## Annual Review 2021-22 **Autism Berkshire**
## **Adapting to a new environment**
**Autism Berkshire is the leading autism charity in Berkshire, with more than 30 years’ experience of delivering high-quality services for autistic people of all ages and their families.**
The coronavirus pandemic continued to pose challenges for our work for a second year, with restrictions on social contact remaining in place for some months.
Family fun days at Thames Valley Adventure Playground resumed in May 2021 after an 18-month gap, _**pictured**_ , and the 197 Club and Bear With Me social groups for autistic adults held some limited group activities in the summer before returning to normal programmes in the autumn.
Other services, particularly help for families of autistic children and young people from the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service, remained largely online, with the ease of access to advice appointments, workshops and courses offered by using Zoom and Teams a key factor in this approach.
The Berkshire West service saw high demand for support from families in Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire throughout the year, with the number of contacts on our mailing list increasing from 250 to more than 700 over the year. Most workshops and courses were fully booked well in advance.
Building on the successful relaunch of the Berkshire Autism Alert Card scheme in 2020, it was further expanded in the autumn of 2021, with the support of Thames Valley Police and partners in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, to become a Thames Valley regional alert card, with an average of 100 cards per month issued since October 2021.
_**Please read on to find out more about Autism Berkshire’s work in 2021-22 and how you can get involved and support our work.**_
**Talking sense about autism.**
Helpline: **01189 594 594 www.autismberkshire.org.uk**
## **What people say about Autism Berkshire’s services**
_**“Autism Berkshire have been the first people to finally give us help and support after years of trying different options. We can’t thank them enough and the workshops are just what we need.”**_
– Parent who attended an Understanding More About Autism workshop
_**“At times I have felt so alone but Amanda and the team have always provided genuine helpful free advice, sessions and support. Thank you for supporting families like mine.”**_
– Parent who used our family support services
_**“Getting the Thames Valley Autism Alert Card was a brilliant bonus. Super handy for showing it to shops, etc, and also really reassuring that the police now have on their records the best way to communicate with my child if he ever gets lost. Thank you.”**_
– Parent who got an autism alert card for her son
_**“The Autism in Girls workshop was fantastic. I was really impressed with what we learned and so quickly.”**_
– Parent who attended autism advice workshop
_**“Thanks so much for yesterday’s session. When I walked around school after there was a lot of discussion going on. Lots of teachers really thinking about the children in their class.”**_
– Deputy headteacher at a Berkshire school after a twilight training session for staff
## _**“I wish I had called Autism Berkshire many moons ago. Thank you so much.”**_
– Parent who used our family support services
_**“I felt very lost before this and now feel like there a pathway ahead for us.”**_
–- Parent who attended Understanding More About Autism workshop
## **In Numbers 2021-22**
## **Flexible approaches to the future**
With restrictions imposed as part of the Government’s coronavirus control measures posing a continued challenge, most services remained online for another year.
This included family support services provided through the NHSfunded Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service – see the panel on the right for more details about the service’s work - with restrictions on social contact and availability of venues key factors in this decision.
In follow-up surveys after workshops and courses we canvassed opinion among participants about online and face-to-face provision. A majority favoured online, with many noting that this approach made it easier for them to take part than needing to travel to a venue, especially among those living in rural West Berkshire.
We ran a series of extra online Teen Life courses for parents of autistic 10 to 16-year-olds, in addition to those funded by the NHS, thanks to a grant from the Postcode Lottery and funds raised through the Co-operative Local Community Fund, helping us to keep on top of a long waiting list for places.
Trampolining sessions at Bracknell Trampoline Centre for children from families using our autism support services continued under an exemption from Covid restrictions, allowing group activities for disabled children, until social distancing rules ended.
Family fun days at the Thames Valley Adventure Playground resumed in the early summer of 2021. However, a decision was taken that the Games Club and Lego Club would not be revived after their suspension at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Instead, the focus in future will be on family fun days and one-off activities during school holidays, which are a regular request from families, or when special grants are available. A grant from British Science Week funded a face-to-face Forensic Science Experience session for children with a former police crime scene investigator, after running a modified version online the previous year.
The limitations of the online format for our social groups for autistic adults, the 197 Club in Reading and Bear With Me in Maidenhead, which affected attendances, saw them move back to face-to-face activities during the summer of 2021.
Initially this was achieved through outdoor activities, including barbecues and walks, before sessions at indoor venues resumed.
Members of both groups were encouraged to get a full set of Covid vaccinations, to minimise the risks of infection with the virus, and we supported vaccination efforts across Berkshire throughout the year, publicising information from the Government and NHS and giving details of local clinics.
We were also able to launch a new activity group for adults at the start of 2022, called Walk & Talk. Like Bear With Me, it is coordinated by Helen Harris, who is supported by Helen Brookes,
Benefits awarded to clients of our **£158,000** Benefits Service
**4,500**[Follow our Facebook page]
Individual contacts with families by **3,973** the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service
**1,800**[People follow us on Twitter]
- **600**[Thames Valley Autism Alert cards ] issued since its launch
a retired speech and language therapist. Both have many years’ experience working with autistic people. Members of the group are _**pictured below**_ with its leaders Helen Harris and Helen Brookes at Hambleden in the Chiltern hills.
The group offers members an opportunity to get together fortnightly on Tuesday mornings for a walk and time to chat at locations around the east of Berkshire. Routes in the first few months included country parks, parts of the River Thames path and Windsor Great Park.
The Thames Valley Autism Alert Card was launched at an event at Aylesbury College in September 2021, with the support of Thames Valley Police, Buckinghamshire Council and the charity Talkback. BBC1’s South Today regional news programme featured the event, helping to drive applications from autistic people across Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire, as well as Berkshire.
The success of this initiative, and moves by the NHS to create a new regional management organisation, led to a motion at the charity’s annual general meeting, asking members to endorse a move to amend the area of benefit from Berkshire to the wider Thames Valley. If the Charity Commission approves the change, members will be asked to confirm it at a subsequent general meeting.
After an online AGM in 2020, the 2021 meeting was the first hybrid one in the charity’s history, with some members attending in person at the Thames Valley Adventure Playground, while others joined online.
Sandra Stubbs and Margaret Collum both stood down as trustees at the meeting and were thanked by CEO Jane Stanford-Beale for their work on behalf of the charity. During the year, Conor O’Connor succeeded Richard Flemming as the chair of trustees, while Darren Browne joined the board.
We have also given our support to initiatives by other organisations to offer autism-friendly events.
The Museum of English Rural Life, part of the University of Reading, and Reading Museum were keen to revive activities for autistic people after the Covid pandemic and sought our advice. We arranged for them to talk to parents and carers during a Friday Lunch Break session about activities their children enjoyed. This led to the launch of the new Museums, My Way programme, with events alternating between the museums.
The first was held at The MERL and provided an opportunity for us to promote the Thames Valley Autism Alert Card in Berkshire. Members of Thames Valley Police’s autism network joined us and brought along a patrol car for children to inspect, _**pictured above**_ . Several families attending took the opportunity to apply for cards.
Autism in Racing is a project launched by racecourse commentator and broadcaster Bobby Beevers, who is autistic and has an autistic daughter, to encourage autistic people to attend race meetings and educate people involved in horseracing about autism.
After a series of successful trial events in the North and Scotland in 2021, offering free tickets to families with autistic children and providing a mobile sensory room at race meetings, Autism in Racing came south for the first time in February 2022, with a visit to Ascot racecourse. Most of the families attending had heard about the event through Autism Berkshire. Further visits to Ascot, and to Newbury racecourse, were planned for later in the year.
## **Reaching more families**
The Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service was launched at the start of 2021, days before the third national Covid lockdown, to help autistic children & young people and their families in Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire.
We work with another Berkshire charity, Parenting Special Children, to provide the service on behalf of the Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
The initial surge in demand from families for support in the last quarter of the 2020-21 year was maintained throughout the next 12 months running far ahead of levels seen under previous NHS contracts we held from 2016 to 2020. The number of contacts on the mailing list grew from 250 parents and carers at the end of March 2021 to 710 a year later.
Each entry on the list represents a family that has benefited from support from the service, including advice and signposting from the Helpline, virtual home visits, autism advice workshops and follow-on workshops focusing on topics including autism & girls and emotional regulation, or Teen Life courses, plus follow-up contacts in many cases to offer ongoing advice or address specific issues.
Originally introduced as a short-term measure to help parents and carers across Berkshire get together to chat and get information during the third national lockdown at the start of the 2021, the Friday Lunch Break proved popular, so extra funding was secured to run sessions through until the summer of 2022.
Extra funding from the NHS allowed us to add a tailored two-part workshop to the programme in March 2022 for parents and carers of autistic pre-school children. It took an in-depth look at autism in the early years, including behaviour communication, sensory needs and play, and strategies to support young autistic children.
The number of virtual home visits delivered was well above the service specification of 15 per quarter throughout the year, with 276 taking place during the 12 months.
Data about the service’s work and how many people are being supported is reportedly regularly to the NHS Mental Health Services Data Set, which gathers information about the work of NHS-funded services in England for autism and learning disabilities, as well as mental health, to inform planning and development of services.
**More information about the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service and all out other services is available on the Autism Berkshire website at www.autismberkshire.org.uk**
## **Fundraising**
For the second financial year running, the Covid pandemic affected our ability to raise funds, with many summer community events cancelled for a second year.
Grants from local and national Covid emergency funding schemes again provided a vital source of income to pay for our services, especially with continued high demand for support from individuals and families.
Corporate donations and grants were another valuable source of support, such as a £500 donation from Amazon UK’s community fund, after we were nominated by Natalia Oliva Gamo, a shift manager at the company’s depot in Theale.
The Shanly Foundation, the charitable arm of housing developer the Shanly Group, made a grant to help us launch the Walk & Talk activity group for autistic adults, fund our Bear With Me social group in Maidenhead and pay for a summer coach trip to the seaside for members of Bear With Me and the 197 Club in Reading for the first time since 2019.
Support from staff at the two Co-operative Group convenience shops in Caversham and Co-operative Funeralcare in Church Street, Caversham, and donations generated by people shopping at Co-op businesses helped us to raise a total of £3,411 to fund Teen Life courses for the parents and carers of autistic teenagers. The Southern Cooperative gave us a £500 grant towards the costs of running our Helpline service.
Individual supporters also persevered with their efforts to support us, including Matt Giles, who was set to run in the 2020 Reading Half-Marathon to support us. He had to wait until November 2021 before he could tackle the 13-mile route when the 2020 event was cancelled and the 2021 event was postponed until November, due to remaining Covid restrictions in the spring. Over the two years he collected more than £1,300 in sponsorship for us.
Jordanne Hayward, from Slough, made a donation to our funds after she collected more than £3,000, which she shared among four local good causes, via a fundraising page and running several fundraising evenings. She also paid for packages to help the homeless and families in need.
Students who are members of Sulham House at Denefield School in Tilehurst continued to raise funds for us as one of their chosen charities, donating another £169 to our funds during the year.
Although it was not possible to run a joint charity Winter Ball with other Berkshire charities at the end of 2021, the Winter Draw raffle went ahead, raising £300 for our funds and a total of £7,283 for the 11 charities taking part.
We took advantage of the first National Thank You Day, held in July 2021, to thank all our funders and donors, with help from some of the children who attend our trampolining classes at Bracknell Trampoline Centre, _**pictured below**_ .
## **Thank you**
## **To our funders and supporters**
- Sir Jules Thorn Trust/Ann Rylands Small Grants
- Agri-Food Ltd
- Amazon Community Fund
- Slough Community Wellbeing Fund
- Amazon Smile
- Baylis Media Christmas Cracker Appeal
- Southern Co-operative Healthier Neighbourhoods Fund
- Bracknell Town Council
- British Science Week
- TK Maxx & Homesense Community Fund Foundation
- Co-operative Local Community Fund
- Crowthorne Parish Council
- Wokingham Without Parish Council
- Ecclesiastical Insurance Movement for Good
- **To our key partners** • Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group
- Garfield Weston Foundation
- Involve Bracknell Covid-19 Recovery Fund
- BBC Children in Need
- Slough CVS #OneSlough project
- Jordanne Hayward
- London Marathon (fundraising sponsorships)
- Slough CVS SPACE Project
- Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund
- O2 Together Fund
- Reading Dispensary Trust
- Rory Smyth
- The Henry Smith Charity
- RS Brownless Charitable Trust
- Bracknell Forest Council
- Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council
- Schroder Charity Trust
- Shanly Foundation
## **Financial Summary for 2021-22**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Total Income £208,000
Grants and Subscriptions £189,000
Donations and Fundraising £19,000
Expenditure on Charitable Activities £199,500
Fundraising costs £0
Governance costs £2,000
Surplus taken to reserves £6,500
Reserves carried forward to 2022-23 £84,300
**----- End of picture text -----**
2022-2023 will require increased focus towards our fundraising activities as restoring this income stream will be essential to reducing the currently projected deficit between our income and expenditure, as high demand for our services shows no signs of easing.
_**• Information about how to get involved with fundraising for Autism Berkshire is available on our website or you can get in touch with us at contact@autismberkshire.org.uk**_
**Talking sense about autism.**
Autism Berkshire – the working name for Berkshire Autistic Society **Registered office:** 40 Caversham Road, Reading, RG1 7EB Charity no: 1076217, Company number: 3750656 **AutismBerkshire @autismberkshire www.autismberkshire.org.uk** Call: **01189 594 594**
AGM/21/21/ MBSA34T
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022**
**CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION No: 3750656**
**Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5QN**
1
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## CONTENTS
Pages 2 - 8 Report of the Directors
Page 9 Independent Examiner’s report Page 10 Statement of Financial Activities Page 11 Balance Sheet
Pages 12 -13 Notes to the Financial Statements
2
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
CHARITY NUMBER 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION 3750656 NUMBER START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1 APRIL 2021 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31 MARCH 2022 DIRECTORS AT 31 MARCH Conor O’Connor, Chair from 16 February 2022 2022 Adam Bermange, Treasurer Richard Flemming, Chair until 16 February 2022 Darren Browne, appointed 16 February 2022 REGISTERED ADDRESS 40 Caversham Road Reading, RG1 7EB DATE OF 12 April 1999 INCORPORATION GOVERNING Memorandum and Articles of Association DOCUMENT BANKERS CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling Kent, ME19 4JQ INDEPENDENT Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA EXAMINER 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5QN OBJECTS The relief of school age and pre-school age children and adults suffering from autism, autisticrelated problems and challenging behaviour, resident in Berkshire.
3
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## **Structure, Governance and Management:**
The Berkshire Autistic Society (working name Autism Berkshire) is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, both under the name of Berkshire Autistic Society. Our office is located at 40 Caversham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 7EB. The governing documents are Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated on 12/04/1999 and amended by special resolution dated 13/10/2015, to update our articles to the 2012 model articles published by the Charity Commission.
During the year we had 1 full-time member of staff and 10 part-time members of staff and 15 regular volunteers. All staff, both paid and volunteers, are DBS-checked and receive appropriate induction training and ongoing refresher training as required.
We are well supported in our work by our Trustees, staff and volunteers, some of whom are autistic or have autistic relatives and friends. Volunteers undertake a wide variety of activities, including office work, fundraising, helping at events and attending meetings of area forums and partnership boards in local authority areas across Berkshire on behalf of the society.
## **Objectives and Activities:**
Our mission is to help and support autistic people and their families in Berkshire. We aim to enhance the current provision of services and support, with the purpose of improving the quality of life of autistic people of all ages and giving them maximum independence.
We do this by:
- Providing information and advice through a helpline, events, workshops, outreach, publications and newsletters;
- Running accessible youth groups, trampolining and adult social groups;
- Providing autism-specific training and support;
- Working with education, health, emergency and employment services and local authorities in Berkshire to deliver autism-appropriate services;
- Raising awareness in the wider community to promote greater understanding of autism.
- Managing the Thames Valley Autism Alert Card scheme
We are frequently consulted by Local Authorities and the NHS on autism services within the county.
We support children, young people and adults and their parents and carers, from when concerns are initially raised, to when they are placed on the waiting list for an autism assessment, after diagnosis, and life beyond. You do not need a formal diagnosis of autism to be supported by Autism Berkshire.
## **Achievements and Performance:**
Following on from the height of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021-22 has continued to prove a challenging context for the society in terms of service provision and revenue generation. We significantly changed how we approached service provision during the pandemic and for most of 2021-22 we continued to deliver services online. We tested new delivery approaches with service users and members, with a majority stating they favoured online workshops,
4
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
courses, and services where practical, as this made it easier for them to take part; especially for those living in more rural parts of Berkshire.
This has been reflected in the fact that the society held its first ever hybrid Annual General Meeting with some members able to join in person at Thames Valley Adventure Playground, while others joined online – maximising attendance and input into the society’s operation.
Demand for support and access to our services has remained high, with high volumes of referrals from local authorities and key partners, which has proved a challenge to services during the 2021-22 period. Staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to accommodate as many people seeking support, securing additional financing and resources where possible. Two key examples of this have included:
- **The Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service** , which we provide in partnership with Parenting Special Children, and launched at the start of 2021, on behalf of Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to help autistic children & young people and their families in Reading, Wokingham, and West Berkshire. This service has continued to see demand that far exceeded levels seen under previous NHS contracts we held from 2016 to 2020. The number of contacts on the mailing list grew from 250 parents and carers at the end of March 2021 to 710 a year later. Extra funding from the NHS allowed us to add a tailored two-part workshop to the programme in March 2022 for parents and carers of autistic pre-school children. It took an in-depth look at autism in the early years, including behaviour communication, sensory needs and play, and strategies to support young autistic children.
- **Our Benefit Advice Service** secured £158,000 in benefits payments awarded to clients over the 2021-22 period. We have taken on an additional member of staff to support the operation of this service, in the face of continued high demand, which has been working well.
We have prioritised keeping our services running, where possible, to continue key support for autistic people and their families in our area of benefit. This has been complemented by the society also resuming services as soon as possible in either different/virtual forms or back to normal pre-pandemic arrangements, including:
- **Family fun days at Thames Valley Adventure Playground** . These resumed in May 2021 after, an 18-month gap, and the 197 Club and Bear With Me social groups for autistic adults held some limited group activities in the summer before returning to normal programmes in the autumn.
- **Trampolining sessions at Bracknell Trampoline Centre** . These sessions for children from families using our autism support services continued under an exemption from Covid restrictions, allowing group activities for disabled children, until social distancing rules ended.
- Our social groups for autistic adults, the **197 Club** in Reading and **Bear With Me** in Maidenhead, moved back to face-to-face activities during the summer of 2021. Initially this was achieved through outdoor activities, including barbecues and walks, before sessions at indoor venues resumed.
- Members of both groups were encouraged to get a full set of Covid vaccinations, to minimise the risks of infection with the virus, and we supported vaccination efforts across Berkshire throughout the year,
5
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
publicising information from the Government and NHS and giving details of local clinics, with a particular focus on Reading and Slough, where vaccination take-up rates were lower than average.
Other key successes in the 2021-22 period include:
- Building on the successful relaunch of the Berkshire Autism Alert Card scheme in 2020, it was further expanded in the autumn of 2021, with the support of Thames Valley Police and partners in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, to become a Thames Valley regional alert card, with a total of 600 cards issued across the area in 2021-22, in addition to 2,000 Berkshire-only cards previously issued.
- The success of this initiative, and moves by the NHS to create a new regional management organisation, led to a motion at the charity’s annual general meeting, asking members to endorse a move to amend the area of benefit from Berkshire to the wider Thames Valley. If the Charity Commission approves the change, members will be asked to confirm it at a subsequent general meeting.
- Running a series of extra online Teen Life courses for parents of autistic 10 to 16year-olds, in addition to those funded by the NHS, thanks to a grant from the Postcode Lottery and funds raised through the Co-operative Local Community Fund, helping us to keep on top of a long waiting list for places.
- Originally introduced as a short-term measure to help parents and carers across Berkshire get together to chat and get information during the third national lockdown at the start of the 2021, the Friday Lunch Break proved popular, so extra funding was secured to run sessions through until the summer of 2022.
- A new activity group for adults at the start of 2022, called Walk & Talk. Like Bear With Me, it is co-ordinated and supported by two people with many years’ experience working with autistic people, including a retired speech and language therapist.
- The group offers members an opportunity to get together fortnightly on Tuesday mornings for a walk and time to chat at locations around the east of Berkshire. Routes in the first few months included country parks, parts of the River Thames path and Windsor Great Park.
- Continued growth of our online presence, where we share key news, resources and services for autistic people and their families, expanding our reach to more potential service users in Berkshire. Our Facebook and Twitter profiles now have nearly 5,000 and 2,000 followers respectively.
We have also given our support to initiatives by other organisations to offer autism-friendly events:
- The Museum of English Rural Life, part of the University of Reading, and Reading Museum were keen to revive activities for autistic people after the Covid pandemic and sought our advice. We arranged for them to talk to parents and carers during a Friday Lunch Break session about activities their children enjoyed. This led to the launch of the new Museums, My Way programme, with events alternating between the two museums.
- Autism in Racing is a project launched by racecourse commentator and broadcaster Bobby Beevers, who is autistic and has an autistic daughter, to encourage autistic people to attend race meetings and educate people involved in horseracing about
6
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
autism. After a series of successful trial events in the North and Scotland in 2021, offering free tickets to families with autistic children and providing a mobile sensory room at race meetings, Autism in Racing came south for the first time in February 2022, with a visit to Ascot racecourse. Most of the families attending had heard about the event through Autism Berkshire.
We have still faced issues in rebuilding our ability to generate income, following the challenges of the pandemic, with many summer community events cancelled for a second year. The society has taken difficult decisions and steps to maintain fiscal sustainability, including moving to a predominantly work from home model for our staff to limit office rental costs and channel resources where they are most needed – services for autistic people and their families in our area of benefit.
Grants from local and national Covid emergency funding schemes again provided a vital source of income to pay for our services, especially with continued high demand for support from individuals and families. Corporate donations and grants have been another valuable source of support while some individual supporters have persevered with their efforts to support us through activities such as the Reading Half-Marathon and fundraising evenings. Although it was not possible to run a joint charity Winter Ball with other Berkshire charities at the end of 2021, the Winter Draw raffle went ahead, raising £300 for our funds and a total of £7,283 for the 11 charities taking part.
There have been some changes to the Board of Trustees, with Sandra Stubbs and Margaret Collum both standing down at the AGM, followed by Conor O’Connor succeeding Richard Flemming as Chair of Trustees after he stood down in February 2022. Darren Browne joined the board during the year and additional people have expressed interest in joining the board.
In summary, 2021-22 has continued to be a challenging time for the society, but the Trustees, staff and volunteers have worked hard to maintain and improve the service offer available. With key services seeing significant demand, and autistic people and their families asking for additional support, we are still supporting people where needed and will work to maintain and develop our service so that we can continue to do so in future years.
## **Statement of Directors' Responsibilities:**
The directors are satisfied that for the year ended on 31 March 2022 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 and that no member or members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Act. However, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011, the accounts have been examined by an Independent Examiner whose report appears on page 9.
The directors are responsible for preparing the report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (Financial Reporting Standard 102 and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs
7
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
• select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements and
• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the 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 company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Berkshire Autistic Society is a public benefit entity.
Approved by the Directors on 21[st] October 2022
Signed on their behalf by Director and Chair of Trustees: Conor O’Connor
8
Independent examlnerfs report to the trustees of *erkshire Autistk Socle
I report on the accounts ofthe company forthe year ended 31 March 2022, whkh are set out on
pa8es 10 to 13.
Respertlve resporn$5bllltles of trnstees and Èxamlntr
The trustees (who are also the dlrectors of the company for the purpx)ses of cornpany lawl are
responslble for Ihe preparation of the account5. The trustees consTrder that an audit is not requlred
for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 {the 2011 Act} and that an Independent
examination is nee(led.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and Is eligible for
independent eXamInatn. it is my responslbillty to:
• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions 8lven by the Charity
Commlsslon under section 14515llb} of the 2011 Act
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
8asls of Ind¢p¢ndent examln¢rfs r•port
My examination was carried OLrt in accordance with the general DitionS 8iven by the Charity
Commission.
An examlnation includes a review of the accountln8 records kept by the charlty and a comparlson of
the accounts presented with those records. It also includes conslderatlon of any unusual items or
disclosures in the accounts, and 5eekln8 explanatlons from you as tru5tee5 concernln8 any such
matters. The pmcedures undertaken do not provlde all the evldence that would be requlred in an
audit and consequently no oplnlon Ss glven as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair vlew,
and the report15 Ilmlted to those matter5 set out In the next statement.
Indep•ndent exarnln•es statement
In connectlon wlth my examlnatlon, no matter has corne to my attenlion:
111 which 8lves me reasonable cause to belleve that In any material SpeCt the requirements..
• to keep accountlng records In accordance wlth section 386 of the Companies ki 2iJ)6 and:
to prepare accounts whlch accord with the accountin8 records. comply with the accounting
requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2(N)6 and with the methods and principle5 of the
Statement of Recommended Practice: Accountin8 and Reportin8 by Charit5 have not been met or
12) to which. in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached
Name: rim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA
Relevant professlonal quallflcation or body-- Chartered Institute of Management Accountsnts
Address: 105 Redhatch Drive. Earley. Readin& RG6 5QN
25 October 2022
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|**Unrestricted**
**_Notes_**
**Funds**
**£**
**Incoming Resources**
**Incoming Resources from Generated Funds**
Grants
26,250
Govt - Small Business Grant
-
Govt - Cronavirus Job Retention Scheme
-
Membership Subscriptions
6,349
Donations
13,221
Fundraising and Collections
2,366
Training Courses
1,000
Bank Interest
23
**Incoming Resources from Charitable**
_1_
-
**Activities**
**Total Incoming Resources**
**49,209**
**Resources Expended**
Fundraising Trading Costs
-
Charitable Activities
_3a_
40,795
Governance
_3b_
1,851
**Total Resources Expended**
**42,646**
**Net incoming/(outgoing) resources**
**6,563**
Total Funds Brought Forward
77,733
**Total funds Carried Forward**
**84,296**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
3,345
-
-
-
155,712
**159,057**
-
159,057
-
**159,057**
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2021/2022**
**£**
26,250
-
-
6,349
16,566
2,366
1,000
23
155,712
**208,266**
-
199,852
1,851
**201,703**
**6,563**
77,733
**84,296**|**_Total_**
**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_18,500_
10,000
33,210
_7,576_
_22,286_
_3,702_
_-_
_65_
_143,936_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_239,275_**|
||||_2,162_
_234,766_
_2,045_|
||||**_238,973_**|
||||**_302_**
_77,431_|
||||**_77,733_**|
10
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022**
|**Current Assets**
Debtors
Prepayments
Cash at Bank and in Hand
**Total Current Assets**
**Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors
Accruals
HMRC PAYE/NI
Deferred Income
_1_
**Total Current Liabilities**
**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**
**NET ASSETS**
**General Funds**
**Restricted Funds**
**Total Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
0
0
91,185
**91,185**
0
4,008
2,881
-
**6,889**
**84,296**
84,296
**84,296**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
25,000
0
86,978
**111,978**
11,514
2,784
-
97,680
**111,978**
**0**
**0**|**31/03/2022**
**£**
25,000
0
178,163
**203,163**
11,514
6,792
2,881
97,680
**118,867**
**84,296**
84,296
**84,296**|**_31/03/2021_**
**_£_**
_1,000_
_0_
165,698|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**166,698**
_427_
_11,661_
2,655
_74,222_|
|||||**88,965**|
|||||**77,733**|
|||||_77,733_|
|||||**_77,733_**|
11
## **Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
53,530
Sub-Contracted Providers
120
Venue Hire
390
Refreshment Costs
20
Travel
82
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
500
Other Activity Costs
0
Storage/Virtual Office
2,049
Insurance
1,773
Telephone
1,494
Printing,Postage,Stationery
122
IT & Web Services
3,179
Small Fixtures Replacement
1,276
DBS Fees
63
Staff Recruitment & Training
-
Subscriptions & Licenses
228
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
308
Overhead allocation
(24,339)
**40,795**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
851
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,851**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
53,530
Sub-Contracted Providers
120
Venue Hire
390
Refreshment Costs
20
Travel
82
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
500
Other Activity Costs
0
Storage/Virtual Office
2,049
Insurance
1,773
Telephone
1,494
Printing,Postage,Stationery
122
IT & Web Services
3,179
Small Fixtures Replacement
1,276
DBS Fees
63
Staff Recruitment & Training
-
Subscriptions & Licenses
228
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
308
Overhead allocation
(24,339)
**40,795**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
851
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,851**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**Total**
**2021/2022**
**£**|**_Total_**
**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_173,785_
_13,804_
_2,003_
_-_
_274_
_4,422_
_1,514_
_20,055_
_1,638_
_565_
_1,809_
_5,476_
_5,539_
_50_
_2,996_
_195_
_641_
_-_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||53,530
120
390
20
82
500
0
2,049
1,773
1,494
122
3,179|91,319
35,381
1,722
148
1,136
2,122
1,434
-
-
70
345
971|144,849
35,501
2,112
168
1,218
2,622
1,434
2,049
1,773
1,564
466
4,150||
||1,276|71|1,347||
||63
-
228
308
(24,339)|0
-
-
-
24,339|63
-
228
308
-||
||**40,795**
-
851
1,000
**1,851**|**159,057**
-
-
-
**-**|**199,852**
-
851
1,000
**1,851**||
|||||**_234,766_**|
|||||_300_
_745_
_1,000_|
|||||**_2,045_**|
12
## **1 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities (Restricted)**
|**2021/2022**
**£**
Deferred Income brought forward @ 1st April, 2021
74,222
Income Received
179,170
Deferred Income carried forward @ 31st March, 202
97,680
Income Released to Income & Expenditure
155,712|**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_35,522_
_182,636_
_74,222_|
|---|---|
||_143,936_|
**We also gratefully acknowledge grants or donations over £250 from the following sponsors:-**
|_Agri-Food Ltd_|_OneSlough Fund_|
|---|---|
|_Amazon Community Fund_|_PayPal Giving Fund_|
|_Amazon Smile_|_R S Brownless Trust_|
|_Baylis Media - Christmas Cracker Appeal_|_Reading Dispensary Trust_|
|_BBC - Children In Need_|_Rory Smyth_|
|_Bracknell Forest Council_|_Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead_|
|_Bracknell Town Council_|_Schroder Charity Trust_|
|_British Science Week_|_Shanly Foundation_|
|_Co-op Local Community Fund_|_Sir Jules Thorn Trust/Ann Rylands Small Grants_|
|_Crowthorne Parish Council_|_Slough Community Wellbeing Fund_|
|_Ecclesiastical Insurance Movement for Good_|_Slough SPACE Project_|
|_Garfield Weston Foundation_|_Southern Co-Operative Healthier Neighbourhoods Fund_|
|_Involve - Bracknell COVID 19 Recovery Fund_|_Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Community Fund_|
|_Jordanne Hayward_|_The Henry Smith Charity_|
|_London Marathon (Fundraising Sponsorships)_|_TK Maxx_|
|_O2 Together Fund_|_Wokingham Without Parish Council_|
## **2 Staff Costs and Numbers**
|Gross Salaries and Wages
Employers' National Insurance Costs
Redundancy Costs
Pension Contributions
Allocated to Fund Raising
Average full time equivalent of employees engaged:
Activities in furtherance of organisation's objects|**2021/2022**
**£**
136,236
6,097
0
2,516
144,849
0
144,849
**2021/2022**
4.09|**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_161,961_
_7,953_
_1,054_
_2,817_|
|---|---|---|
|||_173,785_
_0_|
|||173,785|
|||**_2020/2021_**
_4.72_|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. Staff are paid through the PAYE system.
13
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022**
**CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION No: 3750656**
**Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5QN**
1
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## CONTENTS
Pages 2 - 8 Report of the Directors
Page 9 Independent Examiner’s report Page 10 Statement of Financial Activities Page 11 Balance Sheet
Pages 12 -13 Notes to the Financial Statements
2
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
CHARITY NUMBER 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION 3750656 NUMBER START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1 APRIL 2021 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31 MARCH 2022 DIRECTORS AT 31 MARCH Conor O’Connor, Chair from 16 February 2022 2022 Adam Bermange, Treasurer Richard Flemming, Chair until 16 February 2022 Darren Browne, appointed 16 February 2022 REGISTERED ADDRESS 40 Caversham Road Reading, RG1 7EB DATE OF 12 April 1999 INCORPORATION GOVERNING Memorandum and Articles of Association DOCUMENT BANKERS CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling Kent, ME19 4JQ INDEPENDENT Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA EXAMINER 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5QN OBJECTS The relief of school age and pre-school age children and adults suffering from autism, autisticrelated problems and challenging behaviour, resident in Berkshire.
3
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
## **Structure, Governance and Management:**
The Berkshire Autistic Society (working name Autism Berkshire) is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, both under the name of Berkshire Autistic Society. Our office is located at 40 Caversham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 7EB. The governing documents are Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated on 12/04/1999 and amended by special resolution dated 13/10/2015, to update our articles to the 2012 model articles published by the Charity Commission.
During the year we had 1 full-time member of staff and 10 part-time members of staff and 15 regular volunteers. All staff, both paid and volunteers, are DBS-checked and receive appropriate induction training and ongoing refresher training as required.
We are well supported in our work by our Trustees, staff and volunteers, some of whom are autistic or have autistic relatives and friends. Volunteers undertake a wide variety of activities, including office work, fundraising, helping at events and attending meetings of area forums and partnership boards in local authority areas across Berkshire on behalf of the society.
## **Objectives and Activities:**
Our mission is to help and support autistic people and their families in Berkshire. We aim to enhance the current provision of services and support, with the purpose of improving the quality of life of autistic people of all ages and giving them maximum independence.
We do this by:
- Providing information and advice through a helpline, events, workshops, outreach, publications and newsletters;
- Running accessible youth groups, trampolining and adult social groups;
- Providing autism-specific training and support;
- Working with education, health, emergency and employment services and local authorities in Berkshire to deliver autism-appropriate services;
- Raising awareness in the wider community to promote greater understanding of autism.
- Managing the Thames Valley Autism Alert Card scheme
We are frequently consulted by Local Authorities and the NHS on autism services within the county.
We support children, young people and adults and their parents and carers, from when concerns are initially raised, to when they are placed on the waiting list for an autism assessment, after diagnosis, and life beyond. You do not need a formal diagnosis of autism to be supported by Autism Berkshire.
## **Achievements and Performance:**
Following on from the height of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021-22 has continued to prove a challenging context for the society in terms of service provision and revenue generation. We significantly changed how we approached service provision during the pandemic and for most of 2021-22 we continued to deliver services online. We tested new delivery approaches with service users and members, with a majority stating they favoured online workshops,
4
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
courses, and services where practical, as this made it easier for them to take part; especially for those living in more rural parts of Berkshire.
This has been reflected in the fact that the society held its first ever hybrid Annual General Meeting with some members able to join in person at Thames Valley Adventure Playground, while others joined online – maximising attendance and input into the society’s operation.
Demand for support and access to our services has remained high, with high volumes of referrals from local authorities and key partners, which has proved a challenge to services during the 2021-22 period. Staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to accommodate as many people seeking support, securing additional financing and resources where possible. Two key examples of this have included:
- **The Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service** , which we provide in partnership with Parenting Special Children, and launched at the start of 2021, on behalf of Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to help autistic children & young people and their families in Reading, Wokingham, and West Berkshire. This service has continued to see demand that far exceeded levels seen under previous NHS contracts we held from 2016 to 2020. The number of contacts on the mailing list grew from 250 parents and carers at the end of March 2021 to 710 a year later. Extra funding from the NHS allowed us to add a tailored two-part workshop to the programme in March 2022 for parents and carers of autistic pre-school children. It took an in-depth look at autism in the early years, including behaviour communication, sensory needs and play, and strategies to support young autistic children.
- **Our Benefit Advice Service** secured £158,000 in benefits payments awarded to clients over the 2021-22 period. We have taken on an additional member of staff to support the operation of this service, in the face of continued high demand, which has been working well.
We have prioritised keeping our services running, where possible, to continue key support for autistic people and their families in our area of benefit. This has been complemented by the society also resuming services as soon as possible in either different/virtual forms or back to normal pre-pandemic arrangements, including:
- **Family fun days at Thames Valley Adventure Playground** . These resumed in May 2021 after, an 18-month gap, and the 197 Club and Bear With Me social groups for autistic adults held some limited group activities in the summer before returning to normal programmes in the autumn.
- **Trampolining sessions at Bracknell Trampoline Centre** . These sessions for children from families using our autism support services continued under an exemption from Covid restrictions, allowing group activities for disabled children, until social distancing rules ended.
- Our social groups for autistic adults, the **197 Club** in Reading and **Bear With Me** in Maidenhead, moved back to face-to-face activities during the summer of 2021. Initially this was achieved through outdoor activities, including barbecues and walks, before sessions at indoor venues resumed.
- Members of both groups were encouraged to get a full set of Covid vaccinations, to minimise the risks of infection with the virus, and we supported vaccination efforts across Berkshire throughout the year,
5
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
publicising information from the Government and NHS and giving details of local clinics, with a particular focus on Reading and Slough, where vaccination take-up rates were lower than average.
Other key successes in the 2021-22 period include:
- Building on the successful relaunch of the Berkshire Autism Alert Card scheme in 2020, it was further expanded in the autumn of 2021, with the support of Thames Valley Police and partners in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, to become a Thames Valley regional alert card, with a total of 600 cards issued across the area in 2021-22, in addition to 2,000 Berkshire-only cards previously issued.
- The success of this initiative, and moves by the NHS to create a new regional management organisation, led to a motion at the charity’s annual general meeting, asking members to endorse a move to amend the area of benefit from Berkshire to the wider Thames Valley. If the Charity Commission approves the change, members will be asked to confirm it at a subsequent general meeting.
- Running a series of extra online Teen Life courses for parents of autistic 10 to 16year-olds, in addition to those funded by the NHS, thanks to a grant from the Postcode Lottery and funds raised through the Co-operative Local Community Fund, helping us to keep on top of a long waiting list for places.
- Originally introduced as a short-term measure to help parents and carers across Berkshire get together to chat and get information during the third national lockdown at the start of the 2021, the Friday Lunch Break proved popular, so extra funding was secured to run sessions through until the summer of 2022.
- A new activity group for adults at the start of 2022, called Walk & Talk. Like Bear With Me, it is co-ordinated and supported by two people with many years’ experience working with autistic people, including a retired speech and language therapist.
- The group offers members an opportunity to get together fortnightly on Tuesday mornings for a walk and time to chat at locations around the east of Berkshire. Routes in the first few months included country parks, parts of the River Thames path and Windsor Great Park.
- Continued growth of our online presence, where we share key news, resources and services for autistic people and their families, expanding our reach to more potential service users in Berkshire. Our Facebook and Twitter profiles now have nearly 5,000 and 2,000 followers respectively.
We have also given our support to initiatives by other organisations to offer autism-friendly events:
- The Museum of English Rural Life, part of the University of Reading, and Reading Museum were keen to revive activities for autistic people after the Covid pandemic and sought our advice. We arranged for them to talk to parents and carers during a Friday Lunch Break session about activities their children enjoyed. This led to the launch of the new Museums, My Way programme, with events alternating between the two museums.
- Autism in Racing is a project launched by racecourse commentator and broadcaster Bobby Beevers, who is autistic and has an autistic daughter, to encourage autistic people to attend race meetings and educate people involved in horseracing about
6
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
autism. After a series of successful trial events in the North and Scotland in 2021, offering free tickets to families with autistic children and providing a mobile sensory room at race meetings, Autism in Racing came south for the first time in February 2022, with a visit to Ascot racecourse. Most of the families attending had heard about the event through Autism Berkshire.
We have still faced issues in rebuilding our ability to generate income, following the challenges of the pandemic, with many summer community events cancelled for a second year. The society has taken difficult decisions and steps to maintain fiscal sustainability, including moving to a predominantly work from home model for our staff to limit office rental costs and channel resources where they are most needed – services for autistic people and their families in our area of benefit.
Grants from local and national Covid emergency funding schemes again provided a vital source of income to pay for our services, especially with continued high demand for support from individuals and families. Corporate donations and grants have been another valuable source of support while some individual supporters have persevered with their efforts to support us through activities such as the Reading Half-Marathon and fundraising evenings. Although it was not possible to run a joint charity Winter Ball with other Berkshire charities at the end of 2021, the Winter Draw raffle went ahead, raising £300 for our funds and a total of £7,283 for the 11 charities taking part.
There have been some changes to the Board of Trustees, with Sandra Stubbs and Margaret Collum both standing down at the AGM, followed by Conor O’Connor succeeding Richard Flemming as Chair of Trustees after he stood down in February 2022. Darren Browne joined the board during the year and additional people have expressed interest in joining the board.
In summary, 2021-22 has continued to be a challenging time for the society, but the Trustees, staff and volunteers have worked hard to maintain and improve the service offer available. With key services seeing significant demand, and autistic people and their families asking for additional support, we are still supporting people where needed and will work to maintain and develop our service so that we can continue to do so in future years.
## **Statement of Directors' Responsibilities:**
The directors are satisfied that for the year ended on 31 March 2022 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 and that no member or members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Act. However, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011, the accounts have been examined by an Independent Examiner whose report appears on page 9.
The directors are responsible for preparing the report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (Financial Reporting Standard 102 and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs
7
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2022**
of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
• select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements and
• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the 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 company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Berkshire Autistic Society is a public benefit entity.
Approved by the Directors on 21[st] October 2022
Signed on their behalf by Director and Chair of Trustees: Conor O’Connor
8
Independent examlnerfs report to the trustees of *erkshire Autistk Socle
I report on the accounts ofthe company forthe year ended 31 March 2022, whkh are set out on
pa8es 10 to 13.
Respertlve resporn$5bllltles of trnstees and Èxamlntr
The trustees (who are also the dlrectors of the company for the purpx)ses of cornpany lawl are
responslble for Ihe preparation of the account5. The trustees consTrder that an audit is not requlred
for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 {the 2011 Act} and that an Independent
examination is nee(led.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and Is eligible for
independent eXamInatn. it is my responslbillty to:
• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions 8lven by the Charity
Commlsslon under section 14515llb} of the 2011 Act
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
8asls of Ind¢p¢ndent examln¢rfs r•port
My examination was carried OLrt in accordance with the general DitionS 8iven by the Charity
Commission.
An examlnation includes a review of the accountln8 records kept by the charlty and a comparlson of
the accounts presented with those records. It also includes conslderatlon of any unusual items or
disclosures in the accounts, and 5eekln8 explanatlons from you as tru5tee5 concernln8 any such
matters. The pmcedures undertaken do not provlde all the evldence that would be requlred in an
audit and consequently no oplnlon Ss glven as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair vlew,
and the report15 Ilmlted to those matter5 set out In the next statement.
Indep•ndent exarnln•es statement
In connectlon wlth my examlnatlon, no matter has corne to my attenlion:
111 which 8lves me reasonable cause to belleve that In any material SpeCt the requirements..
• to keep accountlng records In accordance wlth section 386 of the Companies ki 2iJ)6 and:
to prepare accounts whlch accord with the accountin8 records. comply with the accounting
requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2(N)6 and with the methods and principle5 of the
Statement of Recommended Practice: Accountin8 and Reportin8 by Charit5 have not been met or
12) to which. in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached
Name: rim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA
Relevant professlonal quallflcation or body-- Chartered Institute of Management Accountsnts
Address: 105 Redhatch Drive. Earley. Readin& RG6 5QN
25 October 2022
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|**Unrestricted**
**_Notes_**
**Funds**
**£**
**Incoming Resources**
**Incoming Resources from Generated Funds**
Grants
26,250
Govt - Small Business Grant
-
Govt - Cronavirus Job Retention Scheme
-
Membership Subscriptions
6,349
Donations
13,221
Fundraising and Collections
2,366
Training Courses
1,000
Bank Interest
23
**Incoming Resources from Charitable**
_1_
-
**Activities**
**Total Incoming Resources**
**49,209**
**Resources Expended**
Fundraising Trading Costs
-
Charitable Activities
_3a_
40,795
Governance
_3b_
1,851
**Total Resources Expended**
**42,646**
**Net incoming/(outgoing) resources**
**6,563**
Total Funds Brought Forward
77,733
**Total funds Carried Forward**
**84,296**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
3,345
-
-
-
155,712
**159,057**
-
159,057
-
**159,057**
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2021/2022**
**£**
26,250
-
-
6,349
16,566
2,366
1,000
23
155,712
**208,266**
-
199,852
1,851
**201,703**
**6,563**
77,733
**84,296**|**_Total_**
**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_18,500_
10,000
33,210
_7,576_
_22,286_
_3,702_
_-_
_65_
_143,936_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_239,275_**|
||||_2,162_
_234,766_
_2,045_|
||||**_238,973_**|
||||**_302_**
_77,431_|
||||**_77,733_**|
10
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022**
|**Current Assets**
Debtors
Prepayments
Cash at Bank and in Hand
**Total Current Assets**
**Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors
Accruals
HMRC PAYE/NI
Deferred Income
_1_
**Total Current Liabilities**
**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**
**NET ASSETS**
**General Funds**
**Restricted Funds**
**Total Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
0
0
91,185
**91,185**
0
4,008
2,881
-
**6,889**
**84,296**
84,296
**84,296**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
25,000
0
86,978
**111,978**
11,514
2,784
-
97,680
**111,978**
**0**
**0**|**31/03/2022**
**£**
25,000
0
178,163
**203,163**
11,514
6,792
2,881
97,680
**118,867**
**84,296**
84,296
**84,296**|**_31/03/2021_**
**_£_**
_1,000_
_0_
165,698|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**166,698**
_427_
_11,661_
2,655
_74,222_|
|||||**88,965**|
|||||**77,733**|
|||||_77,733_|
|||||**_77,733_**|
11
## **Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
53,530
Sub-Contracted Providers
120
Venue Hire
390
Refreshment Costs
20
Travel
82
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
500
Other Activity Costs
0
Storage/Virtual Office
2,049
Insurance
1,773
Telephone
1,494
Printing,Postage,Stationery
122
IT & Web Services
3,179
Small Fixtures Replacement
1,276
DBS Fees
63
Staff Recruitment & Training
-
Subscriptions & Licenses
228
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
308
Overhead allocation
(24,339)
**40,795**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
851
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,851**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
53,530
Sub-Contracted Providers
120
Venue Hire
390
Refreshment Costs
20
Travel
82
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
500
Other Activity Costs
0
Storage/Virtual Office
2,049
Insurance
1,773
Telephone
1,494
Printing,Postage,Stationery
122
IT & Web Services
3,179
Small Fixtures Replacement
1,276
DBS Fees
63
Staff Recruitment & Training
-
Subscriptions & Licenses
228
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
308
Overhead allocation
(24,339)
**40,795**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
851
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,851**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**Total**
**2021/2022**
**£**|**_Total_**
**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_173,785_
_13,804_
_2,003_
_-_
_274_
_4,422_
_1,514_
_20,055_
_1,638_
_565_
_1,809_
_5,476_
_5,539_
_50_
_2,996_
_195_
_641_
_-_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||53,530
120
390
20
82
500
0
2,049
1,773
1,494
122
3,179|91,319
35,381
1,722
148
1,136
2,122
1,434
-
-
70
345
971|144,849
35,501
2,112
168
1,218
2,622
1,434
2,049
1,773
1,564
466
4,150||
||1,276|71|1,347||
||63
-
228
308
(24,339)|0
-
-
-
24,339|63
-
228
308
-||
||**40,795**
-
851
1,000
**1,851**|**159,057**
-
-
-
**-**|**199,852**
-
851
1,000
**1,851**||
|||||**_234,766_**|
|||||_300_
_745_
_1,000_|
|||||**_2,045_**|
12
## **1 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities (Restricted)**
|**2021/2022**
**£**
Deferred Income brought forward @ 1st April, 2021
74,222
Income Received
179,170
Deferred Income carried forward @ 31st March, 202
97,680
Income Released to Income & Expenditure
155,712|**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_35,522_
_182,636_
_74,222_|
|---|---|
||_143,936_|
**We also gratefully acknowledge grants or donations over £250 from the following sponsors:-**
|_Agri-Food Ltd_|_OneSlough Fund_|
|---|---|
|_Amazon Community Fund_|_PayPal Giving Fund_|
|_Amazon Smile_|_R S Brownless Trust_|
|_Baylis Media - Christmas Cracker Appeal_|_Reading Dispensary Trust_|
|_BBC - Children In Need_|_Rory Smyth_|
|_Bracknell Forest Council_|_Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead_|
|_Bracknell Town Council_|_Schroder Charity Trust_|
|_British Science Week_|_Shanly Foundation_|
|_Co-op Local Community Fund_|_Sir Jules Thorn Trust/Ann Rylands Small Grants_|
|_Crowthorne Parish Council_|_Slough Community Wellbeing Fund_|
|_Ecclesiastical Insurance Movement for Good_|_Slough SPACE Project_|
|_Garfield Weston Foundation_|_Southern Co-Operative Healthier Neighbourhoods Fund_|
|_Involve - Bracknell COVID 19 Recovery Fund_|_Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Community Fund_|
|_Jordanne Hayward_|_The Henry Smith Charity_|
|_London Marathon (Fundraising Sponsorships)_|_TK Maxx_|
|_O2 Together Fund_|_Wokingham Without Parish Council_|
## **2 Staff Costs and Numbers**
|Gross Salaries and Wages
Employers' National Insurance Costs
Redundancy Costs
Pension Contributions
Allocated to Fund Raising
Average full time equivalent of employees engaged:
Activities in furtherance of organisation's objects|**2021/2022**
**£**
136,236
6,097
0
2,516
144,849
0
144,849
**2021/2022**
4.09|**_2020/2021_**
**_£_**
_161,961_
_7,953_
_1,054_
_2,817_|
|---|---|---|
|||_173,785_
_0_|
|||173,785|
|||**_2020/2021_**
_4.72_|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. Staff are paid through the PAYE system.
13