COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 03449624 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1066911 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Financial Statements 31 March 2025 A12 *AEFS5T20* 21/11/2025 COMPANIES HOUSE #139 BURGESS HODGSON AUDIT LIMITED Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Camburgh House 27 New Dover Road Canterbury Kent CT1 3DN Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025 Trustees' annual report (incorporating the director's report) Independent auditor's report to the members Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) Statement of financial position Statement of cash flows Notes to the financial statements Page .1 30 35 36 37 38 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) Year ended 31 March 2025 The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. Chair's report This year marks a truly special moment in Involve Kent's history, our 50th year of service and our 50th Annual General Meeting. It also marks the end of my time as Chair and Trustee, after 13 years of being part of this remarkable organisation. As I prepare to step down, I find myself reflecting not only on the journey of Involve Kent, but on my own personal journey within it. During my tenure, I've witnessed Involve Kent develop from a respected local charity into a leading force for community health and wellbeing. Involve Kent has grown in scale, reach, and influence, always guided by a deep commitment to tackling inequality, connecting people and promoting choice in order to improve lives. It has been a true privilege to be part of that transformation. This past year has been a shining example of what Involve Kent stands for, the team have supported over 31,000 people, 4500 more people than in the previous year, expanded services for unpaid carers and young people, and strengthened their role as a strategic partner in health and social care. Involve Kent has continued to lead in social prescribing, built new collaborations, and delivered innovative programmes that respond to real needs in our communities. The Board has worked closely with our Chief Executive, Gary Wells and the leadership team to ensure strong governance, strategic clarity, and a culture rooted in compassion and inclusion. We've welcomed new trustees, said goodbye to long-serving colleagues, and laid the groundwork for the next chapter of Involve Kent's story. As I step away, I do so with immense pride. I've seen firsthand the dedication of our staff and volunteers, the creativity of our partnerships, and the impact of our work. Involve Kent is more than an organisation; it's a community of people who care deeply and act boldly. My deepest gratitude goes to each and every one who has made and continues to make Involve Kent the great organisation it is. I look forward to watching Involve Kent continue on its journey and next chapter. ard Leicest Chair - 1 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Reference and administrative details Registered charity name Involve Kent Limited Charity registration number 1066911 Company registration number 03449624 Principal office and registered 30 Turkey Court office Turkey Mill Ashford Road Maidstone Kent ME14 5PP The trustees Auditor Bankers J FP Bennett A D Fairhurst DR Simmons R Hewett C R F Hickson R Holweger R Leicester, Chair D M O'Donoghue J M Benson S Hathaway-Batt JM Fenn Dr M Varshney Burgess Hodgson Audit Limited Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Camburgh House 27 New Dover Road Canterbury Kent CT1 3DN 'Metro Bank PLC One Southampton Row London WC1B 5HA (Resigned 18 May 2025) (Resigned 29 October 2024) (Resigned 13 July 2024) (Appointed 29 October 2024) •-2- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Structure, governance and management CEO This year marks a profound milestone in Involve Kent's journey, our 50th year of service and our 50th Annual General Meeting. It's a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate the extraordinary legacy built by generations of dedicated people: staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, commissioners. and community members who have shaped this organisation into what it is today. As I reflect on my first full year as CEO, I've been struck by the depth of commitment and compassion that runs through Involve Kent. From its grassroots beginnings to becoming a leading voice in community health and wellbeing, Involve Kent has always been about people, supporting them, connecting them, and empowering them to thrive. This year, we've continued that legacy with purpose. We've supported 31,260 individuals, expanded our services for carers and young people, and deepened our partnerships across health and care systems. But numbers only tell part of the story. Behind every statistic is a person, someone who felt heard; supported, and empowered. Whether we have connected people to support them to keep their house warm or feed their family or attend a social group that sparked new friendships, our work is rooted in in supporting people to thrive. We've also taken time to ask ourselves a vital question: What legacy do we want to leave for the next 50 years? That question has guided our thinking, our strategy, and our culture. It's inspired us to invest in co-production, to centre lived experience, and to build services that are not only effective but enduring It's reminded us that our work is not just about meeting needs today, it's about creating the conditions for healthier, more connected communities in the future. Looking ahead, we remain ambitious. We will continue to advocate for the role of community-based support in tackling health inequalities, preventing and improving health conditions and we'll keep working to unlock the potential that lies within every neighbourhood. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this remarkable year. Your passion and belief in what we do is what makes Involve Kent so special. As we celebrate our past, we also recommit to our future, with hope, ambition, and a deep sense of responsibility. Gary Wells Chief Executive Officer - 3 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Objectives and activities Our Vision Healthy, connected people and communities. Our Mission Promoting Choice Connecting People Challenging Inequality Our Services Supporting Unpaid Carers Social Prescribing (all age groups) Supporting Older People Supporting Children and Families Supporting Young People Facilitating Groups and Activities Community Engagement Supporting other VCSE Organisations • Transport Data and Impact At Involve Kent, we continue to measure the impact of our work with individuals and communities using a robust, mixed-methods approach. We combine quantitative data, captured through validated tools and structured survey, with qualitative insights from the people we support. This enables us to understand not only what changes but how and why those changes occur. Our commitment to inclusive evaluation ensures that our services insights are equitable, and effective across diverse social groups. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Involve Kent supported 31,260 people, including 4,736 clients through partner organisations. Of these, 2,505 clients accessed more than one service and 17,758 directly who were under 18, as well as many families. Our data shows that 70.7% of clients live with a health condition or disability, 24.7% of clients live in social housing and 34.2% of clients live alone. These figures reflect our reach into communities facing the greatest barriers to wellbeing and underscore our role in addressing health inequalities. Across projects, we saw particularly strong engagement from underrepresented groups in services such as Children's Health & Wellbeing, Hospital Social Prescribing, and Green Spaces. We use the Office for National Statistics (ONS) wellbeing tool to benchmark our clients' wellbeing against national averages. Our clients typically begin their journey with us scoring significantly lower than the UK average on happiness, satisfaction, and sense of purpose, and higher on anxiety, demonstrating that we are reaching those most in need. This year, our data shows: 23.9% increase in satisfaction 21.7% increase in happiness 18.5% increase in feeling life is worthwhile - 4- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 24.9% decrease in anxiety 39.4% decrease in loneliness, with 66% of those in the highest.: loneliness category reporting improvement 10.5% increase in health scores 24.7% increase in physical activity, with an average increase of 64 minutes per week 16.8% increase in ability to deal with problems, with 51.6% of clients reporting improvement The cost of living continues to affect the communities we serve. Our client data shows that 76.1% worry about money and nearly 1 in 10 (9.98%) have gone without food or heating due to financial hardship. These figures highlight the acute financial stress experienced by the people we support and underscore the importance of our holistic support model. By addressing both emotional wellbeing and pracțical needs, our services help people navigate the challenges of poverty, isolation, and poor health, ensuring that no one is left behind. These outcomes represent real, tangible improvements in people's lives and not just numbers. Our service-level data shows consistent impact across diverse services, with Social Prescribing (PCN) achieving the highest increases in satisfaction and happiness and Actively Involved West Kent reporting over 95% improvement in loneliness among the most isolated clients. We are also advancing our ability to measure system-level impact through our collaboration with NHS partners via the West Kent Integrated Data Set (WKID). This integration will allow us to evaluate how our services. influence wider health system metrics, such as A&E attendances, hospital admissions, and length of stay, providing a fuller picture of our contribution to prevention and early intervention. While data is essential, we know it doesn't tell the whole story. Throughout this report, we share case studies that bring our impact to life, stories of resilience, connection, and transformation. These narratives, alongside our data, form a complete and compelling evaluation of our work As we look ahead, we remain committed to innovation in impact measurement, refining our tools, deepening our partnerships, and amplifying the voices of those we support. In doing so, we continue to build a sector-leading evidence base that reflects the true value of person-centred, community-driven support. Strategic report The following sections for achievements and performance and financial review form the strategic report of the charity. -5- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance Our Work, our Staff and our Partnerships. Jane Thomas, Director of Services The breadth and quality of our work across Kent and Medway is due to our amazing and dedicated staffing teams and managers, our partnerships with acute and community health services, our social care colleagues, our fellow VCSE organisations and the many care providers we broker services to This has ensured that our reach into supporting communities is now vast and continues to grow at pace. Everyone who works at Involve Kent makes a difference to people's lives in their daily work. Whether it is our finance assistant processing invoices, our telephone navigators providing expert advice and a friendly call, our link workers or children's navigators seeing patients from GP surgeries, navigators completing Carer's Assessments or assessing for equipment or supporting care leavers, link workers visiting foodbanks, youth coordinators setting up fun activities for children, our advocates ensuring a young person in hospital has their voice heard or a manager ensuring their staff are supported and safe from home visits. Whatever their role at Involve Kent it is an important contribution to our reach into communities and our mission to ensure that children, young people, adults and those caring for somebody have choice and control over their lives, are connected to their communities, are able to thrive and have their voices heard. This past year has not been without challenge to our staff and partners with further threats of cuts to prevention services they work on, increased complexities in the lives of the people they work with, and services closed due to funding being withdrawn. However, the commitment and dedication of our staff, management teams, partners and the positive outcomes for people using our services reminds me daily of how powerful the work they do is across Kent and Medway. My truly grateful thanks to all our staff, management and partners for your inspiring and innovative work, your dedication, compassion and resilience. Jane Thomas Director of Services 6 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Our Adult Services Community Navigation Funded by KCC, our Navigators work collaboratively with people aged 55 and over to develop an action plan that identifies their needs and goals. Navigators home visit where needed and provide practical support with: Assessment and identification of community equipment. Knowledge and support to access assistive technology. • Help and advice including making referrals and form filling • Enabling people to identify services in their local community and, where appropriate, facilitating the purchase of services. • Accessing health and social care systems. Working closely with teams and organisations to_make referrals. The service supports demand on NHS and Social Care services by a holistic approach to prevention. 2,939 people supported Case Study "I had been living independently in my own home, following the death of my wife. I have several health conditions and had been managing well but was starting to find some things more of a struggle. Katie visited and was able to request a half step at the front door and a half step and grab rails at the back door. She also suggested a rail inside the front door and she ordered it for me. Katie also helped me to complete an Attendance Allowance form; I had started it but found the number of questions quite daunting. Katie went through what I had already answered and completed the rest of the form with me. I asked if she could also help with the Blue Badge renewal and she completed this with me at the same time. I'm getting on very well with the equipment that you've put in place for me. The additional steps at the front and back door make a big difference." Actively Involved Funded by KCC, this service supports people aged 55 and over living in West and. North Kent to access peer groups, activities, exercise and information either run by our staff or our wide and diverse network of voluntary sector partners. With a strong focus on increasing independence, reducing isolation, and therefore reducing risks of deterioration, frailty and the need for reliance on formal services. The main strand of the service is people with a level of care and/or support needs who are supported by our Involve staff to develop a personalised action plan which assesses their mobility, anxiety, support needs and identifies their interests, activities and support are tailored around these. Support is not time limited; but designed to address fluctuating needs preventing crisis and reducing demand on social care and the NHS. - 7- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Our staff support people by developing with them local coffee mornings, lunch clubs and other peer and activity groups in the communities where they live. Case Study "I am 74 and was moved from Yorkshire to Kent. I was lonely, didn't know anything about the area. I needed to get confidence to start a new life in Kent. I had no one to talk to. I have no words to describe how I felt. I was living, in a black hole. I had nobody, no friends here. I was extremely low in confidence and very scared. My Involve worker was so kind, warm and friendly. I am touched to know that you are there for me. There is someone I can call if I need support. You always have a way to make me feel better, you understand my needs, and you know my story. You always adapt to my needs. Then you convinced me to socialise. You organised the minibus to collect me, the driver and Carol, the chaperone are amazing. The group at the Priory is making me feel more secure, I love the conversations with other people, I laugh and feel part of something. I have met some lovely people, and I look forward to going. Now I am doing Postural Stability classes too and I look forward to continuing the support with Involve. I trust you." Actively Involved Partners People with varying levels of need were supported by a network of 46 voluntary sector partners contracted to run a diverse range of local activities including social groups, art, nature, leisure ano exercise. Our reach of partners covers all of West and North Kent and ensures this service and KCC funding reaches into all communities inclusive of people living in rural areas and those from ethnic minority communities. The Grand at Gravesham: feedback from an attendee on an introduction to exercise course: "I have attended The Grand for the ten-week exercise course. Since attending the sessions my confidence and mental wellbeing have dramatically improved, ! have started running and genuinely looking after myself. The group has been a point of contact each week and allows me to reset for the rest of the week. " Social Prescribing 80% of our health is attributed to social factors, for example our housing, employment, income, education and our behaviours including our diet, how much we exercise, drink alcohol or if we smoke. Social prescribing supports people to address these challenges and other unmet social needs with a holistic approach that focuses on "what matters to me" - giving people choice and control regarding how they manage their health and wellbeing. Social Prescribing from GP Surgeries - Our Link Workers work with GP surgeries and they typically support patients for up to 3 months. Reducing demand on clinical time and providing a holistic - 8- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) approach to care and support. We work with many other partners, charities and services to improve the health and wellbeing of patients. Life satisfaction after social prescribing interventions increased by 39%. Quotes "Social prescribing provided support in recovering from past domestic abuse, empowering me to continue advocating for my children and alleviating my stress. . There were days when / lacked motivation, but my Link Worker consistently motivated me to get outside, reconnect with my friends, and participate in meaningful activities. All these aspects were incredibly important to me and had a significantly positive effect on my well-being." "My mental health has improved and now that we have a clean and safe living environment, I am sure / will get fewer infections which means fewer hospital visits. " "Since we moved, there is now less stress, fewer infections, and a much better lifestyle in a cleaner home, so I have not had to visit my GP since moving." Social Prescribing in the Community - Funded by NHS Kent and Medway, we have worked to ensure this service addresses meeting the needs of those most at risk of health inequalities in West Kent. Our Link Workers take an outreach approach by attending food banks, community groups, temporary housing, global majority groups and religious venues and identify people experiencing poverty, housing insecurity, language or cultural barriers who may not be accessing any services and feel disconnected from their community. Our Link Workers support people to access health and social care where they are not engaged, register at a GP surgery or dentist, access community support, services to improve their health and wellbeing. Practical support is also offered by completing forms for people, applying for grants to purchase food, bedding, clothes or pay: energy bills. 1,018 people. supported through community social prescribing, 83% had a long-term health condition or disability. 125 people supported to engage with health professionals regarding an unmanaged long term health condition. Case Study "I did not have a phone so was not contactable by services. I was really struggling financially as / was only in receipt of Universal Credit and had used food banks. I only left my flat to get food from the local shop. My house was in disrepair. I have different mental health conditions which affect me every day, / could not keep on top of housework or have the money to do so. I also did not have an oven, hob or microwave so really struggled to cook and spent more money on food. I was in thousands of pounds of arrears with my water company. As I do not have a contact number my Link Worker wrote me a letter with an appointment date and time and visited me at home at first. She made a great effort to see me at home and understand my situation. She helped me to contact Southeast Water to register me as a priority customer and look into whether I could receive a social discount or a one-bedroom discount. She collected and delivered a few food parcels to me making sure it included foods I could prepare and eat. She was also in communication with my housing association and visited with them so they could see the state of my property. She helped me to complete the PIP form, contacted my GP for evidence as - 9- Involve Kent Limited • Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) I did not have any and completed the telephone assessment as / do not have a contact number. I was awarded enhanced rate for daily living and standard rate for mobility. With this money I can get myself new clothes and shoes online which were ruined by the maggot infestation. I'm going to buy an air fryer which means I will be able to eat more of a variety of food." Online Directory - This work also enables us to populate our quality assured directory of Voluntary and Community sector services, groups and activities that people can browse or professionals can use to access support for someone. There are over 1000 services' and activities across Kent now listed. Funding the VCSE - We were also delighted to be able to award £25,000 to 14 community groups to. run inclusive activities, examples being Singing for Health, walking football, gardening, healthy slow cooking and a variety of other activities focused on improving physical health and reducing isolation. Hospital Social Prescribing - we were honoured to extend social prescribing into Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital Trust working onsite with staff to support patients being discharged from hospital with any non-medical social needs and to reduce unnecessary A&E or unplanned admissions. Support was provided for up to 6 weeks from discharge by a Link Worker who home visited patients and worked to a holistic approach, focusing on building trust and "what matters to me" with the patient. Patients referred were often very vulnerable, isolated and needed practical support with: • Accessing food, medication or charging electricity. • Digital inclusion - to set up online shopping, direct debits for utility bills, and benefits. Purchasing practical items often through grant funds - beds, cookers and clothing. Form completion. • Help with telephone calls or emails to services. • Referring and supporting them to access services. Unfortunately, the service was ended in March 2025 due to budget constraints, however we hope that we can work with MTW again in the future. Professional Feedback - "I wanted to express my gratitude for the support given by Michelle to my patient. He has severe psychiatric problems which have reduced his ability to access healthcare. He has a life threatening rheumatological problem and was in intensive care earlier in the year with it. His inability to access healthcare threatened his life. Thanks to her involvement, he has been able to access healthcare and came to clinic yesterday with his partner and dog in the car. He had nothing but praise for Michelle. Her involvement has likely helped to save this man's life through helping him engage with care." Case Study "I accepted help from Involve when a Link Worker brought me my medication from the hospital that / needed to take to stay alive. I felt unsupported and alone, I couldn't leave my flat and I had such high anxiety and paranoia that / checked myself out of hospital before I had the infusion I needed, or my medication was ready to take with me. I didn't know where to go for help and didn't trust anyone to help me. My Link Worker understood that my behaviour, language, tics and lack of eye contact are all part of my conditions and gave me the time I needed so / could begin to trust her and be able to think about letting her help me. On several occasions she contacted my GP for me, to arrange a fit note, sort out my medication, arrange. a home visit for my blood tests and confirm upcoming appointments. She also collected the fit - 10- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) note and took it to the UC office and delivered paperwork from the hospital to the GP surgery. struggle in the shower as I cannot. stand for long. My Link Worker arranged a shower stool for me and a perching stool for the kitchen as I cannot cook a meal in one go or complete the washing up without needing to sit down. She knew how hard it would be for me to accept the delivery so made sure I knew when it was coming so I could prepare myself to open the door. help of my neighbour, I met her there for an appointment. I could not have managed any of this by myself and I now have a car that is a safe space for me so I can get to medical appointments, the chemist, do my food shopping in person (early or late when no one is. around), and know that I am able to leave and get home safely at any point I need to do so. This has been life changing for me. My Link Worker helped with my benefits; she also applied for a Blue Badge for me. When I received a letter from my landlord saying I owed £850 in arrears, she supported me to call them and arranged a • payment plan for me to pay back what I owed. I didn't believe when I agreed to let the link worker in with my medication that there was anything that anyone could do for me. I am so glad I did." 615 people referred and supported Anxiety decreased by 38%. Helping You Home Funded by Maidstone Borough Council and delivered in partnership with Maidstone Hospital. Coming home from hospital can be a vulnerable and challenging time for people and their families. Helping you Home provides practical support for people being discharged home to a Maidstone property by completing home safety checks and fitting key safes, lifelines and moving furniture to enable delivery of a hospital bed 331 people supported with practical assistance. Feedback: "Very happy with the lifeline, thank you for the support with installing it." 'It's a relief to have the lifeline all in place. Thank you so much." "Thank you for such a quick service. Key safe all working well." Postural Stability Specialist exercise classes are offered in community venues across North and West Kent by our qualified instructors and our dedicated volunteers who guide the class through gentle and progressive exercises each week for a total of 36 weeks. Working at their own pace and when confidence has improved, they learn techniques to get up from the floor safely in case they fall. - 11 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) After the exercise there is time to chat and make friends over a cup of tea or coffee, speakers are also invited to talk to the group about staying fit and well and keeping safe at home. People are supported to move onto further exercise or activities at the end of the courses to ensure they continue to maintain their mobility and balance and connect with others. Feedback "The sessions with Kerry were good for us both. I am very grateful for the opportunity to get ourselves going again." 95% of people maintained or improved their mobility confidence levels. Community Transport The service provides accessible, affordable and reliable transport for people living in Maidstone and Malling who cannot manage on public transport due to age related difficulties, frailty, disability or illness. Enabling people to get to hospital or GP appointments, day centres, attend social groups, activities or be able to visit friends and family independently. 7,837 trips completed. The service can only run with the dedication from our volunteer drivers which increased to an all-time high of 56 during the year and our 3 Office Support volunteers who support our Transport Coordinator, Tracey. Drivers kindly use their own cars to transport people and drive our 2 minibuses with up to 10 people onboard. . Our volunteer David has kindly shared his experience of being a volunteer driver. "I joined as a volunteer driver for the community transport service in 1999 when we were Maidstone Volunteer Bureau after I took retirement. I found out about the charity through a neighbour who was already a volunteer. I have enjoyed taking many people in my car over the last 26 years volunteering, often making myself available 7 days a week to be booked for trips. One particular trip sticks in my mind which is when I took 3 excited older ladies to Skegness so that they could enjoy a week's holiday there. I had to stop many times on the journey for them, and it took me over 5 hours to get them there whilst driving back without them only took 2 and a half! I also used to do a stint in the office on Friday afternoons, assisting the Transport Coordinator with booking trips for people and answering the phone calls. I also served as a Trustee for the charity for a few years too. For the past 26 years transport volunteer driving has been a large part of my life and continues to be now." The success and longevity of this service is down to the wonderful dedication of our volunteers who we and the public who use the service are incredibly grateful for. Feedback "I wanted to thank you for all the help you and Involve Kent have given me in enabling my Mum and Dad to see each other, despite being in separate care homes. Dad passed away peacefully on - 12- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Saturday evening and thanks to your driver, Dave my mum had seen Dad just days before on the Wednesday. Please would you extend my deepest thanks to both Dave and Robin. I know Robin was really fond of Dad. It's hard to put into words what it meant to the family that in their 60th year of marriage, they were still able to be together." "I am just back from Pembury Hospital. All appointments done, as well as more shoulder x-rays and CT scan that were required. David was an absolute gentleman. Thank you for asking David to be my driver. Please pass on my sincere thanks to David. I am very impressed with the service, thank you Tracey." "I would just like to praise your drivers on the good work they do driving our members to and from our groups. These people could not get back into the community without them." - Jill, Stroke Association Green Spaces. Our green spaces social prescribing project in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council came to an end in March 2025. Focused on wellbeing the project supported Maidstone residents to get involved in gardening activities to develop the town centre green spaces to help keep them feeling connected to their community. All volunteering sessions were led by a qualified and experienced gardener who was always on hand to share helpful advice and tips. The project both improved often neglected small green spaces in the community in addition to supporting wellbeing and a sense of community ownership in the volunteers. Total number of volunteer sessions: 111 Total number of volunteers engaged in the project: 88. Total number of volunteer attendances: 366 Number of town centre sites: 20 The sites were: Maidstone Amphitheatre, Brenchley Gardens, Brewer Street Churchyard, Allotment; Maidstone Community Support Centre (front beds), Rose Garden, Secret Garden, Trinity Park Woollett & Camden Street, Pride Boat, Palace Garden, Old Boat Café Beds, Archbishop's Palace (Knot Garden), Museum (front courtyard), Fairmeadow (subway beds), Coronation Square, Goodsell House, College Road Carpark Beds, Magistrates Court Beds, Riverside Bed. Impact on volunteers 100% said they enjoyed taking part in the volunteering activity 96% said they felt more connected to their community through being involved 100% said it has improved their wellbeing 98% said they are more likely to volunteer in future having taken part Why did people volunteer? The main reason volunteers wanted to take part was to support or to give back to the local community. There was also a drive to be part of a team and to do something together. Many volunteers wanted to improve the look of the town and maintain its green spaces to make it better for residents and businesses. - 13- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Public Feedback It's lovely to see these areas improved, for a county town we should be proud and want to use these spaces. "Thank you for making these areas look and feel more welcoming." Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Children and Young People Services Children's Health and Wellbeing Our Navigators are based in GP practices and work with children, families and carers where the child has a long-term health condition, neurodivergence and/or mental health. issues. Helping families to coordinate referrals and care, providing information and advice, and acting as a key point of contact for the family. Focusing on what matters most to families, a personalised support plan is developed with wide ranging actions from navigating statutory services and diagnostic pathways to supporting them to achieve their goals. Case Study C, aged 15 was struggling with anxiety and isolation. Unable to access school, experiencing overwhelm and social anxiety; C could not leave the house and would be physically sick when he did, he was desperate to overcome this and found it so frustrating. With the help of social prescribing support from his Children's Navigator at his GP practice, C was encouraged to access the Inspire programme, a local scheme to help young people that are facing challenges. The programme supports young people to create new friendships, introduce them to healthy lifestyles through sport, and open new doors into work with opportunities to learn new skills C then decided to join the gym at the local leisure centre, meanwhile the Navigator supported the family to access CAMHS for mental health support. His parents were provided with various self-confidence boosting tasks to slowly build his resilience. His confidence grew day by day and he decided to investigate a new education setting for a fresh start. going out with friends and accessing education with a newfound confidence and zest for life. He continues to attend the gym, paying for it himself using his benefits that the Navigator supported him to claim. Feedback from Mum: "Without Children's Navigation support and help we would never have considered moving schools, and he would not be the boy he is today!" The team have also worked across the following transformation projects: NHS Kent and Medway Transformation - This is Me - Staff from 4 Maidstone based GP Primary Care Networks trained to ensure families are appropriately supported to access this new alternative to the previous diagnostic pathway. Included as an integral part of the Community Resource Team and package of support being offered to families accessing This is Me. Children's and Young People Mental Health MDT - Working closely with PCN Children and Young People's Mental Health Practitioners (NELFT), wider agencies and organisations with a collaborative approach to addressing the high levels of CYP presenting with poor mental health, self-harm and incidents of suicide in West Kent. NHSE pilot - East Kent Children's MDT - 2 Navigators continue to lead on the development, planning, facilitation and reporting around NHSE Children's MDT, working closely with key clinica|PCN staff and wider agencies. Primary Care Neurodiversity Pilot - Navigators at participating PCNs have led the development. of projects piloting innovative approaches to supporting families in Primary Care. - 15- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Navigators have engaged NDUK to create a programme of bespoke support sessions based on the needs and gaps identified, due to commence soon in Malling PCN. Sittingbourne PCN Navigators have created a schedule of themed coffee mornings with families and experts, as well as using the Unique Child Programme for individual support Weald PCN - Family Focused Link Worker - Testing a unique role recognising the wider needs of families where a child has additional needs. 66% of 3344 families supported this year reported an increase in ability to deal with problems. NHS Personal Health Budgets From March 2022-2024 Involve Kent ran a Personal Health Budget Pilot delivering them to children and young people either diagnosed with, or suspected to have, a neurodivergent condition. Following the success of this pilot, it was agreed in 2024 to continue the pilot but with a focus on those children and young people on the waiting list for an assessment to ensure support was being offered during the waiting period of a person's neurodivergent condition journey. A Personal Health Budget is funding which can be used to purchase items and/or services for children or young people who are on a neurodivergent diagnostic pathway, receiving support from the This is Me! team in Maidstone, or attending a PINS school, with the aim of improving a specific wellbeing outcome. The latest pilot has received 109 referrals across Kent. The project needed to be scalable and sustainable, therefore a model was developed which reflected a small grant application process, rather than a Coordinator Key Work model. Referrals have been made by GP Primary Care Network Children's Navigators and Link Workers, This is Mel Practitioners and from PINS schools. The average cost has been £257.35 with an average rate of 78% of families stating that their Personal Health Budget was able to meet the agreed wellbeing need. Case Study Before receiving a Personal Health Budget (PHB), A was awaiting autism and ADHD assessments and struggling with emotional regulation, leading to outbursts, sleep issues, and difficulty attending school assemblies. His Children's Navigator worked with him and his mum to create a support plan, recognising the need for ongoing, multi-source effort. The PHB funded sensory and calming items including loop earplugs, a worry bear, sleep device, blackout tent, vibrating cushion, weighted blanket, and bean bag to help A manage crises and triggers. Weeks later, A's mum shared that the items had transformed their Christmas, helping him calm down and sleep through the night for the first time in years. His improved sleep also benefited Mum's sleep. At school, the earplugs enabled A to attend assemblies, and overall, he was much happier and better regulated Mum stated, "I would have got him the sleep items years ago if I had known the difference it would make!" - 16- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) "Now he has the headphones he can get a bus which he wasn't before. This means he is a bit more independent, and I don't need to run him around everywhere so much, so it frees up my time." "It was good that it doesn't take ages or need me to fill out massive forms." "Having the swing for E has changed our lives. We knew she liked the sensation of swinging but because of the winter she couldn't always use the garden so we couldn't utilise that to help her. Having the indoor swing means she can use it whenever she needs to, she. says it gives her the sensation of being safe and she will even do her reading in it, I can't describe how much it has changed things for her." 30% improvement in mental wellbeing 22% improvement in physical wellbeing 38% improvement in emotional wellbeing • 25% improvement in social wellbeing Connect! Connect! provides short break activities to 9 to 18-year-olds with moderate needs relating to neurodivergence across Kent. A co-designed programme of widely varied and exciting activities run after-school, at weekends, and in school holidays. To engage those not in school there are also weekday home education sessions to support children and young people to socialise, develop peer' relationships and make friends, build resilience, confidence and life skills in a non-judgemental environment that is tailored to be considerate of individual needs and sensitivities where possible. Activities are chosen to ensure they both engage and challenge the young people and are based on what they tell us they would like to do. Previous activities have included: : Rock climbing Water sports Escape rooms Cinema trips Cooking Yoga Animal experiences Archery Bushcraft/forest school • Outdoor activity centres • Theatre trip Train/bus journeys • Gaming workshops To ensure accessibility across the spectrum of needs of Connect! we considered not only what they told us they wanted to do, but also what might further enhance the schedule of activities: Online groups - Games played are easily accessible to young people and highly familiar giving them the opportunity to join an activity where they may be resistant to face to face activities. Many children and young people have joined the online session as an introduction and progressed to putting comments in the Chat, then joining in online, building friendships and connections with others then working towards attending activities in person. Online sessions are free of charge to ensure that there is always an activity available where cost is not a consideration and they can attend consistently as they build their confidence and beyond. We extended the sessions by half an hour at their request as they wanted to stay online and chat with each other once the game was finished -17- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Youth Club style sessions - In addition to our programme of activities, we set up regular social sessions in community settings where we offer a drop in option especially to children and young people who are new to Connect! or prone to overwhelm/anxiety. They and their families are encouraged to pop into the session and leave as needed allowing them to familiarise with the setting. activities and peers while building confidence and self-managing their anxiety. Activities at these sessions are less structured to allow for more transient attendance ie board games, arts and crafts Fidget toys and comfort items are, made available and they are encouraged to bring their own if it's helpful. Statf make themselves available to meet. and greet new attendees at these sessions further supporting a soft introduction to the service. 739 children and young people supported. 99.7% of children reported feeling safe at an activity 96.5% of children reported increasing their independence • 92.7% of children reported having tried something new Case study When A began attending activities, his parent would come along each time, he would mainly stay with a parent throughout. With some gentle encouragement he started to spend longer periods of time engaging with the group. As A attended more regularly, these periods of group engagement steadily increased as initial friendships formed. After a few months of attending, A started to attend independently with a parent dropping him off and picking up after. This has enabled A to rapidly build confidence and develop his social skills. Activities that A has now been able to attend independently have included full day outdoor activities, engaging in confidence building activities eg high climbing and zipline in a safe environment, which they have refused to engage with/attend in the past as reported by family. Dynamic Support Advocates The service supports young people aged 10 to 25 who: • Have a confirmed diagnosis of a learning disability and/or autism or are on the pathway for an assessment. And are: • At risk of admission into a specialist mental health facility At risk of 53-week placement breakdown, or : At risk of detention in the criminal justice system with forensic involvement. Our team of advocates, all who have relevant lived experience, take time to build trusting relationships with children, young people and their families by offering flexible support including home visits, community visits and hospital visits. This is especially important where children, young people and their families feel let down by services. They ensure the child or young person remains in the very centre of their care and support needs. Acting as advocates to ensure the voices of children and - 18 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) young people are heard across the system and that their goals, aspirations and wishes are listened to and acted upon. 84 children, young people and their families were supported by our Dynamic Support Advocates during April 2024 to March 2025. Feedback from Peter Lewer, Operational Manager, Kent and Medway Dynamic Support Service. 1 "The advocates provide specialist support for our most complex young people and are regularly applauded for their skills, resilience, experience, knowledge, and compassion. They, are essential to the work of the Dynamic Support Service and are valuable members of my service, and I am grateful for them and the relationship I have been honoured to have developed with Involve Kent." Case Study from a Family "Ben has beén our advocate, advisor, mediator, and information provider. He met with us and explained his purpose which helped us understand what he could do and provided us with regular contact and updates throughout his support for us. He has supported. by helping find an alternative to the adult education courses J had been interested in about life skills/budgeting etc, sending information about similar courses via Mid Kent College. Ben , has helped feed back our concerns about network decisions and actions and provided us with the previously requested contacts and complaint procedures we'd asked for and had never been given. He has provided other information on volunteer programmes like men's sheds in the area. He has supported us in meetings and communication with the social worker and provided tips for what has worked before and what myself and J feel would work better for communication, and now this is being done and the relationship with the social worker has much improved for both me and J. He has provided feedback regarding advocacy options from his team for J to ensure our worries can be met and J feel more supported without my direct presence in meetings with professionals. He has helped translate frustrated and angry words and provided the core meaning and point to the social worker which has helped them understand how they can influence other professionals who are currently not engaging as needed or communicating as preferred. He has also put together a communication template for professionals to better understand how support and communication is best adapted to suit J and myself to gel with us. He has ensured that we are kept in the loop and professionals communicate with us more, so we know what is happening even when it's just updates on delays. He has also provided options on funding routes via Personal Health Budgets for tuition and given regular contact, updates and emoțional support." Services IN FOCUS Moving Forwards 127 young care experienced people supported. 52% have a long-term health condition or disability. 20% from ethnic minority communities. - 19 - . Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Moving into our 4th year of supporting care leavers between the ages of 16 to 25 we were delighted to have funding increased from NHS Kent and Medway to enable us to expand the service to all care leavers across Kent and Medway from January 2025. Our Navigators take a holistic approach to supporting those who have left care or those preparing to leave care, working in partnership to complement and expand the support they can access through the local authority. Offering flexible 121 contact including home and community face to face contact. Engaging the young person with developing a personalised, goals-based action plan that focuses on their health and wellbeing, interests and aspirations and what support they may need to thrive and move forwards upon leaving care. Personal Health Budgets Outcomes We have also used personal health budgets to enable care leavers to access hobbies and interests of a wide variety including gym memberships, dance classes, art equipment and bikes. Some examples include: J was referred to The Arts Exchange in Margate. J is now having sewing lessons and support to build his portfolio. J was able to use the personal budget to purchase materials that he needed but could not afford to build upon his personal portfolio on his journey to working in the fashion industry. H is due her third child. H spends a lot of time at home due to her young children and due to pregnancy risk. His now making time for herself with diamond art which gives her time to relax and focus on her mental wellbeing; however, is struggling to do this at her table due to back pain. H used her funding to purchase a small table and additional craft kits. "Having the table means / can sit comfortably and do something that / enjoy. Diamond art is something I can do while my children sleep and still make time for me which helps my mental wellbeing." Having a Voice We were proud to work with care leavers to enable them to be involved and present at the 2024 Young Adults' Mental Health and Wellbeing Symposium about their experiences of mental health They spoke about their experiences of receiving support for their mental health and shared a diagram that they had developed with our staff that explained the impact of stigma on them. Professionals" attending said it was one of the most valuable parts of the day. The young people attending enjoyed the day, felt well supported and listened to. We also held a focus group to co-design our new leaflet with care experienced young people aimed at encouraging more care experienced young people to engage with the service. The focus was to make the content more accessible and easier to read, ensuring that the information is clear and motivating for the target audience. Quotes from young people who took part: "I feel valued and that I can make a positive change, and I could see this in designing the leaflet when looking at the before and after. It is good to hear other people's opinions as well as giving my own. The new leaflet is what I imagined and is much more engaging. I feel it also gives me experience to talk in these settings which will help me in my interviews and group settings in the future." "I liked being asked and included in the design of the leaflet. I felt that / was listened to and was able to have an opinion. It boosted my confidence by taking part, speaking in a group setting and being heard. I think the new leaflet is much better, more readable and will be more relatable for others. I am happy with how it turned out and being involved." - 20- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Group Work and Activities To ensure that our activities are engaging and co-designed with the young people, we send out feedback forms following participation, asking for their views on what they enjoyed, what could be improved, and what they would like to do in the future. Through our ongoing co-design process with young people, feedback highlighted a strong desire for more consistent opportunities to connect beyond the existing monthly activity model. Young people expressed the need for regular, informal meetups to help build relationships and create opportunities to interact with peers. In direct response to this feedback, we expanded our offer to include more frequent and accessible activities. This includes a new bowling centre group, providing a relaxed, social setting for regular engagement. Young people who are also parents shared that childcare responsibilities often prevented them from fully engaging in activities. As a result of their feedback, we have tailored some activities to be suitable for parents to attend with their children. While some had been supported to attend local parent and baby groups, they expressed that they struggled to build connections within these settings. Many felt isolated or different from other parents, as they didn't share similar lived experience. As a result, they identified a strong need for a space specifically for young people with care experience, where they could feel understood, safe and supported by peers who relate to their circumstances. In response, we are developing dedicated groups for young care experienced parents and their children, designed to offer meaningful peer connection, reduce isolation, and ensure they can access supportive, relevant activities. Feedback : "Attending activities with the Moving Forwards service has made the biggest impact on me as it meant I could get out of my accommodation. It gave me the opportunity to try new things, make new friendships, build my confidence and pushed me out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would. I have attended many activities but really enjoyed doing something for Halloween by going to Tulleys Farm Shocktoberfest: I also liked how sometimes we would do exciting, thrilling trips but also more relaxed casual trips to the zoo and Leeds Castle Christmas Lights. I have become a lot more confident and often meet with new people which I once didn't think I could do! The Moving Forwards service has made a lot of impact to my mental health. I feel happier, more confident and less anxious meeting new people. Having the opportunity to get out and meet with other young people has meant I am hardly ever lonely. It has also improved my physical health as 1 am no longer sitting in my room playing games;. I am working more, doing fun physical activity trips and on the move a lot more." "Being in such activities helps me a lot to gain confidence being around people and gives me the opportunity to meet new people every time." "I really enjoyed today. I loved meeting people who have been in the same situation as me and I loved how we have all now got along so well to the point we are going to meet up outside." "I would like to mention that all the activities we had so far are amazing. I have enjoyed each one of them, especially the escape room and laser tag as it's my first time ever trying them. I am glad that I had a chance to try it out and learn new things every time." ÷21 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) After one year in the service young people experience: A decrease in 'anxiety by average of 23%. Life satisfaction increasing by average of 24%. Average weekly increase in physical activity levels of 77 minutes. Services In Focus - Carers 5,860 carers supported. 81% reported a long-term health condition or disability of their own. In the 2021 census 158,512. unpaid carers were identified in Kent and Medway. Involve Kent are funded by Kent County Council in the areas of Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks (excluding Swanley) to provide assessment and support to any carers 16 and over who are providing unpaid care to an adult family member, partner or friend. The service includes the responsibility for completing Carer's Assessments on behalf of KCC social care and developing support plans with carers to meet their eligible needs. 700 were completed during April 2024 and March 2025. We take a holistic and person-centred approach with carers ensuring equal partnership in all that we do and focusing with them on their health, wellbeing and ability to live the life they choose alongside their caring role. Innovation - We were pleased to be involved by KCC in the innovative development of the new online Carer's Assessment in Kent. We ensured that carers were able to test the platform during the design phase and feedback their views on imagery, wording and ease of use. We are delighted the platform is live and carers in Kent now have another easy route to access support in Kent. Hospital Discharge 1,086 carers supported through carer's hospital discharge service and provided with information, advice, emotional support and their right to a Carer's Assessment via Involve Kent. 445 received practical brokered support from hospital discharge funding. Our work with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital Trust with onsite access enables us to identify carers caring for someone on discharge from hospital. Working as a part of the integrated discharge team to ensure appropriate support is in place to enable safe discharge home. Our practical support includes night sits, sit calls, help with domestic tasks and laundry. Enabling carers to rest or access the community when their caring role has increased or they are new to caring for someone after a stay in hospital. Short Breaks 315 carers accessed a short break from caring via our Rapid Response funding enabling their health and wellbeing to improve whilst the person they care for is safely supported at home or in the community.. Our wide network of partners enabling choice and control for carers and the person they - 22- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Forums Our quarterly carer forums continue to grow in popularity and empower carers to have their voices heard while also hearing from services, community partners and statutory services. Our Southborough forum was focused on Mental Health and we were honoured to have guest speaker Matthew McKenzie FRSA BEM attend. Carers appreciated Matthew's presentation as he shared his own story as a carer of people with mental health conditions and read his poetry. Carers participated by sharing some of their own stories and difficulties with the attendees. Information was also shared by Crossroads and TELs, with further information stands from KCC, Active Kent and Medway, and Community Catalysts. "A very emotional day in a good way thank you. I found all the information very helpful. It was good to meet other people and to talk to those who have been helping me." Our Maidstone forum included speakers from Citizens Advice Bureau, Kent Continence Service and KCC Community Wardens, with information stands provided by Community Catalysts, KCC TELs and Clarion Housing Group with details of the One Stop Shop (domestic abuse service). "Great advice and help. It was lovely to find out all about the support groups and to meèt other carers." Forums are also a great way to connect carers with each other who may have similar interests, caring roles or are local to each other. Training Our training sessions are based upon the needs identified with carers. This year we have expanded our partnership working with the following training sessions offered: . Moving and Handling Awareness workshops delivered in West Kent provided information for carers with demonstrations by NRS Healthcare occupational therapists who showed the carers how they can support their loved one to move whist looking after their own physical wellbeing. Working with British Red Cross, First Aid. workshops were delivered in different locations in West Kent. It gave carers confidence that they would know what to do in an emergency and there was time to ask specific questions and join in practical demonstrations. British Red Cross also facilitated 2 Adapt and Recover workshops in Tonbridge and Ditton. Carers learnt how the body reacts to stressful situations and times of sudden change; they were given practical coping strategies to help in times of stress. On 14th March we arranged 2 training sessions with Training2Care for carers that support a friend or family member living with dementia and for some of our staff. The Virtual Dementia Tour allowed 32 carers and staff to experience what dementia might be like and understand simple changes that can be made to improve the life of someone living with dementia. All carers that attended gave very positive feedback that it helped provide a greater understanding of the support that could be provided and a much deeper understanding of the difficulties the person they care for may face. Caring and Me - Courses were co-produced with carers and delivered face-to-face at different locations across West Kent and online. Carers benefited from the courses and were able to discover different ways of coping and gaining confidence in their caring role.. "I enjoyed the support and caring attitude of the course and consequently, having found the time to do - 23- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) it, I can now see that I can find a couple of hours each week to allocate to myself, to turn into a quiet period." Peer Support - We continue to support carers to connect with each other, reduce their isolation, gain peer support, confidence and take a break with face to face and online groups and activities across West Kent. Case Studies Adult Carers "Jacquie completed my Carer's Assessment with me, and we created a support plan which addressed the needs identified during the assessment. I received a Carer's One-off Payment to cover the cost of online Pilates classes for 12 months. Jacquie told me about the six-week Caring and Me course offered by Involvé. I chose to attend the online course, as this was easier for me than going to a course held in the community, because of my significant dual caring responsibilities. I found all the support very helpful. It really lifted me and has put me back into a positive frame of mind. It helped me to get back out of a very low patch. I began to realise that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The Carer's One-off Payment I received is covering the cost of weekly online Pilates classes. I have recordings of all the classes so I can use these at any time. I am doing Pilates 3-4 times a week. My core muscles are stronger, so I can do heavier practical tasks more easily. My mental ano physical wellbeing have both improved since starting these classes. When I did the Caring and Me course, seeing what other people were going through helped me to put my own situation into perspective. Having the help I have had has helped me to cope better. It feels like I have the. tools to get back in control. I have been feeling more positive since having my Carer's Assessment, and this has given me the ability to cope better with my dual caring responsibilities." "My partner and / were living a normal life before her stroke but then our lives turned upside down. We were referred to Involve by the hospital. Before the stroke, we were quite confident to find information and solve problems between us. After my partner's stroke, I found myself unable to manage and felt completely lost with no one to help. Involve issued me with a Kent Carer's Emergency Card and supported to complete a Carer's Emergency Plan. I was also supported to apply for a disabled person's bus pass, a Blue Badge and Carer's Allowance, all of which have now been awarded I attended the Caring and Me course and a Moving and Handling course. Referrals were made for a Care Needs Assessment to social services, and we were supported to access community equipment and assistive technology. The support from Involve has made a huge positive difference with very good results. The biggest positive change for me personally has been the courses that I have been able to attend through Involve, and equipment support for my partner, they have been very informative, and I have learned a lot, not only from the course leader but also from other carers. " - 24 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee : Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Young Adult Carers Our personalised support to those aged 16 to 25 who care for an adult family member or friend includes proactive outreach work with drop ins at colleges, youth services and young carer services. Both 121 and group support is available with access to a Carer's Assessment from age 18. We also ran activities to bring carers together, have a break and have some fun. Young Adult Carer Case Study "I was struggling to maintain my mental health and wellbeing. My confidence and self-esteem were at an all-time low. I lacked the funds to do activities / enjoy, and this was stopping me from having a break from my caring role. I have been attending the monthly groups and activities for Young Adult Carers face-to-face. One of the activities I recently enjoyed attending was bouldering at the Chimera Climbing Centre. It was great fun to try something / would never normally do and to meet other young adult carers. My community navigator has completed an application to the Kent Community Foundation for the Grassroots Carers' Respite Fund for an annual gym membership. This was approved and has been beneficial to me. I have been supported to access Shaw Trust for support with employment and the NHS Talking Therapies for support with my mental health and wellbeing. I have been regularly attending the gym; this has made an improvement in not only my physical health but my mental health and wellbeing. My mood, motivation and confidence have increased. The support I have received from Involve has also helped me to improve my social connections. I now have a break from my caring role at least once a week." 25 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Outcomes Thematic analysis of carer's feedback of our service has shown the following: Theme identified Emotional support and reassurance Service satisfaction and availability Information, advice and communication Mental health and wellbeing Support planning and empowerment Social connection and respite Trust and continuity Financial support Identity and role recognition Carer Summary Feedback Having someone to talk to who listens without judgment provided comfort, validation, and reduced isolation. Feeling emotionally supported and cared tor. High satisfaction with the reliability, professionalism, and responsiveness of support teams. Carers appreciated consistent follow-through. Carers valued clear, timely, and tailored information - especially through Support Plans. Advice on navigating services and accessing resources was empowering. Support for mental health through counselling, peer groups, and emotional encouragement was transformative and often life changing Assessments and structured plans helped carers reflect, set goals, and feel more in control. Many felt empowered to take action. Peer groups, forums, and Rapid Response funded breaks helped carers feel connected understood, and able to rest or engage socially. Carers valued consistent, empathetic support from trusted navigators who followed through and stayed in touch. Help with Rapid Response short break funding, Carer One-off payments, and benefit applications provided financial relief and improved quality of life. Carers felt seen and acknowledged not just as caregivers but as individuals with their owr needs and worth - 26- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Achievements and performance (continued) Community Navigation for Carers Outcome Measures (1st April 2024 - 31st March 2025) Increase in belng able to deal with problems well Increase in activity levels Increase in health scores Decrease in loneliness Decreaso in anxicty Inorease in happiness Incrense in feeling that what you do in life is worthwhile Increase in life satisfaction 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% Percentage Improvement 20.00% 27 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Financial review Treasurer We have continued to manage our finances prudently during the financial year to 31 March 2025 despite ongoing uncertainty around future funding to some of our core services. This year saw notable growth in our work supporting children with neurodiversity and unpaid carers, areas with rising demand and where Involve Kent is increasingly recognised for its innovative, person-centred approach. We remain vigilant in monitoring the external funding landscape and continue to work closely with the executive team to ensure our financial strategy remains robust and responsive. The Finance Sub-Group has played a key role in maintaining oversight and enabling constructive dialogue around risk, opportunity, and sustainability. The Charity follows Charity Commission's guidance on reserves and also considers our cash flow requirements and the risks and obligations facing the Charity. The Charity's financial position as at the year-end reflects total reserves of £4,113,736 broken down between restricted funds of £812,415 and unrestricted reserves of £3,301,321. Unrestricted funds are allocated as £1,387,095 being designated operational reserves (ensures that in worst case scenario charity could be wound up), £790,466 are designated across 14 operational areas for specific service use and £1,123,760 the charity holds in • order to strategically invest in our mission. I would like to thank Jo Misiak for her contribution to our financial management during the year and to acknowledge her departure shortly after the year-end. Her work has helped lay the foundations for continued transparency and accountability in our financial reporting. I would also like to thank our CEO Gary and our auditors, Burgess Hodgson for their support during the transition to our new Head of Finance and welcome Becky Smith to the team. As we mark Involve Kent's 50th year, we do so with a clear focus on evidencing impact, challenging systems to think and fund differently, and ensuring our resources are used to create lasting change. Deirdre O'Donoghue Treasurer, Involve Kent Trustees' responsibilities statement The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, for that period - 28 - . Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; • observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP; make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting récords that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Auditor Each of the persons who is a trustee at the date of approval of this report confirms that: • so far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's auditor is unaware; and they have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditor is aware of that information. The trustees' annual report and the strategic report were approved on 1B/11/ 2025. and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by: Heicist R. Leicester, Chair Trustee - 29 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Involve Kent Limited Year ended 31 March 2025 Opinion We have audited the financial statements of Involve Kent Limited (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account), statement of financial position, statement of cash flows and the related notes, 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, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion the financial statements: give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2025 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; have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). Basis for opinion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK; including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concern In auditing the financial statements, we 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 we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity'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. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. - 30- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Involve Kent Limited (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Other information The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such. material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. * We have nothing to report in this regard. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: • the information given in the trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and • the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on which we are required to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees' report We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Charities Act. 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; 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 we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. - 31 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Involve Kent Limited (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Responsibilities of trustees As explained more fully in the trustees responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors 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 charity'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 charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements Our 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 an auditor's report that includes our 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. Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: We identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and then design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence that iș sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we have considered; the nature of the industry, control environment and business performance with particular reference to the Company's remuneration policies, key drivers for directors' remuneration, bonus levels and performance targets. Throughout the audit testing we are considering the incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud. Key areas include timing of recognising income around the year end, posting of unusual journals and manipulating the Company's performance measures to meet targets. In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. We ensure we have an understanding of the relevant laws and regulations and remain alert to possible non-compliance throughout the audit. Despite proper planning and audit work in accordance with auditing standards there are inherent limitations and unavoidable risk that we may not detect some irregularities and material misstatements in the financial statements. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations. - 32- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Involve Kent Limited (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also: Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit. evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. • Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing, an opinion on the effectiveness of the internal control. • Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees. • Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going concern. Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the dișclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Involve Kent Limited (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit. Use of our report This report is made solely to the charity's members, as a body, in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and regulations made under section 154 of that Act, and Regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. . Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Bagan Haywar Audi (mited 184 Novander 2025 Robert Field FCA CȚA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Burgess Hodgson Audit Limited Chartered. accountants & statutory auditor Camburgh House 27 New Dover Road Canterbury Kent CT1 3DN 34 Income Donations and legacies Charitable activities - Grants and service delivery contracts Investment income Total income Expenditure Expenditure on charitable activities Total expenditure Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account) Year ended 31 March 2025 2025 Note 5 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds 12,263 4,729,285 36,591 4,778,139 2,458 767,784 770,242 14,721 5,497,069 36,591 5,548,381 Net income Transfers between funds 8,9 3,962,952 3,962,952 689,170 689,170 4,652,122 4,652,122 815,187 103,851 81,072 896,259 (103,851) Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 919,038 (22,779) 896,259 2,382,283 835,194 3.301.321 812,415 3,217,477 4,113,736 The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities. The notes on pages 38 to 48 form part of these financial statements. - 35- 2024 Total funds 14,195 6,377,888 26,458 6.418,541 5,246,756 5,246,756 1,171,785 - 1,171,785 2,045,692 3,217,477 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Statement of Financial Position 31 March 2025 Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors Other creditors including taxation and social security Accruals and deferred income Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Net assets 2025 Note 14 15 17 6,366 836,778 3,642,128 4,478,906 56,321 288,755 26,460 371,536 4,107,370 4,113,736 4,113,736 2024 11,653 1,135,519 2,537,286 3,672,805 58,666 342,781 65,534 466,981 3,205,824 3,217,477 3,217,477 Funds of the charity Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds 812,415 3,301,321 20 4,113,736 835,194 2,382,283 3,217,477 These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the medium companies regime. These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 1.8-11-2025 and are signed on behalf of the board by: ? Leicester, Chai Trustee The notes on pages 38 to 48 form part of these financial statements. - 36- • • Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Statement of Cash Flows Year ended 31 March 2025 Cash flows from operating activities Net income Adjustments for: Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Dividends, interest and rents from investments Interest payable and similar charges Accrued income Changes in: Trade and other debtors Trade and other creditors Cash generated from operations Interest paid Net cash from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Dividends, interest and rents from investments Proceeds from sale of tangible assets Net cash from investing activities Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 2025 896,259 2,123 (36,591) 2,345 (30,749) 298,741 (64,696) 1,067,432 (2,345) 1,065,087 36,591 3,164 39,755 1,104,842 2,537,286 3,642,128 2024 1,171,785 3,885 (26,458) 2,554 (47,867) (748,928) (25,640) 329,331 (2,554) 326,777 26,458 26,458 353,235 2,184,051 2,537,286 The notes on pages 38 to 48 form part of these financial statements. - 37- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements • Year ended 31 March 2025 1. General information The charity is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in England, Wales and Scotland. The address of the registered office is 30 Turkey Court, Turkey Mill, Ashford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5PP. 2. Statement of compliance These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland', the 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) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Companies Act 2006. 3. Accounting policies Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure. The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity. Going concern There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue. Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Accounting estimates and assumptions are made concerning the future and, by their nature, will rarely equal the related actual outcome. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 3. Accounting policies (continued) Incoming resources All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of.income: • income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.' • legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established. income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is • impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers. income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it to be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted. Resources expended Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates: expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, non-charitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods. • expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities. other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities. All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis. Tangible assets Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Any tangible assets carried at revalued amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses. - 39 - 3. Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 Accounting policies (continued) Tangible assets (continued) An increase in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of a revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses, unless it reverses a charge for impairment that has previously been recognised as expenditure within the statement of financial activities. A decrease in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses. except to which it offsets any previous revaluation gain, in which case the loss is shown within other recognised gains and losses on the statement of financial activities. Depreciation Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows: Motor vehicles 25% reducing balance basis Equipment 15-25% reducing balance basis and 33.33% straight line basis Impairment of fixed assets A review for indicators of impairment is carried out at each reporting date, with the recoverable amount being estimated where such indicators exist. Where the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired accordingly. Prior impairments are also reviewed for possible reversal at each reporting date. For the purposes of impairment testing, when it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs. The cash-generating unit is the smallest identifiable group of assets that includes the asset and generates cash inflows that largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. For impairment testing of goodwill, the goodwill acquired in a business combination is, from the are assigned to those units. Financial instruments Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price: Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in the profit and loss account in other administrative expenses. Loans and borrowings are initially recognised at the transaction price including transaction costs Subsequently, they are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less impairment. If an arrangement constitutes a finance transaction it is measured at present value. - 40- .. Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 3. Accounting policies (continued) Defined contribution plans 4. 5. Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund When contributions are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting date in which the employees render the related service, the liability is measured on a discounted present value basis. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as an expense in the period in which it arises. Limited by guarantee Involve Kent Limited is a charity registered with the Charity Commission in the United Kingdom. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the Charity. Donations and legacies 6. Unrestricted Funds Restricted Total Funds Funds 2025 Donations Donations Donations Donations Charitable activities - grants and service delivery contracts Income from grants and service delivery contracts 12,263 14,721 Unrestricted Funds. 2,458 Restricted • Total Funds Funds 2024 14,195 = 14,195 Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds 2025 4,729,285 767,784 5,497,069 Income from grants and service delivery contracts Unrestricted Funds 5,274,375 Restricted Total Funds Funds 2024 1;103,513 6,377,888 - 41 - Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 7. Investment income Interest - deposits . Unrestricted Total Funds Unrestricted Total Funds Funds 2025 Funds 36,591 36,591 26,458 26,458 8. Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type Unrestricted Funds Innovations & Pilots Short Breaks - Connect Care Leavers Service Social Prescribing Children's Innovation & Pilots Unrestricted activities Support costs 3,498,479 464,473 3,962,952 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Total Funds Funds 2025 49,394 49,394 196,396 196,396 100,740 100,740 228,902 228,902 113,738 113,738 3,498,479 464,473 4,652,122 689,170 Restricted Total Funds Funds 2024 20,324 20,324 79,964 79,964 287,657 287,657 256,265 256,265 4,077,282 641.210 525,264 5,246,756 9. Innovations & Pilots Short Breaks - Connect Care Leavers Service Social Prescribing Children's Innovation & Pilots Unrestricted activities Support costs 4,077,282 525,264 4,602,546 Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type Activities undertaken directly Support costs Innovations & Pilots Short Breaks - Connect Care Leavers Service Social Prescribing Children's Innovation & Pilots Unrestricted activities Governance costs 49,394 196,396 100,740 228,902 113,738 3,495,815 - 4,184,985 444,962 19,511 464,473 Total funds 2025 49,394 196,396 100,740 228,902 113,738 3,940,777 19,511 4,649,458 Total fund 2024 20,324 79,964 287,657 256,265 4,580,368 22,178 5,246,756 - 42- Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 10. Analysis of support costs Staff costs Premises Communications and IT General office Human resources Governance costs Other support costs Support costs 319,668 28,481 18,965 11,582 18,630 34,247 32,900 464,473 Total 2025 319,668 28,481 18,965 11,582 18,630 34,247 32,900 464,473 • Total 2024 349,735 35,636 17,830 19,124 6,762 22,178 • 73,999 525,264 11. Auditors remuneration Fees payable for the audit of the financial statements 2025 16,000 2024 13,364 Fees payable to the charity's auditor and its associates for other services: Other non-audit services 9,000 8,814 •During the year, the company's auditor changed from Burgess Hodgson LLP to Burgess Hodgson Audit Limited following a change in legal structure of the audit firm. The responsible individual remains the same. 12. Staff costs The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows: Wages and salaries Social security costs Employer contributions to pension plans 2025 3,181,664 288,428 70,001 3,540,093 2024 3.581.056 320,853 78,008 3,979,917 The average head count of employees during the year was 122 (2024: 142). The average number of full-time equivalent employees during the year is analysed as follows: 2025 No. Charitable activities Governance 115 7 122 2024 No. 133 8 141 - 43- • Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 12. Staff costs (continued) The number of employees whose remuneration for the year fell within the following bands, were: 2025 2024 No. No. £60,000 to £69,999 £80,000 to £89,999 2 2 13. Trustee remuneration and expenses During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2024: ENil). During the year, no Trustee expenses have been incurred (2024: ENil). 14. Tangible fixed assets Cost At 1 April 2024 Disposals • At 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 Charge for the year Disposals At 31 March 2025 Carrying amount At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024 15. Debtors Motor vehicles Equipment 71,106 (7,500) 63,606 27,996 27,996 59,453 2,123 (4,336) 57,240 27,996 27,996 6,366 11,653 Total 99,102 (7,500) 91,602 Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors 2025 625,338 40,683 170,757 836,778 2024 617,306 34,342 483,871 1,135,519 For further detail regarding other debtors, see 21.f. 16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Other creditors comprising of £71,519 (2024: £107,986) are amounts which are being held o behalf of third parties - 44 - .! Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 17. Other creditors including taxation and social security falling due within one year Social security and other taxes. Other creditors 2025 203,624 85,131 288,755 2024 220,322 122,459 342,781 18. Deferred income 2025 2024 8,325 At 1 April 2024 19. Pensions and other post retirement benefits The amount recognised in income or expenditure as an expense in relation to defined contribution plans was £78,008 (2023: £64,428). The defined contribution liability as the the year end is £14,473 (2023: £14,703) and is allocated to the unrestricted fund. 20. Analysis of charitable funds. Unrestricted funds General funds Emergency Fund At 1 April 2024 2,163,520 218,763 2,382,283 General funds Emergency Fund At 1 April 2023 1.463,612 1,463,612 Income Expenditure 4,778,139 (3,962,952) 4,778,139 (3,962,952) Income Expenditure 5,315,028 (4,602,546) 5,315,028 (4,602,546) Transfers 31 March 2025 73,524 3,052,231 30,327 249,090 103,851 3,301,321 At Transfers 31 March 2024 (12,574) 2,163,520 218;763 218,763 206,189 2,382,283 - 45 - • Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 20. Analysis of charitable funds (continued) Restricted funds Community Projects Care Leavers Service Social Prescribing Children's Innovation & Pilots Innovations & Pilots Short Breaks - Connect Community Projects Care Leavers Service Social Prescribing Children's Innovation & Pilots Innovations & Pilots Short Breaks - Connect At 1 April 2024 Income Expenditure (13,880) 97,477 267,071 4,526 480,000 835,194 351,932 305,047 2,50 50,301 50,460 770,242 (100,740) (228,902) (113,738) (49,394) (196,396) (689,170). At 1 April 2023 177,685 82,344 145,498 176,553 - 582,080 Income Expenditure 207. 77 290,886 24,850 480,000 1.103.513 (79,964) (287,657) (256,265) (20,324) (644,210) Transfers 31 March 2025 - (14,836) (36,540) (21,737) (3,739) (26,999) (103,851) 222,476 137,082 134,096 11,696 307,065 812,415 At Transfers 31 March 2024 (177,685) (16,260) (68,141) 55,897 (206,189) (13,880) 97,477 267,071 4,526 480,000 835,194 Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 20. Analysis of charitable funds (continued) Fund descriptions (a) Community Projects Funded by a range of restricted grants from local authorities and charities, this programme reaches out to people tacing signiticant social exclusion and inequality and supports them to be an active members of their community, through groups, activities and volunteering. It also includes work to gather feedback and insight on people's experience of mental health services to improve future service provision. (b) Social Prescribing A restricted grant from NHS Kent and Medway to develop social prescribing in West Kent, including provision of a community Link Worker service and support to other voluntary organisations to build community capacity and resilience. (c) Care Leavers Service • restricted grant from NHS Kent and Medway to pilot a navigation / social prescribin ervice for people aged 16-24 who have been in care, to improve their mental health an life opportunities. (d) Childrens Innovation and Pilots Fund A restricted range of funds from both grant funding and local authority funding to enhance the direct work available in the local children's services offer. These projects support both children and their families. (e) Innovations & Pilots A restricted range of funds from both local grant funding and local authority funding to deliver pilot and/or innovations projects either in new areas of work or to enhance existing areas of work. These projects are to support Adults over 16 years old. (f) Short Breaks - Connect A restricted grant fund from Kent County Council to provide short breaks to autistic children and young people aged 9 -18 and their parents or carers across Kent's 12 districts. The short breaks provided are fun activities, trips and groups, and provide parents/carers with necessary and valuable break from their caring responsibilities. The total grant amount is £480,000. This grant will be delivered over 24 months to March 2026. -47- : Involve Kent Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2025 21. Analysis of net assets between funds Tangible fixed assets Current assets • Creditors less than 1 year Net assets Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than 1 year Net assets Unrestricted Funds 6,366 3,562,640 (371,536) 3,197,470 Unrestricted. Funds 11,653 2,837,611 (466,981) 2,382,283 22. Analysis of changes in net debt Restricted Total Funds Funds 2025 •€ 6,366 916,266 4,478,906 (371,536) 916,266 4,113,736 Restricted Total Funds Funds 2024 11,653 835,194 3,672,805 (466,981) 835,194 3.217,477 Cash at bank and in hand At 1 Apr 2024 Cash flows 31 Mar 2025 . 2,537,286 1.104,842 3,642,128 23. Operating lease commitments The total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as tollows: Not later than 1 year Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years 50,680 63,871 114,551 49,348 114,551 163,899 24. Related parties D Simmons, a trustee, is employed at MetroBank, supplier of banking services to the Charity. [ Simmons resigned as a trustee on 18 May 2025 R Hewett, a trustee, is a Director at NHS Kent and Medway, who provide funding to the Charity. Dr M Varshney, a trustee, is a Director at NHS Kent and Medway, who provide funding to the Charity. - 48-