## Annual Review 2023-24 Autism Berkshire
## Meeting the challenge of growing demand for support
**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 year provided the opportunity to bed in the charity’s new model of support after the launch of the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service in late 2022, building on the success of the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service, launched in 2021.
Demand for help from both these NHS-funded services continued to grow throughout the year, with adults who had not contacted us previously - and their parents and carers - registering with us daily.
The creation of the adult support service allowed them to benefit from access to individual advice, online workshops focusing on key topics, online social groups and problemsolving and advice meet-ups in Reading and venues across the county.
By the end of the year, more than 1,400 families were registered with the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service, an increase of almost 40% on 2022-23. Its autism
advice workshops continued to attract strong attendances, with many fully booked.
Donations in memory of the late Nancy England, an assistant tutor on our community education courses for autistic adults who died at the start of 2020, were used to fund a successful series of art workshops for adults in the summer of 2023, kindly hosted by Beech Lodge School, on the outskirts of Maidenhead, _pictured above_ . Turn over for more details.
A special highlight of 2023 was the announcement in King Charles III’s first Birthday Honours list that our CEO Jane Stanford-Beale, had been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to autistic young people and their families. Jane visited Windsor Castle with her family in October to receive her MBE medal from the Princess Royal.
_**Please read on to find out more about Autism Berkshire’s work in 2023-24 and how you can get involved and support us.**_
_**Photograph: Chris Forsey**_
**Talking sense about autism.**
Helpline: **01189 594 594** fF **www.autismberkshire.org.uk**
## What people say about Autism Berkshire’s services
_“I have more confidence when parenting my daughter and implemented loads of useful strategies that have greatly improved our everyday lives. I have more confidence when asking the school for reasonable adjustments and I’ve been able to provide them with lots of ideas from these sessions.”_
## **– Parent who attended autism advice workshops**
_“I just wanted to say thank you for all your support. My son got his official diagnosis today from CAMHS for autism. Still awaiting an ADHD assessment and obviously the final reports but thank you for your support along this journey and guidance and parenting courses that I’ve been able to attend, as I don’t believe we would’ve got this far without you guys, so again, thank you so much.”_
## **– Parent of an autistic child**
_“Please may you feed back to Debbie that I am so grateful for her call. Things have really turned a corner after speaking with her. I sat down with K and had a lovely chat about some of the things that Debbie talked about with me. We have a new bedtime routine in place and it’s working so well. K is now able to fall asleep straight away at 7pm each night. It’s actually a miracle!”_
## **– Parent following an appointment for advice after contacting our Helpline**
_“Thanks to Michelle and Anika’s support, I have got on a train for the first time in 5+ years to attend the walking group. I have also received 1-2-1 support with Michelle, and Hazel from Graft Thames Valley, to discuss issues with my volunteer job, which helped a lot as I was going to quit - but having help from you guys I have now got in place monthly supervision and boundaries to continue my volunteer role. So thank you Autism Berkshire, you are making a big difference in my life.”_
## **– Autistic adult helped by Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service**
_“You’ll be pleased to know that one of M’s friends (J), who does trampolining with him, is coming to his birthday party. It’s lovely that trampolining has given M a friend and it’s so good for M’s confidence, reducing anxiety and for fitness too.”_
**– Parent of a child who attended our trampolining sessions** _“The Bear With Me social group is very important to me – it gives me a feeling that ‘my people’ are here and it is a good constant in my otherwise busy life. I have been coming for 15 years.”_
## **– Member of Bear With Me group for autistic adults in Maidenhead**
## In Numbers 2023-24
|**6,030**|**Facebook followers**|
|---|---|
|**3,550**|**Individual contacts with families by the**
**Berkshire West Autism & ADHD**
**Support Service**|
|**3,644**|**Thames Valley and Berkshire Autism Alert**
**Cards in use**|
|**2,070**|**X/Twitter followers**|
|**1,450**|**Families supported by the Berkshire West**
**service**|
|**450**|**Adults and parents/carers supported by the**
**Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service**|
## Building up support for autistic adults
The key focus of our work in 2023-24 was expanding the work of the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service.
After a successful trial of autism advice workshops for autistic adult in early 2023, we launched sessions tailored for their parents and carers in the spring, along with online meet-ups for autistic women and young people.
Face-to-face problem-solving and advice meet-ups for autistic adults and their parents in carers at The Atrium coffee shop at Greyfriars Church in Reading quickly became popular, offering opportunities twice a month for service users to meet members of our adult support team.
While daytime sessions in the east of Berkshire were less successful, adults were able to get face-to-face advice from the service during the weekly meetings of the Bear With Me social group in Maidenhead.
In the autumn of 2023 a Chop & Chat course for autistic adults to boost life skills and social confidence took place at Beech Lodge School, near Maidenhead, _pictured right_ , our first face-to-face course of its kind for adults since the Covid pandemic.
At the start of 2024, Autism Berkshire CEO Jane StanfordBeale began to attend monthly outreach sessions in Newbury organised by employment support Charity Graft Thames Valley, the local community mental health team and mental health charity Sport in Mind, offering autistic adults the opportunity to get specialist advice about a range of issues and support services.
The Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service continued to develop its offer over the year, with an extra workshop for parents and carers of autistic teenagers launched, looking at the mental health and social struggles of teenagers, led by Sarah O’Brien, the author of _So I’m Autistic: An Introduction to Autism for Young Adults and Late Teens_ , who was an Autism Berkshire volunteer while studying at the University of Reading.
Several of the families we support were able to enjoy a free day at the races in March 2024 _pictured below_ , courtesy of Ascot Racecourse, to attend the opening of their new sensory room, the first purpose-build facility of its kind at a UK racecourse, performed by the then Minister for Disabilities, Mims Davies MP. The sensory room is open during all horseracing meetings at Ascot.
An innovation during the year was the launch of Meet the Teams events at Greyfriars Church in Reading, offering an opportunity for people helped by the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service and the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service to speak with our family support workers and adult support mentors.
The first meeting, in late March 2024, was also attended by Buckinghamshire New University nursing lecturer Nathan Green who spoke to autistic adults about the possibility of working as experts by experience in teams training NHS staff as part of the national Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism project.
Autism Berkshire staff members will also be going on a course to become qualified trainers for this project.
Our work to support autism awareness and understanding included regular attendance at autism partnership boards across Berkshire and our CEO Jane Stanford-Beale is a member of several NHS working groups, including one helping to develop a specialist county-wide CAMHS Learning Disability Team, which was launched at the start of 2024.
It offers mental health support for children and young people in the county who have a moderate or severe learning disability, including those with a dual diagnosis of autism, and ensures that they get tailored care, reflecting their individual needs.
Jane also arranged the attendance of several of the young people who attend our trampolining sessions at an event organised by the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West NHS Integrated Care Board to hear about support for the transition to adulthood for young people who are autistic or have learning disabilities.
And Jane and Ruth Pearse, the CEO of our partners Parenting Special Children, met the then Newbury MP Laura Farris in May 2023, to explain how the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service can help families while they are waiting for autism and ADHD assessment, not just post-diagnosis, the length of waiting lists, help for neurodivergent children in schools, and issues with mental health support for children.
Members attending the charity’s annual meeting in January approved a resolution to change to the area of benefit to cover the wider Thames Valley, after the proposal was accepted by the Charity Commission. The change means that we are well placed to benefit from future opportunities that may arise to deliver autism support services in Berkshire and nearby.
The annual meeting also elected two new trustees to the board that oversees the work of the charity, Alison Bates, who works in digital and technology leadership, and Dr Paddy Bullard, who is the head of the Department of English at the University of Reading. Both are parents of autistic children.
## Nancy’s artistic legacy
In 2020 Autism Berkshire received a donation of more than £6,000 raised in memory of the late Nancy England, an assistant tutor on our community education courses for autistic adults and a well-known teacher in Maidenhead.
Nancy, who died at the start of that year, taught at schools in the county for more than 30 years and her family decided to raise funds for us to remember her, asking people who knew Nancy to donate to support projects linked to the arts and encouraging creativity for autistic people.
The Covid pandemic delayed development of a suitable project but in the summer of 2023 we launched free Art in the Summer workshops for autistic adults at Beech Lodge School, just outside Maidenhead.
Nancy’s daughter Sophie _pictured above_ visited one of the workshops to find out more about the project, meet some of those taking part and specialist tutor Susi Hoyle, of Art Splash, and see some of the paintings and drawings created during the sessions
Sophie was so impressed by what she saw that she decided to raise funds to allow us to run another series of art workshops in the summer of 2024.
_**• We would like to thank Beech Lodge School for allowing us to use its art room for the workshops and for hosting special events for our Bear With Me social group for autistic adults.**_
**More information about the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service and all our other services is available on the Autism Berkshire website at: www.autismberkshire.org.uk**
The Benefits Service was closed in the summer of 2023, after helping autistic adults and parents and carers of autistic children and young people to secure more than £1m in benefits awards and back payments since 2014. It was decided to wind up the service due to the challenges of securing long-term funding and the availability of alternative advice services across the county.
## Fundraising
Simon Graves, _pictured_ , got the year’s community fundraising activity off to a flying start by taking part in the Maidenhead Easter 10-mile run on Good Friday 2023 and raising almost £400 for the Bear with Me social group for autistic adults in Maidenhead.
Simon, whose wife is a member of the social group, took up running in 2012 after his GP said he was overweight and at risk of a stroke or heart attack.
Autism Berkshire was the latest beneficiary of his fundraising efforts, as he had previously completed several 10k runs, the virtual 2021 version of the London Marathon and a longdistance cycling challenge to raise money for other good causes, including NHS charities, as he works at St Mark’s Hospital in Maidenhead.
In October, young pianist Jonah Cohen used his musical skills to raise funds to help other autistic people in Berkshire.
The 10-year-old recorded videos playing _Waltz in B Minor_ , by Frédéric Chopin, and _The Herdboy’s Song_ , by Tan Dun, and asked people who enjoyed them to make a donation to Autism Berkshire, to thank us for supporting his family.
The videos are still available to watch on our YouTube channel.
Many charitable trusts and foundations remained focused on supporting projects addressing the high cost of living, limiting opportunities to seek grants to provide support to families and individuals.
The Hargreaves Foundation made a substantial grant to fund our trampolining activities for autistic children and teenagers in Bracknell in 2024.
Berkshire and Thames Valley funders continued to support our work, with the Shanly Foundation once again giving a grant to our Bear With Me social group and the Walk & Talk group secured grants from the Louis Baylis Charitable Trust and the Englefield Charitable Trust, while the Heathrow Community Fund helped us with the costs of providing staff to run both groups.
Bracknell Town Council, which has been a longstanding supporter of our Helpline service for autistic people and their families, made a further £1,500 grant from its community grant fund.
While our community activity has increased after being badly affected by the impact of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, we are keen to increase income from this area in future.
We are able to provide advice and help with publicity and setting up online fundraising pages to anyone undertaking a sponsored challenge to generate donations to our funds.
_• 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_
## Thank you
To our funders and supporters
- Amazon Smile
- The Louis Baylis Charitable Trust
- Blue Array SEO
- The Nineveh Trust
- Bracknell Town Council
- The Oracle, Reading
- Cooper Surgical
- The Shanly Foundation
- Get Berkshire Active
- Twyford & District
- • Heathrow Community Round Table
- Trust
- Wokingham Methodist Church & Chiltern Way Academy
- Omnia Health Group
- Omnia Outsourcing
- To our key partners
- PayPal Giving Fund
- Reading Chorate Chamber • Buckinghamshire, Choir Oxfordshire & Berkshire West NHS Integrated
- • Reading Museums Care Board Partnership
- Frimley NHS Integrated Care Board
- Shine Books
- Simon Graves
- Reading Borough Council
- The Delamere • The Hargreaves
- Dairy Foundation Foundation
## Financial Summary for 2023-24
|Total Income|**£230,000**|
|---|---|
|Grants and Subscriptions|**£220,000**|
|Donations and Fundraising|**£10,000**|
|Expenditure on Charitable Activities|**£230,000**|
|Governance costs|**£2,000**|
|Deficit drawn from reserves|**£2,000**|
|Reserves carried forward to 2024-25|**£91,000**|
Increasing demand for our family and adult support services during the year, combined with a reduction in income, meant that we had to draw upon our reserves to fund delivery of our services. The current year is showing continued high demand for support and we anticipate having to draw further on our reserves, unless new grants or income from fundraising activity can be secured.
**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/23/24/ MBSA34T
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
**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 2024**
## CONTENTS
Pages 3 - 7 Report of the Directors Page 8 Independent Examiner’s report Page 9 Statement of Financial Activities Page 10 Balance Sheet
Pages 11 -12 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 2024**
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
CHARITY NUMBER 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION 3750656 NUMBER START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1 APRIL 2023 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31 MARCH 2024 DIRECTORS AT 31 MARCH Conor O’Connor Chair 2024 Adam Bermande Treasurer Darren Browne Mark Gaugier Dr Patrick Bullard (appointed 6 March 2024) Alison Bates (appointed 6 March 2024) 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 2024**
## **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 multiple special resolutions dated 16/12/2008, 13/10/2015, 02/12/2016, and 06/03/2024 to meet latest requirements or, in the most recent example, expand our area of benefit.
At the society’s Annual General Meeting Conor O’Connor and Adam Bermange were reelected unanimously to serve an additional four year term whilst Dr Paddy Bullard and Alison Bates were elected unanimously to join the board for the first time. This takes the active number of Trustees to six people, all with varying backgrounds and experience, which has increased the capacity and effectiveness of the society’s governance.
During the year we had a peak of 1 full-time member of staff and 10 part-time members of staff and a team of regular volunteers. Two members of staff departed this year, one via redundancy linked to a service closure and another due to a change in personal circumstances. 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 regular work in the office, 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.
4
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **Achievements and Performance:**
While the society no longer needed to contend with the challenges from the coronavirus pandemic the 2023-24 period continued to prove challenging in terms of service demand. The society has strived to deliver good results, safeguard service users and maintain the wellbeing of staff. At all times the society has been wholly focused on improving and supporting the lives of autistic children, young people and adults, their parents, their families and carers. The society continues to review and develop services, started in part due to the need to adapt to the coronavirus challenges, to ensure they are accessible and useful to those that use them across the area of benefit. The society took tough decisions over this period to focus resources on the most effective and relevant services for users, but this was underpinned by consideration of service users and staff at all times.
A notable development for the year was the expansion of the society’s area of benefit to include the wider Thames Valley area, to reflect our pan-regional relevance and to enable us to accommodate more service users, who we have previously turned away or sign-posted to other support, and potentially access alternative funding sources in the future. This change to the articles of association was voted on via special resolution at the society’s AGM in March 2024, following previous discussions in 2021, and approved unanimously.
Demand for support and access to our services has remained exceptionally high, with high volumes of referrals from local authorities and key partners, which has proved a challenge to services during the 2023-24 period. Staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to accommodate as many people seeking support, securing additional financing and resources where possible. In light of this high demand, and to ensure we are using limited resources effectively the Trustees reviewed services we were providing during the year, to examine whether they were still the appropriate and relevant, given the shift to focus on more health based services that are free at the point of use. This review led the difficult decision to close our longstanding Benefits Advice Service at the beginning of the period. This meant a redundancy for one staff member, and the redeployment of another, but with falling demand, high costs and other comparative services available in our area of benefit, the trustees felt it more appropriate to focus our finite resources on delivering on our larger support contracts with key partners such as the NHS. The trustees do wish to record their significant thanks to the staff who ran the Benefits Service while operational, and for securing exceptional outcomes for clients.
## Key successes
- We have continued to operate our NHS Children’s and Adults Services in the face of significant demand, far outstripping the demand expected when the initial contract was issued, supporting as many service users are possible. Despite a key member of the Adult’s service departing at the beginning of the year due to a change in personal circumstances, the society adapted and maintained effective rollout and delivery. The Trustees wish to record their immense thanks and gratitude to the staff for all they are doing to deliver the high quality support they do via these services.
- The Autism Alert Card scheme, relaunched with Thames Valley Police in 2021, has continued to see high demand and applications. The society has brought in additional volunteers over the period to help with the delivery of this, which has increased output and assisted in clearing a slight backlog that resulted from high demand.
5
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
- The charity has experienced a minor issue with a third party taking our design and selling alert cards for Autism, ADHD etc. via online platforms such as TikTok which we are examining and trying to resolve to protect our work.
- Our more recent Walk & Talk activity group continues to see high demand and positive feedback. 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. We are often a trusted partner for researchers and organisations who wish to promote news, projects or findings to autistic people and their families and carers in our area of benefit.
## Funding
The society continues to operate in good order with tight financial management controls and oversight. Despite the significant decline of community fundraising during the coronavirus pandemic we are now starting to see an uptick in fundraising from service users, community events and key partners. This is in part due to the society maintaining focus on securing resources for our services but also testament to the value our services provide; many fundraisers are parents or former service users who want to give something back to the society. This additional resource, whilst smaller than our grant income, is vitally important in ensuring we are able to respond to pressures and maintain our exceptional level of delivery.
Contract income from key partners such as the NHS has reached its highest level in recent years, as a result of the key services we are providing in both the children’s and adults spaces. Due to exceptionally high demand, however, and the high inflationary context without increases in funding permitted, it has been extremely difficult to deliver the services we provide. Staff have worked very hard, and the society has found additional resource to provide support during the cost of living pressures for them, but this has been hard to achieve within the tight financial resources available. The society will always focus on the wellbeing of its staff and volunteers, however, supported by the Trustee board, and take steps to maintain it. Whilst contract income has increased, government grant income has declined, meaning we are still operating within a similar funding envelope.
Corporate donations and grants have been another valuable source of support for the society, primarily in ensuring we can deliver the Alert Card scheme at no cost to service users, while some individual supporters have persevered with their efforts to support us through fundraising events.
The society had intended on bringing on a Company Secretary and Project Manager, but this money was released for other activities during the year.
6
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **Statement of Directors' Responsibilities:**
The directors are satisfied that for the year ended on 31 March 2024 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.
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 22[nd] August 2024
Signed on their behalf by Director and Chair of Trustees: Conor O’Connor
7
Independent examlnerfs report to the trustees of 'Berkshire Autistic Soclet
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31" March 2024, which are set out on
pages 9 to 12.
Respective respon5ibilitie5 of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law} are
responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required
for thi5 year under section 144{2} of the Charities Act 2011 {the 2011 Act) and that an independent
examination Is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is 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 Directions glven by the Charity
Commission under section 14515)(b) of the 2011 Att
to state whether particular matters have come to my attentlon
Basls of Independent examlnerfs report
My examlnatlon wa5 carrled out Sn accordance with the general Directions glven by the Charity
Commlsslon.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparlson of
the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or
disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such
matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be requlred in an
audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and falr vie
and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
Independent examlnerfs statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(11 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and;
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting record5, comply wlth the accounting
requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the
Statement of Recommended Practice.. Accounting and Reporting by Charltles have not been met or
{21 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached
Name: Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA
Relevant professional qualification or body: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
Address: 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Readin& RG6 5QN
23rd August 2024
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Unrestricted**
**_Notes_**
**Funds**
**£**
**Incoming Resources**
**Incoming Resources from Generated Funds**
Grants
9,550
Membership Subscriptions
5,077
Donations
4,824
Fundraising and Collections
4,751
Training Courses
1,500
Bank Interest
3,926
**Incoming Resources from Charitable**
_1_
-
**Activities**
**Total Incoming Resources**
**29,628**
**Resources Expended**
Fundraising Trading Costs
8
Charitable Activities
_3a_
29,614
Governance
_3b_
1,649
**Total Resources Expended**
**31,271**
**Net incoming/(outgoing) resources**
**(1,643)**
Total Funds Brought Forward
93,103
**Total funds Carried Forward**
**91,460**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
434
-
-
-
200,129
**200,562**
-
200,562
-
**200,562**
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2023/2024**
**£**
9,550
5,077
5,258
4,751
1,500
3,926
200,129
**230,190**
8
230,176
1,649
**231,833**
**(1,643)**
93,103
**91,460**|**_Total_**
**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_6,400_
_5,904_
_8,524_
_3,284_
_1,650_
_1,401_
_244,308_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_271,470_**|
||||380
260,580
1,704|
||||**_262,664_**|
||||**_8,807_**
84,296|
||||**_93,103_**|
9
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024**
|**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
99,584
**99,584**
34
4,507
3,583
-
**8,124**
**91,460**
91,460
**91,460**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
15,000
0
73,118
**88,118**
26
2,282
-
85,809
**88,118**
**0**
**0**|**31/03/2024**
**£**
15,000
0
172,702
**187,702**
60
6,790
3,583
85,809
**96,242**
**91,460**
91,460
**91,460**|**_31/03/2023_**
**_£_**
_0_
_0_
256,395|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**256,395**
_1,678_
_11,720_
6,020
_143,874_|
|||||**163,292**|
|||||**93,102**|
|||||_93,103_|
|||||**_93,103_**|
10
## **Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
73,402
Sub-Contracted Providers
-
Venue Hire
245
Refreshment Costs
30
Travel
128
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
-
Other Activity Costs
-
Storage/Virtual Office
2,466
Insurance
1,979
Telephone
1,545
Printing,Postage,Stationery
5
IT & Web Services
3,611
Small Fixtures Replacement
0
DBS Fees
-
Staff Recruitment & Training
27
Subscriptions & Licenses
481
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
237
Overhead allocation
-54,542
**29,614**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
649
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,649**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
105,391
27,520
3,768
451
2,035
250
2,078
-
-
605
1,050
2,619
254
-
0
0
-
54,542
**200,562**
-
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2023/2024**
**£**
178,793
27,520
4,013
481
2,163
250
2,078
2,466
1,979
2,150
1,055
6,230
254
0
27
481
237
-
**230,176**
-
649
1,000
**1,649**|**_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_**|
11
## **1 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities (Restricted)**
|**2023/2024**
**£**
Deferred Income brought forward @ 1st April, 2023
_135,224_
Income Received
150,714
Deferred Income carried forward @ 31st March, 202
85,809
Income Released to Income & Expenditure
200,129|**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_97,680_
_281,852_
_135,224_|
|---|---|
||_244,308_|
## **We also gratefully acknowledge grants or donations over £250 from the following sponsors:-**
_NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB NHS Frimley ICB Twyford & District Round Table Reading Borough Council Englefield Charitable Trust Hargreaves Foundation Get Berkshire Active Shanly Foundation Reading Museums Partnership Omnia Health Group Reading Chorate Chamber Choir Omnia Outsourcing Delamere Dairy Foundation Heathrow Community Trust Simon Graves Louis Baylis Charitable Trust PayPal Giving Fund Bracknell Town Council Nineveh Trust Blue Array SEO_
## **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|**2023/2024**
**£**
166,102
5,870
4,132
2,689
178,793
0
178,793
**2023/2024**
4.75|**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_189,787_
_8,124_
_0_
_2,976_|
|---|---|---|
|||_200,887_
_0_|
|||200,887|
|||**_2022/2023_**
_5.49_|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. Staff are paid through the PAYE system.
12
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
**CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION No: 03750656**
**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 2024**
## CONTENTS
Pages 3 - 7 Report of the Directors Page 8 Independent Examiner’s report Page 9 Statement of Financial Activities Page 10 Balance Sheet
Pages 11 -12 Notes to the Financial Statements
2
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
CHARITY NUMBER 1076217 COMPANY REGISTRATION 3750656 NUMBER START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1 APRIL 2023 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31 MARCH 2024 DIRECTORS AT 31 MARCH Conor O’Connor Chair 2024 Adam Bermande Treasurer Darren Browne Mark Gaugier Dr Patrick Bullard (appointed 6 March 2024) Alison Bates (appointed 6 March 2024) 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 2024**
## **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 multiple special resolutions dated 16/12/2008, 13/10/2015, 02/12/2016, and 06/03/2024 to meet latest requirements or, in the most recent example, expand our area of benefit.
At the society’s Annual General Meeting Conor O’Connor and Adam Bermange were reelected unanimously to serve an additional four year term whilst Dr Paddy Bullard and Alison Bates were elected unanimously to join the board for the first time. This takes the active number of Trustees to six people, all with varying backgrounds and experience, which has increased the capacity and effectiveness of the society’s governance.
During the year we had a peak of 1 full-time member of staff and 10 part-time members of staff and a team of regular volunteers. Two members of staff departed this year, one via redundancy linked to a service closure and another due to a change in personal circumstances. 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 regular work in the office, 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.
4
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **Achievements and Performance:**
While the society no longer needed to contend with the challenges from the coronavirus pandemic the 2023-24 period continued to prove challenging in terms of service demand. The society has strived to deliver good results, safeguard service users and maintain the wellbeing of staff. At all times the society has been wholly focused on improving and supporting the lives of autistic children, young people and adults, their parents, their families and carers. The society continues to review and develop services, started in part due to the need to adapt to the coronavirus challenges, to ensure they are accessible and useful to those that use them across the area of benefit. The society took tough decisions over this period to focus resources on the most effective and relevant services for users, but this was underpinned by consideration of service users and staff at all times.
A notable development for the year was the expansion of the society’s area of benefit to include the wider Thames Valley area, to reflect our pan-regional relevance and to enable us to accommodate more service users, who we have previously turned away or sign-posted to other support, and potentially access alternative funding sources in the future. This change to the articles of association was voted on via special resolution at the society’s AGM in March 2024, following previous discussions in 2021, and approved unanimously.
Demand for support and access to our services has remained exceptionally high, with high volumes of referrals from local authorities and key partners, which has proved a challenge to services during the 2023-24 period. Staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to accommodate as many people seeking support, securing additional financing and resources where possible. In light of this high demand, and to ensure we are using limited resources effectively the Trustees reviewed services we were providing during the year, to examine whether they were still the appropriate and relevant, given the shift to focus on more health based services that are free at the point of use. This review led the difficult decision to close our longstanding Benefits Advice Service at the beginning of the period. This meant a redundancy for one staff member, and the redeployment of another, but with falling demand, high costs and other comparative services available in our area of benefit, the trustees felt it more appropriate to focus our finite resources on delivering on our larger support contracts with key partners such as the NHS. The trustees do wish to record their significant thanks to the staff who ran the Benefits Service while operational, and for securing exceptional outcomes for clients.
## Key successes
- We have continued to operate our NHS Children’s and Adults Services in the face of significant demand, far outstripping the demand expected when the initial contract was issued, supporting as many service users are possible. Despite a key member of the Adult’s service departing at the beginning of the year due to a change in personal circumstances, the society adapted and maintained effective rollout and delivery. The Trustees wish to record their immense thanks and gratitude to the staff for all they are doing to deliver the high quality support they do via these services.
- The Autism Alert Card scheme, relaunched with Thames Valley Police in 2021, has continued to see high demand and applications. The society has brought in additional volunteers over the period to help with the delivery of this, which has increased output and assisted in clearing a slight backlog that resulted from high demand.
5
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
- The charity has experienced a minor issue with a third party taking our design and selling alert cards for Autism, ADHD etc. via online platforms such as TikTok which we are examining and trying to resolve to protect our work.
- Our more recent Walk & Talk activity group continues to see high demand and positive feedback. 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. We are often a trusted partner for researchers and organisations who wish to promote news, projects or findings to autistic people and their families and carers in our area of benefit.
## Funding
The society continues to operate in good order with tight financial management controls and oversight. Despite the significant decline of community fundraising during the coronavirus pandemic we are now starting to see an uptick in fundraising from service users, community events and key partners. This is in part due to the society maintaining focus on securing resources for our services but also testament to the value our services provide; many fundraisers are parents or former service users who want to give something back to the society. This additional resource, whilst smaller than our grant income, is vitally important in ensuring we are able to respond to pressures and maintain our exceptional level of delivery.
Contract income from key partners such as the NHS has reached its highest level in recent years, as a result of the key services we are providing in both the children’s and adults spaces. Due to exceptionally high demand, however, and the high inflationary context without increases in funding permitted, it has been extremely difficult to deliver the services we provide. Staff have worked very hard, and the society has found additional resource to provide support during the cost of living pressures for them, but this has been hard to achieve within the tight financial resources available. The society will always focus on the wellbeing of its staff and volunteers, however, supported by the Trustee board, and take steps to maintain it. Whilst contract income has increased, government grant income has declined, meaning we are still operating within a similar funding envelope.
Corporate donations and grants have been another valuable source of support for the society, primarily in ensuring we can deliver the Alert Card scheme at no cost to service users, while some individual supporters have persevered with their efforts to support us through fundraising events.
The society had intended on bringing on a Company Secretary and Project Manager, but this money was released for other activities during the year.
6
**BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 2024**
## **Statement of Directors' Responsibilities:**
The directors are satisfied that for the year ended on 31 March 2024 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.
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 22[nd] August 2024
Signed on their behalf by Director and Chair of Trustees: Conor O’Connor
7
Independent examlnerfs report to the trustees of 'Berkshire Autistic Soclet
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31" March 2024, which are set out on
pages 9 to 12.
Respective respon5ibilitie5 of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law} are
responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required
for thi5 year under section 144{2} of the Charities Act 2011 {the 2011 Act) and that an independent
examination Is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is 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 Directions glven by the Charity
Commission under section 14515)(b) of the 2011 Att
to state whether particular matters have come to my attentlon
Basls of Independent examlnerfs report
My examlnatlon wa5 carrled out Sn accordance with the general Directions glven by the Charity
Commlsslon.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparlson of
the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or
disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such
matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be requlred in an
audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and falr vie
and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
Independent examlnerfs statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(11 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and;
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting record5, comply wlth the accounting
requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the
Statement of Recommended Practice.. Accounting and Reporting by Charltles have not been met or
{21 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached
Name: Tim D Miller MA ACMA CGMA
Relevant professional qualification or body: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
Address: 105 Redhatch Drive, Earley, Readin& RG6 5QN
23rd August 2024
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Unrestricted**
**_Notes_**
**Funds**
**£**
**Incoming Resources**
**Incoming Resources from Generated Funds**
Grants
9,550
Membership Subscriptions
5,077
Donations
4,824
Fundraising and Collections
4,751
Training Courses
1,500
Bank Interest
3,926
**Incoming Resources from Charitable**
_1_
-
**Activities**
**Total Incoming Resources**
**29,628**
**Resources Expended**
Fundraising Trading Costs
8
Charitable Activities
_3a_
29,614
Governance
_3b_
1,649
**Total Resources Expended**
**31,271**
**Net incoming/(outgoing) resources**
**(1,643)**
Total Funds Brought Forward
93,103
**Total funds Carried Forward**
**91,460**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
434
-
-
-
200,129
**200,562**
-
200,562
-
**200,562**
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2023/2024**
**£**
9,550
5,077
5,258
4,751
1,500
3,926
200,129
**230,190**
8
230,176
1,649
**231,833**
**(1,643)**
93,103
**91,460**|**_Total_**
**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_6,400_
_5,904_
_8,524_
_3,284_
_1,650_
_1,401_
_244,308_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_271,470_**|
||||380
260,580
1,704|
||||**_262,664_**|
||||**_8,807_**
84,296|
||||**_93,103_**|
9
## **BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024**
|**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
99,584
**99,584**
34
4,507
3,583
-
**8,124**
**91,460**
91,460
**91,460**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
15,000
0
73,118
**88,118**
26
2,282
-
85,809
**88,118**
**0**
**0**|**31/03/2024**
**£**
15,000
0
172,702
**187,702**
60
6,790
3,583
85,809
**96,242**
**91,460**
91,460
**91,460**|**_31/03/2023_**
**_£_**
_0_
_0_
256,395|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**256,395**
_1,678_
_11,720_
6,020
_143,874_|
|||||**163,292**|
|||||**93,102**|
|||||_93,103_|
|||||**_93,103_**|
10
## **Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**3**
**Resources Expended**
**a)**
**Charitable Activities**
Payroll Costs
_2_
73,402
Sub-Contracted Providers
-
Venue Hire
245
Refreshment Costs
30
Travel
128
Leaflets & Promotional Materials
-
Other Activity Costs
-
Storage/Virtual Office
2,466
Insurance
1,979
Telephone
1,545
Printing,Postage,Stationery
5
IT & Web Services
3,611
Small Fixtures Replacement
0
DBS Fees
-
Staff Recruitment & Training
27
Subscriptions & Licenses
481
Bank & Fundraising Collection Fees
237
Overhead allocation
-54,542
**29,614**
**b)**
**Governance Costs**
Legal fees
-
Governance Costs
649
Independent Examiners Fee
1,000
**1,649**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
105,391
27,520
3,768
451
2,035
250
2,078
-
-
605
1,050
2,619
254
-
0
0
-
54,542
**200,562**
-
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**2023/2024**
**£**
178,793
27,520
4,013
481
2,163
250
2,078
2,466
1,979
2,150
1,055
6,230
254
0
27
481
237
-
**230,176**
-
649
1,000
**1,649**|**_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_**|
11
## **1 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities (Restricted)**
|**2023/2024**
**£**
Deferred Income brought forward @ 1st April, 2023
_135,224_
Income Received
150,714
Deferred Income carried forward @ 31st March, 202
85,809
Income Released to Income & Expenditure
200,129|**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_97,680_
_281,852_
_135,224_|
|---|---|
||_244,308_|
## **We also gratefully acknowledge grants or donations over £250 from the following sponsors:-**
_NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB NHS Frimley ICB Twyford & District Round Table Reading Borough Council Englefield Charitable Trust Hargreaves Foundation Get Berkshire Active Shanly Foundation Reading Museums Partnership Omnia Health Group Reading Chorate Chamber Choir Omnia Outsourcing Delamere Dairy Foundation Heathrow Community Trust Simon Graves Louis Baylis Charitable Trust PayPal Giving Fund Bracknell Town Council Nineveh Trust Blue Array SEO_
## **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|**2023/2024**
**£**
166,102
5,870
4,132
2,689
178,793
0
178,793
**2023/2024**
4.75|**_2022/2023_**
**_£_**
_189,787_
_8,124_
_0_
_2,976_|
|---|---|---|
|||_200,887_
_0_|
|||200,887|
|||**_2022/2023_**
_5.49_|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. Staff are paid through the PAYE system.
12