2025-03-31-accounts

Clinks Annual Report Clinks Annual Report & Financial Review & Financial Review for the year ended 31 March 2025

Registered charity no. 1074546, and company limited by guarantee no. 3562176

Contents

Annual report

Financial review

• 06 Our charity 60 Financial Review 07 2024-25 strategic goals 65 Independent Auditors report 09 Understanding 68 Financial statements 19 Connecting 70 Notes to the financial statements 35 Voicing 81 Reference and administrative information 43 Supporting 82 Thank you to our funders 49 Developing 83 Charity information

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Foreword

Welcome to our 2024-25 annual report, Mandy’s first as Chair. Writing the foreword to an annual report is always a really useful opportunity to look back, something we rarely get time to do in the frenetic pace of change we find ourselves in, working in the voluntary sector and criminal justice. Reflecting on this past year change is certainly the recurring theme. We saw a change of UK Government, with Labour replacing the Conservative government of the previous 14 years. This change heralded many others which, although common with a change of Government, had a sense of urgency in criminal justice as they were focused primarily on the crisis of overcrowded prisons with rapidly diminishing capacity.

The voluntary sector in criminal justice has been crying out for evidencebased changes to address the lack of opportunity for people in prison and under probation supervision, to get the support they need and deserve. While many of the changes were welcome, the pace was certainly challenging for our sector. So much of our team’s year was spent creating ways to inform the sector and engage with it to influence changes for the better.

As we reflect on the year, the Independent Review of Sentencing has been published and its clear to see the influence our sector has had on its recommendations. We especially welcome the recognition of the sector’s importance to the review’s implementation, in making specific recommendations as to how to fund and support the sector, to best fulfil its role supporting people in the criminal justice system.

Another welcome change was the introduction of the Women's Justice Board and the commitment to changing the face of justice for women. Clinks is pleased to be part of the board and to have a role in supporting the engagement of the specialist women’s justice voluntary sector, who have been developing essential and impactful services for women over many years.

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In this report you will read about a real range of work and that is what Clinks does best: meets the specific needs of organisations determined by where they work, place and space being key drivers of need and who they work with or the specialist way in which they work for example, using creativity and arts. The variety of work in our sector is once again highlighted in our State of the Sector report, and although organisations have very different focuses and ways of working they share common beliefs as well as common experiences of not having sufficient income to meet increasing demand. Our teams have continued to support organisations working in region specific ways so that they can be plugged in to local knowledge and opportunities. This includes our work within prisons and return of the voluntary sector coordination model, with funding for a coordinator role in HMP Isis to support the prison to understand who it has and who it needs and to support the organisations working there to do that to the best of their ability.

In this year we developed our new strategy following the learning from our independent impact assessment. We don’t want to stop having a broad focus so we need to work in different ways and in doing so, we hope to be a better ally and partner to others as well as making it easier for the voluntary sector in criminal justice to get what it needs in terms of infrastructure support.

Anne Fox, Chief Executive Officer

Mandy Mahil, Chair of the Board of Trustees

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Lincs upporting the voluntary secto ce ational Criminal Justice Arts Alliance Annual Report

Our Charity

Our vision

Our vision is of a vibrant, independent, and resilient voluntary sector that enables all people in the criminal justice system, and their families, to transform their lives.

Our mission

Our mission is to understand the needs of the voluntary sector working in criminal justice in England and Wales and the people they support to enable us to engage, support, and achieve change with and on behalf of the sector, whilst challenging inequality across the criminal justice system.

Our Values

• Our members- We believe in the voluntary sector.

• People’s capacity to change - We believe in people's capacity for change, that every individual should have the right support so they can transform their lives. Fair - We are fair

• Using evidence - We follow the evidence.

• Equality - We challenge inequality in all its forms.

• Inclusivity - We are approachable, accessible, inclusive and collaborative.

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2024-25 strategic goals

Understanding

By 2025 we will increase and improve the knowledge and understanding of the role and value of voluntary organisations, especially small and specialist ones, among criminal justice system practitioners.

Connecting

By 2025 we will have improved our members sense of connectedness to us and their ability to get the information, advice and resources they need. Organisations will have access to support they find useful in a range of areas across England and Wales as well as related to the specific challenges and needs of supporting women, racially minoritised people, families of people in the CJS and working through the arts.

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Voicing

By 2024 our respected policy voice will be maintained and our relationships with decision makers grown. We will have amplified the voice of the sector to ensure that its knowledge and expertise are utilised in the development of practice and policy.

Supporting

By 2024 we will have adapted the way that Clinks supports, promotes and represents the voluntary sector so that how we work with the sector to find and implement solutions to the challenges and opportunities it faces, are embedded into the work of the other strategic objectives of Clinks.

Developing

By 2024 we will have developed a new strategy for the future, involving those we aim to serve and the people who will be at the heart of its success. We will aim to increase the number of organisations we are supporting especially small and specialist organisations with limited resources. We will attract and retain a diverse and valued core staff team with the skills and expertise to meet the needs of our sector. We will continue to generate income in a way that supports our core functions without compromise. We will be increasingly recognisable as an antiracist organisation.

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Understanding

Understanding

Clinks engaged statutory partners to both acknowledge and understand the challenges faced by the voluntary sector within a constantly evolving and difficult to navigate criminal justice system.

Given the longstanding instability apparent throughout both the prison and probation systems, the role of the voluntary sector as a guarantor of essential support is as important as ever.

Our role remains to ensure that statutory bodies both understand and acknowledge this role, as well as supporting the sector to navigate the of an complexities ever-evolving system. We have done so by consistently communicating and platforming the work of the sector in our engagement with officials, leveraging the sector’s expertise for input into seminal reviews such as the Independent Sentencing Review, and with a particular focus on small, specialist organisations. We will always remain dedicated to this role as the sector’s focused on champion, increasing the understanding of its role within the criminal justice system.

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Website

555,874 Website views

Clinks’ website remains a vital resource for the voluntary criminal justice sector, in addition to our standalone, Clinks Thinks, website. We regularly maintained and updated our web pages and voluntary sector directories to ensure timely, accessible information for the sector. This included publishing blogs, events, and publications. We created a dedicated support hub - offering guidance, insights and practical information, providing a central hub for the support the sector needs. We also refreshed the our work section of our website, making it easier than ever for users to stay up-to-date with the work we do and to get involved.

Social media

Throughout the year our social media platforms have played an instrumental role in allowing us to disseminate sector specific publications, news and events. Our social media also provides a mechanism via which we can quickly communicate vital information regarding the criminal justice landscape.

Our LinkedIn following has grown considerably, enabling the regular communication of our work, and that of the sector, directly to the people at the heart of it. We also continued to utilise Linktree, a versatile tool to increase access across our various platforms for large projects and events.

30,440

Total followers across Clinks & NCJAA

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Ebulletins

124

ebulletins

16,154 subscribers

Our regular ebulletins ensured that we delivered vital information to the sector and promoted its work to a wide range of criminal justice stakeholders. Our weekly newsletter, Light Lunch, was as popular as ever; with one staff member in the sector describing it as their “bible”. Thematic ebulletins were delivered based on areas of work including policy, health and justice, arts, and women. We also sent several newsflashes highlighting key and time sensitive information regarding updates, events and funding opportunities.

49 editions of Light Lunch

5 editions of the NCJAA Newsletter

12 editions of the Policy briefing

4 editions of the Women’s Network Bulletin

5 editions of the Health and Justice Newsletter 49 Newsflashes and other mailings

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Clinks Publications and Blogs

Clinks' blogs and publications play a crucial role in informing, connecting, and supporting the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. Our content is not only designed to inform the sector but also amplify its voice. Whether highlighting policy changes, showcasing innovative practice, or reflecting on systemic issues, we provide a trusted and engaging platform for the sector to disseminate criminal justice related information.

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publications written and disseminated

Our blog page is a dynamic space for commentary, insight, and updates. Topics often explore the real-world impact of criminal justice policies, spotlight best practices, and give voice to underrepresented groups. Our blogs serve both as a reflective space and a call to action, providing easy to digest, accurate and timely information on policy developments, statutory engagement and criminal justice news and events.

Our publications are carefully developed, offering in-depth analysis, practical guidance, and policy recommendations. These include thematic briefing papers, reports, consultation responses, and evaluations. Many of these are created in partnership with other sector bodies or based on direct consultation with voluntary sector organisations. Our publications often respond to emerging developments such as probation reform, funding changes, or shifting government priorities. Clinks’ blogs and publications are a key resource for staying informed, influencing policy, and strengthening practice across the voluntary criminal justice sector. This reflects Clinks’ broader mission to support a vibrant, resilient voluntary sector that works to achieve a fairer and more effective criminal justice system.

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Blogs

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Blogs Timeline (a snapshot)

The Struggles of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Families in the CJS

For Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month Clinks spoke with the Traveller Movement to discuss the challenges and systemic inequalities within the CJS for the Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities in the UK.

25 JUNE

24 JULY

SDS4- the policy and next steps

Summarising the Government’s Standard Determinate Sentences 40% (SDS40) policy and setting out how Clinks supported the sector to understand its impact.

Ongoing engagement around current challenges - How is Clinks supporting the sector?

Updating the sector on Clinks’ work engaging officials on challenges raised by the sector, with a focus on the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (PEDPS) and vetting.

16 OCT

8 NOV

How safe is the Welsh Criminal Justice System?

In response to the publication of Dr Robert Jones’, Wales Governance Centre, fact file ‘Prisons in Wales’. The report shows a consistent worsening trend around the safety in Welsh prisons.

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State of the sector report 2024

This year saw the publication of the eleventh edition of our annual State of the Sector research. In partnership with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the research explores the experiences of, and challenges faced by, the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. We pursued a qualitative approach to this year’s research, holding 8 separate focus groups to gather more detailed feedback from the sector.

The key findings illustrate the challenging environment within which the sector continues to operate. Funding remains a significant challenge, particularly the destabilising impact of short-term funding cycles. Organisations also reported increasing demand for their services, with service users presenting more complex needs. This was in addition to recruitment and retention of staff remaining a major concern. Focus group participants were cautiously optimistic about the new government but were sceptical of the prospects for meaningful change.

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Evidence Library

Clinks’ Evidence Library is an accessible online resource designed to strengthen the voluntary sector’s ability to deliver evidence-based services within the criminal justice system. Each article, written by leading academics, addresses key areas of interest identified by our members. Aiming to both inform service delivery, and encourage commissioners to support evidence-based approaches.

Recent reviews have focused on two critical areas. The first review explored the effectiveness of prison education, examining the educational needs of people in prison. Identifying key factors for that can delivering high-quality provision positively impact rehabilitation. The second review highlighted the implications of the maturation process for young adults in contact with the criminal justice system, delving into the impact of trauma, the “age-crime curve,” and the best practice approaches for working with this age group.

Both reviews were accompanied by well-attended webinars, further engaging the sector in discussions around implementing evidencebased practice.

Looking ahead, the Evidence Review series will continue – in partnership with Russell Webster - so that we can build a comprehensive evidence base that equips organisations with robust, accessible research to inform their work and enhance outcomes for people affected by the criminal justice system.

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Member Spotlight: Sherlock AI

SherlockAI is developing next-generation, peer-mentor-informed solutions to support people engaged with the criminal justice system. Their innovative approach combines lived experience with technology to build meaningful connections and improve outcomes across communities nationwide.

One strand of this work involves piloting a digital companion to help prison leavers navigate the often complex and isolating journey of resettlement. During one such pilot, a participant—struggling to find stability and make sense of his situation—responded powerfully to the support being offered. His expression shifted, his eyes lit up, and in that moment there was a shared understanding. As the SherlockAI team describe it, it was as though he was thinking, “He gets it. He knows what it’s like to be in my shoes, and he really wants to help.” Moments like this encapsulate SherlockAI’s mission: using the power of empathy, technology, and lived experience to build trust and offer personalised, human-centred support. It is in these moments of connection that real transformation becomes possible.

“Clinks has been invaluable in building our presence. They've helped us connect with other like-minded organisations, have promoted aspects of our project for feedback, helped me gain credibility to find speaking engagements and even let me present to their regional focus groups. It's great to know that whenever we need something, I can reach out to my local coordinator and know I'll get realworld support. This support resulted in SherlockAI being named in the Independent Sentencing Review.”

Jay Wood, Sherlock AI ———

• Image Credit: Co operatives UK

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Next year we will...

By 2026, we will have further increased the understanding of the value, role and specialist knowledge of the voluntary sector. We will have achieved this on both a regional and a national basis, ensuring an understanding of, and engagement with, the sector across each of the 7 HMPPS regions, which is then fed back on a national level. This will have driven partnership working with stakeholders including policy makers, academics and funders, and facilitate the representation of the sector’s voice at every available opportunity.

1

Incorporate and amplify the expertise from across our thematic networks, with a focus on the needs of people with protected characteristics and lived experience.

3

Represent the sector at key stakeholder meetings nationally, regionally and locally, while facilitating opportunities for director sector involvement.

5

Promote the work of the sector, including through the production of blogs, case studies and publications, across of all our digital platforms, as well as through the publication of our annual State of the Sector research.

2

Further expand our research and evidence base via our range of influencing mechanisms, including the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3), the Third Sector Strategic Partnership Board (TSSPB) and the Evidence Library series.

4

Maintain and strengthen our role working with HMPPS and other commissioners to influence good practice in commissioning processes, and to ensure that voluntary organisations can engage with future funding opportunities.

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ro Connecting 19

Connecting

Throughout the year, we retained our central role of connecting our members, and the wider sector, to us, to statutory partners, funders and to one another. We have also increased avenues through which the sector can access the specialist information, guidance and resources that need to thrive within a they challenging environment. Organisations are now connected in geographical areas and the places that they operate in, and via our thematic networks to ensure that we continue to provide vital infrastructure support to small and specialist organisations that need us most.

Clinks’ dedicated Area Engagement and Development Officers based in the North of England, London and Wales bought the sector together through regional forums, networks and learning opportunities. The team worked in partnership with both national and place-based organisations and agencies, building relationships with regional and local statutory structures to raise awareness of and support cross-sector working. Clinks’ model of voluntary sector co-ordination in HMP Isis enabled connections to be built between the sector and prison staff to enhance collaboration, partnership working and connect voluntary sector services to the needs of people in prison. Our thematic networks focusing on the specific needs of women, racially minoritised people, families and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, improved our members’ sense of connectedness to us and each other, to discuss shared challenges and solutions to influence policy and practice.

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Our work in the North of England

Clinks’ Senior Development Officer provided support to the voluntary sector working across the North of England through 80 one-to-one support sessions and criminal justice forums, as well as providing regular communications promoting funding opportunities, events and sharing good practice. The sector relies on the support to aid collaboration and keep abreast of changes within the system.

“It is a great way to find out what’s happening”

One forum focused upon the barriers to engaging with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The session allowed organisations to provide feedback on the DWP Dynamic Purchasing System and gain a better understanding of how work is commissioned. The feedback provided was that the sector felt more confident and had increased knowledge.

We undertook an in-depth mapping and analysis project to identify voluntary sector organisations delivering services and support individuals in the criminal justice system across the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber. The data identified 203 organisations that were contributing to the region. The majority were small organisations that relied on charitable trusts and foundations, with the report highlighting the need for improved and greater opportunities of partnership working with statutory partners.

We continued to represent the sector at local and regional strategic board meetings and worked closely with key stakeholders to highlight and discuss solutions to the challenges the sector and the individuals they support are facing.

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Family Support Network

The change in UK Government provided the opportunity to strengthen the voice of the network by developing a number of key asks:

1. Improve support for families and children affected by the criminal justice system, ensuring their needs and wellbeing are supported in the community

2. Improve support for families and children impacted by the criminal justice system, with a focus on supporting children to maintain relationships with parents in prison

3. Understand the expertise of and invest in the voluntary sector providing services and to children and families, to ensure adequate resources are available both in the community and in prisons

This year the network has held 8 forums and events, plus one national conference. This has provided network members with plentiful opportunities to engage with senior government officials, raising awareness of the issues facing the children and families of those in the criminal justice system. Whilst the full impact of these conversations will not be truly seen until after the Autumn spending review, the willingness to listen and understand the work of the voluntary sector has been evident.

The network has over 140 individuals including voluntary sector, statutory sector, and academics, and has created a range of opportunities for organisations to share good practice and improve collaboration.

The network has provided support to 50 organisations on a one-to-one basis. Through one-to-one support sessions, organisations have been provided with information and support to better understand the criminal justice landscape and collaborate with other organisations.

A national conference was held in March in collaboration with the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA). The conference considered how creative approaches could support children and families affected by imprisonment. The event was attended by 93 people from the voluntary sector, government agencies, academics and people with lived experience.

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Our work in Wales

Clinks have supported the third sector to navigate, what is at times, a complex criminal justice landscape in Wales. Working closely with some of our small and specialist members and helping them to develop strategies, link in with commissioners and policy makers and network opportunities with the wider Welsh sector.

Clinks gave oral evidence on the state of Welsh prisons to the Welsh affairs committee. Speaking about how women from Wales are negatively affected by the criminal justice system, questioning and challenging the need for custodial sentences for women. We outlined the struggles experienced by the third sector in Wales and the importance that the third sector is viewed as an essential delivery partner in the design of services and support.

We co-ordinated and chaired the community engagement network which is in part one of mechanisms that the Criminal Justice Anti-Racism Action Plan for Wales in being implemented.

Clinks planned and hosted the Wales Social Justice Conference. We worked in collaboration with partners at Inside Out Support Wales, Safer Wales, Community Justice Cymru and the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice (WCCSJ) to organise the first conference of this kind in Wales. Attended by over 100 delegates, the event showcased what the sector does best in Wales and how we work differently, promoting the importance of partnership working and what the voluntary & community sector working in justice in Wales does deliver.

Occasions of 1:1 support to Welsh Members 17 to the wider Welsh sector 69 Total attendees at our Wales Criminal Justice Forums 113

Occasions of 1:1 support to Welsh Members 17 to the wider Welsh sector

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Our work in London

Our support made a huge difference to voluntary organisations in London: developing understanding, strengthening work, and amplifying voice. We were delighted with the levels of sector engagement. More than 100 organisations, the majority small and specialist, attended our London Forums, sharing best practice and receiving vital learning on areas such as evidencing impact and embracing technology in frontline delivery.

More than 230 attendees joined our SDS40 early-release event for London organisations which we held in partnership with Homeless Link; and roundtable discussions were convened on themes including Hate Crime and Unpaid Work, with insight from over 50 organisations then shared with the London Reducing Reoffending Board to influence local policy and practise developments. Transition2Adulthood, for example, outlined their Young Adult programme and were subsequently invited by MOPAC to discuss expanding the initiative across London. More than 40 organisations attended our consultation event on the newly proposed London Police and Crime Plan; and the 12-month period also saw the highest number of 1:1 support provided to London organisations during the five-year grant.

voluntary organisations engaged through London forums. 100

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Good Prison Project - HMP Isis

During this second year of the Good Prison Project, we have increased the impact and involvement of the voluntary sector within HMP Isis. A wide range of voluntary sector organisations have been supported to engage and facilitate sessions for the men at the prison within different aspects of resettlement such as families, money management and wellbeing. These have not only provided support, but have enabled opportunities and involvement in purposeful activity. Through our work, we have recruited voluntary sector representatives, men serving sentences, who are employed at the prison to promote and magnify the impact of the sector in the prison, amongst their peers.

In 24-25 we hosted events such as a Voluntary Sector Networking Event for prison staff to meet the voluntary sector, this ensured that staff are better informed of the support services available to the men within the prison whilst in custody. Leading to better signposting from staff for support during sentence as well as post release.

Our work continues in monitoring and reviewing the directories of services for staff and the prison population, as well as frequent voluntary sector representation at relevant prison meetings. Voluntary sector meetings are held on a quarterly basis ensuring discussion and communication within and across our sector and provide opportunities to raise concerns with the prison in relation to delivery of services at HMP Isis.

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Women’s Network

individual members from 167 specialist organisations 340

Our women’s network continues to thrive, with an average of 340 registered individual members from 167 organisations providing specialist services for women. Our engagement with these members ensures that we continue to develop our understanding of organisations working through a gendered lens and provide support for practitioners working with women and senior leaders seeking to drive change for women affected by the criminal justice system.

Most individual Women’s Network members work or volunteer in voluntary sector organisations, but we also have stakeholders from prisons and probation services, along with academics and independent professionals. These members bring additional specialist expertise and broaden our reach in thinking creatively about how to mobilise change for women in contact with the criminal justice system.

Participation in our quarterly network forums has been consistently high with an average of 40 participants attending each event. We continued to hold forums online. Themes covered this year include:

Domestic abuse and women’s contact with the criminal justice system

Probation through a gendered lens

Women’s Justice Board and Prisons Capacity Review

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Total attendees at our ‘Why Gender Matters in the Criminal Justice System’ Training

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We are proud to have worked with the London Livery Company, The Worshipful Company of Weavers, to support them in developing and funding a programme of work to develop a model offering alternative approaches to custody for women in the criminal justice system. We jointly hosted a summit with the Weavers in January to begin a process of engagement with key stakeholders and will continue to support this initiative through strategic advice and fundraising to implement the model in the years to 2030 when the Weavers celebrate their 900th anniversary.

"It was such an inspiring event! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The agenda was packed full of amazing speakers and colleagues!"

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Events and Training

93% of participants rated our events as ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good.’

Our events include national and regional forums, thematic network events, paid training opportunities.

This year we hosted 52 events with 2,565 attendees

Among these was a notable collaboration with the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and Families Network for the "Arts of the Matter" Art and Families Conference. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees expressing appreciation for the thoughtful agenda. Many were deeply moved by the performance and actively engaged in the panel discussion.

“It was a wonderful way to bring together the arts and families. I found the conference engaging and thought-provoking.”

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Job board

The jobs board is an integral and vital part of our membership offer. We provide a platform utilised across the sector for organisations’ recruitment needs.

Over 139,210 users viewed 1,116 vacancies advertised including 69 voluntary roles

Directory of Services

48,859 views

Partnership Finder

14,225 views

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Annual Conference

‘Connecting for Change: voluntary sector engagement in criminal justice’

Clinks enjoyed hosting another successful annual conference at our members’ venue - Resource for London, in November. We were joined by 175 external delegates to discuss “Connecting for Change – Voluntary sector engagement in criminal justice”.

Our panels and workshops were co-produced and led by the relevant RR3 seat holders in order to ensure effective information gathering that could be used in ongoing engagement with statutory stakeholders.

Our opening panel discussed the criminal justice related, area-based needs of the country under the One HMPPS model, and we offered six workshops covering varied topics including funding stream difficulties, the impact of social prescribing in reducing health inequalities in criminal justice, how the women's sector drives change, gathering to build power using a creative response for discussion, breaking barriers by addressing stigma for families affected by the criminal justice system and tackling racial disparities across the criminal justice system using tools and opportunities.

Our keynote speaker Lord Timpson attracted a driven crowd, keen to hear his fresh thoughts on change ahead for the criminal justice system. We are thankful to Lord Timpson and his team for joining us.

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Race and Justice Network

• Over the past year, we supported the establishment of Q SEED, a leadership programme for Black and Global Majority Leaders. As a partner in this programme, we participated in a 2-day residential in May 2024, facilitating conversations on Leaders’ Experience within the CJS. The aim of the residential was to bring organisations in the programme together to develop, and cocreate, the programme, engage in discussion and hands-on workshops. It also included networking sessions focused on building resilience, enhancing leadership competencies and foster collaboration.

We subsequently delivered three separate, bespoke training sessions to the Q- SEED cohort on: ‘Navigating the CJS’, ‘Strengthening your Influencing Voice’ and ‘It’s All About Money Baby’, the latter providing an overview on the funding landscape, opportunities and how to put your organisation in the frame.

We have continued to ensure that organisations led by and focused on racially minoritised people are represented in all our influencing and engagement opportunities, including through influencing opportunities such as the prison capacity review.

At our annual conference in December, we ran a session on racial disparities in the criminal justice system. We gathered feedback from participants on proposed areas of focus for the RR3 Reference Group on tackling racial disparities in the criminal justice system, which was then established in February.

In partnership with Black Men 4 Change, the Reference Group held a webinar on sentencing disparities, at which over 70 participants contributed to the development of a report setting out how 7| disparities in sentencing could be = addressed. This ~~—~~ report ~~—«s—_————————~~ formed the basis of ongoing engagement with officials at HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice, including with the Independent Sentencing Review team.

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National Criminal Justice Y/ Arts Alliance (NCJAA) /

The NCJAA refreshed its Advisory Group membership and are delighted that it now includes Geese Theatre, Irene Taylor Trust, Koestler Arts, the National Literacy Trust and Prison Reading Groups.

We individually supported over 60 arts organisations and independent practitioners/freelancers. Whilst also linking museums, libraries and universities to arts organisations and practitioners, to grow networks, opportunities and to share best practice.

The legacy of the Inspiring Futures research project continued with the launch of two assets - an influencing toolkit and social media digital resources - to support arts organisations and practitioners in their ongoing work to highlight the vital role and impact of arts in criminal justice, using statistics and quotes from the research findings.

Our partnership with the Royal Literary Fund saw another year of delivering writing development workshops for the sector, equipping our network with additional skills in reflective writing, completing funding applications, editing & proof reading, writing reports and case studies.

Throughout 2024-5 members attended 34 different training sessions, Clinks thematic networks, our area forums and conferences, including planning and participating in the joint Anne Peaker and Clinks Families Network’s ‘Art of the Matter’ event at Rich Mix in London, with performances and creativity at the heart of the day.

Members contributed to a number of events in partnership with Clinks, including running a workshop at our annual conference and a performance by Clean Break Theatre Company at the Worshipful Company of Weavers event: Women’s Justice - A New Direction.

The voice of the arts continues to be amplified at a strategic level, including on the Art in Criminal Justice Forum and the Reducing Reoffending Third | Sector Advisory Group via ~~~~~~ Open Clasp Theatre ~~Um —~~ Company who hold the arts seat. Going forward we our building our dialogue with HMPPS Education, Skills and Work leads and across Clinks thematic areas.

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Member Spotlight: The Daddyless Daughters Project CIC

The Daddyless Daughters Project CIC is a grassroots organisation based in South East London, supporting girls and young women aged 11–25 who have been affected by family breakdown, abuse, and adversity. Through traumainformed mentoring, creative expression, and therapeutic workshops, they provide safe, nurturing spaces for girls to build healthier lifestyles and relationships — free from the impact of childhood trauma and complex behaviour patterns. Their work focuses on those most at risk of harm, exploitation, or contact with the criminal justice system, helping young women move from survival to success.

One young person, “Becky” (name changed), aged 13, was referred to their Sister Squad mentoring service after her sixth foster placement had broken down. Frequently going missing, facing arrest, and at high risk of exploitation, she received intensive support over three months, leading to a successful transition into a therapeutic children’s home.

By six months, Becky had returned to full-time education for the first time since age eight. With a deepening sense of trust, she made the courageous decision to give up her phone—cutting ties with exploiters and reclaiming her childhood. Through Sister Squad, she found a new peer community, stability, and hope. Her story reflects what’s possible when girls are met with safety, consistency, and care.

“Being a Clinks member has connected us to a wider community of organisations committed to justice and change. The resources, advocacy, and solidarity have helped us strengthen our approach and ensure the voices of the most vulnerable young women aren't left out of the conversation.”

Aliyah Ali, The Daddyless Daughters Project CIC

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Image Credit: Joya Berrow

Next year we will...

By 2026 we will have increased the opportunities for the voluntary sector to connect with one another and to policy makers and funders, nationally, regionally and locally.

1

We will further develop Clinks membership and improve access to Clinks’ offer, working in partnership with NAVCA and alongside regional and local infrastructure organisations to enable greater place-based community engagement opportunities, facilitating and co-ordinating joint events and forums, connecting local small and specialist organisations with criminal justice agencies and priorities.

3

We will have developed our new Directory of Services, increasing the sector’s ability to find others, developing connections and building relationships and partnerships.

We will provide dedicated area and placebased support, engagement opportunities and provide representation across England and Wales, amplifying voluntary sector reach and connection to Clinks and each other.

2

We will strengthen our network of networks, empowering specialist organisations and leaders across the sector to engage with and help one another based on where they work, who they work with and how they work. Our partnerships with Black Men 4 Change and the National Women’s Justice Coalition and our dedicated thematic networks for Women, Families, Health and Justice and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance will increase access to specialist routes and platforms, providing spaces for shared learning and collective action to challenge inequity across the CJS in all its forms.

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Voicing 35

Voicing

Clinks solidified its respected policy voice across government departments, by expanding our network of relationships with key decision-makers. We used this strengthened voice to advocate for the sector and to enable our members’ own voices to be represented in key forums: contributing to the continued development of policy and practice. We further amplified our voice, on behalf of the sector, through our growing digital footprint.

Working in partnership

Underpinned by our ‘network of networks’, we continue to forge extensive partnerships with specialist organisations across the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. Focusing on our strategic priority areas, including women, race, the arts, families and health, we have utilised this partnership working, and the expertise it provides, in our role as the conduit between the government and the voluntary sector. We have worked closely with the National Women’s Justice Coalition, in coordination with our Women’s Network Forum, to advocate on behalf of specialist women’s organisations. We have continued to build ties with Black Men 4 Change, with a focus on seeking to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Our Families Network and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance continue to grow and go from strength to strength. We platform this partnership working via a range of engagement structures, including the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) and the Third Sector Strategic Partnership Board. Through all of this work, we have emphasised the value of embedded, extensive partnership working between the voluntary sector and statutory bodies.

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Influencing policy in consultation

A critical component of Clinks’ work is in the collaborative development of policy that most effectively serves the beneficiaries of Clinks’ members. We have convened a wide range of engagement opportunities for this purpose.

Across the last year, we have leveraged the expertise of the sector to inform submissions to a number of Select Committee inquiries. This included responses to two separate Justice Select Committee inquiries, on resettlement and rehabilitation and on drugs in prison, as well as to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry into prison estate capacity, the Welsh Affairs Committee’s inquiry into prisons, probation and rehabilitation in Wales and the Justice and Home Affairs (Lords . Committee) into prison culture: governance, staffing and leadership We have also convened the sector to input into our submission to the Civil Society Covenant consultation.

A major area of focus for the year has been on the Independent Sentencing Review, and we played a leading role in ensuring the sector’s views were heard. We held a series of focus groups, drawing to the on expertise from across the sector, to inform our response Review.

Towards the end of the year, we engaged extensively with the review into the handling of prison capacity, led by Dame Anne Owers, holding 3 thematic sessions – attended by Dame Anne – through which the sector could feed directly into the review.

Additionally, in our role as the sector’s infrastructure organisation, we have worked to enable the sector’s role in the development of critical, emerging policy. This has included sector input into the Standard Determinate Sentences 40% (SDS40 policy) and ongoing developments related to the implementation of the probation reset programme.

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Health and Wellbeing Alliance

2024-2025 was our fourth year as a member of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance. As a broad partnership between sector representatives and the wider health and care system, it enables voluntary organisations to represent the communities they serve by sharing expertise at a national level. Clinks remain the only criminal-justice focused member of the Alliance. In 2024-2025, we focused our efforts on one core project – social prescribing. This culminated in our publication of a Voluntary Sector-led Framework for Social Prescribing in 2025-2026. The report built on data gathered in Year 3 of the HWA and was informed by site visits with voluntary organisations delivering social prescribing in custody and the community. In partnership with User Voice, focus groups were also held in a range of custodial settings, ensuring that lived experience was at the heart of the work.

We were delighted that this work has led to an extension of the HWA, taking us into a fifth year of the project.

Clinks Thinks

Clinks Thinks, our platform for outlining our key principles, ambitions and recommendations across thematic areas continues to be a well-used and an important resource for the sector. Topics including women, race, young adults and health, affirm Clinks’ commitment to supporting in varying aspects of criminal justice. The Clinks Thinks page is linked from the Clinks main site but offers a different layout that better lends itself to the longform content. The site also hosts resources from the Stronger Voice project, completed in 2022-23, and other policy and research documents that underpin the Clinks Thinks principles, ambitions and recommendations.

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Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3)

2024-25 was a busy year in Clinks’ ongoing role convening the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3). The group, which acts as the key interface between the voluntary sector and the MoJ and HMPPS, played a pivotal role providing guidance on key national policy and operational developments, particularly within the context of a continuing prison capacity crisis.

Across the course of the year, the group engaged with officials on issues including the Probation Reset programme and the Standard Determinate Sentence 40% (SDS40) policy, given the significant impact of these developments on voluntary sector organisations. The RR3 also met with Lord Timpson following his appointment as the new Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, and David Gauke in his role chairing the Independent Sentencing Review. Further areas of discussion included: Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS); measures to alleviate prison capacity; the Women’s Justice Board; and the review of the Youth Justice Board.

The year also saw the recruitment of a significant number of new seat holders. We established two seats for lived experience, held by Paula Harriott and Dave Higham, and recruited Catrina McHugh (Arts), Vicky Baird (Families), David Maguire (Long sentences), Matina Marougka (Mental health), Katrina Ffrench (organisations led by and focused on racially minoritised people), Richard Knibbs (Resettlement), Jess Mullen (Youth Justice), Tammi Owen (Wales) and Nicola Drinkwater (Women). All seat holders, convened by Clinks, now hold regular ‘nominated lead’ meetings with senior officials at the MoJ and HMPPS, which allow for consistent and direct communication between the sector and statutory bodies.

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Special Interest Groups

The RR3 established two separate groups to explore specific areas of policy in greater detail. The first was a Special Interest Group on Community Provision, looking at support, in the community, for people in contact with the criminal justice system. This work culminated with the production of two reports – one on mental health and one on drug and alcohol services. The second was the RR3 Reference Group on tackling racial disparities in the criminal justice system. This group was established as a ‘Reference Group’ to acknowledge that race should not be considered as a special interest. A report exploring sentencing disparities was subsequently produced and used to engage with the Independent Sentencing Review as part of the wider review into sentencing.

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Member Spotlight: Rooted Wisdom

Rooted Wisdom CIC is a trauma-informed, culturally grounded organisation working with young people—particularly those from Black and mixed heritage backgrounds—who are impacted by school exclusion, systemic injustice, and generational trauma. They deliver workshops, therapy-informed programmes, and mentoring rooted in emotional resilience, racial identity, and healing.

One of their core initiatives is Rooted Resilience, a group-based programme running in HMP/YOI ISIS. The programme supports young men to explore trauma, identity, behaviour, and self-worth through a psychodynamic and compassionate lens.

Facilitators create a space where participants feel truly heard—often for the first time. Sessions are held in a circle, with shared snacks and honest conversations on topics such as masculinity, racism, and emotional regulation. The young men are met with presence, softness, and cultural understanding—not judgement or authority. Over time, participants begin to open up about deeprooted pain, support one another, and take ownership of their healing journeys. One young man described the group as his “first real mirror”—a space where he could finally see himself and his worth. For Rooted Wisdom, the experience of delivering the programme has been as transformative for staff as it has been for the young men they support.

“Being a Clinks member has given me a platform to connect, grow, and feel seen within a wider network of changemakers in the criminal justice system. It’s powerful to be part of a community that recognises the importance of culturally grounded, trauma-informed work—and that uplifts small organisations like mine doing frontline healing work from the heart.”

Shyronie Davis, Rooted Wisdom

Image Credit: Taijah-Lee

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Voicing

Next year we will...

By 2026, we will have further amplified our voice through our ‘network of networks’, ensuring that the sector has access to the avenues through which they can influence key decisionmakers and have their voices heard. This will ensure increased voluntary sector input into the development and implementation of policy and practice.

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Increase engagement opportunities for our network members to ensure that their voice and expertise are platformed across Government departments, statutory bodies and other relevant forums.

Provide further opportunities for our network members to utilise Clinks' digital platforms in order to give a greater voice to the work of all our thematic networks.

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Reinforce existing, and establish new, mechanisms via which all Clinks members can contribute to our national and regional policy works.

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Supporting

Clinks continues to place the needs of our members, and the wider voluntary sector, at the forefront of all that we do. Adapting the support we provide in line with the changing policy landscape, to ensure we can provide the support the sector need at the right time, and to give them the platform and be best equipped to influence future policy developments.

We have continued to ensure that the voluntary sector across England and Wales has access to a wide range of specialist and 1:1 support from our dedicated staff based in areas and through our thematic networks. We have kept the voluntary sector up-todate with criminal justice priorities and opportunities through our various communication channels and produced resources to support and develop understanding and expertise across sector. Through the facilitation of a range of events, learning and influencing opportunities which have been responsive to the changing external criminal justice landscape, ensuring the sector’s engagement, involvement and influence in policy development and direction.

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Engaging with statutory bodies and informing the sector

We remain the sector’s representative on a range of national, regional and local boards, advisory groups and forums, platforming the sector’s expertise as a crucial component in the development of policy and practice. We are represented on the CRS Stakeholder Advisory Group and the Women’s CRS Advisory Group, our Chief Executive, Anne Fox, has been appointed to the Women’s Justice Board, and we secured RR3 representation on its accompanying Partnership Delivery Group. This followed extensive engagement with the Ministry of Justice’s Female Offenders Team, through which we helped to shape the Partnership Delivery Group in a similar manner to the RR3.

We have utilised the views of the sector in our role convening the RR3, establishing Special Interest Groups to ensure that the sector plays a pivotal role in the development of national policy solutions. Our CEO is also the only voluntary sector member of the HMPPS Independent Advisory Group and a member of the Third Sector Strategic Partnership Board.

We further represented the sector through our network of relationships across government departments, expanding beyond the Ministry of Justice and into interrelated departmental areas spanning the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

We have provided support and influencing opportunities in Wales, through our dedicated staff representation at the All Wales Criminal Justice Board and HMPPS Collaboration and Commissioning partnership meetings, enabling the voluntary sector in Wales to be involved in key policy decision making and design of services.

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Advocating and influencing on behalf of the sector

Clinks continues to both facilitate engagement opportunities for the sector to influence, and advocate on their behalf across a number of forums, including our CEO sitting on the advisory panel to the VCSE Crown Representative Claire Dove CBE. This has included extensive engagement with Lord Timpson, in his role as Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, through repeated attendance at ministerial roundtables and his ongoing engagement with the RR3.

We have established relationships across the MoJ’s ministerial team, meeting with the Lord Chancellor to promote the views of the sector. We continue to engage across government departments, including with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – focusing on accommodation for people leaving prison – and the Department for Work and Pensions, culminating in successfully advocating for a reduction in the Universal Credit deductions cap.

We also advocate on the sector’s behalf as part of the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) Stakeholder Advisory Forum and as part of the Our Future Probation Service programme.

Our Area Engagement and Development team have continued to represent the voluntary sector at key strategic regional and local criminal justice and reducing re-offending boards to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the voluntary sector and promote and facilitate collaborative approaches to identify solutions.

Clinks continued to play a key convening role in the development of sector-wide responses to emerging policy issues. This year, we have supported in the formalisation of the Recall Reform Coalition, a group of Clinks members developing proposals to reform the recall process.

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Member Spotlight: All Things Considered Theatre

All Things Considered Theatre is a socially engaged theatre company working with and for communities to spark change. Their work blends creative storytelling with systemic impact, using theatre not only to prompt personal reflection but also to inform policy and transform practice. Through immersive, story-led experiences, they invite audiences to connect more deeply with lived realities and consider new possibilities for reform.

One of their most powerful productions, 8 Hours There and Back, has had a significant impact both inside and outside the prison system. This verbatim piece explores the overlooked experiences of children affected by parental imprisonment. The most common audience response has been: “I’d never thought of the children.”

By bringing these stories to the fore, the piece has challenged assumptions, shifted perspectives, and influenced professional practice within prisons. It has also raised public awareness and supported the wider movement for criminal justice reform. 8 Hours There and Back stands as a compelling call for empathy and change, highlighting the collateral impact of punishment and the need for a more compassionate system.

When asked what they have found most valuable about being a Clinks member, they said:

“Being able to link with others and share our work with a whole group of people who, like us, are determined to make positive change.”

Emma Bramley, All Things Considered Theatre

Image Credit: Brian Roberts OO

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Next year we will...

By 2026 we will have continued to provide dedicated support to the voluntary sector through our experienced staff team, to ensure that our members are included in every aspect of Clinks wider programme and identity.

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Provide greater opportunities to promote and showcase the sector and its work across criminal justice agencies and to commissioners, practitioners and decision makers through our communications and platforms, including social media, case studies, blogs and events.

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We will facilitate a range of forums,5 networks and roundtable opportunities, that are responsive to opportunities and need and which reflects the realities of small and specialist organisations, working with others to develop and facilitate joint approaches to enable shared knowledge and experiences, peer support and learning to influence change.

We will increase Clinks’ place-based support to ensure the voluntary sector and people with lived experience are involved in opportunities. To share expertise to shape and design area-specific criminal justice strategic and operational priorities, and increase engagement with prisons and probation services at a time of change.

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Through greater collaboration with infrastructure bodies, funders and statutory sector services we will ensure the sector’s work is connected to wider systems and support, enhancing capacity and capability of the sector as an equal partner in the delivery of services and support throughout the criminal justice system.

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Developing 49

Developing

Clinks introduced its new strategy for 2025-2030 focusing Clinks on its original vision and mission – supporting the voice of the voluntary sector. We do this by coordinating, connecting, leading and informing. We will continue to increase the number of organisations we are supporting, focusing on small and specialist organisations.

We have retained our core staff team who have exemplary skills and expertise to support the sector, and we have begun to design our new income and impact strategy which will focus on diversification of income streams and strengthening our selfgeneration model. We continue to support and be an ally for working with an anti-racist focus and will always champion the right approach.

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Membership

530 full members 12 individual associates 570 3 organisational associates members 25 branch and project members

Throughout 24-25, Clinks has continued to strengthen its membership base, supporting a diverse range of voluntary organisations working within the criminal justice system. We started the year with 514 members and concluded with 570, reflecting a steady increase in membership throughout the year.

Clinks remains committed to supporting smaller organisations and those working with underrepresented groups. Over half (57%) of our members qualified for bursary membership, which is available to organisations with an income under £250k or to specialist organisations with an income of £250k-£500k. This includes 27 specialist organisations working with groups such as racially minoritised people, women, and those with lived experience in leadership roles.

Additionally, 276 members had an annual income under £250k, highlighting the vital role that smaller organisations play in the voluntary sector. As we continue to grow our membership, we will maintain our focus on providing targeted support and amplifying the voice of the sector within the criminal justice system.

57%

of members qualify for bursary membership

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members have an annual income under £250k

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specialist bursary members

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Member Advisory Forum

Throughout the 2024-25 financial year, Clinks’ Member Advisory Forum has provided valuable insights, feedback, and strategic guidance across several key areas. The forum discussed Clinks’ State of the Sector research, exploring ways to capture more diverse perspectives and address underrepresented areas such as youth services and prevention/diversion work, and were integral to our strategy development process.

The forum also contributed to shaping Clinks’ Evidence Library, identifying priority themes like prison education, young adults in the criminal justice system, and the impact of trauma. There was particular interest in expanding the focus to include neurodiverse populations and individuals with lived experience.

Capacity building and workforce resilience emerged as central themes, leading to the delivery of a successful event, “Building a Resilient Workforce,” featuring members’ lived experiences and practical strategies.

The forum also engaged in discussions around Clinks’ strategy development, highlighting the need for targeted support for smaller organisations and aligning with emerging sector challenges, such as funding uncertainties and the impact of early release schemes on resettlement.

Looking forward, the forum will continue to advise on areas such as capacity building for small and specialist organisations and enhancing Clinks support to better serve members’ needs. We are hugely grateful for their time and insights.

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Developed funder relationships and secured income

Whilst Clinks will continuously nurture existing relationships with philanthropic Trusts and Foundations for our work and on behalf of the sector, we have continued to explore the scope of income diversification within our income generation. Clinks Consultancy had huge success this year through its support to the Worshipful Company of Weavers, particularly with the partnership event held titled ‘Justice and Women: A New Direction’. Clinks are continuing their consultancy support to the Weavers with their competition launch for a consortium to provide advice to shape the justice experience of many women in the 25-26 year.

Despite the challenging fundraising landscape for Clinks and our sector, we are committed to ensuring the sustainability of Clinks’ work. Within the 24-25 year, we are grateful to have been granted a one-year extension from the Department of Health and Social Care for our Health and Wellbeing Alliance work; a grant from MOPAC for our work in London; and a grant from the Criminal Justice Board for Wales to deliver the Community Engagement Network. Clinks are very grateful to have been awarded the HMPPS / MoJ Infrastructure grant for the next 5-years; a 2-year grant from the Barrow Cadbury Trust for our policy work; a 3-year unrestricted grant from The Bromley Trust; a one-year extension from the City Bridge Foundation for our London work; and an unrestricted grant from The Aurum Charitable Trust. 2024-25 also saw the continuation of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales and Barrow Cadbury Trust - funded Q SEED Partnership.

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Core Team

The year 2024-25 at Clinks began with the continuance of working as a remote team. There was a commitment from last year to make sure we focused on bringing the team together in person, and we have successfully accomplished this. We held a successful in-person day jointly led by our Business Team and external HR consultant, with a focus on lived experience of the criminal justice system. As a consequence, employee circle groups were established to look at different areas for improvement in the employee journey, with a specific focus on how we support lived experience.

The 2024-25 year encompassed a lot of organisational change for Clinks. We completed a restructure modelled upon the successful HMPPS infrastructure bid and its new deliverable requirements. For the next financial year we will have a departmental focus on regional and national areas of work in line with the new infrastructure grant.

A need was identified for focus for line management training development and support and a better bottom-line standard support for everyone overall. Subsequently, we have outsourced an HR consultant as an ad hoc option for HR guidance and support. We also renewed our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service as an additional support offer for our staff. Clinks continue to offer monthly well-being days to our staff promoting good mental health and keeping the work/life balance needs as a top priority. This also assists in staff sickness levels remaining at a low number.

Clinks hosted a triumphant annual conference bringing together our dedicated members, along with our staff. The day was hugely beneficial with networking and sharing of ideas, concepts and thoughts by way of specified, RR3-focused workshops. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the end of the conference in which we introduced our new strategy to 2030 ‘Leading for Change’.

Clinks ended the year strongly with our very own CEO, Anne Fox, announced as a member on the Women’s Justice Board, being a strong advocate for women in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and their families.

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Clinks Staff

When recruiting both staff and trustees we continued to actively encourage people with protected characteristics and lived experience of the criminal justice system to apply. We also offered alternative methods of applying to ensure our processes are inclusive and accessible.

64% identify as racially minoritised

13% identify as neurodivergent

25% are under 34 years old

31% 25% have lived experience have a disability of the CJS

63% are female

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Clinks board of Trustees

27% identify as racially minoritised

50% have lived experience of the CJS

20% 30% identify as LGBTQ are under 34 years old 20% 70% have a disability are female

The Board of Trustees has continued to show their dedicated support and commitment to our cause. We were delighted to onboard four new trustees to our Board, and recruit our newly elected Chair Mandy Mahil. We produced a blog in collaboration with Mandy for her to share her personal experience with Clinks, and what she is most looking forward to.

We recently had an in-person day for both the staff of Clinks and the Board. This day was beneficial in allowing all parties to join and share skills and knowledge, along with connections to not only better utilise our skills set but to produce better outcomes through our hard work.

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Anti-racism

In this year we gave Clinks’ support wherever useful to partners in the Q-SEED programme. Through Q-SEED not only do we aim to grow a cohort of by and for leaders, but also model ways that organisations like Clinks can be better allies to by and for organisations and movements.

We have sought out challenge and given platforms to emerging leaders from by and for organisations. This included giving prominence to global majority women in the development of the women’s justice summit with the Worshipful company of Weavers.

We are providing strategic advice to a ESRC ADR UK fellowship examining cumulative disadvantage in the Criminal Justice System and will use this work to support the broader voluntary sector in criminal justice to adapt working practices, learn and unlearn.

In developing our future strategy, we wanted to ensure anti-racist was at the heart. In doing so we are committed to working in partnership, or as allies to others, wherever possible. We wish to cede power recognising where we have it.

In the 2024-25 year we have decided to change how we deliver support services to organisations led by and for racially minoritised people. In bidding for the HMPPS infrastructure grant, we have partnered with Black Men 4 Change who will challenge, support and lead us in better serving the needs of this community.

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Member Spotlight: Friends, Families and Travellers

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) is a leading national charity working to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the nomadic way of life. Through direct support, systemic advocacy, and public education, FFT empowers individuals, challenges inequality, and builds a more just and inclusive society. Their work celebrates the rich histories, cultures and contributions of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, while tackling the root causes of disadvantage and exclusion.

For the past two years, FFT has led a criminal justice research project funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust. “Trapped in the Turnstile” explores the lived experiences of young Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people at every stage of the criminal justice system. The main phase of research included focus groups in 19 prisons across England and Wales, reaching over 90 individuals. The resulting report foregrounds their voices—often overlooked—and is already influencing policy and practice across HMPPS, the police, and the wider sector.

In March, FFT joined a roundtable with Lord Timpson and continues to advise HMPPS on its Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Strategy. They plan to begin work on implementing key recommendations from Trapped in the Turnstile in autumn 2025.

When asked what they have found most valuable about being a Clinks member, they said:

“We have been able to share the findings of our Trapped in the Turnstile research with other Clinks members, in lunchtime briefings and to the Race Equality Network in Cymru, helping to raise the issues faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people to a wider audience working across the CJS.”

Sam Worrall, Friends, Families and Travellers

Image Credit: Anita Tremain

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Next year we will...

By 2026 we will have designed and initiated the integration of our new income and impact strategy. Income diversification must be our main priority, and we look forward to nurturing ongoing relationships as well as forging new ones in new spaces. Alongside this exciting piece of work will be the development of Clinks new people strategy – human being focused and designed to not only enhance our care and support for our entire team; our focus on lived experience of the criminal justice system will be strengthened, and we will stand as a voice in the sector alongside allies. It is a positively challenging year ahead with a new model balancing regional delivery with national networks and enhancing all of our external facing elements with strong underpinning.

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We will develop and implement our new People strategy. Alongside this we will launch our new network of networks for lived experience leaders.

Clinks will develop and implement an Income and Impact Strategy. This will be in a planning phase for Q1 with milestone markers throughout the year in terms of making progress through our six objectives, ensuring we are capturing our impact all the way through.

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We will work together to ensure that our new model and ways of working enhance all of our external facing work. With particular focus on the expansion of our regional delivery in line with the OneHMPPS model.

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CLincs Supporting the voluntary sector working in the criminaljustice system National Criminal Just'ce Arts Alliance Financial Review 60

Financial Review

The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Our 24/25 financial year has been a focused and positive approach to a number of challenges presented to us both internally and externally. We have navigated a potentially difficult period of change and took the decision to adjust our financial practices with reliance upon a reduced business team and utilising outsourced financial support.

We started the year with a deficit budget of £107,065 in April 2024, following a confirmation review of our free reserves. The board agreed to the deficit knowing the income diversification focus was under way, and understanding that the organisation has a few restricted funding opportunities coming to an end after receiving various one year restricted funding grants.

We concluded March 2025 with a reserves balance of £279,341 making up the majority of our free reserves. We concluded the year with an unrestricted funds deficit of -£16,927 which we are pleased to have achieved considering the challenge at the start of the year. We undertake our financial planning with care and consideration of our staff at the forefront and were pleased to be able to offer a 2% pay increment in this year. We acknowledge this does not represent the rising costs for society and it is not reflective of how valuable we know our team to be.

Clinks has successfully met all funder deliverables in this financial year and was able to enjoy two extension years for our Health and Wellbeing Alliance project and our City Bridge Foundation – London Development Officer role. We continued to focus on driving new income streams and started our consultancy service with a highly successful partnership project with the Worshipful Company of Weavers.

Clinks’ reserves levels ensure that we hold appropriate levels to remain financially stable. Our Board and Senior Leadership Team completed a review of our reserves in April 2024, confirming our required level for the 24/25 financial year to be £265,000. We have built in an annual review of our policy and levels.

The support of our funders is, and always will be, invaluable to Clinks. We must acknowledge the relationships that are long standing and built on respect and trust that we will always utilise the funds to continue to support our members and the sector as a whole. This vital funding allows Clinks to continue to effect positive change through its new strategy for 25-29 leaning on four aspects that we consider vital for us as an infrastructure organisation: Connect, Lead, Co-ordinate and Inform. This ensures our focus is on people in the criminal justice system by supporting a vibrant and resilient voluntary sector, and by working with our members to influence policy.

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Principle risks and uncertainties

Clinks leadership team started the year with active planning for the new infrastructure bid and a remodel design that would fit our budget requirements. We benefitted from engagement with our full staff team at an away day that focused on our line management support, skills and training needs. We continued a strong focus on lived experience of the criminal justice system through a recruitment and onboarding lens, with another away day in the autumn. We followed up with hosting a funder event at HMPS ISIS, our annual conference in December and a strong partnership event with the Weavers in January focusing on women in criminal justice. We concluded the financial year with our event “Art of the matter” – a collaboration of our Arts Alliance and Families network colleagues.

The Finance and Human Resources Committee welcomed new attendees from our Board and continued its much-valued work in supporting the full Board in the overall management of Clinks’ finance, risk, HR and internal business matters.

Clinks’ trustees acknowledge their responsibility for identifying and managing the risks to which the charity is exposed. Quarterly reviews of the risk register ensure that the trustees are well informed to arrive at a set of parameters and decisions for the amount of risk they consider to be acceptable. This includes reviewing staff turnover by ensuring that we analyse exit interviews and introducing staff surveys to ensure that we can minimise staff turnover. We have quickly built a good working relationship with our external accountants and external HR partner to provide robust support to a smaller, but fully functioning, business team.

The Trustees continue to examine the level of risk for Clinks on various matters each quarter. However, the largest risk for the 24/25 year was the ability to secure the Infrastructure Grant from HMPPS. We are delighted to have received confirmation that we will receive the new grant from 2529. This will be increased significantly in value and duration, being a four-year grant instead of three as it has been previously.

Our other risk areas that we have worked on for this year include failing to achieve a balanced budget, concern about limited funding opportunities, reduced operational capacity due to staff turnover, personnel changes affecting external reputation and independence to be able to speak truth to power. With confidence, we have successfully maintained firm management of these elements and the risk of these remains low.

Reserves policy and going concern

Our reserves policy sets out our required amount to hold based on levels of risk regarding our funding future. Our current level of risk is low and the policy sets out how to calculate our required level of reserves based on number of staff, contribution to overheads, wind down costs and redundancy. Our level of reserves required for the 24/25 year is £265,000.

Clinks has been navigating changing policy priorities and we have been adjusting our response for support to the sector. We enter the next financial year with optimism. We are pleased to have secured a further years funding for our Health and Wellbeing project and for our London Development Officer role from Department of Health and Social Care (DoHSC) and City Bridge Foundation respectively, as well as an increased funding grant from MOPAC.

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The reserves policy was reviewed in April 2024 against the backdrop of being a fully remote organisation and having a smaller staff contingent. We have seen a reduction in our redundancy liability and as a result we were able to reduce our reserves to support what has been a challenging year financially. In 25/26 we will complete a further review of the policy to consider various levels of risk and scenario planning.

Statement on fundraising practices

Clinks holds fundraising targets for charitable trusts, statutory sources and income generation from consultancy and traded activity. We have not historically, nor in this financial year, fundraised from the general public. We do occasionally ask for donations from our members by email but never through telephone or face-to-face appeals. We sometimes use professional fundraisers to provide additional capacity for writing funding applications. Clinks keeps abreast of applicable fundraising regulation and compliance codes. We have never received a complaint about our fundraising activities.

Structure, governance and management

Clinks is governed by a Board of Trustees, which consists of at least eight members elected by members of the charity and up to four people who may be co-opted by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees co-opts additional members to ensure a diverse board with the right mix of skills and experience. Clinks has a Finance and Human Resources committee which meets quarterly to discuss key finance and human resources (HR) issues and reports back to the Board of Trustees. It is chaired by the Treasurer. Clinks’ business model now has expertise in-house for business functions such as Finance, Governance and fundraising, and is now outsourcing additional Finance and HR support overseen by the Director of Business Operations with expertise added by Clinks’ Treasurer.

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 12 May 1998 and registered as a charity on 5 March 1999.

Appointment of trustees

The board said goodbye to our long standing Chair- Roma Hooper in November and welcomed our new Chair-Mandy Mahil. Roma is an incredible person and we thank her for the time and effort she has given to Clinks. Mandy will undoubtedly be an inspiring leader for our board and we are excited for the path ahead.

We also said goodbye to our Trustees Simon Ruding and Maisie Hulbert. Much appreciation is felt for them both and the expertise they brought to Clinks.

Trustee induction and training

New trustees are given a copy of the Clinks Trustee Handbook, which includes a range of key documents, including the articles of association, recent accounts, the business plan and minutes of previous meetings. New trustees meet with the CEO and key staff to discuss their role and priorities and to better understand their skills and interests and how these apply to our shared goals. We shall seek to recruit new Trustees for the 25/26 years after completing a skills audit.

Remuneration policy for key management personnel

Clinks aims to have a reward strategy which attracts, rewards and retains staff. Clinks aims to pay a starting salary at the median for relevant comparators, subject to affordability. The salaries and benefits Clinks offer to its staff, including to the senior management team and CEO are intended to be:

As equitable as possible Transparent and understood by staff Market relevant but not market driven Cost effective and affordable.

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Starting salary and increments

Posts are advertised at the base rate, with one increment awarded after one year’s service and after five years’ service. Clinks’ salaries are informed by the NJC salary scale and Clinks will aim to implement their cost-of-living award annually (subject to affordability). The Finance and HR committee oversee the salary policy.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of Clinks for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the 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 these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

• State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

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

• There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2025 was eight (in 2024 it was eight).The trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Auditors

Auditors Sayer Vincent LLP were re-appointed as the charitable company's auditor during the year and has expressed its willingness to continue in that capacity.

The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 18 November 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Simon Alsop

Simon Alsop (Nov 19, 2025 16:01:27 GMT)

Simon Alsop

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Treasurer

Independent auditor’s report

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Clinks (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion, the financial statements:

• Give a true and fair view of the state of the 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

• Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the 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 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 relation 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 Clinks’ 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 other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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. 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 course of 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.

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Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

• The information given in the trustees’ annual report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

The trustees’ annual report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ annual report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which 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 directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ annual report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees’ responsibilities set out in the trustees’ annual report, 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.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are set out below.

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Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud

and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

• We enquired of management and the board of trustees, which included obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the charity’s policies and procedures 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 alleged fraud;

» The internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.

We inspected the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

• 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 from our professional and sector experience.

• We communicated applicable laws and regulations throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.

• We reviewed any reports made to regulators.

• We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and tested these to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

• We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud.

• In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments, assessed whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias and tested significant transactions that are unusual or those outside the normal course of business.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with 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 or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website

at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities

This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 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 auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the 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.

Jonathan Orchard (Senior statutory auditor) for and on behalf of Sayer Vincent LLP, Statutory Auditor 110 Golden Lane London, EC1Y 0TG 18 November 2025

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Financial statements

Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025

						Unrestricted	Restricted	2025 Total		Unrestricted	Restricted	2024 Total
					Note	£	£	£		£	£	£
Income from:
Charitable activities
Support, representation and promotion					2	67,500	982,086	1,049,586		168,466	985,235	1,153,701
Other trading activities					3	69,948	-	69,948		77,973	-	77,973
Interest					4	7,269	-	7,269		1,906	-	1,906
Total income						144,717	982,086	1,126,803		248,345	985,235	1,233,580
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Support, representation and promotion					5a	161,644	982,086	1,143,730		267,508	1,000,525	1,268,033
Total expenditure						161,644	982,086	1,143,730		267,508	1,000,525	1,268,033
Net (expenditure) for the year					6	(16,927)	-	(16,927)		(19,163)	(15,290)	(34,453)
Transfers between funds						-		-		-	-	-
Net movement in funds						(16,927)	-	(16,927)		(19,163)	(15,290)	(34,453)
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward						296,268	-	296,268		315,431	15,290	330,721
Total funds carried forward						279,341	-	279,341		296,268	-	296,268

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 16a to the financial statements.

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Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2025

Balance sheet as at 31 March 2025
	Note	2025		2024
		£	£	£	£
Fixed assets:
Tangible assets	11		2,617		7,778
Current assets:
Debtors	12	162,385		156,334
Short term deposit		-		200,060
Cash at bank and in hand		190,153		67,442
		352,538		423,836
Liabilities:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year	13	75,814		135,346
Net current assets			276,724		288,490
Total net assets			279,341		296,268
The funds of the charity:	16a
Restricted income funds			-		-
Unrestricted income funds:
General funds		279,341		296,268
Designated funds		-		-
Total unrestricted funds			279,341		296,268
Total charity funds			279,341		296,268

Approved by the management committee on 18 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Simon Alsop Simon Alsop (Nov 19, 2025 16:01:27 GMT)

Simon Alsop

Treasurer

Clinks is a registered charity no. 1074546 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 3562176.

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for the year ended 31 March 2025

Statement of cash flows

Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2025	Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2025	Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2025	Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2025
Reconciliation of net income / (expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities				2025	2024
				£	£
Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statement of financial activities)				(16,927)	(34,453)
Depreciation charges				5,161	5,161
Dividends and interest from investments				7,269	1,906
(Increase)/decrease in debtors				(6,051)	(87,947)
Increase/(decrease) in creditors				(59,532)	(19,923)
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities				(70,080)	(135,256)
	Note	2025		2024
		£	£	£	£
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities			(70,080)		(135,256)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dividends and interest from investments		(7,269)		(1,906)
Purchase of fixed assets		-		-
Net cash (used in) investing activities			(7,269)		(1,906)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year			(77,349)		(137,162)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year			267,502		404,664
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	17		190,153		267,502

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting Policies

a) Statutory information

Clinks is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in the United Kingdom. The registered office address is 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 7DE. b) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 2015) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (September 2015/March 2018) and the Companies Act 2006/Charities Act 2011.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

In applying the financial reporting framework, the trustees have made a number of subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The nature of the estimation means the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. Any significant estimates and judgements affecting these financial statements are detailed within the relevant accounting policy below.

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c) Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

d) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. Clinks has taken a deliberately prudent approach in reserves planning to ensure smoothing over austere and uncertain times.

The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

e) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that 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.

• f) 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. g) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for the charitable purposes.

• h) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

• Costs of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose

• Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of delivering services and other activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs

• Other expenditure represents those items not falling into any other heading.

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

• i) Allocation of support costs

Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall direction and administration of each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the central function, is apportioned based on the estimated staff time attributable to each activity.

Projects 93%

• Support costs 6%

• Governance costs 1%

Governance costs are the costs associated 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.

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j) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £150. Depreciation costs are allocated to activities on the basis of the use of the related assets in those activities. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

Where fixed assets have been revalued, any excess between the revalued amount and the historic cost of the asset will be shown as a revaluation reserve in the balance sheet.

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Computer four years

k) Debtors

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

l) 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. Cash balances exclude any funds held on behalf of service users.

m) 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.

n) Financial instruments

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

o) Pensions

The charity makes contributions to a defined contribution scheme and to employees' personal pension plans based on a fixed percentage of salary. Contributions are charged as expenditure in the year in which they are incurred.

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2. Income from charitable activities

	2025	2025	2025		2024	2024	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	£	£	£		£	£	£
Grants	67,500	982,086	1,049,586		168,466	985,235	1,153,701
Total income from charitable activities	67.500	982,086	1,049,586		168,466	985,235	1,153,701
Restricted grants consist of:
Barrow Cadbury Trust	-	53,000	53,000		-	53,000	53,000
HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice - Infrastructure Grant	-	574,600	574,600		-	550,000	550,000
City Bridge Foundation	-	54,750	54,750		-	53,274	53,274
Criminal Justice in Wales (CJiW)	-	16,500	16,500		-	19,311	19,311
Arts Council England	-	66,196	66,196		-	66,196	66,196
Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM)	-	-	-		-	9,374	9,374
Department for Health and Social Care – VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance	-	96,440	96,440		-	108,680	108,680
Porticus Family	-	74,600	74,600		-	75,400	75,400
City Bridge Foundation - Good Prisons Project	-	46,000	46,000		-	50,000	50,000
Sub-total	-	982,086	982,086		-	985,235	985,235

3. Income from other trading activities

	2025	2025	2025		2024	2024	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	£	£	£		£	£	£
Membership fees	36,893	-	36,893		36,333	-	36,333
Associate membership fees	-	-	-		275	-	275
Consultancy Fees Earned	17,416	-	17,416		2,250	-	2,250
Paid listings	3,975	-	3,975		3,450	-	3,450
Events and Training	10,190	-	10,190		25,867	-	25,867
Donations	-	-	-		1,000	-	1,000
Other income	1,474	-	1,474		8,798	-	8,798
Sub-total	69,948	-	69,948		77,973	-	77,973

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4. Income from investments

	2025	2025	2025		2024	2024	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total		Unrestricte d	Restricted	Total
	£	£	£		£	£	£
Interest receivable	7,269	-	7,269		1,906	-	1,906
Sub-total	7,269	-	7,269		1,906	-	1,906

5a. Analysis of expenditure

	Direct cost of activities	Grant funding of activities	Support costs	Governance costs	2025 Total		2024 Total
	£	£	£	£	£		£
Grants and partnership payments made (note 6)							-
Salaries	968,779	-	-	-	968,779		1,001,392
Travel and subsistence for staff	18,134	-	515	918	19,567		41,517
Fees for freelance workers	41,797	-	-	-	41,797		65,833
Premises costs	-	-	12,394	-	12,394		9,517
Office costs	-	-	24,783	-	24,783		44,097
Subscriptions	-	-	2,421	-	2,421		9,243
Newsletter and publications	-	-	-	-	-		5,939
Training for staff and volunteers	-	-	216	-	216		35
Depreciation	-	-	5,161	-	5,161		5,161
Conference costs	10,507	-	-	-	10,507		11,623
Professional fees	-	-	14,586	-	14,586		11,312
Audit fees	-	-	-	12,360	12,360		10,080
Network development	-	-	-	-	-		10,000
Partnership Involvement	5,099	-	-	-	5,099		4,000
Bank charges and interest	-	-	658	-	658		4,697
Meeting costs	-	-	-	-	-		723
Management Committee Costs	-	-	-	-	-		201
Website development/maintenance	-	-	24,722	-	24,722		24,058
Partners staff fees	680	-	-	-	680		-
Digital media - licences	-	-	-	-	-		8,605
Sub-total	1,044,996	-	85,456	13,278	1,143,730		1,268,033

Of the total expenditure £161,644 (2024: £267,508) was unrestricted and £982,087 (2024: £1,000,525) was restricted.

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5b. Analysis of expenditure (prior year)

	Direct cost of activities	Grant funding of activities	Support costs	Governance costs	2024 Total
	£	£	£	£	£
Grants and partnership payments made (note 6)	-	-	-	-	-
Salaries	1,001,392	-	-	-	1,001,392
Travel and subsistence for staff	41,266	-	-	251	41,517
Recruitment costs	-	-	-	-	-
Fees for freelance workers	63,133	-	2,700	-	65,833
Premises costs	-	-	9,517	-	9,517
Office costs	-	-	44,097	-	44,097
Subscriptions	-	-	9,243	-	9,243
Newsletter and publications	-	-	5,939	-	5,939
Training for staff and volunteers	-	-	35	-	35
Training for beneficiaries	-	-	-	-	-
Depreciation	-	-	5,161	-	5,161
Conference costs	11,623	-	-	-	11,623
Professional fees	3,682	-	7,630	-	11,312
Network development	10,000	-	-	-	10,000
Rates light and heat	4,000	-	-	-	4000
Audit fees	-	-	-	10,080	10,080
Bank charges and interest	-	-	4,697	-	4,697
Meeting costs	723	-	-	-	723
Management Committee Costs	-	-	201	-	201
Website development / maintenance	-	-	24,058	-	24,058
Partners staff fees	-	-	-	-	-
Digital media - licences	-	-	8,605	-	8,605
Sub-total	1,135,819	-	121,883	10,331	1,268,033

6. Net income / (expenditure) for the year

This is stated after charging / (crediting):	2025	2024
	£	£
Depreciation	5,161	5,161
Auditor's remuneration (excluding VAT):
Audit	10,300	8,400

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7. Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

cost of key management personnel
Staff costs were as follows:	2025	2024
	£	£
Salaries and wages	824,710	854,352
Redundancy costs	11,000	-
Social security costs	83,903	92,874
Pension contributions and other employee benefits	49,166	54,166
	968,779	1,001,392
The following number of employees received salary and employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) during the year between:	2025	2024
	No.	No.
£60,000 - £69999	-	1

The total employee benefits including pension contributions of the key management personnel were £258,067 (2024: £291,903). The Leadership Team comprised of the CEO, DCEO plus 2 key employees.

The charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2024: £nil).

Trustees' expenses represents the payment or reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs totalling £918 (2024: £251).

8. Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:	2025	2024
	No.	No.
Projects	16	16
Support	6	9
	22	25

9. Related party transactions

There are no related party transactions to disclose for 2025 (2024: none).

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.

10. Taxation

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

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11. Tangible fixed assets

	Computer equipment	Total
	£	£
Cost or valuation
At the start of the year	92,855	92,855
Additions in year	-	-
Disposals in the year	(88,499)	(88,499)
At the end of the year	4,356	4,356
Depreciation
At the start of the year	85,078	85,078
Charge for the year	5,161	5,161
Eliminated on disposal	(88,499)	(88,499)
At the end of the year	1,740	1,740
Net book value
At the end of the year	2,617	2,617
At the start of the year	7,778	7,778

All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes. The disposal of assets relates to charity owned furniture, computer equipment and machines used to furnish offices and either disposed of for nil value or donated to charitable causes for nil remuneration. Clinks no longer holds any additional assets in store.

12. Debtors

12. Debtors
	2025	2024
	£	£
Trade debtors	2,500	15,124
Accrued Income	159,885	137,583
Other debtors	-	2,125
Prepayments	-	1,502
	162,385	156,334

13. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

13. Creditors: amounts falling due within one	year
	2025	2024
	£	£
Trade creditors	-	2,940
Taxation and social security	6,855	64,272
Other creditors	693	2,930
Accruals	26,802	47,029
Deferred income	41,464	18,175
	75,814	135,346

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14. Deferred income

4. Deferred income
Deferred income comprises membership and grant income received		2025		2024
during the year for use in 2024/2025	£		£
Balance at the beginning of the year		18,175		20,240
Amount released to income in the year		(18,175)		(20,240)
Amount deferred in the year		41,464		18,175
Balance at the end of the year		41,464		18,175

15a. Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)

	General unrestricted	Restricted	Total funds
	£	£	£
Tangible fixed assets	2,617	-	2,617
Net current assets	276,724	-	276,724
Net assets at the end of the year	279,341	-	279,341

15b. Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)

	General unrestricted	Restricted	Total funds
	£	£	£
Tangible fixed assets	7,778	-	7,778
Net current assets	288,490	-	288,490
Net assets at the end of the year	296,268	-	296,268

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16a. Movements in funds (current year)

	At 1 April 2024	Income & gains	Expenditure & losses	Transfers	At 31 March 2025
	£	£	£	£	£
Restricted funds:
National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance	-	66,196	(66,196)	-	-
Criminal Justice in Wales Board	-	16,500	(16,500)	-	-
Department for Health and Social Care – VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance	-	96,440	(96,440)	-	-
City Bridge Foundation	-	54,750	(54,750)	-	-
City Bridge Foundation - Good Prisons Project	-	46,000	(46,000)	-	-
Porticus Family	-	74,600	(74,600)	-	-
Ministry of Justice – Infrastructure	-	574,600	(574,600)	-	-
Barrow Cadbury Trust – Policy Engagement	-	53,000	(53,000)	-	-
Total restricted funds	-	982,086	(982,086)	-	-
Unrestricted funds:
Total Unrestricted funds	296,268	144,717	(161,644)	-	279,341
Designated Funds:
	-	-	-	-	-
Total unrestricted funds	296,268	144,717	(161,644)	-	279,341
Total funds	296,268	1,126,803	(1,123,730)	-	279,341

16b. Movements in funds (year prior)

	At 1 April 2023	Income & gains	Expenditure & losses	Transfers	At 31 March 2024
	£	£	£	£	£
Restricted funds:
National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance	15,290	66,196	(81,486)	-	-
Criminal Justice in Wales Board	-	19,311	(19,311)	-	-
Department for Health and Social Care – VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance	-	108,680	(108,680)	-	-
Making Every Adult Matter – Policy	-	9,374	(9,374)	-	-
City Bridge Trust	-	53,274	(53,274)	-	-
City Bridge Foundation - Good Prisons Project	-	50,000	(50,000)	-	-
Porticus Family	-	75,400	(75,400)	-	-
Ministry of Justice – Infrastructure	-	550,000	(550,000)	-	-
Barrow Cadbury Trust – Policy Engagement	-	53,000	(53,000)	-	-
Total restricted funds	15,290	985,235	(1,000,525)	-	-
Unrestricted funds:
Total Unrestricted funds	315,431	248,345	(267,508)	-	296,268
Designated Funds:
	-	-	-	-	-
Total unrestricted funds	315,431	248,345	(267,508)	-	296,268
Total funds	330,721	1,233,580	(1,268,033)	-	296,268

16c. Purposes of restricted funds

National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance

Clinks is working with a range of different organisations to improve policies and practice in relation to arts-based work with people with a lived experience of the criminal justice system and their families. This includes developing the Arts Alliance as the main national network for arts organisations that work in the criminal justice system.

City Bridge Foundation - Bridging Divides London

Funding for the London Development Officer to develop expertise on the voluntary sector working in criminal justice in London, its strengths and weaknesses and its challenges and opportunities; Provide a range of support to the sector, including a comprehensive programme of information; Ensuring the London sector’s voice is heard and its important work is recognised, at both regional and national level: supporting partnerships within and between sectors.

City Bridge Foundation - Good Prison Project

Funding to deliver the Good Prison Project in HMP Isis which includes a specific voluntary sector coordinator stationed at the prison to facilitate better ways of working between the prison and the voluntary sector in order to provide best possible opportunities for the men at HMP Isis.

Porticus - Families Network

Porticus has funded the creation of Clinks' specialist Family Support network which includes specialist organisations who support families of individuals in the criminal justice system and this is building momentum.

Criminal Justice in Wales Board

Funding from the Criminal Justice in Wales Board to deliver the Community Engagement Network which enables the Criminal Justice System Anti-Racist Action Plan to be effectively progressed.

Health Work

Clinks is part of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, funded by the Department for Health and Social Care. The Alliance is a partnership between sector representatives and the health and care system. Clinks focuses on matters relating to health and justice.

Policy Engagement

To support Clinks' senior level policy and political engagement work.

Infrastructure Fund - HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice

A strategic grant from the Criminal Justice Group to deliver outcomes in relation to representation and voice, communication and partnership working.

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17. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents

	At 1 April 2024	Cash flows	At 31 March 2025
	£	£	£
Cash at bank and in hand	67,442	122,711	190,153
Notice deposits (less than three months)	200,060	(200,060)	-
Total cash and cash equivalents	267,502	(77,349)	190,153

18. Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.

Reference and administrative information

Company number: 3562176

Charity number: 1074546

Registered office and operational address: 82A James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7DE Country of registration: England and Wales

Country of incorporation: United Kingdom

Trustees: Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

• Amina Ditta

• Donna Everett

• Iona Macmillan-Douglas (co-opted April 2024, elected December 2024) Kelly Loftus

• Maisie Hulbert (resigned September 2024)

• Mandy Mahil (co-opted October 2024, elected December 2024)

• Michaela-Clare Addison (co-opted April 2024)

• Oliver Goodwin (co-opted December 2024)

• Olivia Patten (co-opted April 2024, elected December 2024)

• Roma Hooper OBE – Chair (resigned December 2024)

• Salim Baba

• Simon Alsop – Treasurer

• Simon Ruding (resigned December 2024)

Key management personnel: Anne Fox – Chief Executive Officer

Bankers: CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kingshill Avenue, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

Auditor: Sayer Vincent LLP, Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Invicta House, 110 Golden Lane, London EC1Y 0TG

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Thank you to our funders

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have donated to and supported our cause. Your support enables Clinks to continue providing vital infrastructure support and remain the backbone of the voluntary sector. Helping us to make sure that people in contact with the criminal justice system are supported by a voluntary sector that is vibrant, independent, and resilient. From all of us here at Clinks, thank you!

Clinks’ funders throughout 2024-25 were:

AB Charitable Trust; Arts Council England; The Aurum Charitable Trust; Barrow Cadbury Trust; Bromley Trust; City Bridge Foundation; Criminal Justice Board for Wales; Department of Health and Social Care; HM Prison and Probation Service; Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime; Ministry of Justice; Porticus UK.

We would also like to thank our partners this year Q-SEED.

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Join Clinks: be heard, informed, and supported

Are you a voluntary organisation supporting people in the criminal justice system?

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• A voice to influence change

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• Support from a community of like-minded professionals. Membership starts at just £80 per year and is free for small and specialist organisations. www.clinks.org/membership

82A James Carter Road Mildenhall Suffolk IP287DE

020 4502 6774

Published by Clinks © 2024. All rights reserved.

Clinks is a registered charity no. 1074546 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 3562176.

[e-mail]

www.clinks.org

Photography credit: Laiani Rose, Ian Cuthbert and Louise Mackey

Illustration credit: Jasmine Thomson