2023-08-31-accounts

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Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 August 2023

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity (a company limited by guarantee)

Registered Charity No. 1064646

Registered Company No. 3432423 (England and Wales)

Formerly known as: ‘The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre’

	Page
Report of the Trustees	2 to 29
Report of the Independent Auditors	30 to 32
Statement of Financial Activities	33 to 34
Balance Sheet	35
Cash Flow Statement	36
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement	37
Notes to the Financial Statements	38 to 47

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 August 2023 Charity information and reference details

Registered Charity Number 1064646 Registered Company Number 3432423 (England and Wales) Patron HRH Princess Beatrice Vice-Patron Susan Hampshire CBE Trustees (Directors) Michael-John Albert BCom (Hons), CA(SA), CA – Chair Laura Anthony BA (Hons), ATII Tom Arkell – resigned 4.2.23 Joanna Dunbar-Webb BA (Hons), LLB, Dip Psych, MA, CIPD Jennie Guise MA (Hons), BSc (Hons), MBA, MSc, PhD, PGCPSE, AMBDA FE/HE, MEd, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, FHEA, SpLD APC (Patoss), EuroPsy – appointed 1.12.23 Tim Harrison – resigned 6.9.22 Gary Hay BA (Hons), MBA Simon Hepher MRICS Jonathan Hetherington BA (Hons), MSc (Ed), QTS Geraldine Price PhD, MA (Special Education), BA, RSA Dip. SpLD, RSA Dip. TESL, AMBDA, SpLD APC – resigned 18.11.23 Gavin Reid PhD, MA, M.App.Sci, Med, Bed, AMBDA, AssocFBPS – appointed 4.2.23; resigned 22.6.23 Mike Sicely BA (Hons), ACA – appointed 4.2.23 Alison Sutton Pete Watson BSc (Hons) Chief Executive Andy Cook MA (Cantab) Registered Office Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity 24, West Street Farnham Surrey GU9 7DR Web site www.helenarkell.org.uk Auditors Shaw Gibbs Audit Ltd* 264 Banbury Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 7DY Bankers Lloyds Bank, 25 Gresham Street, London. EC2V 7HN

*Shaw Gibbs Audit Ltd acquired HPCA Ltd, the Charity’s previous auditors, during the year.

Report of the Chair of the Trustees

I am delighted to present my first report as Chair of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity. There is a lot to be excited about and celebrate in this 2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements. Firstly, one of the critical elements when you take on any fiduciary role is to leave things in a better place than when you took them on. My job has been made so much easier as a result of the outstanding contribution from the outgoing Chair, Gary Hay. I would like to thank Gary for all his tireless work, never wavering optimism and energy as he, together with the Helen Arkell team, navigated through the toughest challenge our charity has faced as a result of the Covid pandemic.

Where, therefore is Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity today…

our support for people with dyslexia is at the highest levels in our history.
we have a strong, deeply knowledgeable and committed team.
we are financially resilient with unrestricted reserves within our target range.
we have a brand that is widely recognised as delivering the highest quality of service.
we have an advanced online booking and scheduling system.
we have excellent strategic partnerships that are expected to flourish in the next few years.
our geographical footprint and outreach are continuing to expand.

A few highlights below from 2023 that underpin the assessment above:

4,148 people were touched by our work this year, nearly double the 2,767 from 2022.
1,617 people received 1:1 support through assessments, tuition, coaching, consultations, and personalised learning (up 17% on the prior year).
2,531 people attended our various courses up a significant 83% on the prior year.
A record breaking 504 people received bursary funded support amounting to £272,000.
18% of our assessments were conducted online with more than half being done across the UK.
We provided support in 38 counties across the UK.
Our teacher training increased, with 37 students on our Level 5 Diploma and 18 students on our Level 7 Diploma (we received excellent feedback on our courses from external moderators).

This year we were again able to demonstrate how every penny we received is used to good effect and directly impacts people’s lives and that for me is the key message. Each donation, legacy, grant or funding support matters and enables the Charity to improve the lives of people with dyslexia.

Whilst this year has been a good one and we have delivered record results in several areas, there is more to do if we are to achieve our vision of a world in which people with dyslexia are empowered to achieve their goals. To do this will continue to need the support of the wider Helen Arkell community and especially our generous donors and sponsors whose contributions are greatly appreciated. A special thank you to the Constable Educational Trust for the donation last year that enabled us to directly increase our bursary spend in the current year and to the Arkell family this year for their most generous contribution. Going forward, partnerships and strategic alliances will become ever more important and we are looking forward to working with Theo Paphitis and Ryman Limited in raising awareness about dyslexia.

As I said at the start of this report, Helen Arkell has withstood its biggest challenge in the recent past from Covid and emerged a stronger organisation. The repayment of the Coronavirus Business

Interruption Loan (CBIL) underscores our financial resilience as does the fact that all our reserves are fully backed by cash and deposits. It therefore seemed an appropriate time to take stock and revisit our vision, mission and purpose and reconsider the Charity’s strategy for the next three to five years.

The Trustees and Senior Management Team convened a Strategy Day, and I was overwhelmed by the energy, excitement and abundance of ideas that were presented. Our updated vison, mission, values and newly added purpose can be found at www.helenarkell.org.uk/about-us/vision. The full strategy document is available on request.

In my view a clearly defined purpose is crucial for our future success and our purpose is to empower children and adults with dyslexia.

Building on solid foundations our strategy has at its core a desire to provide an ever broader and deeper offer of support to people with dyslexia and those around them, regardless of ability to pay. Our goal is to increase the reach and impact of our support with a fuller breadth and depth of service. Such growth requires secure operational and financial underpinning, and good relationships with potential partners that can help us achieve our aims.

To ensure that our strategic objectives are met the Board has identified a series of portfolios to be managed by the leadership team and Trustees (as volunteers). Each team has identified guiding objectives and are busy prioritising and implementing detailed action plans for each portfolio. This approach allows Trustees to contribute to the strategy in a meaningful way using their diverse talents and skills.

There have been a few notable changes to the Board of Trustees this year and to date. We bid a sad farewell to Geraldine Price and Gavin Reid, both leaving for personal reasons, and I would formally like to record our appreciation for the technical guidance and support that they have provided to the Charity over the years of their involvement. A special thanks to Tom Arkell for his work on the Board and helpful input into the IT strategies of the Charity and finally to Tim Harrison for his invaluable ability to get to the core of issues and never failing to call things as he saw them, which was particularly needed during Covid. We are pleased to welcome Mike Sicely as a Trustee and, post year end, we are delighted that Jennie Guise has joined the Board and we look forward to her technical views and insights going forward.

It is the whole Helen Arkell team that have worked tirelessly to deliver what has been in many ways an historic year for the Charity. On behalf of the Board, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation!

In these tough and uncertain economic times, the need to support people with dyslexia remains in high demand and we do need more funding for bursaries, tuition, and teacher training. We therefore say a big thank you to those who have supported us in the year, and I will end with a final ask: there is more to do and we will need all your help and support going forward if we are to achieve our mission of removing barriers to learning, employment and life for people with dyslexia, by providing expert personal and life-changing support.

31 January 2024

............................................................. Date……............................…

Michael-John Albert Chair of Trustees

Report of the Trustees for year ended 31 August 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 August 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 2019).

Governing document

The Charity is controlled by its governing documents, comprising its Memorandum and Articles of Association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Directors and Trustees

The Directors of a Charitable Company stand in place of the Trustees for the purposes of Charity Law, and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the Trustees. The Trustees at the date of this report and who served during the year are listed on page two.

The following trustees resigned within the year:

Tom Arkell – resigned 4.2.23 Tim Harrison – resigned 6.9.22

Geraldine Price PhD, MA (Special Education), BA, RSA Dip. SpLD, RSA Dip. TESL, AMBDA, SpLD APC – resigned 18.11.23

Gavin Reid PhD, MA, M.App.Sci, Med, Bed, AMBDA, AssocFBPS – resigned 22.6.23

The following trustees were appointed during the year:

Gavin Reid PhD, MA, M.App.Sci, Med, Bed, AMBDA, AssocFBPS – appointed 4.2.23 Mike Sicely BA (Hons), ACA – appointed 4.2.23

Jennie Guise MA (Hons), BSc (Hons), MBA, MSc, PhD, PGCPSE, AMBDA FE/HE, MEd, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, FHEA, SpLD APC (Patoss), EuroPsy was appointed soon after the year-end, on 1.12.23.

One fifth of the Trustees are obliged to offer their resignation at every 5[th] Annual General Meeting. This rule applied at the AGM for the accounts to the year ending 2022, and accordingly it is noted that Tom Arkell and Gary Hay offered their resignation at the AGM, with Gary Hay then offering himself for re-election and being duly re-appointed for a year. This rule shall next apply at the AGM for the accounts to the year ended 2027.

We thank Tom Arkell, Tim Harrison and Geraldine Price for their outstanding contributions during their terms of office and to Gary Hay for agreeing to stay on for another year. We were very sad to lose Gavin Reid from the Board so soon after his appointment, due to personal reasons. We wish him and his family all the very best.

Trustees are appointed based on having the necessary and relevant skills to offer help and guidance to the Chief Executive and staff of the Charity.

New Trustees undergo an induction programme to introduce them to the Charity, their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Board decision-making process, the Strategic Plan and recent financial performance of the Charity. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these

will facilitate the undertaking of their respective roles, and to participate in events that are run by the Charity. We are satisfied that the trustee body is afforded ample training in order to fulfil its duties and responsibilities.

No Trustee has any beneficial interest in the company. All Trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of winding up.

Each year, after due consideration, the Trustees approve a budget presented by management for income and expenditure for the coming year as well as reviewing the Charity’s reserves in relation to its reserves policy. Trustees approve policies and monitor their execution through reports from management at quarterly Trustees’ meetings.

The Trustees are responsible for setting the remuneration of the Chief Executive in the light of prevailing economic conditions.

About dyslexia

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills needed for accurate and fluent reading, writing and spelling. Dyslexia can also affect ‘working memory’, cognitive processing and organisational skills. There are many other symptoms and no two people with dyslexia are the same. Dyslexia can range from mild to severe, and affects people regardless of intellectual ability. Dyslexia is highly hereditary, and affects 1 in 10 people in the UK.

Children and adults with unsupported dyslexia are more likely to suffer low self-esteem, low confidence, to have negative associations with education and achieve fewer qualifications, to become unemployed when leaving school, and to make negative life-choices. (People with dyslexia are twice as likely to end up in prison or young offender institutes).

Support

If correctly supported, people with dyslexia can thrive in life, particularly life after school, where their ability to see the world differently can be a positive asset. Famous, ‘successful’ dyslexics such as Richard Branson are good examples. The more such people speak openly about their dyslexia, the more their examples will serve to encourage others. Key dyslexic strengths are well-documented and it is becoming increasingly acknowledged that these strengths will become particularly valuable in tomorrow’s workplace.

Our role

At Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity we believe that the first step in helping people with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties to maximise their opportunities, is to gain better selfunderstanding by means of specialist dyslexia assessments with personalised recommendations for appropriate ways forward. The second step is to implement these recommendations, ensuring the individual gains access to the extra help they need, either with one-off adjustments or programmes of on-going specialist support. The third step is to up-skill and educate teachers, classroom assistants, parents, employers and members of the public so that they are better able to provide support to people with dyslexia.

Outcomes for beneficiaries include:

improved self-awareness, with better understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses
improved self-empowerment
improved access to practical specialist support and ‘reasonable adjustments’
improved self-confidence and mental well-being

improved literacy and attitude to learning
reduced frustration
reduced anxiety
improved life-opportunities

Currently, it is difficult for families from lower-income backgrounds to access the help they need, both because of availability of high quality service and because diagnostic assessments and specialist tuition are expensive.

At Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity we aim to remove these barriers, helping dyslexic children and adults to thrive in today’s world and prevent their talent from being wasted.

A key aim is to provide bursary-funded support to increasing numbers of beneficiaries from lowerincome backgrounds. On average, a donation of £596 can provide an individual with the help they need, to change their life for the better and find a new positive way forward that maximises their potential.

Where beneficiaries can afford to pay for the service, or feel able to make a contribution towards costs, this is accepted, as it means that restricted bursary funds can benefit more of those people who need it most.

Objects and activities

Our Objects

The charitable objects of the Charity, as set out in its Memorandum of Association*, are:

a) “to provide for the care, education and treatment of persons suffering from dyslexia or any other related specific learning disability”;
b) “to further the education of the public, teachers and other related professions about dyslexia and other related specific learning disabilities and to educate and train the public, teachers and other related professions about the care, education and treatment of such persons”;
c) “to carry out research into dyslexia and other related specific learning disabilities and to disseminate the useful results of such research”.

Our Vision

Our vision is a world in which people with dyslexia are empowered to achieve their goals.

Our Mission

Our mission is to remove barriers to learning, employment and life for people with dyslexia, by providing expert, personal and life-changing support.

Our Purpose

Our purpose is to empower children and adults with dyslexia.

The wording of the objects that were registered when the Charity was founded reflects the language that was in use at that time.

Putting people with dyslexia at the heart of everything we do

Our activities

We achieve our mission through the following main activities:

i) by providing specialist consultations and assessments to children and adults to determine whether dyslexia or other related specific learning difficulties are playing a part in preventing them reaching their full potential. Advice is then provided to determine the best way forward for the individual concerned. These life-changing sessions are conducted by qualified Helen Arkell specialist assessors and registered educational psychologists;

ii) by providing 1:1 coaching, tuition and skills-building to children and adults who have been identified as affected by dyslexia. These sessions are delivered by our qualified specialist staff;

iii) by providing specialist training to teachers, teaching assistants and other interested parties such that they become qualified to support children in schools and local communities. We are a registered training centre for teachers and teaching assistants wishing to specialise in the support of pupils with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties.

In addition, we:

provide advice, help and teaching to parents whose children are/may be on the spectrum for dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties
provide specialist dyslexia awareness training to workplaces who employ people with dyslexia
provide specialist dyslexia awareness training to schools through in-service and other training days

run a variety of specialist courses including touch typing courses for children with dyslexia, Spotlight workshops covering a variety of topics, and ‘Supporting Learners’ courses for teachers and teaching assistants; GCSE preparation courses and a variety of other courses for children, young people and adults with dyslexia, as well as for other interested parties who either work or live with someone with dyslexia.

Geographical spread

Our main operating base over recent decades has been near Farnham, close to the Surrey/Hampshire border, largely accessing people in the nearby counties.

In furtherance of our Strategic Plan, we have expanded on our Mission to access a much larger footprint.

There are now eight venues at which beneficiaries may access face-to-face support, (2022: 5) including our original base in Farnham, plus others in Amesbury, Bath, Blackheath, Chiswick, Salisbury, Oxford and Yeovil.

Residents of 38 different counties of the UK received 1:1 support from us in 2023 (2022: 27)

Achievements and performance

Summary

We grew our charitable activity significantly during the year, extending our services to 4,148 beneficiaries (2022: 2,767), which represents a 50% increase on the prior year.

Of the above, 1,617 received 1:1 support (2022: 1,387), which represents a 17% increase on the prior year.

In total, a record breaking 504 people benefitted from bursary-funded support. 456 individuals from lower-income backgrounds received specialist help amounting to £238,000, which represents an 89% increase on the prior year. In addition, 48 State School teachers and teaching assistants received bursary-funded dyslexia related training.

2,531 beneficiaries attended our various courses (2022: 1,380), which represents an 83% increase on the prior year.

In comparison, the Charity’s annual expenditure only increased by 5% on the prior year, despite cost of living and inflation having increased during the year. We have worked hard to implement efficiency savings in order to achieve the above.

We paid back our Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL) in full.

We now describe progress that was made this year specifically in relation to the ‘plans for the future period’ that were detailed in last year’s Annual Report and Financial Statements, all of which were successfully achieved.

Our targets set last year were as follows:

Target 1: In line with our mission to remove barriers to learning and life for people with dyslexia by providing expert, personal and life-changing support, we aim to increase the numbers of people with dyslexia whom we help during the year ending August 2023, subject to Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Outcome:

We succeeded in supporting a total of 4,148 beneficiaries during the year, with our various services (2022: 2,767).

Of the above beneficiaries, 1,617 received 1:1 support for their dyslexia during the year (2022: 1,387) through our team of specialist staff and educational psychologists, by means of 1:1 assessments, consultations, coaching and tuition. It is pleasing to have supported 17% more people in this way than in the previous year, as so many individuals with dyslexia needed our help, having struggled during recent periods of home-schooling and lockdowns caused by Covid-19.

Assessments, coaching, consultations, and tuition sessions were again offered as an online service, via video call, if this suited the client, resulting in 18% of services being delivered in this way. This is a growing area of our activity.

87% of our beneficiaries during the year were children and young people, and 13% were adults (2022: 9%), reflecting our determination to be available to people with dyslexia at any stage of their lives.

Of our 1,617 beneficiaries of 1:1 support, 1,227 received assessments and 390 received 1:1 tuition, coaching, skills-building and consultations. Our team of specialist tutors provided 4,466 1:1 coaching sessions throughout the year.

Of those beneficiaries who were provided with assessments, 932 people were assessed by Helen Arkell specialist assessors and 295 were assessed by our team of educational psychologists.

During the year assessments were provided at the following venues: 46% at the Charity’s head office (2022: 62%) 23% in situ in schools (2022: 11%) 18% via video call (2022: 10%)

8% at the Charity’s London venues (2022: 8%) 3% at the Charity’s Oxford venue (2022: 6%)

2% at assorted other venues including the Charity’s Amesbury, Bath, Salisbury and Yeovil venues and the homes of assessors.

Target 2: We aim to progress Year 2 of three projects for which funding of £300,000 has specifically been provided by a generous donor in the 2021 financial year. These consist of: (i) further developing the fundraising team; (ii) providing bursary-funded support to individuals from lower-income backgrounds; (iii) providing specialist dyslexia training to teachers and teaching assistants working in the State School sector.

Outcome:

We met all aspects of this target by completing our identified objectives for the three projects as follows:

Project 1: development of fundraising team. Thanks to funding from The Aegis Trust we further developed the fundraising team by appointing a Supporter Engagement Officer, with the aim of building voluntary income from individuals, Friends of Helen Arkell, major donors and legacies so that in the longer term we will be able to support more people with dyslexia regardless of their ability to pay. A combination of this investment and the immense generosity of donors saw the Charity record total fundraising income from donations, legacies and events of £444,406 during the year (see Treasurer’s Report, page 25)

Project 2: provision of bursary-funded support to beneficiaries from lower-income backgrounds.

By the end of the year, 139 individuals from lower-income backgrounds had been allocated the help they required, thanks specifically to the generosity of The Aegis Trust, with 60 supported in the 22/23 financial year. These individuals were all struggling financially and would not have been able to access the help they required, without bursary funding provided by The Aegis Trust. In addition, another 396 individuals received bursary-funded support during the year, thanks to the generosity of other donors (see Target 3, below).

Project 3: provision of specialist dyslexia training to teachers and teaching assistants working in

the State School sector. By the end of the year, a total of 92 State School teachers and teaching assistants had undertaken free training with us, to provide them with expertise to better support dyslexic learners in their classrooms within the State School Sector, with 48 having done so in the 22/23 financial year. 78 of these educationalists received training via the Charity’s 6-week Supporting Learners course (41 in 22/23), and another 14 underwent the Charity’s year-long Level 5 Diploma in Teaching Learners with Dyslexia/SpLD (seven in 22/23).

We are utterly indebted to the generosity of The Aegis Trust for sponsoring all three of these projects, over the last two years. In total their support has amounted to £300,000, which is the largest single donation received by the Charity in all its history. Thank you for helping us to achieve our Mission!

Target 3: We plan to provide bursary-funded specialist support to even more people with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds in the year ending August 2023 than we did in the previous year (2022: 271 individuals).

Outcome:

Whilst we are delighted to have significantly outperformed this target, we are only sorry that there are so many people with dyslexia who are struggling so badly and in need of our help, which makes us all the more determined to expand our services over the coming years. This year we allocated

record-breaking amounts of bursary-funded support to 504 people in total. Of these, 456 individuals from lower-income backgrounds received bursary-funded support at a cost of £238,422 (2022: £126,095 to 271 individuals). These individuals received whatever specific services they required, on a case-by-case basis, including dyslexia assessments, coaching and tuition, consultations and attendance on courses. In addition, 48 State School teachers and teaching assistants received bursary-funded dyslexia related training (See Target 2, above).

19% of beneficiaries who were assisted with 1:1 support through our bursary system were adults, typically out of work or on lower incomes and on benefits, who believed that dyslexia was preventing them from finding work or achieving the career success that they hoped for.

81% of recipients of our 1:1 bursary-funded support during the year were children. In all cases, their families were already struggling to make ends meet financially, without also considering the extra requirement to source specialist support for their children, to address their suspected dyslexia. The majority of the children we supported through the bursary system were from single-parent families, typically with the parent or carer out of work, or on lower income, on a variety of benefits and in debt. We also supported a number of children who were in foster care due to a variety of complex domestic issues.

All applications to our bursary system were carefully assessed by the Bursary Review Panel before a decision was made regarding the degree of assistance that would be provided. The degree of need of each individual, and their financial circumstances, were considered on a case-by-case basis.

In line with our strategic plans, we aim to further increase our support of people from lower-income backgrounds in the coming years. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significantly increased applications for our bursary-supported help, partly due to dyslexic children and adults having struggled during periods of home-schooling and working from home, away from their normal support systems, and partly because of financial difficulties resulting from furlough, pay cuts, redundancies and the cost of living crisis facing families in the current highly inflationary environment.

We recognise that it is only because of the generosity of our donors that we are able to provide bursary-funded specialist support. We are indebted to all who made contributions to our work this year, enabling us to support our beneficiaries in this way.

Target 4: We aim to put in place a new website, with the help of generous pro bono support

that has been offered by a local company. This is through necessity, as the old website has become obsolete. Through our website, and all our communications, are main aim will be to fulfill our mission of reaching out to ever-increasing numbers of people with dyslexia.

Outcome:

Thanks to the generous pro bono expertise of the Delivered Social team in Guildford, we succeeded in putting a new website in place during the year. As mentioned previously, this was a necessity rather than a ‘nice to have’ and we are entirely indebted to Jonathan and his team for guiding us through the process of developing the new site, with which we are delighted. Thank you Delivered Social!

Target 5: We will welcome the first cohort of students to participate in our new-look, updated Level 7 Diploma Course in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties. This has been developed with consideration for new-found ways of supporting dyslexic learners in the post-Covid environment.

Outcome:

We are delighted that 18 candidates participated in our new-look Level 7 Diploma Course in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties. We pride ourselves on providing a high level of support and supervision to our students, which we hope gives them confidence to go out and practice what they have learned following graduation, so that countless individuals with dyslexia can benefit from their expertise, either in the classroom or in life in general. We are encouraged by the fact that feedback from our candidates was overwhelmingly positive. The following is an excerpt from the comprehensive report written by the External Quality Assurance verifier of our courses.

“All areas considered were judged to be of high quality. HADC runs a high-quality course that extends the skills of teachers of children with SpLD to diagnostic assessment of SpLD. Again, the course is rigorous and shares with candidates the centre’s considerable expertise in assessing… The course deserves to be deemed ‘the gold standard'.”

Whilst we are delighted that we are frequently referred to as providing the ‘Gold Standard’ of training, we do not take this for granted, and we work hard for continuous improvement in this everdeveloping field.

Target 6: We will continue to closely monitor income and expenditure during the coming year, at a time when considerable financial uncertainty still exists in the world at large, with the cost of living crisis affecting so many individuals and organisations in the world at large, with events in Ukraine continuing to cause great concern. The Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee (FAIR) will continue to meet regularly throughout the year.

Outcome:

We are pleased to have managed our budgets successfully so that we helped record numbers of beneficiaries in the year as detailed above, largely thanks to the generosity of our donors. At the same time we strengthened our financial position, and recovered further from the depletion of our reserves that took place during the pandemic. The Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee (FAIR) continued to meet regularly through the year to assess the potential financial impact of geopolitical uncertainty, increased interest rates and inflation, and the effect of this on the cost of living and, importantly, our own operating costs. FAIR was responsive, revising and updating our financial plans in order to contain costs as far as possible in the inflationary environment. Despite the financial challenges that existed in the world at large, we ended the year having strengthened our levels of reserves, and meeting our defined target range). We ended the year in a strong position to help more beneficiaries in the year ahead.

A full description of the Charity’s financial position can be found in the Treasurer’s Report, page 25.

Additional activities in pursuit of our Mission:

In addition to meeting our plans above, as set out in last year’s Annual Report and Financial Statements, we also achieved the following activities this year:

Providing dyslexia-related courses to 2,531 attendees. 2,531 people attended our various courses during the year, as described below (2022: 1,380).
Providing inservice training in dyslexia awareness to 324 school representatives. 324 teachers, learning support assistants and parents attended a total of 8 in-service days provided by our specialist staff at a variety of different schools, learning how to more effectively support pupils with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
Providing a FAST Project (Families and Schools Together) to one school that was in need of our assistance. 61 teachers, teaching assistants and parents and five learners from Northmead Junior School benefitted from our specialist assistance during the year. This project was generously sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, to whom we are indebted.
Providing the Helen Arkell year-long Level 5 Diploma in Teaching Learners with Dyslexia/SpLD to 37 students. A total of 37 teachers, teaching assistants and other interested parties enrolled for this course, all of whom successfully graduated at the end of the year. Our thanks again go to The Aegis Trust for sponsoring seven State School teachers through this course. As mentioned in Target 5 above, an additional 18 candidates successfully graduated from our new-look Level 7 Diploma in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/SpLD.
Providing a variety of short courses in dyslexia-related matters to 222 attendees. A total of 222 people attended short dyslexia and SpLD-related courses in the year, including Study Skills, Touch Typing and Supporting Learners with Dyslexia, and how to better support children with ADHD and other issues. Our thanks again go to The Aegis Trust for sponsoring many State School teachers and teaching assistants through the Supporting Learners courses, for the second year running.
Providing the HELP Parents course to 99 people who have children with dyslexia. 99 people attended our HELP Parents courses throughout the year, specifically designed to provide useful hints and tips to parents (and grandparents) who have dyslexic children. As with all our courses, these have been switched to online provision since the pandemic, for improved ease of access. Many of these participants were specifically from lower income backgrounds and benefitted from bursary-funded support.
Providing dyslexia awareness training to 411 employees within the workplace. We continued to provide dyslexia awareness training to workplaces, as well as ad hoc support when our specialist advice was required. 411 employees benefitted from this training, which included our popular Lunch & Learn sessions as well as bespoke training tailored to the workplace’s specific requirements. This year we worked with companies including Capgemini, euNetworks, the General Medical Council, Help for Heroes, Lily’s Kitchen and Pinsent Masons LLP.

Providing Spotlight workshop sessions to 1,359 participants. 1,359 people joined us to improve their knowledge in a whole host of dyslexia-related topics, including Dyslexia and Executive Functioning, Dyslexia and Nutrition, Dyslexia and Self-Esteem, Dyslexia and Sleep, Dyslexia and Visual Difficulties and Navigating the EHCP System. Many participants were our alumni undertaking continuing professional development. We are proud to top up the learning of our alumni, keeping their skills at the cutting edge of the dyslexia world.
Supporting disadvantaged communities, where dyslexia is prevalent. This year, in addition to providing bursary-funded support to 456 people with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds we also joined forces with other organisations in the formulation of A Charter for Adults with Experience of Homelessness, and we provided free dyslexia assessments for members of the homeless community who were referred to us for help. In addition, we provided free dyslexia assessments to prisoners who were referred to us by their case workers, where our assistance was considered to be potentially life-changing in setting the individual on a new path.
Research. In pursuance of our aim to help push back the boundaries of knowledge regarding dyslexia-related issues, we were pleased to help to source participants for a number of research projects during the year and to work with several universities.
Raising awareness. We were proud to play our part in raising awareness at government level by participating in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia and Other Specific Learning Difficulties, chaired by the Right Honourable Sharon Hodgson MP, working alongside other leading organisations in the field of dyslexia. All such meetings took place online during the year.

We were also represented on the boards of the following groups, with whom we jointly raise awareness to the public and ensure standards within the field:

the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils (CReSTeD)
the BDA Accreditation Board
the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC)

In addition, we were pleased to take part in The Dyslexia Show, which was held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham again this year. Our chief executive Andy Cook took part in a Panel Discussion regarding the state of dyslexia in the UK, and our Head of Education Claire Harvey delivered a lecture in the Partners’ Theatre.

Playing our part in keeping children safe. At Helen Arkell we take our practical safeguarding responsibilities seriously, ‘doing our bit’ to keep children safe. Inevitably, when providing 1:1 support to 1,617 individuals with dyslexia this year, there were occasions when children chose to confide in our team of specialists about things that were transpiring in their personal lives. In all instances where such information raised any safeguarding concerns, our team handled the information with great sensitivity and professionalism, and reports were submitted through the appropriate channels whenever necessary. We are proud to play our part in keeping children safe, in a world where risks can exist whether online or elsewhere, and we are aware that as independent 1:1 specialists, children may sometimes find it easier to confide in our team than with people whom they know well.

Fundraising. We completed the fifth full year of our fundraising strategy, building upon previous progress that has been made. The team was bolstered during the year, thanks to the second year of sponsorship of The Aegis Trust, to whom we are extremely grateful. With the help of their sponsorship, we sought to further engage with donors and supporters of the Charity’s work. This year we make special mention of the family of our founder, Helen Arkell MBE, who provided an unrestricted donation of £50,000 including gift aid, in her memory.
Trusts & Foundations. We are indebted to the generosity of more Trusts and Foundations than could possibly be mentioned individually. However, this year it is only right that we again pay special tribute to The Constable Education Trust for their £225,000 donation which was received in the prior year and was earmarked for expenditure this year and next. This donation was provided to sponsor the Charity’s provision of bursary-funded support to children from lower-income backgrounds, as well as paying for two years of rental costs, and expenses relating to the move of premises from Frensham to Farnham. Likewise, we again make special mention of The Aegis Trust whose generous donation of £300,000 in 2020/21 sponsored three projects mentioned above (Target 2, page 11), all of which were successfully completed this year. We also acknowledge the amazing support of The David Family Foundation, The Linbury Trust, The McGreevy No. 5 Settlement, The Roger and Jean Jefcoate Trust, and again the Arkell family. It would be impossible to mention every single Trust or Foundation that supported us in the year, but you know who you are, and we are immensely grateful for your help in enabling us to fulfil our Mission. We thank all our donors, large and small, for supporting our work this year. Thank you!
Community groups, clubs, associations and companies. We have been very touched by the support from our local communities this year, including a wide variety of groups, clubs, associations and companies. Some community groups have chosen to support our work in Surrey while others have particularly wished to support our help of beneficiaries in other regions of the UK (see Geographical Spread, page 9). In particular we mention More House School for their support this year and two kind individuals who organised golf days in aid of Helen Arkell, inspired by the fact that their respective children had received support from the Charity. Several companies have donated to our work this year, often in response to the Lunch & Learn sessions that we have provided, to help raise awareness of dyslexia in the workplace. Whatever your particular area of interest, we are immensely grateful for your help and generosity in enabling us to fulfil our mission, reaching out to an ever-wider community of beneficiaries across the UK. This year we make special mention of Tesco for your support through your Community Grants Scheme. In addition, we mention a budding new relationship with Theo Paphitis and Ryman Ltd, which will be announced in the subsequent year. We thank all of those organisations who have helped us to raise voluntary income this year.
Challenge events. Our sincere thanks go the six intrepid challenge event participants who raised funds in aid of Helen Arkell in the London Marathon, and our five participants in the Royal Parks Half Marathon. We also thank all our other challenge event supporters, who raised funds for us in a variety of different ways throughout the year. Participants in all these challenges threw themselves into fundraising with great enthusiasm, which was greatly appreciated by the Charity, and by those whom we serve.

Other events. We are very grateful to all who took part in our annual Golf Day, again held at Worplesdon Golf Club, raising funds whilst also enjoying an amazing day’s golf. This year our Big Walk for Dyslexia took place in Farnham for the first time, with the route beginning and ending with refreshments at our Centre. The sun shone and everyone enjoyed the selfguided route through this beautiful Georgian market town. We were sad that our planned event in the stunning London Bridge offices of EY, overlooking the Thames, had to be cancelled at the last minute due to rail strikes. However, on the other side of the coin we were delighted to receive the wonderful surprise provided by our Patron, HRH Princess Beatrice, who enabled five members of the Helen Arkell community to attend HRH The Princess of Wales’s very special Christmas Carol Service in Westminster Abbey. This proved to be an extremely memorable occasion for all concerned, and we feel proud that our charity was represented at such an occasion. Other events included our annual Christmas Drinks for our local community; our annual Graduation Ceremony for all the successful graduates of the Level 5 and Level 7 Helen Arkell Diploma Courses, and various informal get-togethers for the wider Helen Arkell team
Friends of Helen Arkell. We take this opportunity to also thank all those individuals who supported our work through the Friends of Helen Arkell club this year by signing up to small regular donations. Lots of small donations can make a big difference to a charity such as ours, and we really appreciate your support. Our aim is to significantly increase the number of our Friends in the coming years. Friends are invited to all our events and gain a ‘behind the scenes’ viewpoint of the Charity’s work and progress.
Gifts in Wills. This year we received notifications from various of our supporters that they have nominated Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity to receive a gift in their Will. We are immensely grateful to all of you. Thank you! Gifts in Wills can make a lasting difference to our ability to make life better for people with dyslexia, not just now but also long into the future.
Donations in memory. This year we were also fortunate to receive several donations in memory of loved ones whose lives had been positively affected by the Charity’s work. Again, we are so grateful for donations in memory of loved ones, which enable us to carry on our work well into the future.
Governance. The frequency of Trustees’ meetings returned to normal during the year, given that impact from the Omicron variant of Covid remained stable. The Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee continued to meet as normal through the year to assess the potential financial impact of geopolitical uncertainty, increased interest rates and inflation, and the effect of this on the cost of living and our own operating costs. (see Target 6, page 13). All meetings were held virtually.
Strategic Plan and ambitious aims. Our annual Strategy Day, involving Trustees and staff, updated the Charity’s Strategic Plan and set out bold and ambitious goals for the next three to five years. Building on solid foundations our strategy has at its core a desire to provide an ever broader and deeper offer of support to people with dyslexia and those around them, regardless of ability to pay. Our goal is to increase the reach and impact of our support with a fuller breadth and depth of service. Such growth requires secure operational and financial underpinning, and good relationships with potential partners that can help us achieve our aims.

Our updated vison, mission, values and newly added purpose can be found at www.helenarkell.org.uk/about-us/vision. The full strategy document is available on request.

Strategic partnerships. Our aim is always to work in partnership and to collaborate with others whenever this is beneficial to the furtherance of our mission and strategy, for the benefit of those whom we serve.
Operating with due consideration for the environment. We are committed to limiting our impact on the environment and we take this into consideration whenever making decisions on the Charity’s behalf.

The Helen Arkell team

Our volunteers. All charities appreciate the contribution of volunteers and we are no different. Special mention of all our volunteer fundraisers who took on various challenges during the year, mentioned above. Perhaps the biggest thank you should go to our dedicated unpaid Trustees, however, who give their time freely as volunteers in support of the Charity’s aims, and again went above and beyond the call of duty this year.
Our staff. We thank our amazing staff for their dedication, expertise, hard work and good humour, living our values of professional excellence with warmth and the personal touch. It is through our staff that we fulfill our mission each and every day. A special mention again this year of our team’s continued willingness to muck in and do whatever needed doing to safeguard the Charity during this period of ongoing recovery from the Covid-19 crisis as we settled into our newly rented premises in Farnham. More important than all of this, however, has again been their determination to change the lives of a growing number of individuals with dyslexia.
Our beneficiaries. We thank all those 1,617 people with dyslexia who have come to us for 1:1 help this year. It is you who give us the inspiration to fulfill our mission, recognising every day that people with dyslexia bring exceptional qualities. We are proud to help you find out more about yourselves, and to help you forge new ways forward in life that will play to your strengths. We hope you will never look back, but if you do, we are here to help you whenever you need us. Above all, we hope you will be empowered to believe in yourselves, achieve your goals and succeed on your own terms.
Our Patron, Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrice. We are honoured that Princess Beatrice continues to act as our Patron. Dyslexic herself, Princess Beatrice understands our mission from a very personal perspective, and is a brilliant asset in raising awareness of the positive aspects of dyslexia in general, and the Charity’s work in particular.

Our Vice-Patron, Susan Hampshire CBE. We are delighted to have Susan Hampshire CBE as Vice-Patron of the Charity. Susan, Lady Kulukundis, née Hampshire, is an English actress known for her many television and film roles, including The Forsyte Saga, The First Churchills, Vanity Fair, The Pallisers, The Grand, Monarch of the Glen and others too many to mention. Dyslexic herself, and a renowned advocate for the rights and opportunities of people with dyslexia throughout her life, Susan was a good friend of our founder, the late Helen Arkell MBE, and is ideally suited to hold the role of Vice-Patron of the Charity, as we make progress with our plans.

Public benefit requirement

The Trustees are aware of the requirement to demonstrate public benefit, as set out in the Charities Act. Having due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, the Trustees are confident that the Charity’s services meet these criteria, for all the reasons detailed above in the description of our aims, objectives and activities.

1,617 children, young people and adults benefitted directly from the Charity’s services this year, in a 1:1 setting, whether face-to-face or by video call, and countless more people benefitted indirectly through their contact with teachers, teaching assistants and other interested parties who have received training in dyslexia awareness from our Charity.

2,531 people attended the Charity’s courses during the year, ensuring that they were better equipped to support people with dyslexia in their daily lives, whether in the home, at school, in the workplace or in other communities.

We supported disadvantaged communities, with a record-breaking 504 people benefitting from bursary-funded support. Of these, 456 individuals with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds received bursary funded support amounting to £238,000, which represents an 89% increase on the prior year. In addition, 48 State School teachers and teaching assistants received bursary-funded dyslexia related training, so they could better support learners with dyslexia in their classrooms.

We are committed to further increasing our reach and impact in the coming years, with a determination to increase our regional spread, increasing the number of our potential beneficiaries and particularly focusing our efforts on providing further assistance to people with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties who are from lower-income backgrounds.

What our beneficiaries say

In a recent survey of 238 beneficiaries of bursary-funded support, respondents told us the following:

100% of respondents agreed that having a dyslexia assessment helps the person to understand themselves better, including their strengths and weaknesses.
94% of respondents agreed that having a dyslexia assessment helps you to access further support.
91% of respondents reported that the initial assessment led to improved confidence.
89% of respondents reported that the assessment led to reduced frustration and anxiety.
91% of respondents reported that the assessment led to improved literacy.
100% of respondents said they would recommend Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity to a friend.

These are some of their comments:

“Your help has been nothing less than life changing for our son. We came to you with a little boy (in Year 3 of Primary School) who was frightened of school and of the world itself. He had constant meltdowns and often refused going to school or indeed interact with people - we were very concerned about his emotional well-being. The appointment with the Educational Psychologist was life changing in that it diagnosed dyslexia (our son also has verbal dyspraxia) and it meant we could arrange to see a Helen Arkell tutor online once a week. Once he got used to the set-up he never looked back and learning in this different way has provided a platform in which he is able to thrive and feel like everyone else. He is now thriving at primary school in Year 5, the distressed behaviour has disappeared, and he is embracing everything - he is reading and even presented in front of Year 6 yesterday on deforestation - something we never would have imagined a couple of years ago. He still struggles with spelling but again, this is improving as his reading takes off. He is so much happier now and it feels like a miracle. We will be forever grateful for the bursary we received which helped us get the help our son desperately needed at a critical time in his life.”

“The assessment and diagnosis answered lots of questions for my daughter and she feels much happier because she understands what she was finding difficult.”

“To be able to have a definitive report stating your child has dyslexia for a fact has made an absolute difference to our world and we are so grateful to Helen Arkell for the opportunity.”

“I was 44 when I got diagnosed as dyslexic. At a time in life where I could no longer carry on with my then-present career, I was stuck as I felt incapable of learning anything new. Having my diagnosis gave me the strength to admit I needed and deserved extra support and gave me the confidence to go back to school and re train. I’m in my second year of a degree to become an Art Therapist. I wouldn’t have got here without this charity. Thank you.”

“We can't thank you enough for your help.”

“It was weight off are shoulders to get the diagnosis, the whole process was fantastic and very professional. Knowing now that my daughter is dyslexic has empowered us to be able to make educational adjustments to help support my daughter in a much better way. Honestly without the bursary none of this would have been possible!”

“We will be forever grateful for the bursary we received which helped us get the help our son desperately needed at a critical time in his life.”

“The dyslexia assessment led to a dyslexia diagnosis, and this was transformative for my child's selfesteem. He now gets the appropriate help at school and understands that his literacy difficulties are not his fault and that he is not a failure but an intelligent boy who has a differently wired brain. I cannot thank you enough for this, I truly believe it has changed the path of his future.”

“Many thanks for all the help, understanding and support you have given our family.”

“Having the opportunity to apply for the bursary and being accepted for my dyslexia assessment opened up a 48yr wait for answers. The bursary/ assessment allowed me to finally understand myself more, feel more confident when facing my challenges with the knowledge that I’m not stupid but that I process information in a different way. The Helen Arkell Dyslexia charity have been a huge support and I highly recommend. Thank you HADC for your support 😊.”

“The assessment and diagnosis answered lots of questions for my daughter and she feels much happier because she understands what she was finding difficult.”

“The assessment report has helped me when applying for new jobs as I’m now able to apply for reasonable adjustments.”

“It allowed me to gain the support I needed in university to increase my grades and my assignments standards.”

“After years of knowing there was an issue with our grandchild who we have brought up, watching her distress and heartbreak at failing her first year nursing degree but unable to afford the full amount to have her tested, the bursary enabled her to come to terms that even though she excelled in her practical nursing the reason she failed the academic part was the university didn’t realise she was dyslexic and unfortunately didn’t get the support that she needed. She is now a health support worker in a local hospital and no longer feels like a failure.”

“Your help has been nothing less than life changing for our son.”

“It made a big difference in our daughter’s confidence. She thought she was stupid! Until she found out it was dyslexia and was proud to say it.”

“1-2-1 specialist support has massively improved our son’s confidence in his writing which is evident at school as well as the work he does with his Helen Arkell tutor.”

“The appointment with the dyslexia specialist had made such a difference to our daughter, she is now confident and completely understands why some things are more challenging as well as what helps to ease these challenges. It opened lots of doors to other support at school and at exams. The whole process was simple, and the team were so helpful and friendly, couldn’t recommend a better service.”

“The specialist picked up on things that I wasn’t yet aware of. Helen Arkell is an amazing charity!”

“The assessment helped us understand to go slow and try different approaches with our son - he learned when he was ready and able. There is so much pressure on parents from the schools to be doing things in a certain way and at great speed, sometimes the most important thing is forgotten and that is that we are all individuals and learn in a unique way. Thank you, Helen Arkell, for giving us the confidence as parents to follow our gut to help our child.”

Our work makes a real difference, a difference to people like Rosie and her family ...

My daughter Rosie was 7 when we began to notice barriers to her learning, and I first picked up the phone to Sandra who was working with Helen Arkell in Somerset. I was feeling desperately lost in how to help Rosie who was struggling with school and beginning to show anxieties related in part to this struggle.

Sandra was able to arrange a dyslexia assessment for Rosie. Once we received the results, we knew that we couldn’t fully support Rosie without Sandra’s further help. Sandra’s calm professionalism was just what we needed at the time, and she has helped transform Rosie’s life.

Rosie is enjoying her learning experiences again and, although some things will remain tricky, we are armed with all the resources we need to support her. I can’t put it into words how clear it was to us that confidence and self-belief are the backbone of being able to learn, be happy and shine as the full version of herself.

The Helen Arkell Charity, along with extra provision within school, continue to bring the colour back to her cheeks where at times her character and zest could become so drained with the pressures and demands of learning.

Our understanding of dyslexia has been increased further by the parents’ HELP course I was able to access and recently complete as part of our bursary support. What a great resource! I only wish all teachers, student teachers and support staff had routine access to these resources too! As a family, we look forward to supporting fundraising efforts in the future to ensure many more little characters can continue to flourish.

We could not be more grateful for our link with Helen Arkell. It has enabled our daughter to maintain her love of learning. We can all drive forward together as a family, believing that in time our daughter will achieve her goals and succeed in whatever she strives for and above all be HAPPY and run free!

“I urge you to give whatever you can to this charity. Your donation means so much to families like ours.”

Hi! My name is Rosie and I am dyslexic! School made me anxious and sad but horse riding made me happy I am okay with having dyslexia now I like reading off the board now that back9round makes the words clearer I like rertdin9, specially to my rother ond dog It 4 Sandra says I have super powers I love slnglng I love danclng I love actlng I love sport 23

A Helen Arkell bursary can change a life…

“If it wasn’t for the funding then my son wouldn’t have had the assessment and wouldn’t be getting the right help at school. He is now a free reader at school, where he wouldn’t read at all before, and has much more confidence in his abilities. I couldn’t be more grateful for the funding.”

“I could never have afforded an assessment without financial help and without it I would not have been able to target the help my son now needs and nor would the school. it has helped his school understand the best way to teach him and to help him achieve his full potential.”

“Honestly without the bursary none of this would have been possible!”

“Our son was struggling in school. He was assessed and found he is severely dyslexic. Without the bursary it would have taken at least another year before he would have been assessed in the underfunded state school system. The assessment helped him get the support he needs in school and has led to more understanding from his teachers. Finding out our son is dyslexic at the earliest opportunity means we are well informed about his needs before choosing a secondary school which obviously could determine his future.”

“Both my daughter and myself have accessed the bursary funding to have a dyslexia assessment and we wouldn’t have been able to have one without your help due to being on a low income. It has helped me to get my daughter an EHCP for her education going forward.”

“We would have had the assessment many years ago but simply didn’t have the means to afford it. We are extremely grateful to all those who donate so that bursaries can be offered to families like ourselves.”

“The whole experience has made a huge impact to my son's learning. He understands now why he struggles while other children around him find things straight forward. Without the bursary we would still be saving for him to be diagnosed. I would recommend this charity for teachers and parents and everyone who has any concerns regarding dyslexia.”

Demand is high right now

We are seeing twice as many applications for bursary-funded support as normal, due to the financial difficulties caused by the cost of living crisis. These include a whole host of children from homes where single-parents or foster-parents are struggling to make ends meet and are frequently in debt, and also a large number of adults who are out of work and see their suspected dyslexia as the single most significant aspect that is holding them back. All of these people are having difficulties.

We understand that current circumstances are difficult for everyone, but if you are in a position to help with a donation, we would be hugely grateful for your support.

“I really hope more people are aware of this amazing charity and wish people could donate because the bursary really does help families like mine.”

Treasurer’s Report

This year the Charity reported a small net deficit of (£4,972), compared to a net surplus of £150,031 in 2022, as reflected in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA). The deficit masks a strong underlying performance and continued recovery from the pandemic, in a year where the Charity successfully replenished its unrestricted reserves back into its target range and paid off the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL).

Unrestricted income increased by £131,498 to £1,395,409 (up 10% from £1,263,911) while the unrestricted surplus of £82,167 was up £41,495 (102%) on 2022. This strong performance was offset by a planned deficit of (£87,139) on restricted funds, due to restricted projects being successfully undertaken in 2023 for which donations were provided in the prior year/s. Last year’s exceptional fundraising donation from The Constable Education Trust allowed the Charity to increase this year’s bursary-funded support by £106,017 (64%) to record levels of £272,382 (thereby increasing restricted expenditure) and, as expected, donations, legacies and events fell back to a (still healthy) £444,406: the grant from The Aegis Charitable Trust ended mid-year and one-off property-related grants were not repeated.

As mentioned above, we continued to benefit from the multi-year grant from The Aegis Charitable Trust as well as a large grant from The Constable Education Trust both funding bursary grants amongst other projects. This, together with the ongoing support of long-term supporters such as The McGreevy No. 5 Settlement and The Linbury Trust, enabled us to increase both the number of beneficiaries (from 271 to 504) and the average amount of bursary-funded support from £463 in 2022 to £540 in 2023). I would also like to thank The Linbury Trust for its ongoing and generous support for the development of our key online booking system, HALO, which has greatly enhanced both the efficiency and effectiveness of our work.

Income from charitable activities (principally the delivery of assessments, tuition and training courses) of £1,182,508 reflected a 22% increase over the prior year (2022: £968,978). Income from assessments was up 15%, training up 30% and tuition up 50% which, together with the increase in bursaries granted, underlies the strength of the Charity’s work. At the same time, tight control has been maintained over costs, with unrestricted expenditure on charitable activities of £1,277,167 held to a 1% increase on the prior year (2022: £1,266,393) despite the considerable upward pressure from high inflation.

At year end Unrestricted Reserves reflected an increase of £82,167 to £182,170 (2022: £100,003), indicating how strongly the Charity has recovered from the financial effects of the pandemic. The Trustees are confident that the Charity has sufficient unrestricted reserves to enable it to execute the business plan and the Board-approved strategy. Restricted Reserves stand at £84,666 (2022: £172,805). It is worth noting that cash balances exceed total reserves: another sign of the Charity’s good health.

The Charity reports a cash outflow from operations of (£60,979) compared to an inflow of £24,057 in 2022. This reflects the increase in restricted expenditure noted above (bursaries granted using funds received in prior years). In 2019/2020 the Charity took advantage of the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL): as mentioned above, in 2023 the balance outstanding was repaid in full (£72,067). At year end overall cash resources were £285,452: a decrease of (£172,340) on 2022.

The Trustees continue to execute on the Board-approved investment strategy given the level of cash on hand in the Charity. This is a low risk-based approach primarily focussed on improving the

investment return in the form of interest on funds without exposing the Charity to unacceptable levels of risk. Investments are limited to term deposits with approved financial institutions covered by the FSCS deposit protection scheme. No one investment will exceed the £85,000 FSCS protection limit. Given the increase in interest rates in recent times the Charity will expect an increase in investment income in future periods.

The Trustees remain focussed on maintaining sufficient unrestricted reserves to ensure that the Charity is as financially secure as possible to deal with any further future disruption. All the Charity’s reserves are currently held in cash, using a cash management system mentioned above, to maximise interest. The Trustees are very aware that prudent fiscal management is critical in these uncertain times and consequently the Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee (FAIR) continues to meet frequently to oversee the management of the financial affairs of the Charity. It should also be noted that this year the Charity took the step of transitioning from the use of outsourced financial services to the recruitment of an in-house Financial Controller, as part of the Senior Management Team. FAIR has closely scrutinised the cashflow projections and budgets prepared by management and taken actions as noted in this report where necessary for the financial security of the Charity.

The budget for the forthcoming year has been approved by FAIR and the Trustees. This budget allows for the continued expansion of the Charity, increasing its geographical reach and impact to meet the demand that exists for its services. The budget also allows for the continued development of online tools and capabilities to enable the Charity to operate remotely without compromising the quality of its services.

Reserves policy

The Board of Trustees aims for the Charity to maintain sufficient reserves to continue operations in the event of a significant reduction in income for a period of three to six months. The Board is mindful that this does not necessarily require reserves to cover the Charity’s total expenditure for such a period. This is because were the Charity to experience a large drop in receipts, given the scalability of its activities, costs would fall in a similar manner. Likewise, the Charity is not entirely reliant on voluntary income to cover all of its costs, as some of its activities generate income.

As a result, the Board believes that the Charity’s target level of reserves should be with reference to its ‘fixed costs’, particularly overheads and the staff costs associated with those who are engaged on full-time, long-term contracts.

Taking the policy into account, the target range for the Charity’s reserves associated with its unrestricted activities currently is set by the Trustees at £150,000 to £200,000. The policy and target range are regularly reviewed, reflecting the Charity’s size and the proportion of total income achieved by fundraising. This reserving policy was reviewed by the Trustees at the strategy away day in September and no material changes were made to the existing policy.

The Trustees seek to maintain a balance of sufficient reserves whilst also investing in growth to enable more lives to be positively affected by the Charity’s work, in accordance with its objectives.

As at 31 August 2023, the balance of Unrestricted Reserves had risen to £182,170 (2022: £100,003), successfully meeting the Charity’s reserves policy and demonstrating how strongly the Charity has recovered from the financial effects of the pandemic. The Trustees aim to maintain reserves within the target range whilst continuing to grow the Charity’s activities. The Trustees will continue to closely monitor the performance of the Charity and market events going forward and will take any necessary actions if business plans or budgets are not met.

Risk management

FAIR meets regularly to evaluate and monitor the Charity’s risk profile. In the year under review the turbulent economy, high inflation and some of the challenges and problems created by the pandemic persisted. The focus of the Trustees continued to be on the financial stability of the Charity and this report outlines the primary actions taken to mitigate the emerging risks. The Charity continues to update the risk register as new risks emerge and to ensure that mitigating actions are taken promptly where necessary.

At the time of this report uncertainty remains about the year ahead, including the potential financial impact of geopolitical uncertainty, increased interest rates and inflation, and the effect of this on the cost of living and, importantly, our own operating costs. FAIR will continue to be responsive in this fast-changing environment. The Charity has a new strategic plan that is dynamic and a realistic budget. The Charity is well positioned for the year ahead to pursue its objectives and maintain financial stability.

Going Concern

The Trustees confirm that, having considered our expectations and intentions for the next twelve months, including an approved budget and the availability of working capital, the Charity is a going concern. We confirm that the disclosures in the accounting policies are an accurate reflection of the reasons for our consideration that the financial statements should be drawn up on a going concern basis.

Plans for the future period

As detailed above (see Strategic Plan, page 17) we have set ourselves bold and ambitious goals for the next three to five years. Building on solid foundations our strategy has at its core a desire to provide an ever broader and deeper offer of support to people with dyslexia and those around them, regardless of ability to pay. Our goal is to increase the reach and impact of our support with a fuller breadth and depth of service. We have set ourselves the following targets for the year ending 31 August 2024:

Target 1: In line with our mission to remove barriers to learning, employment and life for people with dyslexia by providing expert, personal and life-changing support, we aim to further increase the numbers of people with dyslexia whom we help, in the year ending August 2024. This will include 1:1 support by means of assessments, consultations, tuition, skills-building and coaching for children, young people and adults at any stage of their lives.

Target 2: We plan to provide bursary-funded specialist support to even more disadvantaged people with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds next year than we supported in the year ended August 2023, which was itself an exceptional record-breaking year. This will depend upon our success in achieving sufficient fundraising donations to replace the one-off £100,000 gift received in 2022 for this purpose from The Constable Education Trust, which is now almost fully allocated.

Target 3: We aim to build upon previous projects that have specifically supported teachers and teaching assistants from the State School sector, as part of our overall strategy to reach disadvantaged communities. This addresses the fact that learners with dyslexia in State Schools generally have less access to teaching staff who have been trained in how to support their needs, than those in the Independent School sector.

Target 4: We aim to launch a pilot Prison Project, offering our specialist expertise for the benefit of prisoners and prison staff alike. From this pilot, it is hoped that longer-term projects will be developed.

Target 5: We aim to increase the numbers of beneficiaries who benefit from support through online and videocall services. This helps to ensure we touch the lives of as many beneficiaries as possible who would not otherwise be able to access our services, and furthers our objective to increase our reach and impact across a wider geographical footprint.

Target 6: We will continue to explore opportunities for strategic partnerships with other organisations whose aims and objectives align with our own, for the ultimate benefit of people with dyslexia across the UK and beyond.

If any reader of this Annual Report feels inspired to help us progress with any of the above targets, whether financially or otherwise, we would love to hear from you at enquiries@helenarkell.org.uk.

Together let’s fulfil our purpose of empowering children and adults with dyslexia.

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 August 2022

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees (who are also the directors of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

AUDITORS

The appointment of auditors for the following financial year will be reviewed at the Annual General Meeting.

31 January 2024

Approved by order of the board of Trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by:

[Mert] ............................................. |[Midracl—Jolur] 227230927CB74B4...DocuSigned by: Michael-John Albert

Chair of Trustees

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

Opinion

I have audited the financial statements of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31st August 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In my opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31st August 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006

Basis for opinion

I conducted my audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. My responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of my report. I am independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to my audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and I have fulfilled my other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. I believe that the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, I have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work I have performed, I have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

My responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and my Report of the Independent Auditor thereon.

My opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in my report, I do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with my audit of the financial statements, my responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or my knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If I identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, I am required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work I have performed, I conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, I am required to report that fact. I have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In my opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the information given in the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

Matters on which I am required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, I have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Trustees.

I have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires me to report to you if, in my opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for my audit have not been received from branches not visited by me; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
I have not received all the information and explanations I require for my audit; or
the trustees were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

My responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

My objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Independent Auditor that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

My approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company through discussions with trustees and other management, review of the charitable company's 'Register of Legal Requirements', and from our knowledge and experience of the sector;
we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company, including the Companies Act 2006, Charities legislation, employment, environmental and health and safety legislation and legislation specifically applicable to the Care sector;
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting relevant correspondence; and
identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

I assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and
considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
obtaining an overview of the internal procedures adopted by the client to ensure continued compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including a review of a sample of the reports from internal process audits;
enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and " reviewing relevant correspondence with relevant regulators.

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of my responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of my Report of the Independent Auditor.

Use of my report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. My audit work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charitable company's members those matters I am required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for my audit work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

[Redman] |[Laver] DocuSigned by:

……………………………………………………… Lance Redman (Senior Statutory Auditor) 8689C2BA0AGE44F...

for and on behalf of Shaw Gibbs Audit Ltd

264 Banbury Road

Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 7DY

31 January 2024 Date: .................................................

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 August 2023

Notes INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 Charitable activities 5 Assessments Courses Tuition Shop Other Other trading activities 3 Investment income 4 Total EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 6 Charitable activities 7 Assessments Courses Tuition Shop Central staff Shared overheads Total NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds 22 Net movement in funds		Unrestricted funds £ 194,568 679,476 259,790 198,068 41,942 3,232 1,182,508 11,807 6,526 1,395,409 55,075 467,282 158,900 198,200 39,016 192,583 221,186 1,277,167 1,332,242 63,167 19,000 82,167	Restricted funds £ 238,031 - - - - - - - - 238,031 30,000 194,235 53,260 28,675 - - - 276,170 306,170 (68,139) (19,000) (87,139)	2023 Total funds £ 432,599 679,476 259,790 198,068 41,942 3,232 1,182,508 11,807 6,526 1,633,440 85,075 661,517 212,160 226,875 39,016 192,583 221,186 1,553,337 1,638,412 (4,972) - (4,972)		2022 Total funds £ 734,653 589,115 202,189 129,781 44,564 3,329 968,978 13,406 352 1,717,389 83,155 603,315 302,011 216,630 42,540 121,397 198,310 1,484,203 1,567,358 150,031 - 150,031

The notes form part of these financial statements

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued for the year ended 31 August 2022

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	Unrestricted funds £ 100,003 182,170	Restricted funds £ 171,805 84,666	2023 Total funds £ 271,808 266,836	2022 Total funds £ 121,777
				271,808

The notes form part of these financial statements

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

BALANCE SHEET 31 August 2023

					2023	2022
		Unrestricted	Restricted		Total	Total
		funds	funds	funds	funds	funds
	Notes	£	£		£	£
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets	13	50,107		-	50,107	32,187
Tangible assets	14	18,292		-	18,292	10,425
		68,399		-	68,399	42,612
CURRENT ASSETS
Stocks	15	35,751		-	35,751	29,924
Debtors	16	269,966		-	269,966	167,659
Cash at bank and in hand		200,786	84,666		285,452	457,792
		506,503	84,666		591,169	655,375
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year	17	(392,732)		-	(392,732)	(372,912)
NET CURRENT ASSETS		113,771	84,666		198,437	282,463
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
		182,170	84,666		266,836	325,075
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due after more than one year	Amounts falling due after more than one year 18	-		-	-	(53,267)
NET ASSETS		182,170	84,666		266,836	271,808
FUNDS	22
Unrestricted funds					182,170	100,003
Restricted funds					84,666	171,805
TOTAL FUNDS					266,836	271,808

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

31 January 2024

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………………………………………………………….. and were signed on its behalf by:

[Mert] |[Midracl—Jolur] DocuSigned by:

............................................. 227230927CB74B4... Michael-John Albert

Chair of Trustees

The notes form part of these financial statements

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

CASH FLOW STATEMENT
for the year ended 31 August 2023
2023
Notes
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
1
(60,979)
Interest paid
(2,584)
Net cash provided by operating activities
63,563
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of intangible fixed assets
(29,400)
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
(13,836)
Interest received
6,526
Net cash used in investing activities
(36,710)
Cash flows from financing activities
Loan repayments in year
(72,067)
Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities
(72,067)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the
reporting period
(172,340)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning
of the reporting period
457,792
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of
the reporting period
285,452

2022
£
24,057
(2,994)
21,063
(16,995)
(5,559)
352
(22,202)
(18,801)
(18,801)
(19,940)
477,732
457,792

The notes form part of these financial statements

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT

for the year ended 31 August 2023

1.	RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH	FLOW FROM	OPERATING ACTIVITIES	OPERATING ACTIVITIES
			2023	2022
			£	£
	Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the
	Statement of Financial Activities)		(4,972)	150,031
	Adjustments for:
	Depreciation charges		17,449	16,132
	Interest received		(6,526)	(352)
	Interest paid		2,584	2,994
	(Increase)/decrease in stocks		(5,827)	2,304
	(Increase)/decrease in debtors		(102,307)	(27,498)
	Increase/(decrease) in creditors		(38,620)	(119,554)
	Net cash provided by operations		(60,979)	24,057
2.	ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS
		At 1.9.22	Cash flow	At 31.8.23
		£	£	£
	Net cash
	Cash at bank and in hand	457,792	(172,340)	285,452
		457,792	(172,340)	285,452
	Debt
	Debts falling due within 1 year	(18,800)	18,800	-
	Debts falling due after 1 year	(53,267)	53,267	-
		(72,067)	72,067	-
	Total	385,725	(100,273)	285,452

The notes form part of these financial statements

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

for the year ended 31 August 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Non refundable deposits are recognised when money is received as this is the point the charity is entitled to it. Course income received in advance is deferred and is recognised evenly over the duration of the service. The charity received a significant restricted grant to cover a period of 2 years, this income will be recognised evenly over the 24 month period.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Intangible asset

Amortisation is provided at the following annual rates in order to amortise each asset over its estimated useful life. Commencement of amortisation will begin when the asset is available for its intended use.

Website - 20% on cost Software - 33% on cost

Tangible fixed assets

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

Improvements to property - 25% on cost Plant and machinery - 25% on cost Fixtures and fittings - 25% 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. Explanation of the nature and purpose of specific restricted donations is included in the notes to the financial statements.

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 August 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Donations Gift aid Legacies 3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES Fundraising events 4. INVESTMENT INCOME Deposit account interest 5. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Activity Income Assessments Income Courses Income Tuition Income Shop Income Other	2023 £ 415,182 17,417 - 432,599 2023 £ 11,807 2023 £ 6,526 2023 £ 679,476 259,790 198,068 41,942 3,232 1,182,508	2022 £ 723,595 10,058 1,000 734,653 2022 £ 13,406 2022 £ 352 2022 £ 589,115 202,189 129,781 44,564 3,329 968,978

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued

for the year ended 31 August 2023

6. COST OF RAISING FUNDS

Cost of raising donations and legacies

Cost of raising donations and legacies
	2023	2022
	£	£
Fundraising	85,075	83,155

Fundraising costs include the cost of fundraising staff. In the year to August 2023 this includes staff funded by the generous support of The Aegis Charitable Trust.

7. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Assessments Courses Tuition Shop Central staff Shared overheads	Direct Costs £ 661,517 212,160 226,875 39,016 192,108 - 1,331,676	Support costs (see note 8) £ - - - - 475 221,186 221,661	Total £ 661,517 212,160 226,875 39,016 192,583 221,186
			1,553,337

8. SUPPORT COSTS

SUPPORT COSTS
			Governance
	Management	Finance	costs	Total
	£	£	£	£
Central staff	475	-	-	475
Shared overheads	209,852	2,584	8,750	221,186
	210,327	2,584	8,750	221,661

9. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

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

	2023	2022
	£	£
Auditors' remuneration	8,750	6,100
Depreciation - owned assets	5,969	11,566
Software amortisation	9,350	2,500
Website amortisation	2,130	2,065

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued

for the year ended 31 August 2023

10. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

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

Trustees' expenses

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

11. STAFF COSTS

STAFF COSTS
Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: Charitable activities Fundraising & Communications Support Services	2023 £ 692,353 67,123 16,041 775,517 2023 44 4 2 50	2022 £ 780,242 70,732 20,241
		871,215
		2022 48 4 2 54

One employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000, falling within the range £70,000 - £80,000. The total remuneration for key management personnel in the year was £184,193 (2022: £186,494). 10 employees were full time (2022: 10). 60 employees were part time (2022: 44). No trustees received any remuneration in the year.

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 August 2023

12. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Charitable activities Assessments Courses Tuition Shop Other Other trading activities Investment income Total EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds Charitable activities Assessments Courses Tuition Shop Central staff Shared overheads Total NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds Net movement in funds RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	Unrestricted funds £ 281,175 589,115 202,189 129,781 44,564 3,329 13,406 352 1,263,911 19,799 482,969 239,166 194,234 42,540 121,397 186,087 1,286,192 (22,281) 62,953 40,672 59,331 100,003	Restricted funds £ 453,478 - - - - - - - 453,478 63,356 120,346 62,845 22,396 - - 12,223 281,166 172,312 (62,953) 109,359 62,446 171,805	Total funds £ 734,653 589,115 202,189 129,781 44,564 3,329 13,406 352 1,717,389 83,155 603,315 302,011 216,630 42,540 121,397 198,310 1,567,358 150,031 - 150,031 121,777 271,808

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 August 2023

13. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

13.	INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
				Software	Website	Total
				£	£	£
	COST
	At 1 September 2022			30,000	62,517	92,517
	Additions			29,400	-	29,400
	At 31 August 2023			59,400	62,517	121,917
	AMORTISATION
	At 1 September 2022			2,500	57,830	60,330
	Charge for year			9,350	2,130	11,480
	At 31 August 2023			11,850	59,960	71,810
	NET BOOK VALUE
	At 31 August 2023			47,550	2,557	50,107
	At 31 August 2022			27,500	4,687	32,187
14.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
		Improvements to property Plant & machinery			Fixtures & fittings	Total
			£	£	£	£
	COST
	At 1 September 2022	85,355		95,499	15,161	196,015
	Additions		-	13,836	-	13,836
	At 31 August 2023	85,355		109,335	15,161	209,851

	DEPRECIATION
	At 1 September 2022	85,355		85,076	15,159	185,590
	Charge for year		-	5,967	2	5,969
	At 31 August 2023	85,355		91,043	15,161	191,559
	NET BOOK VALUE
	At 31 August 2023		-	18,292	-	18,292
	At 31 August 2022		-	10,423	2	10,425

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued

for the year ended 31 August 2023

15. STOCKS Stocks 16. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Trade debtors Other debtors VAT Prepayments and accrued income 17. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Bank loans and overdrafts (see note 19) Trade creditors Social security and other taxes Accruals and deferred income Accrued expenses Aegis Charitable Trust 22/23 income 18. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR Bank loans (see note 19) 19. LOANS	2023 £ 35,751 2023 £ 259,223 1,400 337 9,006 269,966 2023 £ - 12,093 18,096 340,447 22,096 - 392,732 2023 £ -	2022 £ 29,924 2022 £ 159,179 2,445 337 5,698 167,659 2022 £ 18,800 7,714 17,167 219,348 22,381 87,502 372,912 2022 £ 53,267

The charity made use of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBIL) during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. This loan was repaid in full during the year.

20. LEASING AGREEMENTS

Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows:

Within one year Between one and five years	2023 £ 41,891 116,667 158,558	2022 £ 43,783 1,891
		45,674

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued

for the year ended 31 August 2023

21. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted Bursaries Aegis Charitable Trust Constable Educational Trust FAST Projects Linbury Trust TOTAL FUNDS Net movement in funds, included in the above are Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted Bursaries Aegis Charitable Trust Constable Educational Trust FAST Projects Linbury Trust TOTAL FUNDS	At 1.9.22 £ 100,003 56,731 1,477 99,810 3,787 10,000 171,805 271,808 as follows:	Net movement in funds £ 63,167 (19,150) (1,477) (52,725) (3,787) 9,000 (68,139) (4,972) Incoming resources £ 1,395,409 131,529 87,502 - - 19,000 238,031 1,633,440	Transfers between funds £ 19,000 (10,000) - - - (9,000) (19,000) - Resources expended £ (1,332,242) (150,679) (88,979) (52,725) (3,787) (10,000) (306,170) (1,638,412)	At 31.8.23 £ 182,170 27,580 - 47,085 - 10,000 84,666 266,836 Movement in funds £ 63,167 (19,150) (1,477) (52,725) (3,787) 9,000 (68,139) (4,972)	At 31.8.23 £ 182,170 27,580 - 47,085 - 10,000 84,666 266,836 Movement in funds £ 63,167 (19,150) (1,477) (52,725) (3,787) 9,000 (68,139) (4,972)

					(4,972)

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 August 2023

21. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted Bursaries Aegis Charitable Trust Constable Education Trust FAST Projects Linbury Trust TOTAL FUNDS	Net movement At 1.9.21 in funds £ £ 59,331 (22,281) 9,375 47,356 30,349 21,128 - 103,763 22,722 (18,935) - 19,000 62,446 172,312 121,777 150,031	Transfers between funds £ 62,953 - (50,000) (3,953) - (9,000) (62,953) -	At 31.8.22 £ 100,003 56,731 1,477 99,810 3,787 10,000
			171,805
			271,808

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

Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted Bursaries Aegis Charitable Trust Constable Education Trust FAST Projects Linbury Trust TOTAL FUNDS	Incoming resources £ 1,263,911 139,515 175,000 116,176 3,787 19,000 453,478 1,717,389	Resources expended £ (1,286,191) (92,160) (153,872) (12,413) (22,722) - (281,167) (1,567,358)	Movement in funds £ (22,280) 47,355 21,128 103,763 (18,935) 19,000 172,311 150,031

Transfers between funds

During the year £19,000 has been transferred from restricted to unrestricted funds. This relates to capital expenditure using restricted funds donated to the Charity for two specific purposes (£10,000 for the installation of a fire alarm system at the Charity’s head office and £9,000 for implementation of a new software system). As the restrictions have been fully satisfied £19,000 has been derestricted.

continued…

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued

for the year ended 31 August 2023

22. FUNDS

The Bursary Fund

The out-going resources represent bursary-funded support granted during the year.

Restricted bursaries

A number of donors specified that their donations should be used for provision of bursary-funded support to people from lower-income backgrounds, and in some cases these donations carry additional restrictions including factors such as age of beneficiary, county of residence etc. Such donations have either already been spent during the year or are ear-marked to be spent in the subsequent year/s.

The Aegis Charitable Trust

A restricted donation of £300,000 was received from The Aegis Charitable Trust towards the end of the 20/21 financial year. This was for the purpose of undertaking three projects over the subsequent two years: i) expanding the Charity’s fundraising team; ii) providing bursary-funded support to individuals from lowerincome backgrounds; iii) providing specialist training to teachers and teaching assistants from State Schools. The income from this donation has been reflected on a time-apportion basis in accordance with the terms of the grant. Consequently £37,500 was recognised within the 20/21 financial year, £175,000 was recognised in the 21/22 financial year and the remaining £87,500 has been recognised in the current 22/23 financial year. All three projects were successfully concluded in the 22/23 financial year, and the restricted fund is now fully spent. It is to be noted that The Aegis Charitable Trust agreed to de-restrict £50,000 of their donation in November 2021, which was reflected in the Statement of Financial Activities as a transfer between funds in the 21/22 financial year.

The Constable Education Trust

Donations totalling £225,000 were received during the 21/22 financial year from The Constable Education Trust, for the following purposes: i) to provide bursary-funded support to children from lower-income families; ii) to assist in the re-location of the Charity’s premises from Frensham to alternative leased premises in Farnham Town Centre, including costs of moving, fit-out, rent and ancillary costs. At the close of the 22/23 financial year, £47,086 remained, which is ear-marked to be spent in the 23/24 financial year, in accordance with the donor’s wishes.

The Linbury Trust

A donation of £19,000 was received from The Linbury Trust during the 22/23 financial year which was partly restricted to the provision of bursary-funded support (£10,000), and partly restricted to the implementation of a new IT system for managing bookings (£9,000). This represents the third instalment of a four-year commitment, with £19,000 having also been received in the two prior years, for the same purposes described above. The new IT system went live within the 21/22 financial year (April 2022).

FAST project

A restricted donation of £3,787 was received towards the end of the 21/22 financial year, for the purpose of delivering a Families and Schools Together project (FAST) in the 22/23 financial year. This project was successfully completed in the current year.

Registered Charity No. 1064646

Contents

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

Report of the Chair of the Trustees

Report of the Trustees for year ended 31 August 2023

Governing document

Directors and Trustees

About dyslexia

Support

Our role

Objects and activities

Our Objects

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Purpose

Putting people with dyslexia at the heart of everything we do

Our activities

Geographical spread

Achievements and performance

Summary

Our targets set last year were as follows:

Outcome:

Outcome:

Project 2: provision of bursary-funded support to beneficiaries from lower-income backgrounds.

Project 3: provision of specialist dyslexia training to teachers and teaching assistants working in

Target 3: We plan to provide bursary-funded specialist support to even more people with dyslexia from lower-income backgrounds in the year ending August 2023 than we did in the previous year (2022: 271 individuals).

Outcome:

Target 4: We aim to put in place a new website, with the help of generous pro bono support

that has been offered by a local company. This is through necessity, as the old website has become obsolete. Through our website, and all our communications, are main aim will be to fulfill our mission of reaching out to ever-increasing numbers of people with dyslexia.

Outcome:

Outcome:

Outcome:

Additional activities in pursuit of our Mission:

The Helen Arkell team

Public benefit requirement

What our beneficiaries say

These are some of their comments:

A Helen Arkell bursary can change a life…

“Honestly without the bursary none of this would have been possible!”

Demand is high right now

We understand that current circumstances are difficult for everyone, but if you are in a position to help with a donation, we would be hugely grateful for your support.

Treasurer’s Report

Reserves policy

Risk management

Going Concern

Plans for the future period

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 August 2022

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

AUDITORS

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

Opinion

In my opinion the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

Other information

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

Matters on which I am required to report by exception

Responsibilities of trustees

My responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TO THE MEMBERS OF HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

Use of my report

[Redman] |[Laver] DocuSigned by:

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 August 2023

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued for the year ended 31 August 2022

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

BALANCE SHEET 31 August 2023

[Mert] |[Midracl—Jolur] DocuSigned by:

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT

for the year ended 31 August 2023

HELEN ARKELL DYSLEXIA CHARITY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements