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2024-03-31-accounts

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31st March 2024 for

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Hentons Chartered Accountants Stag House Old London Road Hertford Hertfordshire www.voyageyouth.com SG13 7LA

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

CONTENTS

of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st March 2024

CHAIRS FOREWARD 4
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES 8
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT 19
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 21
BALANCE SHEET 22
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 23
DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 34

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

CHAIRS FOREWARD FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024

As the Chair of VOYAGE, it brings me immense joy to pen this foreword for our Trustees Annual Report. Throughout the year, our journey has been marked by countless milestones, each one a testament to the unwavering dedication, passion, and resilience of our incredible team. I extend my heartfelt thanks to every member of the Voyage family you have turned challenges into opportunities and dreams into realities.

A special note of appreciation goes to our valued partners. Your steadfast support and collaboration have empowered us to expand our reach and impact, ensuring that our young people receive the guidance and resources they need to thrive. You have been more than allies; you have been champions of our mission.

To the young people of Voyage, you are the heart and soul of everything we do. Your stories of growth, courage, and achievement inspire us daily and remind us why our work is so vital. I am proud of each and every one of you and eagerly await to witness the heights you will reach in the future.

As I prepare to hand over my leadership as chair in 2024/25 financial year, I am filled with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. While my role may be changing, my commitment to Voyage remains unwavering. I will continue to support our mission from the side-lines, cheering on the extraordinary work that lies ahead.

CEO REPORT

As the CEO of Voyage Youth, I am filled with immense pride as I reflect on another year of remarkable resilience and unwavering dedication to our mission of supporting young people. In these challenging times, our ability to stay on track for growth and continue making a difference is a testament to the incredible efforts of our staff, trustees, partners, and most importantly, our young people who inspire us every day with their courage and determination.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to our courageous partners who have steadfastly supported Voyage. Your belief in our mission has been instrumental in allowing us to persist in our work. However, it is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the decline in support from some partners who were initially galvanized by the focus on Black Lives Matter. While this support was crucial and deeply appreciated, its decline has forced us to reduce some of our programmes, impacting retention figures for 2024. We urge our partners to invest for longer periods and stay committed, as the work of transforming lives and creating opportunities for young people requires sustained support.

We must also consider the challenging financial environment, including the ongoing cost of living crisis and the increasing costs of our operations. These factors significantly impact our income targets and highlight the need for continuous, reliable funding.

We are particularly grateful for the in-kind support from the team at the Museum of the Home. Our collaboration on retelling the story of Robert Geoffrey has provided us with space to deliver our programme at no cost and offered two amazing work experience opportunities for our young people. These experiences are expected to have life-changing impacts, broadening their perspectives on the heritage sector and enhancing their ability to access it.

N Marshall - Voyage Chairperson

Despite these challenges, we are thrilled to report that we successfully validated, ran, and delivered our first Youth Leaders for Sustainable Cities (YLFSC) course. This new course has sparked a growing interest among our young people in the environment sector as a viable field for influence, engagement, and employment. The positive feedback and enthusiasm from our participants underscore the importance of our new course and its potential to create lasting change.

Furthermore, we are immensely grateful for the continued support from a diverse and expanding range of employers who offer unique and well-remunerated work experience opportunities to our young people. These partnerships provide invaluable real-world exposure and help our youth build the skills and confidence needed to excel as young professionals.

Looking ahead, we remain resolute in our commitment to overcoming the challenges we face. Our focus is on progressing Voyage towards a more regional presence in London and expanding our range of programmes. This includes enhancing our ambassador programmes to create a robust pipeline that channels our youth into sectors where diversity is poorly represented.

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where every young person, regardless of their background, can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. Together, with the steadfast support of our partners and the unwavering determination of our youth, we will continue to drive positive change and create lasting impact.

Thank you for your ongoing support and belief in the boundless potential of our young people.

Paul Anderson MBE CEO

SO tiem iat 4 enn Gee OLS

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Voyage Youth Impact Report: April 2023 - March 2024

Financial position

As disclosed in the financial statements on page 12 a net movement in funds (Income of £191,434 against expenditure of £399,578) for the financial year resulted in an overall deficit of £208,144 (2023 deficit of £7,409). As mentioned above the challenging fundraising environment continued to impact our operation during the financial year in question. A lot of efforts are being made to reverse this downward trend of our income in the coming year. Our operations have already been curtailed to keep the charity going. There have also been some considerable registered and secured fundings during the start of 2024/2025 financial year and we hope this will continue into the future.

We are grateful to see this survey underscoring the high hopes parents have for their children’s potential, with 70.4% envisioning grades of 8 or above. Teachers share this optimism, though they often take a more tempered view, anticipating strong performances.

We are not surprised to note that mathematics has emerged as a critical area where our young people seek additional support, showcasing their commitment to mastering skills over level 4. This strong call for revision support and guidance on staying focused reflects their drive to excel academically.

We are proud to report that almost 90% of our young people place immense value on education, with 70.4% expressing a deep sense of community commitment. Nearly half of the survey participants feel inspired to take on leadership roles within their schools, community and an equally large proportion show interest in extracurricular qualifications, eager to seize any opportunity that will further their future goals.

RESERVES POLICY

The Trustees recognise that they have an overriding duty to act and in the best interest of the charity as per our overall reserves policy, and that this extends to making sensible provision for the future in the form of retaining an appropriate level of reserves. The Board has examined the requirement for free reserves i.e. those unrestricted funds not invested in tangible fixed assets or otherwise committed. Reserve policy is in place whereby the unrestricted funds not committed should be held in reserve and maintained at a level which ensures that VOYAGE’s core activity can continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty. This represents at least three months’ (13 weeks) expenditure of about £36,000. This will be reviewed annually.

Impact in Real Terms

For our mainstream programme running annually from New City College Hackney Voyage typically aims to recruit 100 young people for its BTEC level 2 Leadership courses. Voyage began this journey with our first cohort of 86 Sustainable and Safer Cities young people recruited in March 2023. In line with its Theory of Change, all young people completed a baseline survey, sharing their responses to academic, leadership, and community engagement questions. Halfway through the course in May, they completed a follow-up survey to track progress, and upon their graduation event in August 2023, a final questionnaire.

The results we outline below are born from these evaluations.

Our report paints an awe-inspiring picture of our young people’s remarkable ambitions and enthusiasm as they pursue academic success and meaningful roles within their communities.

We discovered that many of our students are on track for impressive GCSE results, with nearly 60% aiming for top grades of 7 and 8.

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31st March 2024

We are equally inspired to see that every respondent reports taking on responsibilities at home, demonstrating a strong sense of independence and teamwork. Our young people are keen to help others, especially those they know, indicating a compassionate and supportive mindset.

We understand the challenges in balancing school and home life, yet our young people remain optimistic and driven to achieve both personal and academic balance. With focused support in mathematics, English, and digital literacy, along with tools for time management and social media mindfulness, these young people are well-poised to make an inspiring impact on their schools, communities, and beyond.

Whilst we are always positive about these results, we understand our young people and know they are capable. We therefore remain steadfast in convincing employers, higher education institutions, as well as teachers and other related professionals to invest in and continue supporting young black communities.

Summary of Impact

Each year, Voyage assesses its impact across the totality of projects and programmes it delivers. For the period April 2023 to March 2024, we engaged a total of 610 young people. Of these, 241 were young men, and 369 were young women. 10% identified as Muslim, showing a reduction of involvement from Muslim young people. In order to capture the added value we have chosen to reflect an additional column showcasing our wider impact we have. Below is a breakdown of participation across each program we offered this year.

Project Total
Number		 Male Female Wider community
engagement
Voyage Summer Scheme 62 20 42 8 external delivery partners
Aim for Success 55 25 30 15 corporate companies
Safer and Smart Cities 86 27 59 220 parents, peers and
partners
Police Accountability Group 89 33 56 71 survey completers
Black History Month celebration 45 20 25 0
Voyage Impact Day 62 20 42 20
Youth Ambassadors Heritage working 15 8 7 52 applicants applying to
alongside the Museum of the Home statue project
Project Total
Number		 Male Female Wider community
engagement
Environmental Ambassadors
programme launch		 11 3 8 45 applicants applied
Technology Ambassadors Launch 13 7 6 33 applicants applied
East London Water Parks 8 4 4 250 residents consulted
Windrush Elder project 12 6 6 150 elders engaged and
3 lunch club orgs involved
Peer to peer mentoring 25 12 13 41 applicants applied
Accessing paid work experience over
the summer		 26 12 14 6 corporate companies
offering unique access to
work experience
Youth Advisory Board/YIN 12 6 6 6
350 young people
Greig City Academy – safer In the City 24 13 11 participated in workshop
presentations
Haringey Learning Partnership –
Teacher training inset		 65 25 40 Teachers ONLY
Totals for 2023/ 24 610 241 369

Over the past year, Voyage has delivered impactful engagement projects aimed at empowering our young people and helping them rise towards more structured offerings.

This section below highlights the key outcomes of our efforts from April 2023 to March 2024, showcasing the significant strides made in university enrolment, academic achievement, community engagement, law enforcement relations, mentoring, and employability. These outcomes have been extracted from our Impact Day hosted over the summer Holiday period, a number of feedback surveys and project evaluations across all of Voyage's programmes in this period. These reflect the results from Voyage's participants aged 1621 years, spanning ambassadorial projects, at-risk programmes in the wider community, and commissioned work.

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

KEY OUTCOMES FOR 2023/24

University Enrolment & Academic Achievement

Our programmes consistently prioritise the academic aspirations of young people. In our recent surveys, 100% of graduating participants have enrolled in a university programme, successfully securing university offers. Additionally, 75% of participants recorded significantly raised attainment levels in school or college, a testament to the focused support and mentoring initiatives offered.

Elevated Aspirations & Community Engagement

A substantial 100% of young people involved reported notably higher personal aspirations, marking an increase in both career and educational goals. Furthermore, 70% of participants expressed that they now feel empowered to use their voices in community settings, often participating actively in local structures and community decisions.

Positive Relations with Law Enforcement

Building trust and improving relations between young people and the police remains a core goal. 70% of surveyed participants reported an improved attitude toward law enforcement, reflecting enhanced trust and communication fostered through targeted engagement activities.

Mentoring & Employability

Mentoring remains an impactful component of our programmes. 12% of participants joined our mentoring schemes, benefiting from guidance and support tailored to their educational and career aspirations. Additionally, 10% of participants engaged in employability-focused projects, equipping them with essential skills and networks for future employment.

Context of Funds

    1. Windrush Elders Project: Celebrating Phase One of the Windrush Project, which involved intergenerational work to preserve and share the stories of Windrush elders

  2. Tech Ambassador Programme: Launched in August 2023, this programme aimed to empower young people with skills and knowledge in technology.

  3. Aim for Success Work Experience Scheme: A paid work experience scheme introduced in February 2024 to help young people gain practical work experience and improve their employability.

  4. Environmental Ambassador Programme: Launched in September 2023, this programme aimed to engage young people in environmental conservation and sustainability efforts

  5. Collaboration with the Museum of the Home: Young people collaborated with the Museum of the Home to develop creative solutions for retelling the story of Robert Geoffrey, addressing his contributions as a philanthropist and his involvement as a slavery investor.

  6. Police Accountability Group: Investigating the impacts of behaviour codes and policing

  7. in London schools, particularly in response to the Child Q incident.

  8. East London Water Parks Project: Commissioned to shape and influence the development of new water park facilities to better accommodate diverse individuals and young people of colour in London.

Staffing and Financial Adjustments

This year brought critical changes to Voyage’s staffing due to financial challenges, underscoring a shifting commitment to supporting young Black lives. Unfortunately, we were unable to retain several key roles, including our Project Manager, who oversaw leadership courses and youth progression, and our Special Project Manager, responsible for mentoring, commissions, and our Aim for Success initiative. The departure of these dedicated team members is a significant loss, and we recognize the impact this will have on our work in the coming year.

These changes highlight the pressing need for Voyage to secure sustained investment and long-term funding commitments. The fluctuation in support has revealed a growing difficulty in ensuring reliable resources, creating uncertainty that limits our ability to plan and grow confidently. To maintain our impact and expand as planned, we urgently need funding partners who share our commitment to investing in young Black lives over the long term.

While these financial constraints led to the loss of key senior management roles, Voyage is committed to maintaining our programmes by appointing graduates as Youth Leadership Coordinators. Despite minimal formal training, these young leaders continually stepped up, showing resilience, adaptability, and dedication in positions that challenge and stretch them. Their contributions have been essential in keeping our initiatives on track.

Yet, it is clear that without consistent, long-term investment, our ability to develop and grow will be impacted. These financial shifts reflect a broader, troubling trend in funding priorities, one that jeopardizes initiatives focused on young Black communities. Voyage is more committed than ever to advocate for secure, sustained funding to enable our work and ensure a future where Black and global majority youth thrive.

  1. Level 2 BTEC Leadership Courses: Recruitment and commencement of new leadership courses starting in April 2023, focusing on community safety, sustainability, and introducing technology

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

(V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Governance and Volunteers Senior Management Team Youth Leadership Coordinators Freelance Tutor Team

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Delivery and team structure

Due to the short-term nature of funding Voyage is not able to continue supporting its Programme manager and special project managers positions. We aim to continue to seek investment and support for these important areas.

Looking Ahead

As we look forward to the coming year, Voyage is dedicated to strengthening our impact on young people’s lives through our innovative programmes, technological advancements, and strategic partnerships. Recognising the impact of financial and staffing challenges in our workplace, we are committed to creating a supportive, adaptable work environment. As a result we will continue to introduce supportive HR polices and measures like flexible work arrangements, cycle schemes, paid travel, work-from-home days, and a minimum inner-London pay weighting for all staff and offer travel expenses to our volunteers. These changes are aimed at fostering a motivated and resilient team to drive our mission forward.

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Djamel Arab Margo Tulkens Sarah Engerer Martin Nsiah
Digital Communications Trust and Foundation Board & Governance Fianance, Risk &
& Technology Lead Fundraising Development Operations
Renē Manradge Youth Ambassadors Haezle Grace Co
Lead Trainer & Heritage, Tech & Office coordination
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Young Leaders BTECs Employability Projects At Risk criminal justice Special Projects &
Devine Chuwa TJ Diaro Projects External commissions
Quality assurance & Lead Aim for success Duane Maddison - • Inset
Tutor All Cities Esther Talabi Horizons & Mentoring Lead • Mentoring
Adetunji Adesoji Women & Giris Nicola Scantlebury • DoFE Award
Lead Tutor Safer Cities Mentoring • Arts Award
Ajoa Akuamoah
Francesca Fisher Life skills & Coaching Martin Osman • Jack Petchey Awards
Lead Tutor Sustainable Environmental Lead
Cities
Robert Ralph
Lead Tutor Smart Cities
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To enhance our organisational stability and diversify our income streams, our Trustees, Youth Board, and CEO will continue working on transforming Voyage from a charitable trust deed to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), with invaluable support from our legal partner, Slaughter and May. This transition will not only solidify our legal structure but will also allow us to strengthen governance by implementing a comprehensive income and risk framework. New working groups within the board of Trustees and Youth Advisory Board will focus on critical areas like policy development, safeguarding, well-being support systems for young people, digitalisation and partnership development. Additionally, our recent adoption of Salesforce CRM will support seamless tracking, communication and donor engagement, positioning us to scale sustainably.

Harnessing Technology for Growth and Impact

Our commitment to digital transformation will continue to be a priority. Integrating tools such as Google, Zoom, Parent Mail, Brevo, Spond, Salesforce and Moodle, we aim to streamline communication with young people, parents, and our supporters, whilst safely hosting essential resources, courses, and handbooks in a secure, accessible way. Ensuring the protection of our data and information will remain a core focus as we implement secure cloud hosting solutions and adopting technology tools to aid expansion. Social media and digital outreach will continue to be vital channels for amplifying our work and maintaining Voyage Youth’s voice and presence in the wider community.

Strengthening Programmes and Expanding Opportunities

To deepen our impact, we are investing in graduate and tutor development as we continue expanding Voyage’s flagship leadership courses, workshops and engagement programmes. With new adaptations to our unique Horizons Project—including Horizons

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Youth Project for the Environment (HyPE) and Horizons Plus—Voyage will reintroduce and broaden its support for at-risk young people. Through our partnership with Repowering London, we aim to create innovative pathways into environmental education and awareness, encouraging young people to see sustainability as a potential career path and area of influence.

Our Young Leaders for Smart Cities Course (YLFSC) is slowly emerging and we aim to undergo pilot testing of its units, its partnerships with full development scheduled for completion by 2025. We are planning a roundtable event to foster dialogue with partners and explore how to create stronger pipelines for young people into technology, environmental fields, and higher education.

Empowering Our Heritage and Building Community Connections

Our ambassadors will play a key role in guiding our strategic heritage work, especially our collaboration with the Museum of the Home to reframe the narrative surrounding Robert Geffrey’s statue. This year, our heritage ambassadors will also complete the Hackney Windrush Elders Book, which will serve as a springboard for “Echoes of Windrush”—an intergenerational community research collection project exploring modern day Windrush stories. This new spin off initiative will aim to offer young people professional exposure, representational voice work, and compensated work experience, deepening graduate connection to their heritage and providing impactful career insights and access.

Strengthening Partnerships and Expanding Career Pathways

Voyage remains committed to our founding partners, the Met Black Police Association and the National Black Police Association, to promote effective policing policies and practices and foster impactful collaborations within the crime and justice space. Expanding our Aim for Success programme, we’ll strengthen partnerships with key employers, including Frog and Capgemini, who are instrumental in providing internships, mentorship, and work experience opportunities. These partnerships help us cultivate a robust framework for young people to gain industry experience, bridging the gap between education and meaningful careers.

Upholding Our Values and Growing Our Alumni Network

With support from Rene Manrage, we will finalise Voyage’s core values and principles document to ensure Trustees, staff and youth led and developed ideals are woven into every layer of our organisation. Alongside our Youth Board and ambassadors, we’re reaching out to our extensive network of graduates to introduce an alumni development scheme that will foster ongoing support, mentorship, and professional networking. This initiative will serve as a springboard for alumni events, peer to peer mentoring with potential to introduce international exchange programmes, and development partnerships in Africa and the Caribbean.

Strengthening Partnerships and deepening our impact

Our partnerships are foundational to the work we do at Voyage and we are immensely grateful to the organisations that have enabled us to deepen our reach and expand our impact. The Museum of the Home has been a cornerstone in our partnership network, providing us with invaluable in-kind access to their facilities. This support allows us to host structured weekend programmes for our young people, hold ambassador meetings, organise gatherings with Windrush elders, and conduct our organisational training and development days. The museum has been both avenue and a collaborator, facilitating the growth of our heritage and intergenerational initiatives that are becoming quite central to our change mission work.

New City College (NCC) has also been a vital partner in our work for nearly a decade, and we are profoundly thankful for the ongoing support from the VC Alison Arnaud and the hugely supportive New City College Team. NCC provide access to space, resources, and equipment that enable us to operate at scale, delivering at programmes at weekend, halfterm, and holiday programmes to large cohorts of our young people. Looking ahead, we are excited to extend this collaboration to include our Voyage’s emerging HyPE project and related Job Club initiative. These programmes will support at-risk youth and focus on reducing school and college exclusions, fostering employability skills, and addressing behaviours and lifestyles that may lead to offending/ reoffending.

Our conscious network extends to numerous like-minded, hearted and passionate allies and partnering organisations and campaigning groups. Partners such as the Ubele Initiative, Black Equity Organisation (BEO), Black Men for Change, Black Tech, The Amos Bursary, the Hackney Archive team, and the Future Ed Awards are all instrumental in helping us build and strengthen our community impact. Together, we will work to create an environment where young people are supported, inspired, and empowered to participate and take up raised positions as leaders as they progress towards more independent lifestyles.

As part of our commitment to educational excellence and strengthening career pathways, we are expanding our programme offerings to include additional accredited opportunities for our youth. We are currently adopting the Duke of Edinburgh Award framework, providing our graduates with recognised credentials that can serve as milestones towards academic and professional achievements. Our recent engagement with Arts Awards, The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust) further supports this direction, as we work together on a contract basis to deliver initiatives that offer valuable skills, training, and opportunities to young people across London.

Through these partnerships, Voyage remains dedicated to creating pathways for our young people to succeed and thrive. Each collaboration reflects our shared commitment to a future where every young person can access resources, build skills, and develop resilience in a supportive and empowering environment.

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

Voyage was set up in 1998 by the Metropolitan Black Police Association to address issues of racial disproportionality following the MacPherson report. Voyage is based in Hackneys New City College to ensure young people under 16 understand the importance of sustaining their involvement in higher education beyond secondary school. Voyage’s governing document is currently a Declaration of Trusts dated 27th October 1997 as amended on 28th April 2016.

The Charities Background

Voyage stands for Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment. We chose this name because we are committed to empowerment, youth and community leadership and positioning the voices of young people from minoritized communities. We want young people to have a stake and say in the wider community and we want to empower them with a greater understanding of community safety, environmental and leadership agendas. Voyage has successfully built a reputation supporting vulnerable young people in London to maintain and improve academic performance and make them generally more resilient and active contributors of their communities.

REFERENCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Charity number 1068108

Principle address

New City College Shoreditch Campus Falkirk Street London N16HQ

Trustees

Nicholas Marshall - Chair Katrina Morris Kosi Okolo Donata Miller Toby William - appointed 18th January 2024 Ola Dabiri - appointed 18th January 2024 James Wittle - appointed 18th January 2024 Siobhan Ogarro - appointed 18th January 2024 Tanya Aumeer - appointed 3rd April 2023

Independent examiner

R. J. Sears, FCCA Hentons Chartered Accountants Stag House Old London Road Hertford Hertfordshire SG13 7LA

Chief Executive Officer

Mr P Anderson, MBE

Charity’s website address

www.voyageyouth.com

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. 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.

M22.

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

................................................

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E) ('the charity') for the year ended 31st March 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and related notes.

This report is made solely to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity's trustees those matters I am required to state to them in this report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's trustees as a body, for my work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

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 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.

Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the ACCA.

An independent examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving their opinion on the financial statements. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance that an independent examination can provide. Consequently I express no opinion as to whether the financial statements present a ‘true and fair’ view and my report is limited to those specific matters set out in the independent examiner’s statement.

Nicholas Marshall - Chair

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

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

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 financial statements to be reached.

Ralph Sears, FCCA Hentons Chartered Accountants Stag House Old London Road Hertford Hertfordshire SG13 7LA Date: ............................................. 1a Deceulaoy 2004

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024

Notes Unrestricted Restricted 31.3.24 31.3.23
fund funds Total Total
£ £ funds funds
£ £
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Voluntary income Voluntary income 2 56,538 102,225 158,763 229,539
Other charitable activities 3 2,018 30,034 32,052 192,813
Other income 619 - 619 308
Total 59,175 132,259 191,434 422,660
EXPENDITURE ON
Cost of generating funds 4 70,593 - 70,593 52,451
Charitable activities 5
Charitable activities 124,044 204,941 328,985 377,618
Total 194,637 204,941 399,578 430,069
NET (EXPENDITURE) FOR YEAR (135,462) (72,682) (208,144) (7,409)
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 196,503 78,262 274,765 282,174
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 61,041 5,580 66,621 274,765
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

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Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

BALANCE SHEET

31ST MARCH 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

31ST MARCH 2024
Notes Unrestricted Restricted 31.3.24 31.3.23
fund funds Total Total
£ £ funds funds
£ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets 11 46,775 - 46,775 41,486
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 12 10,018 - 10,018 120,376
Cash at bank 38,934 5,580 44,514 135,716
48,952 5,580 54,532 256,092
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year 13 (34,686) - (34,686) (22,813)
NET CURRENT ASSETS 14,266 5,580 19,846 233,279
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES 61,041 5,580 66,621 274,765
NET ASSETS 61,041 5,580 66,621 274,765
FUNDS 14
Unrestricted funds 61,041 196,503
Restricted funds 5,580 78,262
TOTAL FUNDS
66,621
274,765
~~e~~~~e~~
~~eeee~~

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on ........................ and were signed on its behalf by: ............................................. >

Nicholas Marshall - Trustee

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

The Charity constitutes a public entity as defined by FRS102.

The financial statements have been prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity under the historical cost convention.

Going Concern

At the time of approving the financial statements the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees have adopted the going concern basis for the preparation of the financial statements.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on a continuing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the year in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only to year, or in the year of the revision and future years if the revision affects both current and future years.

The Trustees consider that there are no significant judgements or estimates in the preparation of these financial statements.

Incoming resources

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, there is sufficient certainty or receipt and so it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

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Donations and grants are recognised when they have been communicated as receivable in writing with notification of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a either type of income is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

Interest on funds held on deposit is included upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.

Expenditure

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

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk to changes in value.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Tangible fixed assets

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

Plant and machinery - 20% on reducing balance Fixtures and fittings - 20% on reducing balance Computer equipment - 33% on reducing balance Website and Database - 20% on cost

Impairment of fixed assets

At each reporting end date, the Charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discount due.

Fund accounting

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

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

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

Foreign currencies

Monetary assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result.

Irrecoverable vat

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred.

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2. VOLUNTARY INCOME

PL 31.3.24
£		 31.3.23
£
Donations 158,763 229,539
158,763 229,539
3. OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
31.3.24 31.3.23
£ £
Fundraising events 30,034 42,806
Grants receivable 2,018 150,007
32,052 192,813
4. COST OF GENERATING FUNDS
31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~a~~
Raising donations and legacies
Staff costs 28,461 17,160
Rent and rates 6,493 6,139
Fundraising costs 21,767 20,751
Professional fees 5,300 -
Website, IT and stationery 5,372 5,719
67,393 49,769
Other trading activities
Depreciation 3,200 2,682
Aggregate amounts 70,593 52,451

5. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Direct Costs Support Costs Totals
(see note 6) (see note 7) £
£ £
Charitable activities 262,004 66,981 328,985

6. DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~ee~~		 31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~ee~~		 31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~ee~~
Staff costs 105,809 182,510
Rent and rates 10,135 17,563
Telephone 2,458 2,297
Postage and stationery 4,110 4,523
Tutors 61,785 70,993
Catering 17,840 7,005
Travel and accommodation 30,639 27,527
Admin 17,570 117
Volunteer 7,266 2,884
Staff training 378 3,663
Depreciation 4,014 3,846
262,004 322,928

7. SUPPORT COSTS

7. SUPPORT COSTS
Other Governance Totals
£ costs £
£
Charitable activities 55,334 11,647 66,981

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

31.3.24 31.3.23
Charitable Total
activities activities
Other
Wages and related costs 32,985 13,065
Telephone 1,663 1,553
Postage & Stationeries 731 1,351
Rent and rates 12,987 12,279
Travel & Subsistence - 430
Website IT and advertising 2,359 2,049
Bank charges and interest 217 152
Insurance - 1,308
Staff training 378 3,663
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 4,014 3,846
55,334 39,696

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31.3.24 31.3.23
Charitable Total
activities activities
Governance costs
Independent examination fees 5,280 5,000
Professional fees 5,300 9,000
Donations - 100
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets & Website 1,067 894
11,647 14,994

8. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees’ remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

9. STAFF COSTS

Staff costs were as follows:

31.3.24 31.3.23
£ £
Salaries and wages 153,273 187,112
Social security 10,035 20,492
Pension 3,947 5,132
167,255 212,736

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

31.3.24 31.3.23
Administration and fundraising 3 2
Project officer 3 5
6 7

During the year employees earning in excess of £60,000 per annum, including taxable benefits fall into the following ranges:

31.3.24
31.3.23
~~Lo~~
£70,000-£79,999
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10. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds
£ £ £
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Voluntary income 181,456 48,083 229,539
Other charitable activities 16,291 176,522 192,813
Other income 308 - 308
Total 198,055 224,605 422,660
EXPENDITURE ON
Cost of generating funds 52,451 - 52,451
Charitable activities
Charitable activities 137,632 239,986 377,618
Total 190,083 239,986 430,069
NET INCOME 7,972 (15,381) (7,409)
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 188,531 93,643 282,174
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 196,503 78,262 274,765

11. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Plant and
machinery		 Fixtures and
fittings		 Website
and Data		 Computer
equipment		 Totals
£
£ £ Base £
£
COST
At 1st April 2023 10,980 2,452 46,394 12,523 72,349
Additions - - 17,584 - 17,584
At 31st March 2024 10,980 2,452 63,978 12,523 89,933
DEPRECIATION
At 1st April 2023 10,082 1,313 10,639 8,829 30,863
Charge for year 179 228 10,668 1,220 12,295
At 31st March 2024 10,261 1,541 21,307 10,049 43,158
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31st March 2024 719 911 42,671 2,474 46,775
At 31st March 2023 898 1,139 35,755 3,694 41,486

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12. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.3.24 31.3.23
£ £
Trade debtors 9,479 560
Other debtors 539 119,816
10,018 120,376

13. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~i~~		 31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~i~~		 31.3.24
£
31.3.23
£
~~i~~
Trade creditors 3,589 11,215
Other creditors 2,759 6,998
Accruals and deferred income 28,338 4,600
34,686 22,813

14. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

14. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
At 1.4.23 Net At 31.3.24
£ movement £
in funds
£
Unrestricted funds 196,503 (135,462) 61,041
General fund
Restricted funds
Commission work - Including Greig City - 5,580 5,580
Race 4 Nature - Kickstart 2,238 (2,238) -
Young Leaders for Sustainable Cities 76,024 (76,024) -
78,262 (72,682) 5,580
TOTAL FUNDS 274,765 (208,144) 66,621

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming Resources Movement
resources expended in funds
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 59,175 (194,637) (135,462)
Restricted funds
Commission work - Including Greig City 36,033 (30,453) 5,580
Race 4 Nature Kickstart - (2,239) (2,239)
Young Leaders For Sustainable Cities 96,226 (172,249) (76,023)
132,259 (204,941) (72,682)
TOTAL FUNDS 191,434 (399,578) (208,144)

Comparatives for movement in funds

At Net At
1.4.22 movement 31.3.23
£ in funds £
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund 188,531 7,972 196,503
Restricted funds
Race 4 Nature Kickstart 12,908 (10,670) 2,238
Young Leaders For Sustainable Cities 80,735 (4,711) 76,024
93,643 (15,381) 78,262
TOTAL FUNDS 282,174 (7,409) 274,765

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming Resources Movement Movement
resources expended in funds
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 198,055 (190,083) 7,972
Restricted funds
YLFC - Young Leaders for Safer Cities 76,783 (76,783) -
Race 4 Nature Kickstart 24,736 (35,406) (10,670)
Young Leaders for Sustainable Cities 123,086 (127,797) (4,711)
224,605 (239,986) (15,381)
TOTAL FUNDS 422,660 (430,069) (7,409)

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15. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

During the year there were no related party transactions to disclose.

16. FUNDS

YLFSC (Young leaders for Safer Cities) - BTEC course level 2 qualification focused on personal development, community leadership and crime related issues.

Race for Nature -Kickstart- Kickstart is a government initiative which is aimed at 16-24 year olds claiming Universal Credit. The programme provides them with the opportunity to get a six-month job with a local employer through the Kickstart Scheme. Kickstart jobs are partly funded by the Government to offer exciting opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience.

Young Leaders For Sustainable Cities (YLFSC) - The Young Leaders for Sustainable Cities course will equip black and diverse young people (14 years) with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to overcome challenges and access related to environmental issues and injustice.

Voyage young leaders will be empowered to challenge their own perception of the environment sector and learn how black and disadvantaged communities in society and around the world are disproportionately affected by issues such as climate change, air pollution and a lack of access to green space. Voyage will encourage students to learn collegially in this dynamic leadership programme delivered by black tutors with lived experience as well as experience in delivering programmes using cognitive behavioural methodology. Environmental sector representatives will be invited to share insights and facilitate unique access to the sectors growing employment opportunities. Active and immersive learning, mentoring and work experience opportunities will empower young people to become green leaders in their communities and encourage their peers to do the same.

In the long term, the course aims to address the lack of representation in the environment sector, which is only 3.1% non-white in the UK, as well as changing the current state of nature and the local and global impacts environmental degradation and climate change has on black lives.

Further details regarding the Funds are included in the report of the Trustees.

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DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Voluntary income
ee		 31.3.23
£
31.3.24
£
ee
Donations 158,763 229,539
158,763 229,539
Other charitable activities
Fundraising events 2,018 31,593
Grants receivable 30,034 161,220
32,052 192,813
Other income
Bank interest received 619 308
Total incoming resources 191,434 422,660

EXPENDITURE

Raising donations and legacies
~~ee~~		 31.3.24
£
~~ee~~		 31.3.23
£
~~ee~~
Wages 28,461 17,160
Rent and rates 6,493 6,139
Fundraising costs 27,067 20,751
Website, IT and stationery 5,372 5,719
67,393 49,769
Other trading activities
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 3,200 2,682

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

31.3.24
£
Charitable activities
Wages and related costs
Rent and rates
Telephone
Postage and stationery
Tutors
Catering
Travel and accommodation Incl Residential
Admin
Volunteer
Staff training
Depreciation of plant and machinery
105,809
10,135
2,458
4,110
61,785
17,840
30,639
17,570
7,266
378
4,014
~~i~~
ee		 31.3.24
£
Charitable activities
Wages and related costs
Rent and rates
Telephone
Postage and stationery
Tutors
Catering
Travel and accommodation Incl Residential
Admin
Volunteer
Staff training
Depreciation of plant and machinery
105,809
10,135
2,458
4,110
61,785
17,840
30,639
17,570
7,266
378
4,014
~~i~~
ee		 31.3.23
£
182,510
17,563
2,297
4,523
70,993
7,005
27,527
117
2,884
3,663
3,846
ee
Other
Wages and related costs
Telephone
Postage and Stationery
Rent and rates
Travel and Subsistence
Website IT and advertising
Bank charges and interest
Insurance
Staff training
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Support costs
~~ee~~		 32,985
1,663
731
12,987
-
2,359
217
-
378
4,014
262,004
~~ee~~
~~ee~~		 13,065
1,553
1,351
12,279
430
2,049
151
1,308
3,664
3,846
322,928
~~ee~~
Governance costs
Independent examination fees
Professional Fees
Charitable donation
Depreciations & Website costs
~~ee~~		 5,280
5,300
-
1,067
55,334
~~ee~~
~~ee~~		 5,000
9,000
100
894
39,696
~~ee~~
11,647 14,994
Total resources expended
Net income
399,578
(208,144)
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements		 430,069
(7,409)
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31st March 2024

for

Voice of Youth and Genuine Empowerment (V.O.Y.A.G.E)

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