Foundatlon
House of Industry
Bedford Coun5elling & Training
Bedford Charitable Trust
5.001
114,281
(117,280)
2,002
10,000
(10,000)
(6,628)
(38,673)
(13,807)
113,521)
(4,167)
{11,217)
124,000)
(29,633)
(785)
(4,279)
{10,000)
{1,560}
(27,372)
6,628
1,078
9,900
9,900
4,187
11,217
37,595
14,800
14,500
10,893
10,879
45,500
21,500
29,633
1,200
6,000
10,000
10,900
27,372
5,200
5,000
415
2.780
1,059
9,340
5.200
5.000
Total Non-Propety Funds
78,583
302,348
(312,921)
68,009
Total Restricted
371,623
302,348
(318,036)
355,934
Total Funds
532,606
338,262
(340,314)
530,554
Propety funds represent funds already spent on purchasing 120 Tavistock Street, Bedford.
Expenditure against Property funds relates solety to annu81 depreciation.
26