Caerphilly People First
Trustees' Annual Report 2024-2025

Caerphilly People First
Trustees' Annual Report 2024-2025
CONTENTS
Trustees' Annual Report
Independent examiner's report to trustees
Statement of financial activities
Statement of financial position
Accounting policies
Notes to the financial accounts
PAGE
2
12
13
14
15
2

Caerphilly People First
Trustees' Annual Report 2024-2025
The trustees present their report of the charity for the year ending 31
March 2025.
Registered charity name
Charity registration number
Principle office
The trustees
Caerphilly People First
1067252
Bargoed YMCA, Aeron Place, Bargoed,
CF81 8JA
Ffion Bethell
Cheyl Smith
Sophie Morgan
Natalie Stapley
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Caerphilly People First aims to support all people with learning disabilities
in Caerphilly County Borough through training, information, and the
promotion of self-advocacy. It is a user-led organisation aiming to support
its members - and others - by raising awareness of the rights of people to
make their own decisions, and to determine that services for people with
learning disabilities are appropriately provided.
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The charity is governed by its constitution and is a charity registered with
the Charity Commission.
Election of trustees: According to the constitution of Caerphilly People
First, the charity in a general meeting shall elect the officers and the other
trustees in line with the terms of the constitution.
3

The trustees may appoint a person who is willing to act as a trustee. They
may also appoint trustees to act as officers. Each of the trustees shall
retire with the effect from the conclusion of the annual general meeting
next after his or her term of office but shall be eligible for re-election at
that annual general meeting.
CHARITY STRUCTURE / OUR TEAM
Caerphilly People First employs a manager who works 31 hours per week,
and an admin worker who works 25 hours per week. We also employ two
people with a learning disability for 2 hours per week each, and these
people are also on our payroll.
Caerphilly People First staff undergo regular supervision sessions.
The management committee, which is equally made up of people with
and without a learning disability, has held one management meeting
during this year.
2024-2025 has been another busy year for Caerphilly People First. As a
result of new activities, we have offered (as well as continuing popular
existing activities), we have been able to reach out to many more people
with learning disabilities and have recruited many new members.
HAVING A VOICE
Staff and members have attended the following meetings (some online):
• Nye's Community Champions meeting. 2 meetings.
• Day service update discussion with Caerphilly CBC Managers. 3
meetings.
• TRAC (Teaching Research Advisory Committee) at the University of
South Wales. 7 meetings, including members doing role-plays to
teach student nurses.
• SWAN (South Wales Advisors Network). 1 meeting.
• Gwent Citizens Panel meeting. 1 meeting.
• Voluntary Sector Representatives meeting.
4

• Care Inspectorate Wales meeting.
• Gwent Strategy meeting.
• Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee (4 meetings).
• Caerphilly Third Sector meeting.
• 'A Greener Gwent' meeting.
• Welsh Advocacy Sector Managers' meeting.
• TARAGGAN Committee (3 meetings).
• All Wales People First National Council. 2 meetings.
We have attended the following events over the past year:
• Launch of the Police Crime and Justice Plan in Blackwood. Members
have been involved in putting together the easy-read version of the
plan.
• All Wales People First Adfest conference, where member Fion Poole
won the MIRROR award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Members'
Rights'.
• 'A Healthy Future for Gwent' co-production event.
• RecRock concert in Blackwood Miners' Institute.
• Caerphilly Parent Network Volunteer Awards, where our member
Gethin Chamberlain won the Sunshine Award.
• GAVO V-Fest networking event.
• Caerphilly Parent Network Trunk or Treat event.
• Warm Space Bargoed, at Bargoed Community Centre.
• Snow Queen Pantomime (a joint project put together by Caerphilly
People First and Caerphilly Parent Network).
• National Grid fuel poverty workshop.
• Alliance Commissioning workshop at the Grange Hospital.
• 3 Welsh Ambulance Conferences.
• Learning Disability Engagement event.
• VIVA Fest, a festival for people with learning disabilities.
• 'Blue Light' event.
• 2 'My Beautiful Life' hackathon events, run by Cwm Taff People First.
Exploring what matters to us in health & social care, community and
housing. Members were also involved in planning the event.
5

• Caerphilly Parent Network Pirate Party.
• Brodawel Gardens open day.
• Min-y-Mynydd Gardens open day.
• Caerphilly Parent Network Planet event.
• Platform volunteer event, where members received volunteering
certificates.
• 3 visits to Ynys Hywel Farm.
MEMBERS AND ACTIVITIES
Staff have kept in constant contact with members via phone calls and
zoom. At our office base we are once again at full capacity in terms of
volunteers - we host 12 volunteers per week at our office, some for more
than one day per week.
During the year we have run many projects. Every Tuesday during the
summer and spring months, our members visited the TARAGGAN
educational gardens project in Gilfach where we plant and grow
vegetables. We hosted 24 sessions in this period.
Also on Tuesdays, the group took part in crafts sessions. We hosted 20
crafts sessions during this period, 10 of which were facilitated by Multiply.
On Wednesdays the group took part in sessions run by RecRock. These
are music and wellbeing sessions. We hosted 32 music sessions in this
period, and the activity became so popular (average attendance of 35+
people), we had to move it to a bigger venue. Also, beginning in March
2025, staff and volunteers from Carphilly People First began to run the
sessions ourselves.
On Fridays we welcomed 50+ people per session to our cookery course,
where members old and new came together to learn new skills, and
socialise. We hosted 27 cookery sessions during this period.
Members attended 7 Chair Yoga Sessions and 5 reflexology sessions at our
office base.
6

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Caerphilly People First won the Food Sustainability Award at the GAVO
Volunteer Awards 2024, in recognition of our Friday cookery group.
TRAINING
Caerphilly People First has facilitated our own training courses and events.
These include:
• Sex and Relationships course, delivered to Caerphilly People First
members, and other organisations and People First groups. This was
delivered on 5 occasions by Caerphilly People First member Ffion
Poole, including for Our Voice Our Choice Ceredigion who paid
Caerphilly People First £2,280 for training and accommodation fees.
• In partnership with the University of South Wales, members trained
midwifery students and learning disability students via simulation
sessions. Members are also paid for these sessions.
• Members Fion and Amy delivered Safeguarding and abuse training
to fellow members.
• Member Fion delivered Hate Crime / Mate Crime training to
members.
Staff and members have attended the following training courses/sessions:
• 2 members attended the 'Introduction to Strimmers' course.
• 2 members of staff attended a Level 2 Safeguarding course at Oxford
House.
• We were visited by Sad Dog, a mental health organisation who
talked to our members about mental health.
PARTNERSHIP WORK
We have met and worked with various individuals and organisations,
including:
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• TARAGGAN Project (community allotments)
• Caerphilly Parent Network
• Welsh Government
• Bargoed YMCA
• Mandy Jenkins, Welsh Ambulance Service.
• All Wales People First
• Libanus Lifestyle - Wales CIC
• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
• Oxford House Community Adult Learning centre
• Caerphilly Person to Person
• Insight app
• RecRock
• Innovate Trust
• Rosie Cribb, from Social Firms Wales.
• Caroline Roberts, Contract Monitoring Officer, Caerphilly CBC.
• Aaron Oliver, Community Development Officer, Caerphilly CBC.
• Ceri Fox from GAVO
• Liz Sharma, Consultation and Public Engagement officer for
Caerphilly CBC.
• Clare from Transport for Wales, who talked to members about the
Orange Wallet scheme.
We have worked with other People First groups, including Blaenau Gwent,
Newport, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Cwm Taff, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and
Merthyr People First. We worked particularly closely with Cm Taff
People First, in planning events, and were paid by them for running
training sessions for their members.
We continue to have a very good relationship with Caerphilly County
Borough Council and are in close contact with Directors, Managers and
other people who work for the council. We meet with Social Services
Management on a quarterly basis. We were awarded a new service level
agreement in April 2023, which will last for 5 years, and we receive £9,101
core funding per quarter from them.
8

ADDITIONAL WORK AND ACTIVITIES
• Members filled in questionnaires giving their views on transport in
Caerphilly.
• We met with Neil James from Swansea University 3 times, and
continued writing an article about the experiences of people with
learning disabilities during and after COVID.
• Members took part in a survey for Disability Can Do (and received
vouchers).
• Rhian, Communication Officer for Gwent Police, enlisted the help of
our members in producing an easy-read version of the Gwent Police
Crime and Justice Plan (2 sessions).
• Members took part in planning and filming sessions (7 sessions in
total) with the Primary Care Learning Disability team. Members
talked about their experiences of health checks, which will be
included in a film promoting the value and importance of health
checks.
• Caerphilly People First attended the 'Homes Not Hospitals' protest
organised by All Wales People First in Cardiff Bay. This is to campaign
for the release of people with learning disabilities and autism from
mental health hospitals in Wales.
INFORMATION SHARING
Caerphilly People First produces a quarterly newsletter which we send to
93 people online. We have a Facebook page which is followed by 1,400
people, an Instagram page which has 113 followers, and a TikTok account
which is followed by 156 people.
FINANCIAL REVIEW / PROJECTS & INCOME
• Our core funding comes from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
This has been guaranteed until April 2028. During the year we were
provided £36,539 by CCBC.
9

Core Funding also came from:
• Postcode Lottery who provided £20,000.
• Local Giving who provided £309.
We were also funded by:
• The National Lottery, who provided £32,603, which went towards
salaries and various project costs.
• Regional Integration Fund (administered by GAVO) who provided
£8,340 for our weekly wellbeing sessions.
• Barchester Healthcare who provided £1,500 for weekly craft
sessions.
• Moondance Foundation who provided £3,600 for weekly music
sessions.
Throughout the financial year we kept and updated an income and
expenditure forecast. The accounts reflect that funds are available to
continue providing the charity's ongoing projects, however the
dependence on continuing grant aid poses a potential risk. We are
managing this risk through strengthening our financial management and
developing our fundraising activities.
RESERVES POLICY
The board of management strives to maintain reserves to ensure that the
charity can continue its work. To this end it aims to hold sufficient
reserves to maintain its work for six months.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES
The charity's trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees annual
report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable laws
and regulations.
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees
10

to prepare financial statements for each financial year. The trustees must
not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the
income and expenditure of the charity for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
• Make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and
prudent.
• State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed,
subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the
financial statements.
• Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it
is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in
operation.
The trustees are responsible for:
• Keeping adequate accounting records 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
Charities Act 2011 and the Charity Statement of Recommended
Practice (FRSSE) 2015.
• Safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking
reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities.
• The maintenance and integrity of the charity's information included
on the charity's website.
The trustees' annual report was approved on ..llo: 0b.Zand signed on
behalf of the board of trustees by:
Ffion Bethell
Trustee
Pbetten

Caerphilly People First
Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
CONTENTS
Trustees' Annual Report
Independent examiner's report to trustees
Statement of financial activities
Statement of financial position
Accounting policies
Notes to the financial accounts
PAGE
2
13
14
15
16
19
12

Caerphilly People First
Independent Examiner's report to the Trustees of Carphilly People First
Year ended 31 March 2025
I report to the trustess on my examination of the financial statements of Carphilly People First (the charity)
for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in
accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of
the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the
Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I conform that no material matters have come to my attention in
connection with the examination giving me cause for concern to belive that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the financial statements so not accord with those records; or
3. the financial statements do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content
of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement
that the acounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of the independent
examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which
attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be
reached.
Michael Bisha
Mr Michael Fisher
Independent Examiner
14 Glas Fryn
Penpediarheol
HENGOED
CF82 7TN
22nd May 2025
13

Caerphilly People First
Statement of Financial Activities
Year Ended 31 March 2025
Note
Income and endowments
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Total income
Expenditure
Expenditure on charitable activities
Total expenditure
4, 5
2025
Unrestricted Restricted
funds
funds
€
€
58,884
25,139
84,023
43,493
43,493
40,530
49,936
49,936
49,936
49,936
-
Total funds
108,820
25,139
133,959
93,429
93,429
40,530
2024
Total funds
€
89.253
89,253
89,490
89,490
237
Net income and net movement in funds
Total tida tought tonard
Total funds carried forward
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income andd expenditure derive from continuing activities.
3,082
43,612
20,018
20,018
23,100
63,630
23,337
23,100
14

Caerphilly People First
Statement of Financial Position
Year Ended 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Note
€
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Total income
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net Current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Net Assets
11
12
63,630
63,630
-
23,100
23,100
63,630
63,630
63,630
23,100
23,100
23,100
Funds of the charity
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
20,018
43,612
Total charity funds
63,630
These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 6. 0l - -2and are
signed on behalf of the board by:
ABethen
Miss Ffion Bethall
Trustee
20,018
3,082
23,100
15

Caerphilly People First
Accounting Policies
Year Ended 31 March 2025
Basis of preparation
The particular accounting policies adopted are set out below.
Accounting convention
The financial statements are prepared on a gong concern basis, under the historical cost convention.
The financial statements are prepared in stirling, which is the functional currency of the entity.
Going Concern
The charity is entirely dependent on continuing grant aid and as a consequence the going concern basis
in also dependent on the continuing grant aid
Disclosure exemptions
The entity satisfies the criteria of being a qualifying entity as defined in FRS 102. As such, advantage
has been taken of the following disclosure exemptions available under paragragh 1.12 of FRS 102;
(a) No cash flow statement has been presented.
(b) Disclosures in respect of financial instruments have not been presented.
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These 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.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for the use at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the charity's
purposes. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or
through the terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or
endowment funds.
16

Caerphilly People First
Accounting Policies (continued)
Year Ended 31 March 2025
Incoming resources
All income is 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 from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift receipt is
probable and the amount can be measured reliably.
• Income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to
measure relaibly. In which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor. 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
Expenditue is recognised on an actual basis. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully
recoved, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:
• Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that
further its charitable aims for the benefit of all its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs
relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to 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 consistant basis.
Tangible assets
All fixed assets are initially recorded at cost. No item costing less than £1,000 is capitalised.
Depreciation
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, les its residual value, over
the useful economic life of that asset as follow:
Equipment - 33% per annum straight line basis.

Caerphilly People First
Accounting Policies (continued)
Year Ended 31 March 2025
Taxation
As a registered charity, the charity is exmpt from income tax to the extent that ist income and gains are
applicable to charitable purposes only. Valu added Tax is not recoverable by the charity and is therefore
included in the relevant costs in the statement of financial activities.
Winding Up or Dissolution of the Charity
If upon winding up or dissolution of the charity there remains any assets, after the satisfaction of all debts
and liabilities, the assets represented by the accumulated fund shall be transferred to some other
charitable body or bodies having similar objectives to the charity.
18

Caerphilly People First
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 March 2025
1 Statement of Compliance
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, The Financial Report Standard applicable in the
UK and 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 Charities Act 2011.
2 Charitable activities
Caerphilly County Bourough Council Service Contracts
National Lottery
Other Income from charitable activities
National Grid
Innovative Trust
Caerphilly Parent Network
Garfield Weston
GAVO
Local Giving
University of South Wales
Caerphilly County Borough Council Service Contracts
RCT People First
Other Income from charitable activities
National Lottery
GAVO
Our Voice Our Choice
Barchester Healthcare
Moondance Foundation
Local Giving
University of South Wales
Innovate Trust
Postcode Lottery
3 Other trading activities
Fundraising events (adjustment for reserve account into accounts)
2024
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
Total funds
€
E
29,003
1,350
30,353
31,071
10,000
41,071
815
:
1,830
815
1,830
3,000
3,000
500
5,000
500
5,000
-
5,440
879
365
:
879
365
67,633
21,620
89,253
2025
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
€
funds
Total funds
€
36,539
1,613
36,539
1,613
603
-
603
32,603
32,603
8,340
8,340
2,280
1,500
3,600
309
309
1,283
1,283
150
150
20,000
20,000
58,884
49,936
108,820
Unrestricted Total funds Unrestricted
funds
2025
funds
26,958
26,958
0
2024
0
19

Caerphilly People First
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year Ended 31 March 2025
4 Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type
Charitable activities
Support costs
Unrestricted
funds
41,12
26,742
67,870
Charitable activities
Support costs
Unrestricted
funds
16,535
26,958
43,493
2024
Restricted
funds
21,820
21,620
2025
Restricted
funds
€
49,936
49,936
Total funds
€
62,748
26,742
89,490
Total funds
€
66,471
26,958
93,429
5 Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type
Charitable activities
Governance costs
Activities
undertaken
directly
66,471
66,471
Support Total Funds Total Funds
Costs
2025
2024
€
€
23,596
3,362
26,958
90,067
3,362
93,429
87,201
2,289
89,490
6 Independent examination fees
Fees payable to the independent examiner for:
Independent examination of the financial statements
20

Caerphilly People First
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year Ended 31 March 2025
7 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
52,870
-
3,714
56,584
2025
4
2024
49,652
3,201
52,853
2024
3
The average head count of employees during the year was 4(2021: 3). The average number of full-time equivalent
employees during the year is anaysed as follow:
Number of staff
No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2024: Nil).
8 Trustee remuneration and expenses
No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity were received by any trustee
(2024: Nil).
No payments were made to any trutee for expenses in year (2024: Nil).
9 Tangible fixed assets
Equipment
Cost
At 1st Apr 2024 and 31 March 2025
11,936
Total
€
11,936
Depreciation
At 1st Apr 2024 and 31 March 2025
11,936
11,936
Carrying amount
At 31 Mar 2025
At 31 Mar 2024
10 Debtors
2025
€
Prepayments and accrued income
Other Debtors
11 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Accruals and deferred income
Social security and other taxes
2025
€
:
2024
€
:
2024
€
:
21