## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
**CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION No: 03750656**
**Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5QN**
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## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
## 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
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## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
CHARITY NUMBER 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION 03750656 NUMBER START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1 APRIL 2022 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31 MARCH 2023 DIRECTORS AT 31 MARCH Conor O’Connor, Chair 2022 Adam Bermange, Treasurer Darren Browne Mark Gauguier (appointed 7 October 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.
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**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
## **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 registered 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 11 part-time members of staff and a team of regular volunteers. There has been some staff turnover, with some staff having to unfortunately depart for personal reasons, but the charity has maintained capacity and service levels. 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 administration 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 and newsletters;
- Running accessible social and leisure activities for children, adults and families;
- Providing autism-specific training and support;
- Working with education, health, emergency and employment services and the six main local authorities in Berkshire to deliver autism-appropriate services;
- Raising awareness of autism in the wider community to promote greater understanding.
We are frequently consulted by Local Authorities and the NHS on autism services and strategies 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:**
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**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
The context in which the charity operates has continued to be challenging as demand for support and access to our services has remained high, with high volumes of referrals from local authorities and key partners. We have also seen large scale restructures of key NHS partners that have presented logistical issues in ensuring smooth continuation of services; it has been our priority at all times that service users do not feel the impact of these administrative changes, sometimes at the charities expense, but we have taken steps to mitigate risks and ensure good connections within our partners where needed.
Staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to not only support as many people as possible within our available resources but also expand the services we have through partnerships and contracts with health bodies and local authorities. Key examples of this are as follows:
1. The Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service, that we provide in partnership with Parenting Special Children, previously on behalf of Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group but now NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & West Berkshire Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), to help autistic children & young people and their families in Reading, Wokingham, and West Berkshire.
- a. This service has continued to see demand that far exceeded levels seen under previous NHS contracts. The number of people registered on our mailing list grew from 710 to ~1,300 this year with individual contacts rising by 31.4% compared to last year’s report from 3,975 to 5,795. We continue to prioritise this well used and valued service and use all the available resources within our contract to support as many people as possible.
2. Drawing on the experience, and success, of the above service a new Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service was launched in late 2022 to transform help for autistic adults throughout the county, following Autism Berkshire being selected by the Frimley Health ICB and the BOB ICB to deliver the service in a competitive tender. While we already support autistic adults through our Bear With Me and 197 Club social groups and our Helpline service, this new contract allows us to not only provide a range of new practical advice and support but also expand our current offers.
- a. The service provides advice and support to autistic adults who do not meet criteria for support from existing specialist services, such as NHS mental health and learning disability teams, and those on the waiting list for adult autism assessments. Parents and carers of autistic adults can also get advice to help them support their relatives.
- b. Existing Helpline support was backed up with one-to-one extended advice sessions and regular face-to-face meet-up sessions, to get instant advice, at locations around the county, including Reading and Maidenhead.
- c. As a charity we are committed to listening to the voices of autistic people and using that to shape our services to be as relevant and useful as possible. Following feedback from adults we received when designing this service we also offer meet-ups for autistic women and for autistic young adults, offering opportunities to meet in a friendly and supportive setting to chat, share issues and ideas and get advice in a relaxed atmosphere, with those taking part encouraged to set the agenda.
3. Completion of Autism Awareness training more than 2,000 frontline police officers throughout the Thames Valley Police area. Officers have learned more about autism and
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**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
been trained to recognise the alert card by staff from Autism Berkshire and our partners Talkback. This was an intensive but worthwhile activity for the charity that saw staff go above and beyond to deliver multiple workshops that have improved the understanding of autism and the capability of police to work with autistic people in the Thames Valley area.
In addition to the above we continue to run a range of well used and received social groups, workshops, training for professionals, and act as a strong advocate for autistic people and their families in our Area of Benefit – often acting as a key conduit between service providers and autistic voices.
There have been some challenges and risks for the charity this year that we have been proactively reviewing and managing:
1. Following further expansion of the Thames Valley regional alert card in 2021-22 we have continued to see high demand for alert cards. While a vitally important service this high demand has not been without its challenges, both in terms of logistics and funding. Due to some staff absence and high demand in other service areas, as well as the need to find alternative income for costs with previous funding coming to an end, we had to pause applications for new cards in Spring 2023 to deal with a small backlog and plan for the future. The trustee board remains committed to this service, evidenced by the fact we funded this for as long as possible out of the charity’s funds when previous grant money was exhausted, and is currently in conversation with potential grant funders to help us cover costs to reopen applications.
2. Our Benefit Advice Service saw a reduction in demand towards the end of the 2022-23 period, in comparison to previous years, but we continued to ensure this service was available, supporting clients to receive £352,969 in benefits payments. This service does have a higher per-client cost than our other services and is slightly at odd with our other services that are free, thanks to our key partners, so the trustee board has agreed to keep this under review to ensure we are utilising the charities resources in the most efficient and effective way for the benefit of our service users.
Throughout the pandemic the trustee board has taken difficult decisions to maintain fiscal sustainability, which has ensured support is still available for autistic people and their families in our Area of Benefit. With more normality returning to life post-Covid and with the national focus switching, and therefore funder focus, to dealing with the surge in the cost of living there have been fewer opportunities for grants for the types of services and support we offer. Support from Berkshire-based funders has remained strong, however, with grants being received to continue operating our vital, and well used, services and social groups.
We are consistently searching for funding opportunities, to offer support to as many autistic people and their families as we can, which often means our staff and volunteers respond quickly to requests, sometimes at short notice. An example of this was Autism in Racing’s mobile sensory room at Ascot Racecourse, which was attended by members of our team. We had just one day’s notice, after another charity dropped out, but the team made the most of the opportunity and raised ~£1,000 in July 2022 thanks to a donation from the racecourse and a collection bucket.
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## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
We have also been fortunate to see a return of community fundraising for the charity, thanks to our amazing supporters and volunteers. In May 2022, for example, Dom Coombes, who attended our trampolining sessions for autistic children and young people at Bracknell Trampoline Centre, and his mother Jo Richardson raised almost £700 for us by taking part in a 5k Tough Mudder cross-country and obstacle challenge event held in Henley, pictured above. The year’s community fundraising activity ended on a high note, thanks to the members of the Chorate Chamber Choir in Reading, who hosted a concert of choral music for Lent and Easter in March that raised almost £900 with a collection at the church, an online fundraising page and a match funding donation from Mondelez International, the employer of one of the singers. We had provided autism advice and support to Mary Chambers, one of the members of the choir, and her family.
Mark Gauguier joined the trustee board during the year and brings considerable legal experience which will greatly benefit the charity as we seek to grow and improve. This means our board is now four strong but will continue to look for opportunities to add to the skillset and experience available to ensure sustainability of the charity in the future.
In summary, 2022-23 has presented the charity with continued challenges around funding and logistics but has seen significant success and growth of services thanks to the commitment and hard work of staff and volunteers. With key services seeing significant demand, and continued positive feedback from service users, we are still supporting people where needed. As we look forward to 2023-24, we will work to maintain and develop our offer to autistic people and their families so that we continue to enhance autistic people’s quality of life and enable them to have maximum independence.
## **Statement of Directors' Responsibilities:**
The directors are satisfied that for the year ended on 31 March 2023 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 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.
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## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2023**
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 10[th] November 2023
Signed on their behalf by Director and Chair of Trustees: Conor O’Connor
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Independent exafflinerfs report to the tru5tee5 of Terkshlre Autistic Socie
I report on the accounts of the companyforthe year ended 31 March 2023. which are set out on
pages 10 to 13.
Respertlve responslbllltles of trustees and examlner
The trustees (who are also the dirertors of the company for the purposes of company lawl are
responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an auditls not required
for this year under sertion 144121 of the Charities Art 2011 {the 2011 Act) and that an independent
examination is needed. The charivs gross income exceeded £250,1 and l am qualified to
undertake the examination by being a qualified member of CIMA.
Having satisfied myself that the charity 15 not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for
independent examination, it is my responsibility to..
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Dirertion$ given by the Charity
Commission under settion 145{511bl of the 2011 Att
• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basls of Independent exarnlnerf5 report
My examlnation was carrled out in accordance with the general Dlrectlons glven by the Charlty
Commlsslon.
An examination includes a review of the accountin8 records kept by the charity and a comparison of
the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any vnusual items or
disclosures in the accounts, and seekin8 explanations from you as trustees concerning any such
matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an
audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair vie
and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
Independent examlnerfs ststement
In connectlon wlth my examination. no matter has conie to my attention:
111 which 8lves me reasonable cause to beIve that in any material respect the requirements:
• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Art 2006 and;
• to prepare accounts whlch accord with the accounting record5, comply wf(h the accounting
requlrements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2C()6 and with the method5 and principles of the
Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met or
121 to whlch. In my opinion, attention sholjld be drawn in order to enable a proper
understandin8 of the accounts to be reached .
Name: rim D Miller MA ACMACGMA
Relevant professional qualification or body- Chartered Institute of Management Accountsnts
Addre55= 105 Redhatch Drive. Earley. Readin& RG6 5QN
Il" November 2023
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Unrestricted**
**_Notes_**
**Funds**
**£**
**Incoming Resources**
**Incoming Resources from Generated Funds**
Grants
6,400
Membership Subscriptions
5,904
Donations
6,273
Fundraising and Collections
3,284
Training Courses
1,650
Bank Interest
1,401
**Incoming Resources from Charitable**
_1_
-
**Activities**
**Total Incoming Resources**
**24,912**
**Resources Expended**
Fundraising Trading Costs
380
Charitable Activities
_3a_
14,021
Governance
_3b_
1,704
**Total Resources Expended**
**16,105**
**Net incoming/(outgoing) resources**
**8,807**
Total Funds Brought Forward
84,296
**Total funds Carried Forward**
**93,103**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
2,251
-
-
-
244,308
**246,559**
-
246,559
-
**246,559**
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2022/2023**
**£**
6,400
5,904
8,524
3,284
1,650
1,401
244,308
**271,471**
380
260,580
1,704
**262,664**
**8,807**
84,296
**93,103**|**_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_**|
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## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2023**
|**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
112,287
**112,287**
367
4,147
6,020
8,650
**19,184**
**93,103**
93,103
**93,103**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
0
0
144,108
**144,108**
1,311
7,573
-
135,224
**144,108**
**0**
**0**|**31/03/2023**
**£**
0
0
256,395
**256,395**
1,678
11,720
6,020
143,874
**163,292**
**93,103**
93,103
**93,103**|**_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_**|
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## **Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
78,643
Sub-Contracted Providers
-
Venue Hire
3,401
Refreshment Costs
44
Travel
427
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
-
Other Activity Costs
-
Storage/Virtual Office
2,370
Insurance
1,923
Telephone
1,609
Printing,Postage,Stationery
133
IT & Web Services
3,391
Small Fixtures Replacement
1,058
DBS Fees
-
Staff Recruitment & Training
36
Subscriptions & Licenses
190
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
260
Overhead allocation
-79,463
**14,021**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
704
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,704**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
122,245
31,281
2,424
781
2,550
1,497
1,624
-
-
92
469
959
1,299
212
1,544
119
-
79,463
**246,559**
-
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2022/2023**
**£**
200,888
31,281
5,825
825
2,977
1,497
1,624
2,370
1,923
1,701
602
4,350
2,357
212
1,580
309
260
-
**260,580**
-
704
1,000
**1,704**|**_Total_**
**_2021/2022_**
**_£_**
_144,849_
_35,501_
_2,112_
_168_
_1,218_
_2,622_
_1,434_
_2,049_
_1,773_
_1,564_
_466_
_4,150_
_1,347_
_63_
-
_228_
_308_
-|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_199,852_**|
||||_-_
_851_
_1,000_|
||||**_1,851_**|
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## **1 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities (Restricted)**
|**2022/2023**
**£**
Deferred Income brought forward @ 1st April, 2022
97,680
Income Received
281,852
Deferred Income carried forward @ 31st March, 202
135,224
Income Released to Income & Expenditure
244,308|**_2021/2022_**
**_£_**
_74,222_
_179,170_
_97,680_|
|---|---|
||_155,712_|
**We also gratefully acknowledge grants or donations over £250 from the following sponsors:-**
_Amazon Smile Louis Baylis Charitable Trust Arnold Clark PayPal Giving Fund Ascot Racecourse Reading Borough Council Baylis Media Cracker Fund Reading Football Club BBC - Children In Need Rory Smyth Berkshire Community Fund Shanly Foundation Berkshire Women's Aid Sir Jules Thorn Trust - Ann Rylands Small Grants Bracknell Town Council Slough CVS Community Impact Berkshire Slough CVS #One Slough Grant Crowthorne Parish Council South Hill Park Arts Centre Earley Charity The Headley Trust Edward Gostling Foundation The Henry Smith Charity Frimley Health and Care The Prince Philip Trust Fund Get Berkshire Active Visa Europe John Sykes Foundation Volant Charitable Trust 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|**2022/2023**
**£**
189,787
8,124
0
2,976
200,887
0
200,887
**2022/2023**
5.49|**_2021/2022_**
**_£_**
_136,236_
_6,097_
_0_
_2,516_|
|---|---|---|
|||_144,849_
_0_|
|||144,849|
|||**_2021/2022_**
_4.43_|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. Staff are paid through the PAYE system.
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