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ANNUAL REPORT

Croydon Mencap: Creating a Croydon that is a great place to live if you have a learning disability.

2024 - 2025

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 03628599 (England and Wales) - REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1073063

Thanks to the team for the wonderful photographs, additional photography by Emily 2 Oakhill and Mark Oryang. Designed by Emily Oakhill and Katherine Wynne.

Table of Content

4. Introductions and Reflections

9. Funders, Doners and Supporters 11. Objectives 1: Working in Partnership 24. Objective 2: Creating Opportunities 36. Objective 3: Supporting Carers 43. Objective 4: Volunteering 46. Objective 5: User Involvement 49. Structure, Management and Governance 53. Summary of Income and Expenditure 54. Financial Landscape 56. Looking to the Future

Introduction

Board of Trustees

Chair - James Kiamtia-Cooper, Vice Chair - Sue Culling Treasurer - Stuart Dunk Rachel Blaney Tim Flood Rosy Price Angelene Rackett Chief Executive and Company Secretary – Katherine Wynne

The trustees present their annual report together with the statutory audit of the charity's annual financial statements, conducted by a registered auditor for the year ending 31st March 2025. These are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies House purposes.

Our Vision (what we want to be true)

Our vision is that Croydon is a place where people with learning disabilities have the power, voice, and support to make their own choices and live life their way. Our Mission (how we will get there)

To work side by side with people with learning disabilities, families and carers to build better services and friendlier communities.

Public Benefit:

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duties under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 when considering the charitable activities and future programmes detailed in this annual report.

Reflections on 2024/25

James Kiamtia-Cooper, Chairperson

What a year it’s been!

At Croydon Mencap, we never stand still and this past year has been no exception. We’ve grown by 63%, adapted, and above all, stayed true to what matters: making sure people with learning disabilities and their families in Croydon are supported, included, and heard.

There’s been a lot going on in the world; cost-of-living pressures, challenges in health and social care, and the ever-changing landscape of local services. However, through it all, our amazing team has kept showing up with energy, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose.

Whether it’s launching new initiatives like our energy advice team in collaboration with the Learning Disability Alliance and SGN, empowering people to advocate for their rights through our partnership with Access Social Care, introducing our new Carers Community, or simply continuing to provide our trusted, compassionate services, the everyday work at Croydon Mencap is something we can all be proud of.

This year, we’ve seen people we support achieve brilliant things: gaining confidence, trying new activities, building friendships, and finding their voice. These moments, big and small, are what make our work so powerful.

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to our staff, volunteers, families, partners, and of course the people at the centre of it all , those who use our services. You are the reason this charity is what it is: passionate, determined, and full of life.

As we look to the future, we’re not slowing down. There’s still so much more to do and we’re ready for it. Because at Croydon Mencap, we believe in a Croydon where everyone belongs, and no one is left behind.

Thanks for being part of the journey. James, Chair of Trustees

Katherine Wynne CEO

I am proud to share how, together with adults with learning disabilities, their families, colleagues, partners, and supporters, we’ve continued to expand our impact, transform our financial position, and thereby strengthen our community.

Through exciting new partnerships, we’ve been able to develop opportunities that promote health, connection, and independence. Thanks to NHS funding, in partnership with Good Food Matters, Knowledge and Practice, and Lifestyle Health and Education CIC, we launched our Walking, Cooking, and Craft partnership, all designed to help people with learning disabilities stay active, healthy, build friendships, and develop new skills in supportive, welcoming, and safe environments.

Our partnership work has gone from strength to strength. Working alongside the Learning Disability Alliance, we successfully secured funding from SGN to provide vital community advice on energy use. This collaboration has enabled us to help people make informed choices, manage their bills, and feel more confident about their energy needs, something that has become increasingly important in the current climate.

Whilst it’s exciting to celebrate new projects and partnerships, we must never forget the ongoing projects that remain at the heart of what we do. From carers' support and advice to our Enterprise Lounge, Out and About activities, Chill and Chat, Saturday Club, and Volunteer Buddies and Support to Live, all of these services continue to make a huge daily difference in people’s lives.

This year we have also been looking inward and outward, taking time to listen, reflect, and plan for the future. Together with support from local company Inside Impact, we’ve developed our new Big Plan, which we will report against in our next Annual Review for 2025/2026: a shared vision shaped by the voices of the residents in Croydon. It’s been refreshing and inspiring to explore what matters most to people, to celebrate the things we’re doing well, and to recognise where we can improve. This process has reminded us how important it is to protect what people value most: our relationships, our community feel, the love and the trust we’ve built over many years.

You can explore more about our Big Plan and the exciting next steps for Croydon Mencap by scanning the QR code below!

Thank you to everyone; we are all in it together: people with learning disabilities, families, staff, volunteers, trustees, and partners, who make our work possible.

Enjoy all the stories we have to share and join us in celebrating our wonderful community of Croydon.

A Home of Our Own: A New Chapter for Croydon Mencap

This year, Croydon Mencap hit the jackpot and snagged the keys to our forever home at 60-61 Leslie Park Road, Croydon! After years of renting, our beloved space where hugs, friendships and high-fives flow freely... is now officially ours!

Owning our place is more than just having a roof over our heads; it’s our stability for the future. Now, we can dream big and shape our space to fit everyone’s needs, ensuring every penny raised goes into the ideas we generate together instead of rent.

Funders, donors and supporters

As with all charities, our ability to fulfill our mission relies on fundraising efforts, donations, subscriptions and all those individuals who have kindly and generously supported us in so many ways - Thank You!

Beddington Park walk! £1319 ™ =, & bee i ¥ Dies i Fabien runs the £345 Eastbourne 49:30 Marathon

The Patel Family In loving memory of £159 9 . g

Katherine our CEO, Nathan and Jolie run the Battersea Half Marathon

£1025

Roundshaw Downs Park Run

£298

Localgiving donations: of over £6411.77 including £2416.74 from one donation from Dylan Marques. Thank you!

Thank you to: London Borough of Croydon, The Royal Mencap Society, Department for Education, SWL ICS, National Lottery Community Fund, The Dodds Family, Mrs R McLuskey, T and S Moss, Mrs Freda Pearce, Fabien Crochetet, Dylan Marques, H Stain Ltd, Addiscombe Baptist Church, St John’s Shirley, Colin, Dawn and the Mann family.

Our Objective 1 To work in partnership with other agencies in Ob the London Borough of Croydon

Partnerships Cs) @Bncap Croydon Mencap has developed and continued some wonderful partnerships. Here are some of the highlights this year:

Good Food Matters, Knowledge Practice and Lifestyle Health and Education CIC

This successful partnership continued this year, providing people with learning disabilities the opportunity to learn expert crafts, cook beautiful food, explore local parks and enjoy pamper and fun days. Around 50 people benefited from this partnership with some people doing two or three of the activities concurrently!

Check out what participants got up to on the next page!

Social Care Conference SD

Members of Croydon Mencap and the Learning Disability Alliance attended this important social workers conference to share their lived experiences and promote good practice.

Ashburton Park

The Croydon Parks Service consulted on the future of Ashburton Parks and wanted the opinion of local residents and people who use the park. We had a brilliant session where we gave the Parks staff some brilliant feedback and ideas! We also planned to attend the parks centenary celebrations where we will help bury a time capsule!

Legal Support

We are proud to continue our collaboration with the remarkable Charity Access Social Care, and we now the wonderful “bot” Access Ava on our website! Access Ava can give you tailored social care advice, help you create letters, answer legal questions and help you understand your rights. It is a free digital service, available 24/7. Check out the video in the QR code about how to use Ava and then head to our website to give it a try.

Care Dogs

In Spring 2025, the wonderful charity Care Dogs got in touch with Croydon Mencap and proposed a collaboration. They bring their volunteers, expertise, and most importantly, dogs along to one of our Strictly Come Walking events! The result was a wonderful day out where we got to stroke and play with very well trained therapy dogs. The event attracted around 25 adults and carers, making it such a huge success that we now have these sessions every 3 months!

Guardians of the Internet
CD rap

We were thrilled to team up with Royal Mencap and Google to deliver internet safety training to teens with learning disabilities in Croydon. Tansy from our carers support service and Emily from our central team, both with teaching experience ran eight engaging sessions across three cohorts, including students at Bensham Manor School.

The programme, Guardians of the Internet, made online safety fun and accessible. Even teens who thought they knew it all walked away with new tip, like spotting scams (spoiler: that free Roblox gold offer is definitely fake!).

DAPPLE

DAPPLE is a 3-year research study by Kingston University (2024-2027) to find the best ways to make sure that people with a learning disability get the right care and support at the end of their lives.

Residents with learning disabilities are paid to join Zoom calls monthly to give their opinions on these important subjects via workshops and interactive sessions.

Brit School

This year, we were once again delighted to collaborate with the incredible BRIT School for our annual workshop; this time as part of the BRIT Reach Festival. Over six weeks, we explored self-expression through movement, music, and song, learning how to convey emotions in creative and powerful ways. The experience culminated in a joyful final presentation, where we gave it their all.

One of the highlights was their heartfelt performance of Make Your Own Kind of Music by Paloma Faith, beautifully interpreted in Makaton. It was more than just a performance; it was a celebration of individuality, connection, and the shared journey we’d taken with this inspiring community. We especially loved spending time with the talented students, who will soon be superstars themselves! The energy, enthusiasm, and mutual respect throughout the course made it a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.

This year, in partnership with the Learning Disability Alliance we were awarded significant 1 year funding from SGN £417,764.28 to deliver SGN’s “Keep Warm, Keep Safe” Campaign.

The campaign aims to educate and empower vulnerable people regarding energy usage, fuel poverty, gas safety and energy efficiency. The campaign offers energy advice, energy debt advice, courses regarding Carbon Monoxide safety, and signposting to government schemes. We focus our help towards households and adults within the learning disability community throughout Croydon and its neighbouring boroughs. We also help people in crisis, older people, and those with young children.

The campaign kicked off in January with recruitment of Energy Advisors and Energy Ambassadors. We now employ 8 people with learning disabilities as energy ambassadors, they work with the advisors in the community to help people get the best out of their energy and keep warm and safe!

The hubs are fast becoming key community assets, offering a warm place to go and get a cup of tea and sometimes even a hot meal!

Learning Disability Alliance Croydon CIC

The Royal Mencap Society’s funded community initiative, in partnership with Croydon Mencap in Croydon has continued to flourish in 2024/2025, delivering outcomes for people with learning disabilities and the wider community. This year has been a celebration of progress, inclusion, empowerment, and growth, and has brought services, employment opportunities, and a stronger sense of visibility and voice to those we support.

We have:

60 people with learning disabilities supported into employment/voluntary roles: Empowering 60 individuals with learning disabilities to take on role, whether voluntary or paid has had a profound effect. It has unlocked hidden potential and skills, improved mental health and self-esteem, created lasting partnerships with local businesses and organisations, and inspired others in the community
Engaged 5 schools in monthly coffee mornings: Monthly gatherings at 5 local schools have become a cornerstone of the project. Parents share how meaningful these gatherings are not only for information-sharing but also for peer support and mental well-being
Held our Second Annual Learning Disability Carnival
Helped multiple community groups get launched via seed funding such as the CV workshop aimed at empowering people with Learning Disabilities be able to make their CVs, learn interview techniques and how to handle challenges at work. There is also a Business entrepreneurial workshop where people been learning bead making and crocheting. These were displayed and sold at the carnival!

Community Voices:

"I never thought I could work—but now I do, and I love it."

"These coffee mornings changed my parenting journey."

"This is what inclusion looks like."

This year has demonstrated what is possible when a community comes together with compassion, resources, and a commitment to inclusion. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved and even more excited about the journey ahead.

We extend our gratitude to everyone who has supported this project, from the families, schools, local businesses, volunteers, and most importantly, the individuals with learning disabilities who continue to inspire us every day.

Together, we are not just building a project. We are building a movement.

Spotlight: Gig Buddy Dave

This year we are featuring Gig Buddy Dave on our annual report.

The Gig Buddies project run by the fantastic Club Soda matches adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to volunteers who are into the same things, to go out and enjoy the scene they both love!

Dave has been volunteering with Gig Buddies for 6 years. He was matched with Martin 4 years ago.

Martin and Dave go to all manner of great events together, not just gigs! They have attended football, rugby and cricket matches, festivals and museum visits as well as seeing bands such as Iron Maiden and Sprints.

We asked Dave a few questions about his role and how he finds volunteering as Martin’s Gig Buddy.

1.Why did you choose Gig Buddies to volunteer with?

It was all a happy chance really, I stumbled across Gig Buddies while searching for a local gig and thought what a fantastic idea, I go to a lot of gigs, I can do that!

2. Tell us the process for getting started with Gig Buddies and being matched with Martin?

It was some time ago, so they may have updated their procedures, but I applied to join Gig Buddies, passed an interview and then undertook their awareness training. I also completed an on-line Autism Awareness Course offered by Croydon Council. Both of which were invaluable in growing my understanding. I was also DBS checked.

After a short while Gig Buddies matched me with a buddy and we stated gigging!

I met Martin and his sister, passed their interview, signed a new Volunteer agreement and we haven’t looked back.

3.What’s the most memorable event you and Martin have attended together?

Well, Iron Maiden at the O2 was a fantastic night but this summer we spent a day at The Oval watching Country Cricket with a group of my friends. Martin was just part of the gang, and we all sat chatting in the sunshine. I don’t think I’d ever seen him so relaxed and comfortable. We’ll definitely be back next season.

4.What would you say to a person considering volunteering with someone with a learning disability?

You can never switch off when you’re buddying! I did momentarily at a gig during which time Martin convinced the support band it was his birthday, so they gave him a shout out and the audience cheered. It wasn’t his birthday.

But, in all seriousness you will be doing something that makes a difference to you both, is really rewarding and, if you’re really lucky, leads to a long-lasting friendship.

You can get in touch with Gig Buddies by going to https://www.clubsoda.org.uk/gig-buddies-croydon or scanning the QR Code

Steel Pans

The Enterprise Lounge welcomed Jay and the Panash Steel Orchestra this year to teach us how to play on these wonderful, traditional instruments. As well as learning about the history of the Steel Pan, we also learned basic scales, some learned a full traditional song!

We performed for the then Deputy Civic Mayor of Croydon, Richard Chatterjee and he handed out their certificates!

A few months later the Orchestra helped us perform at our AGM!

Check out Cam playing, using this QR Code!

Croydon Active Voices

We continue to support Croydon Active Voices by providing infrastructure support in the shape of recruiting their coordinator from Department of Education funding.

2025 has been a year of growth and consolidation for Croydon Active Voices, Croydon’s Parent Carer Forum. Following our 2023 relaunch, we’ve strengthened our foundations and deepened our impact across the local SEND landscape.

In August, we secured an office at Southbridge House, giving us a stronger base for collaboration with families, schools, health partners, and professionals.

A major highlight has been our role in the national PINS programme, supporting 20 Croydon primary schools to embed inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming practices, led by Coordinator Hollie Chisnall.

Our coffee mornings continue to connect families, schools, and the Local Authority, while our representatives actively shape policy across all six Croydon SEND Strategy workstreams. We advocate for visibility, inclusion, and co-production at every level. Under Communications Lead Toria Richardson, we’ve expanded our reach with new social media channels, a digital newsletter, and an upcoming YouTube channel. With Health Lead Debbie Sullivan, and through partnerships with IPSEA, Anna Freud Centre, and others, we’ve shared lived experiences to influence therapy commissioning locally and nationally.

CAV is now actively engaged in regional and national forums, contributing Croydon’s voice to SEND reform discussions with government leaders. We remain committed to building an inclusive Croydon where SEND families are understood, supported, and celebrated as equal partners in change.

Our Objective 2 Creating opportunities and activities so that people with learning disabilities and additional needs can have active and meaningful lives.

Enterprise Lounge

It’s been another successful year for the Enterprise Lounge!

We’ve tried a lot of new activities as well as continuing favourites! We’ve been focusing on health a lot and cooking healthy food as well as starting to do more walks especially those with mobility problems. By encouraging gentle movement and small wins like walking round the block we are helping people take more ownership of their health.

The building itself is also improving, we had both our toilets refurbished this year so have a nicer environment to use than before. We have other works in the pipeline now that we own the building to keep it modern and in good condition and for it to be somewhere people are proud to attend.

As always we kept things creative with a wide array of art projects including:

Spray painting old records to make clocks with Julian
Making tattoo art with John
Making models with clay with Norman

We have had students join us on their placements from Roehampton University and Croydon College. We are continuing this partnership to continue to enable students to get hands on experience working with people with learning disabilities.

We are lucky to have some local collaborators who spend time with us:

Yoga with Amanda from Supriya Yoga
Drama with Andree from Make a Scene
Tennis coaching with Nathan from Shirley Tennis Club
Football sessions with the Crystal Palace Foundation
Pc Scott Jones & The Safer Neighbourhood team
Ryan McKenzie at Croydon Fire Brigade
Bose Young@Heart Dance
Andrew Wright from Woodside Fire Brigade
Jay and the team from Panash Steel Pan Orchestra
Sodada at Club Soda

The Enterprise Lounge team worked with social workers, families, our Advocates and the following NHS services:

Psychologists
Speech and Language therapists
Occupational Therapists
Men’s Group – focusing on men’s health

Statistics

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42
Members in total registered Average of 2 days +
22 a week
supported on site everyday
on average
36,179
hours
of activities and fun
throughout the year
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Staffing ratio
of 1 to 5
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Future plans at the Enterprise Lounge:

We have transferred records to our new database GoodCRM and will continue to keep digital records We are continuing to grow our social enterprise ideas

We will continue our 1:1's catch ups to ensure people goals and ideas are being recognised Carry on supporting individuals in to work and volunteering with the LDA and Volunteer Buddy service.

Monday Club

We’re thrilled to share how wonderfully our Monday night social club for adults with learning disabilities is going and it’s better than ever!

Now at Christ Church Hall, we welcomed an amazing 78 adults with learning disabilities on our first night. The hall was buzzing with energy, smiles, and laughter as friends reunited and explored the new space. It was clear how much this club means to everyone.

Each week, people return not just for the activities, but for the friendships and sense of belonging. Whether it’s dancing, singing, chatting, or simply enjoying each other’s company, Monday nights are full of joy.

We often hear from carers and social workers about how important the Monday Club is. It’s more than a club; it’s a lifeline and a cherished community.

We’re proud of what it’s become and grateful to everyone who makes it special. We’ve just welcomed four new member volunteers, and one of our regulars is now our Volunteer DJ!

I love to dance and Karaoke is the best! meet my friends, the staff are very helpful _[C—(“‘“C:;SO™CSC@™] 245 adults. 93 Between 50 Volunteer and 80 attending Hours weekly!*

Out and About and Strictly Come Walking

Out and About and Strictly Come Walking had a fantastic year!

The Strictly Come Walking part of the service was funded entire by the NHS Partnership funding - South West London ICS meaning we did 48 walks this year, averaging 7k of steps every week! The walks grew and grew and we now have a total of 28 people on “our books” who come at least once a month. Each walk gets an average of 12 people and sometimes up to a record breaking 25 people attend! Carers come along too and chat to their peers and exchange tips. Health checks done with Knowledge and Practice also helped some people go on to make positive health changes!

For Out and About, we had a little money left over from the Dodd’s kind donation so we put that to use by arranging a sponsored walk. The money raised (a fantastic £1319) combined with donations from the Alchemy Foundation and Rix/Thomas/Rothenberg (RTR) Foundation meant we could keep Out and About’s super popular bowling sessions going and have a few community sessions, whilst we waited for the next pot of funding to come through (spoiler alert: Out and About is now funded for 2 additional years!)

Some of what we did this year!

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Bowling Food and Parties
~z. a. A a \ | Fie
Fun days! Lots of walking!
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I loved meeting the Care Dogs, they are so friendly!

Bowling is my favourite, I get to see all my friends and we go for Burger King after!

The walks make me feel better and stronger and happy. It’s good to be outside

Saturday Club

The Saturday Club meets at our day centre on Leslie Park Road, where people look forward to their favourite activities each week. They enjoy cooking simple, healthy dishes, playing games indoors and outdoors, and getting creative with music, art, and crafts.

We usually welcome 8–12 regulars, with newcomers joining taster sessions to see if the club suits them. Due to changing needs, we now meet twice a month – on the second and fourth Saturdays. Like the Monday Club, we pause for eight weeks over summer. Our goal for next year is to secure funding to run weekly sessions. Activities also take place beyond the centre. Outings to Brighton, Wimbledon, and Lloyd Park for our annual picnic and sports day offer a refreshing change of scenery. We've also enjoyed relaxed movie screenings at the David Lean cinema and a memorable concert at Fairfield Halls.

Adults benefit from the support of Zach and volunteer Kirstie, who help make sessions enjoyable for everyone. We’re excited that Zach will officially join the team as a contracted worker in September.

Looking ahead, we aim to:

Secure new funding to run weekly sessions
Plan more off-site activities
Grow our membership
Explore new, engaging activities

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70
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Volunteer
Hours
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29 amount of clubs this year!

I enjoy the cooking and games

I am looking forward to seeing you all today at the Saturday Club ♧ . I had been thinking about you all.

Support to Live

Croydon Mencap’s Support to Live service continues to grow, giving people with learning disabilities and/or autism the freedom to shape their own care packages. We offer flexible, transparent support tailored to what you need.

From employing your trusted PAs (to take away the employment burden), supporting you with your favourite activities, supporting you to get volunteering or paid work, to planning your dream holiday, our approach is always person-centred.

This year, we became a trusted Care Partner with Zetetick Housing Charity, helping individuals find quality, fully un/furnished homes with 24/7 support and housing benefit management.

Families can be as involved as they wish: joining in with recruitment, accessing online care records, and attending regular meetings with their care coordinator.

Looking ahead, we’re preparing for CQC registration to offer personal care and expand our reach even further.

Spotlight

This year we are incredibly proud of Hassit Patel, a remarkable individual who has shown extraordinary strength, resilience, and growth.

Last year, Hassit faced the sudden and heartbreaking loss of his beloved Mum, a moment that deeply affected not only his family, but all of us at Croydon Mencap. Their bond was incredibly close, and her absence changed his world overnight.

In the face of this life-altering event, Hassit moved into a residential care home near his family and began a journey toward independence. He has embraced his new surroundings with courage and determination, learning vital life skills, making new friends, and becoming part of a new community.

Hassit continues to visit his Dad on weekends, and their bond remains strong. Through everything, he has shown us what it means to grow, adapt, and thrive, even in the face of great loss. He has matured and become more confident and we are all so proud of how far he has come.

Hassit, this award is a celebration of your strength, your spirit, and the inspiring person you are. Your Mum would be very proud of you. Congratulations.

Our Objective 3 To provide advice, information, and support to parent carers including, advocacy, information, signposting, training, peer support.

Carers Support Service

In partnership with Carers Information Service and Mind in Croydon we delivered our final year of carers support with funding from Croydon Council. Our warm and friendly family advocacy support team continued to support unpaid carers in the borough of Croydon. We supported 34 carers who were feeling frustrated, lonely, isolated, worried, overwhelmed and in need of support to navigate these complex situations they find themselves in. We helped them navigate complex mental health, housing, access social care, work with schools and to find a way to have more balance and control back in their lives.

Croydon Mencap staff members are all well trained, informative, helpful and caring professionals who are approachable and reliable, and always follow up on what they are involved with. Croydon Mencap are the most dedicated social care employees, a cut above most healthcare/social care staff members anywhere! 99

I met with a client yesterday who spoke extremely highly of your peer to peer support group, so well done!!

100% of people when asked ‘How likely are you to recommend our Family Advocacy Support Service’ replied ‘extremely likely’.

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1507
50
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Carers were supported via sign posting to: Legal services (Access Social Care), Carers Information Service for Carers Assessments and Reviews, Social care for Needs Assessments, National Mencap Wills and Trusts, Community Hubs for Benefits and Housing issue, Social Prescribers, Mind, Off the Record and much more!

Parents and carers group Elevensies continues to be successful and a ‘much needed’ weekly online event as stated by the carers. It is carer-led where they discuss a multitude of topics but above all support each other and several have formed firm friendships with one and other. This group regularly meet face to face too.

Carers Support: Looking to the Future

Exciting Updates for Unpaid Carers in Croydon

While the new Carers Contract has been awarded to National Charity Carers First (details on their website below), unpaid carers of adults with learning disabilities have expressed that they find comfort and camaraderie in the shared, expert understanding of the unique challenges they face, which they believe Croydon Mencap provided. Additionally, they take solace in knowing that many of their loved ones have accessed a variety of our services, allowing us to build trusting relationships, as part of their support network for years, some relationships dating back as long as 20 years!

Based on their feedback, we developed a New Carers Community Membership, initially aimed at funding our work through membership fees while also subsidising it with other fundraising efforts, such as events and grants.

We are thrilled to announce that we have successfully secured two grants for the upcoming year, from April 2025 to March 2026, through Croydon Relief in Need and the Better Care Fund administered by Croydon Council. We are immensely relieved and grateful to know that our services will continue and this year the membership will be free to Carers because of this.

Since Croydon Mencap’s very beginning in 1952 which was founded by carers, Croydon Mencap has prioritised support for carers, which we don’t want to change.

To join our Carers Community, please visit our website, were you can access our full range of Carers Training, events and pampering plus vital 1:1 advice and support.

If you are a carer and would like a Carers Assessment, please reach out to Carers First: https://www.carersfirst.org.uk/croydon/welcome/

Chill and Chat

Croydon Mencap supported 54 families through our busy and much-needed toddler group, offering a welcoming space for sharing ideas, concerns, and information on local services, courses, and activities. Families also exchanged clothes, toys, and equipment.

We ran: 46 toddler sessions 40 Zooms

14 meet-ups at parks and Mallings Close Children’s Centre Plus regular phone support for parents/carers

These meet-ups helped siblings and extended families connect, offering opportunities to engage with children with additional needs.

Our Christmas party welcomed over 40 attendees, with every child receiving a gift, balloon, and bubbles—thanks to generous donations from Mr Joe Kissane and The Fence Club Charity Toy Appeal.

We maintain an active WhatsApp group with 54 parent/carers, and are supported by three dedicated volunteers—Susan Squibb, Susie Mordant, and the late Malcolm Bush, who together contributed 300 volunteer hours. Malcolm will be deeply missed.

Professionals including portage workers, speech and language therapists, social workers, and carers centre reps have visited the group. With Mallings Close Children’s Centre transitioning to NHS management in September, we’re exploring relocation to Shirley Children’s Centre with support from manager Jenny Gabriel.

We’re deeply grateful to Croydon Council and Jenny Gabriel for hosting this vital group free of charge.

Remembering Malcolm

We were deeply saddened by the passing of Malcolm Bush in January 2025, a longstanding and much-loved volunteer at our Chill and Chat toddler group.

Malcolm was a friendly face, a kind soul, and a huge part of the Chill and Chat community for many years. His generosity with his time and his ability to make everyone feel valued and supported made a huge difference to those who came along.

We are truly grateful for all that Malcolm contributed, and we will miss him greatly.

Early Positive Approaches to Support (EPATs)

With funding via Royal Mencap and in collaboration with Kent University, Croydon Mencap is dedicated to advancing research that highlights the positive effects of supporting parents with preschool children with information and advice from the very start.

The E-PAtS Parent Support Programme addresses key areas where families of children with learning disabilities often require assistance, such as challenging behaviors and sleep issues.

Croydon Mencap is seeking to recruit families for a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) in collaboration with the research team from Kent University and Royal Mencap.

Croydon Mencap has worked with two trainers who deliver these valuable courses. We are truly excited to contribute to the ongoing development and research aimed at supporting families at the beginning of their journey in becoming parents to children with learning disabilities.

Our Objective 4 To support existing volunteers and to increase the number of volunteers where possible

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Volunteer Buddies

Volunteering Buddies Project: Celebrating 5 Incredible Years!

We’re delighted to celebrate the fifth year of our Volunteering Buddies Project, which is now funded by the National Lottery—a vibrant, empowering initiative that supports adults with learning disabilities into meaningful volunteer roles across Croydon. The project continues to grow from strength to strength, and we are proud to now have 23 supported volunteers in active placements, with the guidance and encouragement of 13 dedicated Support Buddies. Together, they are developing new skills, building confidence, and contributing to their community in inspiring ways. This success is made possible through the support of our incredible partners, who have opened their doors to our volunteers, listed on the next page.

Croydon FC – where our volunteers run Our Tea Shack, serving refreshments with a smile to fans and visitors throughout the football season. Their hard work and team spirit are a key part of the matchday experience!
The Felix Project – powering our Canterbury Road food bank, which is run entirely by our volunteers, helping to ensure no one in our community goes hungry.
Music Relief Foundation – where one of our volunteers is developing her admin skills and greeting guests at reception, building both professional experience and self-belief.
Quest Primary School – where our volunteer is making a real difference by helping young students improve their reading skills, providing patient, one-toone support.
ARCC – where our amazing volunteers regularly support community coffee mornings, creating a warm and welcoming environment for all.
Legacy Youth Zone – offering vibrant placements that connect volunteers with local youth and help them grow in confidence.
Good Food Matters – giving volunteers hands-on experience in food preparation and healthy living initiatives that benefit the wider community.
Canterbury Nursery – where volunteers lend a helping hand during Easter and summer holiday camps, enriching the lives of local children through play, support, and educational workshops.
Knowledge and Practice – offering tailored, inclusive placements that help build job-ready skills and routine.

The Volunteering Buddies Project is about more than just volunteering—it's about belonging, growth, and inclusion. Our volunteers are not just giving back—they are leading the way in creating a more inclusive Croydon. To all our volunteers, buddies, staff, and community partners—thank you for making these five years such a success. We can't wait to see what the future holds!

Our Objective 5 To maintain and continue to develop user involvement in all aspects of Croydon Mencap’s work.

Solution Circles

Croydon Mencap works in partnership with people with learning disabilities, multiple different organisations, charities, the NHS, and the Local Authority through the Learning Disability Partnership Board. This board has now extended into the community, and adults with learning disabilities have founded the ‘Solution Circles’. This group meets regularly to discuss and influence in a meaningful way on topics like where people can live, how they can be supported to find work, how they can get active, have good mental health, and form good friendships.

We invite guest speakers along, and we help promote and co-design what good looks like. The group is in its early days, but it has such potential as it feeds into the Council's Performance and Improvement Panel! To join, please email

Katherine@croydonmencap.org.uk or speak to any of your friends connected with Croydon Mencap.

Working at Croydon Mencap

Here at Croydon Mencap, we are always working hard to do things with people with learning disabilities rather than for. One of the most effective ways we can do this is by offering people paid employment as well as asking them to shape and define our charity. This means a significant shift in how we write all our policies, procedures, forms, and templates, and we make changes to ensure we have an inclusive culture. Croydon, with support from the Learning Disability Alliance, now employs 8 people with learning disabilities. Here is what some of them had to say!

“It’s not just about having a job, it’s about changing lives, about changing the world. It’s a quest, a mission”

“The best thing about working for Croydon Mencap is you obviously get paid”

“Getting a job has made me more independant”

“Thanks to Croydon Mencap I’m meeting people from all walks of life”

“I love my job!”

“I’m now helping people go through the same experiences I did... helping them get closer to their dreams”

Scan the QR Code to watch video of our employees talking about working for Croydon Mencap!

Structure, Governance & Management

Governing Document:

The organisation was founded under a memorandum of association that established the objects and powers of the organisation. It is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of association, last amended on the 29th March 2021 and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

The charity is governed by the board of directors, who are also trustees. The board is made up of a maximum of 11 trustees. They have a number of scheduled meetings each year. The trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting by the membership, although the board also has the power to co-opt trustees during the year.

Reserves policy

The charity seeks to maintain an unrestricted reserve at all times of a minimum of 3 months up to a maximum of 6 months of the anticipated future expenditure of the charity under free reserves. If there is any disruption to funding, the charity is able to continue to operate for this period whilst it resolves funding issues.

This allows for staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries to be assured of a reasonable continuity of the operation and their services.

The level of reserves required to achieve this range has currently been calculated to be in the region of £163k minimum. This figure has been disclosed separately as the operating reserve on the balance sheet and in Note 19 to the financial statements. This amount is considered sufficient to cover the level of reserves required by the reserves policy of the charity.

The Trustees may choose to set aside funds in a designated reserve for ongoing/future projects, to ensure financial viability for the life of a project.

The Trustees review the level of reserves quarterly based on a risk analysis methodology, while the reserves policy is reviewed yearly and is considered appropriate for the level of operations.

At the end of this financial year, total funds were £626,158 of unrestricted funds, which includes both the operating reserves of £163k and the value of the property purchased, £410k.

Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees

Board members are recruited via advertising on Charity Jobs, our newsletter, word of mouth, and appeals generally, especially when a specific role, such as that of Treasurer, is required. We are active members of Croydon Council's Black on Board initiative to increase representation on our board from the 'global majority'.

All prospective board members are invited to discuss the work of the charity with the Chair and Chief Executive and to ask any questions relating to the organisation and their roles and responsibilities within it.

All Board members are encouraged to join one of the Board’s task-focused working groups, thereby extending their involvement and developing their knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting the day-to-day operations and challenges.

All Board members are elected at the Annual General Meeting by the membership.

Induction and Training of New Trustees

Persons wishing to join the Board of Directors/Trustees will be provided with information about the charity and will attend an interview with the Chair and Chief Executive of the Board. They will also be given the latest Annual Review, Annual Report, and Financial Statements, plus the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the structure of the organisation, and an overview of the way in which the organisation works, as well as publications by the Charity Commission on the role of a trustee and good governance.

All Board Members are elected at the Annual General Meeting by the membership, although they may attend as a co-opted member prior to an AGM being held. Anyone may stand provided they are a member of Croydon Mencap and can comply with the Charity Commission requirements of their status.

Organisational structure:

The Articles of Association govern Croydon Mencap.

The organisation is managed by a Board of Directors who are also Trustees. Working groups made up of a few members of the Board are tasked by the Board for a specific, time-limited purpose and report back to the Board as necessary. Decisions on policy and financial matters and other issues that will have a significant effect on the organisation are taken to the main Board to be discussed and ratified.

Risks:

Croydon Mencap faced two significant risks in the 2024/2025 financial year:

External: Croydon Mencap Parent Carer Services

We were unable to tender for the new carers contract, this was due to it being a contract for all carers in a broader sense not specifically carers of adults with learning disabilities, were we also unable to secure a partnership bid. However as always with Charities you adjust and refocus. We have successful raised alternative funds to secure the ongoing services we provide to carers which starts April 2025.

Internal: Rapid Growth

The main risk facing our charity during this period is the rapid 63% increase in turnover driven mainly by a short-term, large contract. While these contracts provide vital opportunities to expand services, they create significant challenges in scaling our infrastructure quickly to meet demand. Rapid, short-term growth can strain operational systems, staff capacity, and financial controls, making it difficult to maintain consistent quality and efficiency. To mitigate these risks, we are prioritising planning, strengthening internal processes, and ensuring that any expansion is supported by appropriate governance, so that resources remain focused on key areas such as safety and payroll

Strategy:

People with learning disabilities helped us shape our new Big Plan as well as other groups and people in the borough, like the Learning Disability Alliance, Willow Learning for Life, carers, councillors, and SEND teachers. This plan is what some people call a ‘strategy’. A strategy is like a map – showing where we want to go and how we’ll get there.

Our new vision is that Croydon is a place where people with learning disabilities have the power, voice, and support to make their own choices, and live life their way.

Over the next few years, we will focus on 6 important things:

Understand and show what is working so we can do more of it
Bring in more money that we can use freely across our charity
Keep safe the things we love
Be clear about who needs us most and make sure they get our support
Show people who we are and promote the full range of support available across Croydon
People with learning disabilities build their confidence, use their strengths, and lead the way

Tr&isurer's Summary of Accounts to 315t Marth 2025 I gNe below an abbreviated finanoal report on the 2024-25 year. All figures are to the nearest thousand pounds. Full statutory accounts are avalable from the office on 020-8685890. The resuks for the year showed a surplus of £185k compared wth a defiat of £41k in the previous yeai. 2024-25 2023-24 INCOME Income from donations and lega(ies Income for support services and projects Incorne from renting ¢xrt office spKe Investrnent incm Other Income Total income L3 1,187 32 17 L209 741 EXPENDrtURE operatnS Dropin ser4ryces EnteriSe Lw1e (Leslie Park) 245 379 224 249 Adive LNe5 Other support services and projects Total expeThl•ture 28 L20 782 L024 Surplus l (d&Kit) for the year Funds held at stsrt of year Funds held as at 31 Marth 185 651 836 (41) 692 651 wIe the fwmls are Ild. Bank balances Leasehold improvements EqUipnt - Induding MiThbus Property Net assets l (halM"kn'es) Total assets 374 17 410 (59) 836 31 410 {217) 651 Ouf income of £1,209m increased by 63% cfflwared to the preIoUS year. Thts arose mainly from grants which benefftted several of our service areas, induding support and th'ce, (Artings and social dubs, our volunteering budih'es prografiNn4 EPAtS delivuy, he1 improvement inithitives (NHS Health Innovation Fund) and S()N Pty Network Energy AdvKe. These were from Cmydon Cound, the Department for Education, Royal Mencap So(i&y, Nabonal Lottuy Crnrmty Fund, the NHS and SGN. Charitsble spend was £1,024m, vthith is an inuease of 31% cMipared to the previous year. The overall surplus of £185k is attsibuted to the surrender of the lease on the head office and the savings this brough¢ PrUdlt eXPdlre and inueased funa"ng. We remain con¥nitted to a cwe programme of gjpport in the learning disalm.kty and communty of Croydon and conb.nued to operate a range of dubs and prograffffies thmughout the year. We continue to look for new funding sources to maintain and devdop services and proFcts, and the ongoing efforts to raise funds by our members and sLiff are as always very rrwch appreciated. Assistance in our efforts to raise funds, improve the current savices we offer and to devdop new ones, is always most wdcome. 52

Summary of Income and Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
Donations and Legacies
1.1%
Contracts and Grants
36.7%
Support Service Fees
61.5%
Investment Income
0.7%
Carers Support
Charity Infrastructure 10.2%
23.9% Clubs
2.2%
Enterprise Lounge
21.9%
My Community
5.8%
SGN
5%
Out and About
0.9%
Volunteer Buddies
3.9%
Partnerships
Support to Live
15.4%
10.8%
----- End of picture text -----

Please see Appendix: ‘Full Statutory Audit of Accounts April 2024 to March 2025’ for full details.

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

RegisteredCompany number 03628599 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number 1073063 Registered office

60-61Leslie Park Road Croydon CR06TP

Trustees JWKiamtia-Cooper (Chair) TJFlood ACRackett DLCongdon SMJDunk (Treasurer) MrsSP Culling REBia (appointed 21/11/2024) EPPrice (appointed 21/11/2024)

CompanySecretary Ms K Wynne

SeniorStatutoryAuditor Shona Wardrop C.A.

Auditors

Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA

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CROYDON MENCAP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Bankers CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill Kent ME19 4JQ Close Brothers Ltd 10 Crown Place London EC2A 4FT National Westminster Bank Plc 111 South End Surrey CR9 1ZY STATEMENTOF TRUSTEES'RESPONSIBILITIES

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

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

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

company will continue in business.

Thetrustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time thefinancial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with theCompanies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for takingreasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Insofar as the trustees are aware:

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

AUDITORS

Theauditors, Chariot House Limited, have expressed their willingness to continue in this capacity and will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

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CROYDON MENCAP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating tosmall companies.

26 November 2025

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

........................................................................ JW Kiamtia-Cooper - Trustee

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Croydon Mencap (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Inour opinion the financial statements:

-give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company'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; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basisfor opinion

Weconducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Ourresponsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company 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 the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 21 to the financial statements, 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 charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

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

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon. 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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 Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

Matterson which we are required to reportby exception

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

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 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; or
the trustees were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.

Responsibilities of trustees

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

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to

continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

Our responsibilitiesfor 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 a Report of the Independent Auditors 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 theeconomic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to whichour proceduresarecapable ofdetecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Based on our understanding of the charity and its activities, and through discussion with the trustees and management, we identified the principal risks of material misstatementboth at the financialstatement level and at the assertion level. We considered these risks in the light of various factors including the level of complexity, subjectivity, uncertainty,

potential management bias, fraud, materiality and any other relevant factors. We considered the extent to which thesewouldhavea material impact on the financial statements and designedour audit work accordingly. In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliancewith laws andregulations,ourprocedures included thefollowing:

" We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, focusing on those laws and regulations that had a material effect on the financial statements or that had a fundamental effect on the operations of the charity fromour professionaland sector experience.

" We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud, and reviewed significant or unusual transactions to identify their underlying supportingrationale

" We inspected the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, and made direct enquiries of management andtheboardof trustees concerningthecharity'spolicies andprocedures relating to:

Identifying, evaluating, and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
Detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected, or allegedfraud;
The internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and

regulations.

In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal

entries and other adjustments, assessedwhether the judgements madein making accounting estimates were indicative of a potential bias and tested significant transactions that wereunusual or those outside thenormal course ofbusiness.

Wealso

" discussedand reviewed thecharity's businessmodel andforward planning toassess going concern

" communicated applicable laws and regulations throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliancethroughoutthe audit.

" reviewed the financial statement disclosures and tested these to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable lawsand regulations.

" Carried out substantive testing onincome and expenditure

" Re-performedreconciliationsof control accounts, andrecalculated items such as depreciation

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to amaterial misstatement in thefinancial statements or non-compliancewith regulation.

This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions

reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission ormisrepresentation

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

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

Use of ourreport

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' 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 charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Shona Wardrop C.A. (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA

26 November 2025 Date: .............................................

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CROYDON MENCAP

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

					2025		2024
		Unrestricted	Property	Restricted	Total		Total
		funds	Fund	funds	funds	funds	funds
	Notes	£	£	£	£		£
INCOME AND
ENDOWMENTSFROM
Donations and legacies	2	7,402	-	5,979	13,381		31,743
Charitableactivities	5
Direct charitable activities		5 71 ,19 5	-	6 16 ,251	1, 18 7,4 46	1, 18 7,4 46	682,219
Other trading activities	3	-	-	-		-	8,147
Investment income	4	8,544	-	-	8,544		17,330
Other income	6	-	-	-		-	1,392
Total		5 87 ,14 1	-	6 22 ,230	1, 20 9,3 71	1, 20 9,3 71	740,831
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitableactivities	7
Direct charitable activities		5 35 ,90 1	-	4 87 ,655	1, 02 3,5 56	1, 02 3,5 56	778,883
Support costs		-	-	-		-	2,940
Total		5 35,90 1	-	4 87,655	1,02 3,5 56	5 56	781,823
NET
I NCO M E/ (E XPEND ITU RE )	I NCO M E/ (E XPEND ITU RE )	51 , 240	-	1 34 ,575	185,815		(40,992)
Transfers between funds	19	(503)	-	503		-	-
Net movement in funds		50 , 737	-	1 35 ,078	185,815		(40,992)
RECONCILIATION OF
FUNDS
Total funds brought forward		1 65 ,42 1	4 10 ,000	75,337	650,758		691,750
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED
FORWARD		2 16 ,15 8	4 10 ,000	2 10 ,415	836,573		650,758

The notes form part of these financial statements

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CROYDON MENCAP BALANCE SHEET 31 MARCH 2025

					2025	2024
		Unrestricted	Property	Restricted	Total	Total
		funds	Fund	funds	funds	funds
	Notes	£	£	£	£	£
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets	14	55,067	410,000	-	465,067	493,247
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors	15	30,136	-	-	30,136	25,130
Investments	16	3,137	-	-	3,137	3,137
Cash at bank and in hand		186,886	-	210,415	397,301	370,741
		220,159	-	210,415	430,574	399,008
CRED ITOR S
Amounts falling due within one
year	17	(59,068)	-	-	(59,068)	(207,239)
NET CURRENT ASSETS		1 61,09 1	-	2 10,415	371,506	191,769
TOTAL ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES		2 16 ,15 8	4 10 ,000	2 10 ,415	836,573	685,016
PROVISIONS FOR
LIABILITIES	18	-	-	-	-	( 34,258 )
NET ASSETS		2 16 ,15 8	4 10 ,000	2 10 ,415	836,573	650,758

The notes form part of these financial statements

continued...

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CROYDON MENCAP

BALANCE SHEET - continued 31 MARCH 2025

FUNDS	19
Unrestricted funds:
General fund		53,158	16,117
Operating reserves		163,000	149,304
Property Fund		410,000	410,000
		626,158	575,421
Restricted funds:
LBC Volunteer buddies		31,729	29,919
Royal Mencap - EPAts Delivery		24,430	7,230
DfE Parent Participation		-	105
Local Offer		10,535	10,535
Parent Carer Assessments		24,306	24,306
NHS Health Innovations Fund		1,305	2,695
Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet	Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet	-	547
SGN		85,394	-
Royal Mencap My Community		30,901	-
Out and About		1,815	-
		210,415	75,337

TOTAL FUNDS		836,573	650,758

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

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on .......2..6.. .N...o..v..e..m....b..e..r. .2..0...2..5....... and were signed on its behalf by:

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

JW Kiamtia-Cooper - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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CROYDON MENCAP

CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

		2025	2024
	Notes	£	£
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations	1	34,635	183,327
Net cash provided by operating activities		34,635	183,327
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets		(16,619)	(411,606)
Sale of tangible fixed assets		-	1,392
(Increase)/Decrease in long term funds		-	385,425
Interest received		8,544	17,330
Net cash used in investing activities		(8,075)	(7,459)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in
the reporting period		26,560	175,86
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the reporting period		3 70,741	8
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of			194,87
the reporting period		3 97 ,301	~~3~~ 370,741

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 11

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM
	2025	2024
	£	£
Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities)	185,815	(40,992)
Depreciation charges Adjustments for:	33 ,9 09	35,193
Profit on disposal of fixed assets	-	(1,392)
Interest received	(8,544)	(17,330)
Provision for liabilities	(34,258)	34,258
Impairment losses	10,890	-
(Increase)/decrease in debtors	(5,006)	15,606
(Decrease)/increase in creditors	(1 48 ,1 71)	157,984
Net cash provided by operations	34,635	183,327

2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

	At 1/4/24	Cash flow	Cash flow	At 31/3/25
	£	£		£
Cash at bank and in hand Net cash	370,741	26,5 60	5 60	3 97,301
	3 70,741	26,5 60	5 60	397,301
Liquid resources
Deposits included in cash	-		-	-
Current asset investments	3,137		-	3,137
	3,137		-	3,137
Total	3 73,878	26,5 60	5 60	400,438

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 12

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basisof preparing thefinancialstatements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

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 and on that basis the charity is considered to be a going concern.

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going

concern. Income

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

Income from government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Voluntary income is received by way of donations and gifts and is included in full in the statement of activities when receivable.

Revenue grants are credited to the statement of financial activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier.

Where unconditional entitlement to grants receivable is dependent upon fulfilment of conditions within the

charity's control, the incoming resources are recognised when there is sufficient evidence that conditions will be met. Where there is uncertainty as to whether the charity can meet such conditions the incoming resource is deferred.

Income generated from the supply of goods or services is included in the statement of financial activities in the period in which the supply is made.

Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.

Donated services and facilities

continued...

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Income

Donated services or facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or receive the service, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met,the receipt of economic benefit from use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to the trustees' annual report for more information on their contribution.

On receipt, donated services and facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

Ex pe ndi t ur e

General 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. Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

Allocation of support costs

Resources are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity.

Support costs are the functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities.

The overall direction and administration of each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the central function, is apportioned based upon the level of resource required to support each activity.

Governance costs are the costs related with the governance arrangements of the charity. These costs are

associated with constitutional and statutory requirements and include any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity's activities.

Operating leases

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

Tangible fixed assets

Expenditure on fixed assets above the value of £500 are capitalised.

All fixed assets are initially recorded at cost. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset less its residual value evenly over its estimated useful life on the following bases:

Fixtures and fittings Motor vehicles Leasehold improvements

25% Straight line 20% Straight line Over terms of lease

continued...

Page 14

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Taxation

The Charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK Corporation Tax purposes. Accordingly the Charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

Fund accounting

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

Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.

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. Restricted capital funds are released on a yearly basis to unrestricted funds over the period of the lease held at the chanty's' registered office at Portland House, 678 London Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 7HU. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and otherpost-retirement benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme, which all employees are eligible to join. The total amount of contributions recognised in the statement of financial activity are shown in note 9 and represent the employers contribution to the scheme or to employees personal pension schemes.

There were no outstanding or prepaid contributions at the balance sheet date and the charity has no liability under the scheme other than the payment of those contributions.

Invest ment s

Current asset investments represent cash on deposit with a maturity of six months or more from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount is offered.

Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

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.

continued...

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Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Financialinstruments

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 their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2.

2.
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Donations		12,759	31,087
	S ub sc r ip tio ns		622	656
			13,381	31,743
3.	OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Rent received		-	8,147
4.	INVESTMENT INCOME
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Deposit account interest		8,544	17,330
5.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
			2025	2024
		Activity Direct charitable	£	£
	Support and advice	activities Direct charitable	217,469	131,156
	Enterprise Lounge	activities Direct charitable	394,587	387,588
	Grants	activities Direct charitable	499,074	70,280
	Outings and social clubs	activities Direct charitable	27,434	32,222
	Volunteering Buddies	activities Direct charitable	48,882	47,315
	EPAtS delivery	activities	-	13,658
			1,187,446	682,219
	Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Royal Mencap NHS Health Inequalities	Royal Mencap NHS Health Inequalities	131,776	-
	Fund NHS Health Innovations Fund Royal		-	20,000
	Mencap Saturday Club Royal Mencap		170,000	20,000
	Guardians of the Internet LBC Children		-	2,500
	with Disabilities Croydon Active Voices		3,125	1,125
			-	14,990
			17,395	11,665
	Carried forward		322,296	70,280

continued...

Page 16

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES - continued

			2025	2024
			£	£
	Brought forward		322,296	70,280
	My Network Energy Advice		149,288	-
	Carer's Respite		10,000	-
	Carer's Support		14,990	-
	Dodds Enterprises		2,500	-
			499,074	70,280
6.	OTHER INCOME
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Gain on sale of tangible fixed assets		-	1,392
7.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS
		Direct	Support
		Costs (see	costs (see
		note 8)	note 9)	Totals
		£	£	£
	Direct charitable activities	1,0 14,0 58	9,498	1,023,556
8.	DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
			2025	2024
			£	£
	Staff costs		631,398	459,443
	Professional fees		8,976	11,245
	Premises costs		27,949	73,585
	Insurance		7,127	6,948
	Training costs		10,077	9,457
	Repairs,maintenance and cleaning		10,393	18,207
	Transport		40,009	38,595
	Outings,trips and activity costs		36,357	21,746
	Office costs		33,440	31,473
	Publicity		7,215	5,025
	Other costs		17,647	18,800
	Bank charges		656	274
	Community Partner		138,015	14,634
	Dilapidations		-	34,258
	Depreciation		33,909	35,193
	Impairment losses		10,890	-
			1,014,058	778,883

continued...

Page 17

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

9. SUPPORT COSTS

----- Start of picture text -----
Governance
costs
£
Direct charitable activities 9,498
----- End of picture text -----

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

	Support costs, included in the above, are as follows: Governance costs
		2025	2024
		Direct
		charitable	Total
		activities	activities
		£	£
	Audit / Examiner' remuneration	9,498	2,940
10.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
	Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Audit / Examiner' remuneration	9,498	2,940
	Depreciation - owned assets	33,909	35,193
	Surplus on disposal of fixed assets	-	(1,392)
	Operating lease rentals - land and buildings	-	52,084
	Operating lease rentals - other	-	1,420

11. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024. STAFF COSTS

12.

	2025	2024
	£	£
Wages and salaries	5 78 ,832	425,146
Social security costs	42,423	26,130
Other pension costs	10,143	8,167
	631,398	459,443

Pension costs are allocated between restricted and unrestricted funds in proportion to therelatedstaff costs incurred for each specific project.

The charity considers its key management personnel to be the trustees and senior management being the CEO, Operations Lead and Project Lead. The total employee benefits including employers' national insurance contributions and pension contributions was £132,722 being 3 staff (2024: £92,947 (3 staff)).

continued...

Page 18

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

12. STAFF COSTS - continued

The trustee have considered the level of holiday entitlement carried forward at the year end and have decided that it is not material. An accrual has therefore not been made.

The average monthly head count was 35 staff equating to 20 full time equivalent (2024: 30 staff, FTE 16).

As all staff are involved in delivering or enabling the delivery of charitable activities, all staff costs are included in Note 7 & Note 8 and are not allocated to support costs in Note 9.

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

	2025	2024
Charitable activities	32	13
Support	2	2
Governance	1	1
	35	16

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OFFINANCIAL ACTIVITIES	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OFFINANCIAL ACTIVITIES	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OFFINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
	Unrestricted	Property	Restricted	Total
	funds	Fund	funds	funds
	£	£	£	£
INCOMEANDENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies	6,177	-	25,566	31,743
Charitable activities
Direct charitable activities	4 89 ,372	-	192,847	682,219
Other trading activities
Investment income	8,147	-	-	8,147
Other income	17 ,3 30	-	-	17,330
	1,392	-	-	1,392
Total	5 22,418	-	218,413	740,831
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitableactivities
Direct charitable activities	5 95 ,123	-	183,760	778,883
Support costs	2,940	-	-	2,940
Total	5 98,063	-	183,760	781,823
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)	(75,645)	-	34,653	(40,992)
Transfers between funds	(4 10,000)	4 10,000	-	-
Net movement in funds	(4 85 ,645)	4 10 ,000	34,653	(40,992)
RECONCILIATIONOF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward	651,066	-	40,684	691,750

continued...

Page 19

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

13. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued

		Unrestricted		Pr op er ty	Restricted	Total
		funds		Fund	funds	funds
		£		£	£	£
	TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	1 65 ,421		4 10 ,000	75,337	650,758
14.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
						Improvements
				Short	Long	to
			leasehold		leasehold	property
			£	£	£	£
	At 1 April 2024 COST		1 79 ,874	1 79 ,874	410,000	94,246
	Additions Impairments		- (10,890)		- -	12,250 -
	At 31 March 2025		1 68	1 68,984	410,000	- 106,496
	DEP RE CIA TIO N
	At 1 April 2024		1 68 ,590	1 68 ,590	-	52,794
	Charge for year			394	-	15,084
	At 31 March 2025		1 68	1 68,984	-	67,878
	NETBOOKVALUE
	At 31 March 2025			-	410,000	38,618
	At 31 March 2024		11,284		410,000	41,452
			Fixtures
				and	Motor
			fittings		vehicles	Totals
				£	£	£
	COST
	At 1 April 2024		69,226		32,195	785,541
	Additions Impairments			4 ,3 69 -	- -	16,619 ~~(10,890)~~
	At 31 March 2025		73,595		32,195	791,270
	DEP RE CIA TIO N
	At 1 April 2024		57,291		13,619	292,294
	Charge for year		11,987		6,444	33,909
	At 31 March 2025		69,278		20,063	326,203
	NETBOOKVALUE
	At 31 March 2025			4 ,3 17	12,132	465,067
	At 31 March 2024		11,935		18,576	493,247

continued...

Page 20

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

15. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

15.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Trade debtors	10,838	5,091
	Other debtors	14,437	14,183
	Prepayments	4 ,8 61	5,856
		30,136	25,130
16.	CURRENT ASSET INVESTMENTS
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Close Brothers Treasury Deposit	3,137	3,137
17.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Trade creditors	11,417	3,935
	Social security and other taxes	18,117	9,695
	Other creditors	5,535	7,316
	Accruals and deferred income	4,553	177,170
	Accrued expenses	19,446	9,123
		59,068	207,239
18.	PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Provisions	-	34,258

continued...

Page 21

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
		Net	Transfers
		movement	between	At
	At 1/4/24	in funds	funds	31/3/25
	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted funds
General fund	16 ,1 17	51 ,2 40	( 14,199 )	53,158
Operating reserves Property Fund	1 49 ,304 4 10 ,000	- -	13,696 -	163,000 410,000
	575,421	51 ,2 40	(503)	626,158
Restrictedfunds
LBC Volunteer buddies	29 ,9 19	1,810	-	31,729
Royal Mencap - EPAts Delivery	7,230	17 ,2 00	-	24,430
DfE Parent Participation	105	(608)	503	-
Local Offer	10 ,5 35	-	-	10,535
Parent Carer Assessments	24 ,3 06	-	-	24,306
NHS Health Innovations Fund	2,695	(1 ,3 90 )	-	1,305
Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet	547	(547)	-	-
SGN	-	85 ,3 94	-	85,394
Royal Mencap My Community	-	30 ,9 01	-	30,901
Out and About	-	1,815	-	1,815
	75,337	134,575	503	210,415
TOTAL FUNDS	6 50,758	1 85,815	-	836,573

Net movement in funds, included in the above areasfollows:

	Incoming	Resources	Movement
	resources	expended	in funds
	£	£	£
Unrestricted funds
General fund	587,141	(535,901)	51,240
Restrictedfunds
LBC Carer's Support	79 ,7 54	( 79,754 )	-
LBC Volunteer buddies	49 ,5 41	( 47,731 )	1,810
Royal Mencap - EPAts Delivery	32 ,1 23	( 14,923 )	17,200
DfE Parent Participation	17 ,3 95	( 18,003 )	(608)
NHS Health Innovations Fund	1 70 ,000	(171,390)	(1,390)
Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet	3,125	(3,672)	(547)
SGN	1 49 ,288	( 63,894 )	85,394
LBC Carer's Respite	10 ,0 00	( 10,000 )	-
Royal Mencap My Community	99 ,6 53	( 68,752 )	30,901
Out and About	11 ,3 51	(9,536)	1,815
	6 22,230	(487,655)	134,575
TOTAL FUNDS	1,2 09,3 71	(1,023,556)	185,815

continued...

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Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

		Net	Transfers	Transfers
		movement	between		At
	At 1/4/23	in funds	funds		31/3/24
	£	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted funds
General fund	57 ,5 04	(41,387)		-	16,117
Operating reserves Designated fund - dilapidations Capital Purchase Reserve Property Fund	2 00 ,000 5,000 3 88 ,562 -	- (34,258) - -	( 50,696 ) 29,258 (388,562) 4 10, 000		149,304 - - 410,000
	651,066	(75,645)		-	575,421
Restrictedfunds
LBC Volunteer buddies	-	29 ,9 19		-	29,919
Royal Mencap - EPAts Delivery	-	7,230		-	7,230
DfE Parent Participation	5,843	(5 ,7 38 )		-	105
Local Offer	10 ,5 35	-		-	10,535
Parent Carer Assessments	24 ,3 06	-		-	24,306
NHS Health Innovations Fund	-	2,695		-	2,695
Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet	-	547		-	547
	40,684	34,6 53		-	75,337
TOTAL FUNDS	6 91,750	(40,992)		-	650,758

continued...

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Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

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

	Incoming	Resources	Movement
	resources	expended	in funds
	£	£	£
Unrestricted funds General fund	522,418 -	(563,805)	(41,387)
Designated fund - dilapidations		( 34,258 )	(34,258)
LBC Carer's Support LBC Volunteer buddies Royal Mencap - EPAts Delivery DfE Parent Participation NHS Health Inequalities Fund NHS Health Innovations Fund Royal Mencap Saturday Club Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet Royal Mencap Drama Sessions at Leslie Park Royal Mencap South Norwood Festival Dodds Enterprises StJohn's Church, Shirley Restrictedfunds	5 22 ,418 58 ,7 82 47 ,3 15 13 ,6 58 11 ,6 65 20 ,0 00 20 ,0 00 2,500 1,125 1,462 1,350 25 ,3 14 252	(598,063) ( 58,782 ) ( 17,396 ) (6,428) ( 17,403 ) ( 20,000 ) ( 17,305 ) (2,500) (578) (1,462) (1,350)	( 75 ,645 ) - 29,919 7,230 (5,738) - 2,695 - 547 - -
LBC Children with Disabilities		( 25,314 )	-
			-
		(252)
	14,9 90	(14,990)	-
	2 18,413	(183,760)	34,653
TOTAL FUNDS	7 40 ,831	(781,823)	(40,992)

continued...

Page 24

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Purposes of Restricted Funds.

Income Funds.

Carer's Support - is a grant received from LB Croydon as part of the Carer's Support Partnership and contributes to the salaries and running costs of providing support services for carers, including welfare rights and advocacy.

Carer's Respite - is a grant received from LB Croydon for supported day trips for carers of those with learning disabilities, either alone with their cared for together.

Volunteer Buddies - is a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to fund the salary and running costs of our project supporting adults with learning disabilities to become volunteers.

Out and About/Dodds Enterprises - is a donation to fund our Out and About programme of events to help adults with learning disabilities access the community and social activities.

EPAtS - is a grant from the Royal Mencap Society to deliver a parenting support programme called "Early Positive Approaches to Support".

Children with Disabilities - is a grant from LB Croydon contributing to the salaries and running costs of providing our Family Support Service for parents/carers.

DfE Parent Participation - is a grant towards the salary and running costs of the Croydon Parent Carer Forum called Croydon Active Voices which is supported by Croydon Mencap.

LocalOffer - is a grant towards developing a website for young people with SEND.

ParentCarerAssessments - is a grant towards the salaries and running costs of a pilot scheme carrying out carer assessments. NHSHealth Innovations Fund - community grant towards delivering services that improve health and wellbeing. Royal Mencap Guardians of the Internet - funding to deliver online safety and media literacy sessions in local schools.

SGN - funding from Southern Gas Network to deliver 'My Network Energy Advice' to the Learning Disability community in Croydon.

Royal Mencap My Community - a grant to increase the representation of people with a learning disability in organisations, through volunteering or employment, promote independence, financial freedom, talent expression and equal opportunities.

continued...

Page 25

Docusign Envelope ID: DAABE66F-694C-4229-A9F7-97D32C2A8BEE

CROYDON MENCAP

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Purposes of Unrestricted Funds.

General Fund.

This fund represents the 'free reserves' after allowing for all designated funds.

Designated Funds.

The Operating Reserve fund is held as a value sufficient as a minimum to cover three to six months' operating costs, major fluctuations in income from budget, contingencies for long-term commitments and any deficit on restricted reserves due to over commitment or payment on those projects.

RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

20.

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2025.

FRC ETHICAL STANDARD - PROVISIONS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL ENTITIES

21.

In common with many other businesses of our size and nature we use our auditors to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities and assist with the preparation of the financial statements.

LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHARITY

22.

Croydon Mencap is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, and has no share capital. No one member has overall control of the company.

In accordance with Clause 10 of the Memorandum of Association every member is liable to contribute a sum up

to £1 in the event of the company being wound up. In the event of the company being wound up any assets remaining, after the satisfaction of all the company's debts and liabilities, shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the charity and which prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its members.

The company's registered number and registered office address can be found in the 'Legal and Administrative Information' section of the trustees annual report.

Page 26

Financial Landscape

This year marks a significant turning point for Croydon Mencap’s financial position. Historically, the charity has recorded annual deficits, partly due to our commitment to reinvesting our large reserve balance which was as a result of a legacy, and partly because several of our services were no longer fully funded or were operating at a deficit.

Over recent years, we have taken deliberate and strategic steps to move the organisation onto a more sustainable footing, one where our charity cover its costs, our operations are lean and effective, so that any surplus generated can be reinvested into new ideas and innovation for people with learning disabilities and their families.

A key part of our strategy has focused on managing our property and infrastructure costs. Previously, we rented two buildings: one used as a head office and another as a base for our Enterprise Lounge service. Following a detailed review and financial appraisal, we made the decision to purchase the Enterprise Lounge building, securing a long-term home for the service while reducing future rental expenditure. At the same time, we exited the lease on our head office, which had become underused as more staff continued to work remotely after the pandemic. These decisions have significantly reduced our ongoing overhead costs.

As a result of these efforts, alongside increased income, but with expenditure not increasing at the same rate, the charity reported a surplus of £185,815 for the year ending 31 March 2025. This represents a remarkable improvement compared to previous years and demonstrates the effectiveness of our financial sustainability plan.

Our income increased by 63% in one year, rising to £1.209 million, largely due to securing a significant one-year contract with SGN as well as several smaller grants and contracts. Each of these contracts contributes a proportion towards our central infrastructure costs, strengthening the overall financial health of the organisation. Importantly, we achieved this growth without a corresponding increase in expenditure: we maintained a cautious approach to staffing and did not expand our central resources, while all services operated prudently within their budgets.

It is worth acknowledging that this surplus sits within a challenging wider context for the voluntary sector. The Charity Commission’s Risk Assessment Report 2025 highlights that many charities continue to face rising costs, income uncertainty, and greater demand for services. Against this backdrop, Croydon Mencap’s strong financial performance is both encouraging and a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff, trustees, and partners over the past few years.

While this year’s surplus is welcome, it will partly go towards maintaining a sufficient operating reserves to safeguard the charity in case of any disruption to income or unexpected costs. After accounting for these factors, approximately £50,000 of unrestricted funds will be available to reinvest in our new Big Plan.

In summary, Croydon Mencap enters the new financial year in a strong and stable position, with a clear plan for reinvestment, sustainability, and growth. This achievement reflects prudent management, strategic decision-making, and a shared commitment to securing the future of our vital services for people with learning disabilities and their families in Croydon.

Historically, the council has provided Croydon Mencap with funding for non-statutory projects and infrastructure support, which we appreciated. However, we have shifted our expectations regarding financial assistance, recognising the council’s fiscal situation. Currently, we manage two contracts with the council in partnership with the Carers Information Service and Mind in Croydon, which accounts for 7% of our total funding, both contracts will be coming to and end.

We are thrilled to have secured new funding for 2025 - 2026 to continue our Carers Support from Croydon Relief in Need and the Better Care Fund administered via Croydon Council.

Furthermore, we are pleased to share that Croydon Mencap has secured a one-year grant from Reedham Children’s Trust in partnership with local organisations, Good Food Matters and Knowledge and Practice, which is due to commence in the new year

The year-end reserves balance stands strong at £626,158 which includes the value of the building (£410,000), it adequately covers 3 months operating costs (£163,000) should funding become an issue and that leaves £53,158 to reinvest towards future strategy and growth.

Investment Powers and Policy:

The trustees, considering the liquidity needs of the charity, have maintained available funds in various short-term interest-bearing deposit accounts, striving to achieve the highest possible return on these deposits.

At year-end, total investment income was at £8,544 (2023/2024: £17,330).

, pumll Looking to the Future 82

Last year we asked—is it possible for us to obtain funding for Youth Services in the borough? Yes! We have secured Youth Innovation funding from Reedham Children's Trust to start projects in 2025-2026.

Last year we asked: Should we become CQC registered and grow our Support to Live Service? The answer is yes! In 2025 we set up a board Task and Finish Group to oversee this process.

Last year we asked: How can we support adults with Learning Disabilities who no longer want to live with family? We are in the process of setting up as a Trusted Care Provider with Zetetick Housing Charity and will be looking at lots of initiatives around supported living via our Support to Live Service.

How can we amplify the voices of individuals with learning disabilities at the board level? We are looking at exploring this.

What strategies can we implement to enhance our infrastructure support? This is one of our key aims in our new 5 year Strategy: 'Bring in more money that we can use freely across our Charity.'

Approval

This report was approved by the Board of Directors and Trustees on 29/102025 and signed on its behalf by:

James Kiamtia-Cooper Chair of Board of Trustees

Thank you for reading and your ongoing support! 85

020 8662 9201 info@croydonmencap.org.uk www.croydonmencap.org.uk

60-61 Leslie Park Road, Croydon, CR0 6TP Company Registered no. 3628599 Registered Charity no. 1073063

Thank you to everyone involved for making this a successful year!

2025-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT

Table of Content

Introduction

Board of Trustees

Our Vision (what we want to be true)

Public Benefit:

Reflections on 2024/25

James Kiamtia-Cooper, Chairperson

Katherine Wynne CEO

A Home of Our Own: A New Chapter for Croydon Mencap

Funders, donors and supporters

Katherine our CEO, Nathan and Jolie run the Battersea Half Marathon

Roundshaw Downs Park Run

Social Care Conference SD

Ashburton Park

Legal Support

Care Dogs

DAPPLE

Brit School

Learning Disability Alliance Croydon CIC

Spotlight: Gig Buddy Dave

1.Why did you choose Gig Buddies to volunteer with?

2. Tell us the process for getting started with Gig Buddies and being matched with Martin?

3.What’s the most memorable event you and Martin have attended together?

4.What would you say to a person considering volunteering with someone with a learning disability?

Steel Pans

Croydon Active Voices

Enterprise Lounge

Statistics

Future plans at the Enterprise Lounge:

Monday Club

Out and About and Strictly Come Walking

Some of what we did this year!

Saturday Club

29 amount of clubs this year!

Support to Live

Spotlight

Carers Support Service

Carers Support: Looking to the Future

Chill and Chat

Remembering Malcolm

Early Positive Approaches to Support (EPATs)

Volunteer Buddies

Solution Circles

Working at Croydon Mencap

Structure, Governance & Management

Governing Document:

Reserves policy

Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees

Induction and Training of New Trustees

Organisational structure:

Risks:

External: Croydon Mencap Parent Carer Services

Internal: Rapid Growth

Strategy:

Over the next few years, we will focus on 6 important things:

Summary of Income and Expenditure

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

CROYDON MENCAP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Opinion

Basisfor opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

Other information

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

Matterson which we are required to reportby exception

Responsibilities of trustees

Wealso

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CROYDON MENCAP

CROYDON MENCAP

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP BALANCE SHEET 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP

BALANCE SHEET - continued 31 MARCH 2025

CROYDON MENCAP

CROYDON MENCAP NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basisof preparing thefinancialstatements