**Charity Number 1077053** **Annual Report and Financial Statements** **Year ended 31st August 2025** ## **Freeflow Counselling Services** ## **Reference and administrative details** |Trustees|Mr Gordon Howley| |---|---| ||Mrs Lindsay Cunningham| ||Miss Mahvish Ayaz| ||Ms Kirsty Street| |Chief Executive Officer|Ms Edel McGinn| |Principal address|BPRCVS| ||62-64 Yorkshire Street| ||BURNLEY| ||Lancashire| ||BB11 2BT| |Bankers|Unity Trust Bank PLC| ||Nine Brindleyplace| ||Birmingham| ||B1 2HB| |Registered Charity Number|1077053| |Independent Examiner|M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA| ||KM| ||1stFloor, Block C| ||The Wharf| ||Manchester Road| ||Burnley| ||Lancashire BB11 1JG| 1 ## **FREEFLOW COUNSELLING SERVICES** ## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025. ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** To provide emotional and mental health support by the provision of counselling and supportive help to those in need. To empower people to take control of their own lives and to make choices about their own direction. To give support and information to those who ask for help. To recruit and maintain appropriately trained counsellors and offer ongoing support and liaison with other training and supervision agencies. ## **PUBLIC BENEFIT** The trustees confirm that we have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit reporting in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. ## **REVIEW OF THE YEAR** Freeflow Counselling Service continues to provide a free, confidential counselling service for adults aged 16+ across the community. Despite an increasingly challenging landscape for the voluntary sector, demand for emotional and mental health support has remained consistently high, highlighting the ongoing need for accessible, face-to-face counselling services. Throughout the year, Freeflow has continued to receive excellent feedback from both service users and referring professionals, reflecting the quality and impact of the support provided. Referrals continue to come from a wide range of agencies across the community, although we actively encourage self-referrals wherever possible, as this supports client engagement and personal responsibility within the therapeutic process and helps reduce missed appointments. One particularly encouraging development this year has been the continued increase in male clients accessing counselling support. Historically, men have often been less likely to seek help for emotional and mental health difficulties, so this shift represents a significant achievement in reducing stigma and increasing accessibility to support for all members of the community. Freeflow currently benefits from the dedication of 18 volunteer counsellors, including 3 bilingual counsellors, enabling us to support a diverse range of clients. We have also continued to see a significant increase in requests for trainee placements, reflecting our reputation as one of the few local services committed to offering face-to-face counselling opportunities. At the end of August 2025, our waiting list remained manageable compared to previous years due to the continued growth and commitment of our volunteer workforce, although demand remains high and increasingly difficult to meet. The pressure on mental health services has continued to intensify, with rising referrals, increasingly complex presentations, and growing financial pressures across the sector. Meeting this level of need while maintaining a free service to the community has become more challenging than ever. Despite these pressures, Freeflow has remained committed to ensuring that those most in need continue to have access to safe, professional emotional support. 2 ## **Main achievements during the year include:** Schools Counselling Service Our Schools Counselling Service has continued to grow and remain a vital part of Freeflow’s work. We currently hold contracts with 19 local primary and secondary schools, ranging from 3 hours per week to 46 hours per week, delivering a combined total of over 175 counselling hours each week. This work continues to provide an important income stream which subsidises the free community counselling service, supports the school counselling team, and contributes to management and supervision costs. Our commitment to maintaining a face-to-face service has enabled us to secure new contracts and strengthen existing partnerships with schools who recognise the value of accessible emotional support for children and young people. Our Service Manager, Edel, has continued to review and adapt risk assessment procedures throughout the year to ensure that both school-based and community counselling services operate safely and effectively. ## Talking Therapies Partnership Freeflow has continued to deliver Talking Therapies support in partnership with Lancashire Women Centre to support the local ICS. Once again, this partnership has been a significant success. We exceeded the agreed annual target by a substantial margin, supporting 425 clients against an agreed target of 300. This achievement was formally recognised by both the ICS and our partners, who commended the team’s commitment and effectiveness. As a result, the contract was renewed, with an increased target for 2025-2026. This work remains of huge importance, as it not only enables us to support more people in need but also contributes significantly to the sustainability of Freeflow’s wider free counselling service. ## **Our Team** Freeflow currently has a passionate and committed team of 12 school counsellors alongside our dedicated team of 19 volunteer counsellors. Their professionalism, compassion and commitment continue to be at the heart of everything we do, and they deserve recognition for the invaluable support they provide to our clients and community. Freeflow continues to thrive because of this commitment, even in increasingly difficult circumstances. Edel continues to review and update policies and procedures to ensure that Freeflow works within expected NHS and professional guidelines. Alongside Judith, she has also continued to develop assessment and monitoring systems to ensure that the charity collects the data required for service evaluation, quality assurance and contractual reporting. Each client assessment captures key demographic and wellbeing information including age, location, ethnicity, referral source, GP details, physical and emotional health, caring responsibilities, financial circumstances, employment, substance use, and presenting issues. In addition, all clients are offered the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on the counselling they receive. These evaluations are closely monitored by management and are used to continually improve the service. Feedback consistently demonstrates that the service is highly valued and beneficial to those who access it. 3 Freeflow also continues to maintain close working relationships with other counselling and support services throughout the district. ## **Impact in the Community** We know that our work makes a meaningful difference not only to the adults, children, young people and families who access our services, but also to the wider community. We are immensely proud of the referral network we have built over the last 28 years, working in collaboration with local authorities, schools, GP practices, partner agencies and community organisations within BPRCVS to ensure support reaches those most in need. While demand continues to rise and financial pressures make service delivery increasingly challenging, Freeflow remains committed to adapting, growing and responding to the needs of our community. ## **Thanks** We remain blessed to have fantastic and loyal volunteers, supported by our CEO and Service Manager Edel — a highly motivated and talented leader — alongside a committed and hardworking team. As Chair, I would like to thank our volunteers, counsellors, schools who commission our services, NHS partners and the wider community for their continued support. As we reflect on another worthwhile and successful year, it is clear that the coming twelve months are likely to present even greater challenges. Demand for mental health support continues to increase, resources remain stretched, and charities such as Freeflow must work harder than ever to meet community need. Our strategy remains focused on ensuring that we are best placed to respond effectively and sustainably. My final words are to thank everyone involved with Freeflow for their hard work, dedication and continued support. Special thanks must go to Edel, whose leadership, resilience and determination have helped Freeflow navigate some of its most challenging periods. Her commitment ensured that schools continued to honour contracts, staff remained supported, and Freeflow continued not only to survive but to grow. I would also like to thank Judith for her ongoing support in helping secure and develop the Talking Therapies contract, which continues to strengthen the charity’s future. Freeflow will continue to offer young people, adults, couples and families the excellent confidential service it has become renowned for. ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** The receipts and payments account are on page 7. This shows an excess of payments over receipts of £17,200. Unrestricted fund balances are £94,007 at the year end. The charity’s reserves policy is to maintain three months of expenditure, which equates to approximately £65,000. The excess is held to further the work of the charity. 4 ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The charity is controlled by its constitution and is an unincorporated charity. The board of Freeflow Counselling Services are elected from the membership organisations which make up the network. The board meets on a regular basis to conduct the business of the charity. ## **Risk management** The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The charity ensures that all staff and counsellors comply with its safeguarding policy and appropriate DBS checks carried out. Approved by the trustees on 23[rd] June 2026 and signed on its behalf by: Mr Gordon Howley Chair of Trustees 5 ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FREEFLOW COUNSELLING SERVICES** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] August 2025. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity's trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and 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** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: - (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by Section 130 of the Act; or - (2) the accounts do not accord with those records. 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. M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM, Chartered Accountants 1[st] Floor, Block C, The Wharf Manchester Road Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JG 23[rd] June 2026 6 ## **FREEFLOW COUNSELLING SERVICES** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** ## **Year ended 31[st] August 2025** |**RECEIPTS**
Donations
School Income
Miscellaneous
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
Total Receipts
**PAYMENTS**
Staff costs (inc Employer NI, Pensions)
Supervision
Counselling fees
Donation
Operating costs
Accountancy fees
Payroll fees
Total payments
Net of receipts (payments)
Cash funds brought forward
Cash funds carried forward|**Unrestricted **
**funds (£)**
31.8.25
5,468
174,800
-
57,992|**Unrestricted **
**funds (£)**
31.8.25
5,468
174,800
-
57,992|**Unrestricted **
**funds (£)**
31.8.24
2,861
151,479
155
81,899|**Unrestricted **
**funds (£)**
31.8.24
2,861
151,479
155
81,899| |---|---|---|---|---| |||238,260||236,394| |||68,943
12,973
145,148
227,064
769
25,995
1,380
252||56,615
11,318
136,913
204,846
750
21,054
1,260
240| |||255,460||228,150| |||||| |||(17,200)||8,244| |||||| |||111,207||102,963| |||||| |||**94,007**||**111,207**| 7 ## **FREEFLOW COUNSELLING SERVICES** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES** |**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**|| |---|---| |**As at 31st August 2025**
**CASH FUNDS**
Bank current account
**LIABILITIES**
Independent examination/accountancy
PAYE, NIC & Pension|**31.8.25**
**31.8.24**
94,007
111,207| ||1,000
1,000
2,910
8,000| Approved by the trustees on 23[rd] June 2026 and signed on its behalf by: Mr Gordon Howley Chair of Trustees 8 ## **FREEFLOW COUNSELLING SERVICES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** - 1 Basis of preparation These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. - 2 Fund Accounting: Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity. - 3 Taxation The charity is not liable to tax on its charitable activities. The charity is not registered for VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the expense to which it relates. - 4 Transactions with trustees No remuneration nor expenses were paid to trustees or any persons connected with them during the year or previous year. - 5 Related parties There were no related party transactions during the year. 9