2025-03-31-accounts - Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Charity number 1077122

A company limited by guarantee number 03749034

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2025

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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

Contents	Page
Trustees' report	2 to 5
Examiner's report	6
Statement of financial activities	7
Balance sheet	8
Notes to the accounts	9 to 14

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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 Steven Grisag Chair David Spicer Appointed 25 June 2025 Isla Skinner Julie Ralph Imtiaz Naqvi Matloob Hussain Anne Lindley Resigned 11 November 2025 Company Secretary Joanna Ingham Charity number 1077122 Registered in England and Wales Company number 03749034 Registered in England and Wales Registered and principal address Bankers 11-12 Eldon Place Lloyds Bank plc Bradford 45 Hustlergate West Yorkshire Bradford BD1 3AZ BD1 1NT

Resigned 11 November 2025

Registered in England and Wales Registered in England and Wales

Independent examiner

Alan Dodd FCCA West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was formed on 8 April 1999. It is governed by a memorandum and articles of association, as amended on 23 June 1999. The liability of the members in the event of the company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £1.

Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees of the charity are also the directors for the purposes of company law and are appointed by the members at the AGM.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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

Objectives and activities

The charity's objects

To relieve persons with visual impairment or those labouring under some temporary or permanent incapacity or disability which makes reading a strain by enabling such persons to access information by means of audio or tactile matter.

The charity's main activities

We are committed to enabling any person who cannot access the written word for whatever reason, access to any information they may need or want to enable them to live a full and happy life that they are in control of.

We have, over 35 years, built up a broad range of skills and knowledge in developing and delivering accessible work and presentations. Accessible information is vital for communicating with people who have restricted ability to see and read effectively. We have custom-built audio and filming studios which enables us, with our work groups, to respond quickly to peoples information needs.

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.

Achievements and performance

This year has continued to bring significant challenges, particularly with cuts to funding and the loss of valued staff members. Despite these difficulties, we remained committed to championing accessible information for the communities who need it most.

Our weekly workgroups have worked on a wide range of accessible information for our contracts and our social enterprise clients, staying true to our ethos of coproduction. We have had an increase in numbers of people attending, giving people valuable and meaningful skills and reducing isolation.

It was the final year of our National Lottery funded Hear Our Voice project. Our assistants, all of whom had lived experience, were amazing and a real asset to the project. We wish them every success for the future. To celebrate the end of the project we held an exhibition where participants were able to showcase their work. This was attended by family members, friends and carers, all of who we were in awe of the work.

Changes to the way services were funded and delivered across the wider district meant that we lost funding to some of our local council and NHS commissioned work. We remain committed to renewing these partnerships in the future when things are better for the district as a whole.

Our social enterprise was still active and busy and we produced information for a variety of old and new clients, including Bradford Teaching Hospitals, Bradford Hate Crime Alliance and Mencap.

Our dedicated staff team have worked through adversity with resilience and compassion. I want to express my heartfelt thanks for their unwavering commitment. We have also continued to work closely with our Board to strengthen our financial sustainability.

Challenges with our building have persisted, but we are beginning to see positive change. We’ve started to use our asset strategically to help secure our future, and we feel optimistic about the path ahead.

We would like to thank everyone who has funded us this year, enabling us to continue with our work to ensure that everyone has access to information enabling them to live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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

Financial review

The net expenditure for the year was £111,038, including net expenditure of £118,692 on unrestricted funds and net income of £7,654 on restricted funds, after transfers.

We have lost a lot of our funding and staff over this financial year. We have taken a bridging loan of £100k secured on our building recently to improve our cash flow situation, repayment of which has been extended to 2027.

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were in deficit by £6,524.

It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted free reserves should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six months of expenditure, i.e. between approximately £73k and £146k at current expenditure levels. Clearly we are a long way from meeting these targets, and the trustees are exploring ways of increasing income and reducing costs in order to sustain the charity's viability. In view of the loan taken out in August 2025, the trustees are confident that the organisation can continue trading as a going concern until at least twelve months from the balance sheet date.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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

Statement of trustees' responsibilities

The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and UK Accounting Standards.

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

make judgements and 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;

prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (Charities SORP (FRS102)), and in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by the board of trustees on 13/3/2026

Julie Ralph (Trustee)

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 7 to 14.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

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:

1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2 the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3 the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
4 the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].

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.

Alan Dodd FCCA

14/3/2026

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Statement of Financial Activities

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

Notes 2025 Unrestricted funds £ Income from: Grants and donations (2) 214 Social Enterprise income 18,675 Interest receivable 286 Total income 19,175 Expenditure on: Salaries NI and pensions (3) 85,933 BSL interpreters and translation 1,932 Project expenditure 1,526 Volunteer expenses 674 Rates and water 1,830 Repairs and maintenance 2,467 Heat and light 8,972 Insurances 2,656 Telephone 3,404 Computer and website 8,962 Printing, postage and stationery 733 Subscriptions and sundry expenses 1,158 Bookkeeping and payroll 5,869 Independent examination 1,650 Travel and training 25 Depreciation 20,282 Professional fees and HR support 9,608 Bank charges 122 Total expenditure 157,803 Net income / (expenditure) (138,628) Transfers between funds 19,936 Net movement in funds (118,692) Fund balances brought forward 490,320 Fund balances carried forward (4) 371,628	2025 Restricted funds £ 163,168 - - 163,168 101,268 12,550 9,751 743 11 7,219 1,444 - 32 107 - 439 - - 1,742 - 272 - 135,578 27,590 (19,936) 7,654 - 7,654	2025 Total funds £ 163,382 18,675 286 182,343 187,201 14,482 11,277 1,417 1,841 9,686 10,416 2,656 3,436 9,069 733 1,597 5,869 1,650 1,767 20,282 9,880 122 293,381 (111,038) - (111,038) 490,320 379,282	2024 Total funds £ 293,392 40,074 964 334,430 237,934 18,412 2,048 2,732 2,952 169,246 8,347 2,562 2,824 15,060 695 4,178 6,110 3,191 487 15,192 - - 491,970 (157,540) - (157,540) 647,860 490,320

All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2025 2025 Unrestricted £ Fixed assets Tangible assets (6) 378,152 Total fixed assets 378,152 Current assets Debtors and prepayments (7) 6,307 Cash at bank and in hand (8) 9,191 Total current assets 15,498 Current liabilities: amounts falling due within one year Creditors and accruals (9) 22,022 Total current liabilities 22,022 Net current assets / (liabilities) (6,524) Net assets 371,628 Funds Unrestricted funds General unrestricted funds 371,628 Designated funds (5) - Unrestricted funds 371,628 Restricted funds (4) - Total funds 371,628	2025 Restricted £ - - - 7,654 7,654 - - 7,654 7,654 - - - 7,654 7,654	2025 Total £ 378,152 378,152 6,307 16,845 23,152 22,022 22,022 1,130 379,282 371,628 - 371,628 7,654 379,282	2024 Total £ 378,498 378,498 61,440 72,742 134,182 22,360 22,360 111,822 490,320 451,820 38,500 490,320 - 490,320

For the year ending 31 March 2025 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime and with FRS 102 (effective January 2019).

The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 13/3/2026

Julie Ralph (Trustee)

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

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.

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.

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:

Freehold land: nil Freehold buildings: over 50 years Fixtures and fittings: over 5 years Computer equipment: over 3 years

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies continued

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.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

2 Grants and donations 2025 Unrestricted funds £ Bradford MDC - Department of Work and Pensions - Equality Together - Hale - National Lottery Community Fund - Bradford District and Craven CCG - West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership - Talking Newspapers Federation - Other donations 214 214 3 Staff costs and numbers Gross salaries Social security costs Employment allowance Pensions	2025 Restricted funds £ 75,544 6,818 8,941 16,093 55,772 - - - - 163,168	2025 Total funds £ 75,544 6,818 8,941 16,093 55,772 - - - 214 163,382 2025 £ 174,131 14,391 (5,000) 3,679 187,201	2024 Total funds £ 140,023 1,433 - 31,406 74,483 15,000 27,447 2,600 1,000 293,392 2024 £ 220,673 17,719 (5,000) 4,542 237,934

The average number of employees during the year was 6.8, being an average of 6.3 full time equivalent. 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 £ Accessible Information - Department of Work and Pensions - Equality Together - Hale - National Lottery Community Fund - Warm Spaces - - Restricted funds (prior year) Balance b/f £ Accessible Information - Department of Work and Pensions - Equality Together - Hale - National Lottery Community Fund 48,595 Warm Spaces - Bradford District and Craven CCGs - Innovation Fund - Equipment Fund net value 48 WYHHCP Champions - Big Conversation - Talking Newspapers Federation - Adult Social Care website - 48,643	Incoming £ 73,891 6,818 8,941 16,093 55,772 1,653 163,168 Incoming £ 73,891 1,433 31,406 74,483 - 15,000 26,330 - 27,447 4,802 2,600 35,000 292,392	Outgoing £ 73,891 800 8,941 16,093 34,200 1,653 135,578 Outgoing £ 73,891 1,433 31,406 123,078 - 15,000 26,330 48 27,447 4,802 2,600 35,000 341,035	2025 £ 3,679 Transfers £ - (6,018) - - (13,918) - (19,936) Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	2024 £ 4,542 Balance c/f £ - - - - 7,654 - 7,654 Balance c/f £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

4 Restricted funds (continued)

Purpose of restriction

Fund name Accessible Information

Accessible Information To deliver accessible information in a range of formats including easy read, audio and BSL (British Sign Language) Department of Work and Pensions Access to work grant in respect of one employee. Transfers relate to equipment capitalised in the accounts which was purchased for the general use of the charity. Equality Together Our Lives Our Way project, supporting disabled people to lead happy, healthy lives Hale Citizens engagement. National Lottery Community Fund Hear Our Voice project, to enable and support people with lived experience to gain skills to prepare them for employment. Transfers relate to equipment capitalised in the accounts which was purchased for the general use of the charity. Warm Spaces To deliver welcoming spaces offering families the opportunity to have refreshments and socialise with other families Bradford District and Craven CCGs To deliver accessible information in a range of formats, on health matters. Innovation Fund A partnership project to support people to live independent lives. Equipment Fund net value The value of restricted fixed assets. WYHHCP Champions Funded by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership to fund a member of staff who facilitated a group of people with learning disabilities. Big Conversation Funded by CBMDC Department of Health and Wellbeing, to support organising and delivering a series of workshops with people with learning disabilities across the district. Talking Newspapers Federation Funded the Talking Telegraph, Adult Social Care website Website funded by CBMDC.

Designated funds Balance b/f £ Staff contingency fund 38,500 38,500	Incoming £ - -	Outgoing £ - -	Transfers Balance c/f £ £ (38,500) - (38,500) -

5 Designated funds

Fund name Reason for designation Staff contingency fund This fund represented a provision for redundancy pay in the event that the charity had to cease activities. This fund has been brought within the charity's general unrestricted funds as at 1 April 2024.

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

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	£ 174,387 17,056 191,443 165,365 12,470 177,835 13,608 9,022 Equipment	£ 25,923 2,880 28,803 25,923 720 26,643 2,160 - Fixtures and fittings	£ 454,576 - 454,576 85,100 7,092 92,192 362,384 369,476 Land and Buildings	Total £ 654,886 19,936 674,822 276,388 20,282 296,670 378,152 378,498

6 Tangible assets

Security over assets

Bridge Help Limited has a legal charge over the charity's freehold property at 11-12 Eldon Place, Bradford.

7 Debtors and prepayments Debtors Prepayments Accrued income 8 Cash at bank and in hand Cash at bank Cash in hand 9 Creditors and accruals Creditors Accruals Taxation and social security Other creditors	2025 £ 2,851 3,456 - 6,307 2025 £ 16,766 79 16,845 2025 £ 901 14,899 5,539 683 22,022	2024 £ 36,666 6,491 18,283 61,440 2024 £ 72,661 81 72,742 2024 £ 6,461 12,431 2,589 879 22,360

Bradford Talking Magazines Ltd

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

10 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.

Trustee remuneration and benefits

No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.

Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel

The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £45,137.