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← West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

2025-03-31-accounts

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO Charity number 1076962

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2025

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

Contents Page
Trustees' report 2 to 6
Examiner's report 7
Statement of financial activities 8
Balance sheet 9
Notes to the accounts 10 to 15

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

1

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025

Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors

The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates

Ian Richardson Lydia Groenewald Dipika Kaushal Ogden Makiwa Nigel Sagar Rebecca McCormick Lucillia Grayston Richard Warrington Gary Gordon Helen Fahey

Chair

Resigned 30 October 2024

Charity number

1076962

Registered in England and Wales

Registered and principal address

Bankers

Stringer House Unity Trust Bank plc 34 Lupton Street Four Brindleyplace Leeds Birmingham West Yorkshire B1 2JB LS10 2QW Cambridge and Counties Bank Charnwood Court 5B New Walk Leicester LE1 6TE

Independent examiner

Christopher Darwin FCA Thomas Coombs Limited 3365 The Pentagon Century Way Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8ZB

Structure, governance and management

The organisation was registered as a Charity on 10th August 1999, under the name of Bradford & Leeds Community Accounting Service, trading as WYCAS. The charity was previously incorporated as a charitable company and converted to a CIO on 29th December 2021. It is governed by a CIO constitution which was amended on the 15th February 2022, when the name was changed to West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO.

Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees are elected to serve for a period of three years. There should be no fewer than 4 and no more than 12 trustees, who can be individuals elected by the members or co-opted by the trustees.

2

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025

Trustee Induction and Training

All new trustees receive a trustee induction pack with core information about the charity. They also meet with the Chair and the Chief Executive to look at the responsibilities and time commitments of trusteeship. Trustees are informed of relevant training and development opportunities and materials on an ongoing basis and attend at least 2 strategic planning days per year.

Organisational Structure

The charity is managed by a voluntary Trustee Board, which meets on a quarterly basis, and which makes all major policy, strategic, and personnel decisions. Day to day management and service delivery is the responsibility of the Chief Executive who reports to the Board. There is a staff team of 11 (6 of whom are part time), together with an external Finance Manager who is responsible for the financial management of the charity. The Chief Accountant is responsible for quality and compliance issues.

Risk Management

The trustees have identified and assessed the key risks to which the charity is exposed and are confident that there are systems in place to mitigate them. A corporate risk register is maintained which trustees formally review on a 6 monthly basis. Significant risks to funding have been mitigated in recent years by increasing income from fees and charges. Given the specialised nature of the work we do, inability to recruit and retain staff with the requisite skills (given the highly competitive market) is once again the highest risk the charity faces.

Objectives and activities

The Charity's Objects

• to advance education through the provision of training in financial and management skills to the public and in particular to those involved with voluntary sector and not-for-profit organisations; • to promote the effective financial management and administration of not-for-profit organisations in the direct pursuit of their objects.

The charity's main activities

WYCAS provides accountancy services, advice, information, training and support to the voluntary and community sector so that they can be more effective in meeting the needs of their communities. We mostly operate across West Yorkshire, although we are able to work in any part of the country. To deliver these services we have a small team of dedicated and well qualified accounts staff with a wide range of experience in finance and accounts across the public, private and voluntary sector

Public benefit statement

In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular the advancement of education.

3

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance

In total WYCAS supported more than 500 Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in 2024/25, across West Yorkshire. Having developed links over the last year, we were successful in tendering for advice and training services for Community First Yorkshire, and will begin this work in April 2025.

As in previous years, the groups we work with are involved with a wide range of VCSE areas, including Community centres, Arts & Culture, health, sport, education, climate change etc. The sector has faced a number of financial pressures this year, including increased costs through NI increases, and also through the realities of stagnant contract income over many years beginning to have serious impacts. We are seeing a number of small charities and CICs closing due to lack of funding for the work they do, and in general we have seen a reduction in activity in all areas of our work.

Activity in 2024/2025

Accounts

The majority of our accounts clients are charities who require the preparation and Independent Examination of their accounts. However we also provide accounts for other forms of non - profit organisations, including Community Interest Companies (CICs), and Community Benefit Societies. We again saw an increase in the number of Community Interest Companies being formed, and coming to us for advice on their first year’s accounts. We worked closely with our infrastructure partners on helping to develop good finance and governance practices for a number of these new CICs.

Training

Groups across West Yorkshire can access an annual series of training sessions on key issues such as Budgeting, Cash flow, Bookkeeping Basics, and Financial Responsibilities of Trustees. These are offered free of charge. We work closely with the VCSE infrastructure bodies to ensure that our training offer meets the needs of the sector, and will add in additional topics if requested. We continue to provide an opportunity for finance workers (paid and unpaid) to meet on a quarterly basis to share common issues, get peer support, discuss key topics etc.

Our free monthly cashbook training sessions are always popular and, together with the free cashbook resource, provide groups with a solid basis on which to keep account of spending and income, particularly in respect of restricted funding. Using the WYCAS cashbook can save groups time and effort, help ensure their end of year accounts process is straightforward, and provide reassurance to funders that funding is being well managed by trustees.

We also deliver our ( paid for) one to one QuickBooks training service, which is especially useful for new staff and organisations using this software for the first time.

Advice Services

Our general advice & training services during 24/25 were part funded by the following organisations

4

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

Specialist Advice

During 2024/25 we again offered specialist accountancy advice to groups on a number of different issues, including Gift Aid, tax relief schemes, tax returns, asset transfer, insolvency, CIO conversion, and VAT issues.

Bookkeeping and Management Accounts

We continue to develop this service, with more groups seeking to use us on a regular basis, or to ask for help with remedial bookkeeping, where a group may be behind with day to day record keeping because of illness, for example.

Our impact

Every group that we work with is issued with feedback forms on the services that we provide, and 97% of responses were rated excellent or good. The feedback identified that improvements had been achieved in the following areas:

Organisational developments

In 2024/2025 we faced a number of challenges, with the Bradford & Leeds Council contracts no longer in place, and were grateful for some additional funding via Yorkshire Funders Forum to ensure advice and training services could continue to be offered at no charge. Unfortunately, the anticipated increase in demand from new CICs did not materialise as expected, and the post of Community Accountant specialising in CICs was deleted at the end of 2024.

We were successful in obtaining funding via the VSI Alliance in Calderdale to pilot our innovative ABACUS project. This aims to bring volunteers with finance experience together with groups in need of finance support. The placements are overseen by a WYCAS project manager, who provides support, training and guidance, to both the individual and the group. The project strives to increase the financial sustainability of the VCSE sector, while improving employment chances and skills for those who might otherwise find it difficult to access them.

Partners

WYCAS works closely with a wide range of partners to ensure that we deliver services that meet local need, but are also of high quality. At a local level our infrastructure partners & members (Community Action Bradford, Voluntary Sector Alliance in Calderdale, Third Sector Leaders in Kirklees, Voluntary Action Leeds and NOVA in Wakefield) are vital in helping us reach VCSE groups, and ensuring that we work together to achieve the best possible outcomes. Across Yorkshire we have also continued to link with organisations such Communities First Yorkshire, Forum Central (Leeds), Yorkshire Funders Forum, Business for Good, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and others, to ensure that we can play our part in ensuring a strong, sustainable, community based VCSE sector across our region.

We also continued to work with national organisations such as ACIE, Charity Finance Group, Community Foundations etc. to ensure that the issues and concerns of small charities are reflected at national level. Changes to legislation and practice have been under review this year, affecting Companies House and the Charity Commission. Our team have many years of working exclusively with charity accounts, and are often well placed to identify where changes to legislation will impact on the VCSE sector, sometimes in unexpected ways. As well as being able to advise groups, ensure our systems are up to date etc., our expert staff are also able to contribute to the wider debate.

5

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

Governance

Our trustee board & staff have worked on several important governance issues this year, including reviewing Sustainability and Equalities policies. They have also, given the financial challenges, begin to look at the governance models for Community Accountancy services across the UK, at what good practice is taking place, and if thought needs to be given to how WYCAS runs our services.

Ultimately, though, the importance and value of our work is in the difference we make to the people and groups that we work with. Their positive comments below reflect the calibre of the WYCAS team, and their commitment to doing the very best job for the sector, and for the groups that we work with.

This is fantastic, thankyou for taking the time to sort this out for me. I'm hugely relieved Thanks again, you've made my day.

I’m so grateful for all your help with our accounts……thank you, it’s a pleasure doing business with you

"Your accountants have been amazing, very helpful and considerate. I'd like to make a compliment on working with them on the accounts. Please pass on my thanks .

The WYCAS cashbook has really helped us keep track of our finances and produce annual accounts simply. It deals with multiple funding streams easily and allows us to allocate costs across projects. I wish I had used it from the beginning!

Financial review

The net deficit for the year was £43,669, including a net deficit of £47,017 on unrestricted funds and a net surplus of £3,348 on restricted funds after transfers.

There was a further reduction in local authority funding, with both Leeds and Bradford Councils no longer providing financial support. In common with other organisations in the charity sector, there was also no uplift forthcoming from the other local authorities. This was compounded by a reduction in overall fee income as many groups were faced with closure and others sought alternative ways of meeting their financial responsibilities in a harsher economic climate.

Furthermore the expected growth in business from Community Interest Companies (CICs) did not materialise and unfortunately we had to make a specialist staff member redundant at the end of the financial year. We will continue to review capacity and fees in the coming year.

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £107,887.

The Board has agreed to maintain reserve funds at sufficient levels in order to allow the smooth operation of the charity’s activities. Its policy is to hold free reserves (i.e. unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets) of between 9 and 12 months of budgeted expenditure, which based on projected expenditure for the 2025/26 financial year equates to between £361,657 and £482,210. At the year end, the level of free reserves of £107,887 represented 2.7 months’ projected expenditure.

Clearly this is an ambitious level of reserves given the further cuts to local authority funding and general level of fees, and trustees are currently reviewing their reserves policy for 2025-26 and future years.

Approved by the board of trustees on 4/9/2025

Ian Richardson (Trustee)

6

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 8 to 15.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the CIO's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a fellow of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act.

I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a fellow of ICAEW which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: ……………………………………

Name: Christopher Darwin

Date: 9th September 2025

Christopher Darwin FCA Thomas Coombs Limited 3365 The Pentagon Century Way Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8ZB

7

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Statement of Financial Activities

(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Notes
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
Income from:
Sales and fees
(2)
400,885
Grants and donations
5,000
Bank interest
2,428
Total income
408,313
Expenditure on:
Salaries, NICs and Pensions
(3)
342,891
Associate fees
17,798
Direct costs
63
Software for resale
33,126
Marketing and publicity
-
Professional membership fees
4,843
Staff training and development
4,415
IT costs
14,258
Employment costs
2,408
Phone & Broadband
4,624
Admin costs
10,689
Premises costs
18,500
Governance
179
Depreciation
1,536
Total expenditure
455,330
Net income / (expenditure)
(47,017)
Fund balances brought forward
157,082
Fund balances carried forward
(4)
110,065		 2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
69,242
-
69,242
62,322
2,988
209
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
375
-
-
-
65,894
3,348
-
3,348		 2025
Total
funds
£
400,885
74,242
2,428
477,555
405,213
20,786
272
33,126
-
4,843
4,415
14,258
2,408
4,624
11,064
18,500
179
1,536
521,224
(43,669)
157,082
113,413		 2024
Total
funds
£
390,046
63,977
2,323
456,346
374,461
13,502
508
28,780
86
4,527
2,436
13,036
2,544
4,910
8,488
18,750
899
1,865
474,792
(18,446)
175,528
157,082

All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

8

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2025
2025
Unrestricted
£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
(5)
2,178
Total fixed assets
2,178
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments
(6)
52,690
Cash at bank and in hand
84,980
Total current assets
137,670
Current liabilities:
amounts falling due within one year
Creditors and accruals
(7)
29,783
Total current liabilities
29,783
Net current assets / (liabilities)
107,887
Net assets
110,065
Funds
Unrestricted funds
110,065
Restricted funds
-
Total funds
110,065		 2025
Restricted
£
-
-
-
3,348
3,348
-
-
3,348
3,348
-
3,348
3,348		 2025
Total
£
2,178
2,178
52,690
88,328
141,018
29,783
29,783
111,235
113,413
110,065
3,348
113,413		 2024
Total
£
2,920
2,920
39,010
141,242
180,252
26,090
26,090
154,162
157,082
157,082
-
157,082

The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 4/9/2025

Ian Richardson (Trustee)

9

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and with the Charities Act 2011.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.

Going concern

The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, if it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Sales and fee income represents the amounts recoverable for the services provided to clients, excluding value added tax, under contractual obligations which are performed gradually over time. Revenue is recognised when the amount can be reliably measured and it is probable that economic benefits will flow.

If at the balance sheet date, completion of contractual obligations is dependent on external factors (and thus outside the control of the Charity), then revenue is recognised only when the event occurs.

Services provided to clients, which at the financial reporting date have not been billed, are recognised as amounts recoverable on completion.

Revenue recognised in this manner is based on the stage of completion of services rendered, with reference to the billing profile agreed at the beginning of the engagement.

Grants and donations

Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources. Where grants are related to performance and specific deliverables, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.

Expenditure and liabilities

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.

10

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies continued

Taxation

As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are capitalised and included at cost including any incidental expenses of acquisition. Gifted assets are shown at the value to the charity on receipt.

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost on a straight line basis over their expected useful economic lives as follows: Office equipment: over 4 years Fixtures and fittings: over 5 years

Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are recognised in the year they are payable.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

Leases

Rents under operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term or to an earlier date if the lease can be determined without financial penalty.

11

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

2 Grants and donations
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
Community Action Bradford & District(CABAD)
-
Calderdale VSI Alliance
-
Third Sector Leaders Kirklees
-
Nova Wakefield
-
Abacus Project
-
Sir George Martin Trust
5,000
5,000
3 Staff costs and numbers
Gross salaries
Social security costs
Employment allowance
Pensions		 2025
Restricted
funds
£
6,091
15,000
10,000
17,554
20,597
-
69,242		 2025
Total
funds
£
6,091
15,000
10,000
17,554
20,597
5,000
74,242
2025
£
359,957
33,451
(5,000)
16,805
405,213		 2024
Total
funds
£
21,561
15,000
10,000
17,416
-
-
63,977
2024
£
338,229
25,763
(5,000)
15,469
374,461

The average number of employees during the year was 13, being an average of 10 full time equivalent (2024: 12.6, 9.8 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.

Defined contribution pension scheme
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year
4 Restricted funds
Balance b/f
£
Abacus Project
-
CABAD
-
Calderdale VSI Alliance
-
Third Sector Leaders Kirklees
-
Nova Wakefield
-
-		 Incoming
£
20,597
6,091
15,000
10,000
17,554
69,242		 Outgoing
£
17,249
6,091
15,000
10,000
17,554
65,894		 2025
£
16,805
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2024
£
15,469
Balance c/f
£
3,348
-
-
-
-
3,348

Fund name

Abacus Project

CABAD

Calderdale VSI Alliance Third Sector Leaders Kirklees Nova Wakefield

Purpose of restriction

To provide financial skills training and support to individuals and groups in West Yorkshire

Towards the cost of Community Accountancy services in Bradford Towards the cost of Community Accountancy services in Calderdale Towards the cost of Community Accountancy services in Kirklees Towards the cost of Community Accountancy services in Wakefield

12

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

5
6
**7 **		 Tangible assets
Cost
At 1 April 2024
Additions
At 31 March 2025
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024
Charge for year
At 31 March 2025
Net book value
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
Debtors and prepayments
Debtors
Prepayments
Other debtors
Creditors and accruals
Trade Creditors
Fees received in advance
Accruals
Taxation and social security		 £
2,268
-
2,268
1,326
343
1,669
599
942
Fixtures
and fittings		 £
9,656
794
10,450
7,678
1,193
8,871
1,579
1,978
2025
£
45,754
6,138
798
52,690
2025
£
5,949
7,074
950
15,810
29,783
Office
equipment		 Total
£
11,924
794
12,718
9,004
1,536
10,540
2,178
2,920
2024
£
33,475
3,989
1,546
39,010
2024
£
5,191
4,843
850
15,206
26,090

13

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

8 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

During the year 2 trustees were paid a total of £179 in respect of travel (previous year: 2 trustees and £192).

Trustee remuneration and benefits

One trustee received a remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.

Details of remuneration and benefits
Ian Richardson
Bookkeeping services
Legal authority for the payment		 2025
£
165
165		 2024
£
-
-

The legal authority for the payment is via a provision within the charity's governing document.

Members of the Board of Trustees received no other remuneration or benefits

Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel

The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £35,419 (previous year: £34,392).

Other related party transactions

The charity received funding from four groups who are members of WYCAS. The funding awarded to the charity in the year was £6,091 (Previous Year: £21,561).

The payroll is administered by Bradford Community Payroll and Accounts, a subsidiary of CABAD, who are members of WYCAS. Payroll fees in the year amounted to £1,515 (2024: £1,515).

The charity occupies its premises on commercial terms, with rent of £18,500 (2024: £18,750) being paid. The premises are owned by Voluntary Action – Leeds.

9 Contingent liability

During the year, a potential contingent liability has arisen from an employee grievance which may proceed to an employment tribunal, in respect of which the trustees are unable to quantify a final liability (if any) which may arise on the charity.

14

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025

2025
2024
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds
funds
£
£
Income
Sales and fees
400,885
390,046
Grants and donations
5,000
-
Bank interest
2,428
2,323
Total income
408,313
392,369
Expenditure
Salaries, NICs and Pensions
342,891
310,484
Associate fees
17,798
13,502
Direct costs
63
508
Software for resale
33,126
28,780
Marketing and publicity
-
86
Professional membership fees
4,843
4,527
Staff training and development
4,415
2,436
IT costs
14,258
13,036
Employment costs
2,408
2,544
Phone & Broadband
4,624
4,910
Admin costs
10,689
8,488
Premises costs
18,500
18,750
Governance
179
899
Depreciation
1,536
1,865
Total expenditure
455,330
410,815
Net income / (expenditure)
(47,017)
(18,446)
Fund balances brought forward
157,082
175,528
Fund balances carried forward
110,065
157,082		 2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
69,242
-
69,242
62,322
2,988
209
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
375
-
-
-
65,894
3,348
-
3,348		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
-
63,977
-
63,977
63,977
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
63,977
-
-
-		 2025
Total
funds
£
400,885
74,242
2,428
477,555
405,213
20,786
272
33,126
-
4,843
4,415
14,258
2,408
4,624
11,064
18,500
179
1,536
521,224
(43,669)
157,082
113,413		 2024
Total
funds
£
390,046
63,977
2,323
456,346
374,461
13,502
508
28,780
86
4,527
2,436
13,036
2,544
4,910
8,488
18,750
899
1,865
474,792
(18,446)
175,528
157,082

15