## **Connect in the North**
Charity number 1078829 A company limited by guarantee number 03127540
## **Annual Report and Financial Statements**
**for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Connect in the North**
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
## for the year ended 31 March 2022
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 9|
|Examiner's report|10 to 11|
|Statement of financial activities|12 to 13|
|Balance sheet|14 to 15|
|Notes to the accounts|16 to 26|
## **Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **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**
Vicky Hiles Chairperson Maisie Hirschhorn Treasurer Michael Buttery Leanne Johns Kenny Hendy
Appointed 24 February 2021
**Company secretary** Madeleine Fahy **Charity number** 1078829 Registered in England and Wales **Company number** 03127540 Registered in England and Wales
## **Registered and principal address**
Office 45 Sugar Mill Business Park Oakhurst Road Leeds. LS11 7HL
## **Bankers**
Co-operative Bank plc 19/20 Commercial Street Leeds LS1 6AL
2
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors**
## **Independent examiner**
Simon Bostrom FCIE
## **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 17 November 1995. It is governed by its articles of association last amended by special resolution on 25 June 2019. 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.
3
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
The relief of people with learning difficulties within the Leeds Metropolitan area and the North of England.
## **The charity's main activities**
We are a Centre for Inclusive Living led by people with learning difficulties. We work to make things better for people with learning difficulties. We help people with learning difficulties change their own lives through person centred planning. We run training in person centred thinking. We provide an information and signposting services for people with learning difficulties in Leeds.
## **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 ensuring that people with learning difficulties have control of their own lives and equal power in the world.
## **Achievements and performance**
An April 2021 Connect in the North became a Self-Managed team. At the beginning of the year all employees were following the Government Covid-19 guidelines to work from home and to keep safe when working in the office.
4
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
All training continued online although as the rules and guidelines changed some training at the end of the year was in person or blended. We ran Person Centred Awareness Training, 1 Page Profiles, Building Friendship, Person Centred Reviews, the Trouble with Sexting, strength Based Approaches, Writing Good Outcomes, Motivating People to be Healthy and Well, Campaigning and Web Safe Scam Free. We trained 141 people both paid staff and family carers.
We also trained 152 people with learning difficulties. Training for people with learning difficulties included Stamp out Bullying, My Life My Way (which we ran 5 times), Good Relationships, Diversity Awareness, Campaigning and Webwise. We ran an event for people with learning difficulties at Leeds Council Chambers for Uk Parliament week and followed up the event with a session for the International Day of People with Disabilities. We ran an online activity for Inter Faith Week. The Rooots team posted videos and presentations for Black History Month and Chinese New Year.
We worked with some adults with Learning Difficulties supporting them to plan for the future. Our current membership is 379.
In addition, we continued to use the Creative Connections digital money to help people with learning difficulties to increase their skills online skills. We did some work for Learning Disability England about Covid Impact Research and made a short film.
We held popular Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Chats for members to they could meet their friends and make new friends, play bingo take part in the seasonal quizzes and share information about forthcoming events taking place in Leeds. The AGM for members was held on zoom.
5
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
We ran an Information and Signposting service for people with learning difficulties. This includes running a telephone helpline, a weekly drop in on zoom, supporting the Pass it on People to share information across the city. The Through the Maze website has had over 23,136 unique visitors over the year. The building of the Being Employed Leeds website was complete, and we were successful in getting some money Forum Centrals money to cover the costs of maintaining and inputting of information and the running of the website for a year.
On the 1st December Connect in the North moved offices still within The Sugarmill to the office next to the training room. This move makes things a lot safer and easier when delivering training. The Training room is now equipped to deliver blended training sessions this works very well for both professionals and people with learning difficulties. To fit in with the move we changed telephone systems so that all staff members can answer the phone, make phone calls and transfer calls from wherever they are working either the office or at home. All members of staff have now got the equipment they need to work from the office or from home which leads to more flexibility and choice.
## **Financial review**
The net income for the year was £16,388, including net income of £19,332 on unrestricted funds and net expenditure of £2,944 on restricted funds.
6
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Reserves policy**
The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £119,122
In the light of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations' (NCVO) recommendations to ensure adequate cash flow, the board aims to build up unrestricted funds equivalent to six months' total running costs.
At 31 March 2022 the reserves equated to 9.3 months of budgeted total running costs for 2022-23. We recommend that the reserves are higher than six months as we know there will be further future cuts to our Grant and Contract from the Local Authority. We also don't know how we are going to be affected post Covid-19 and if there will be any costs involved once all restrictions have been lifted.
At the time of signing these accounts the charity has been impacted by the global Covid-19 virus. The trustees have reassessed the charity’s ability to continue for at least 12 months from the date that the accounts are approved and conclude that no material uncertainties exist that cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
## **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:
7
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Statement of trustees' responsibilities (continued)**
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.
8
## **Connect in the North Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **Statement of trustees' responsibilities (continued)**
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.
Signed on behalf of the board of trustees:
Signed: ……Maisie Hirschhorn……. (Trustee)
Date: ……27/09/2022…….
9
## **Connect in the North Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Connect in the North**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 12 to to 26.
## **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
10
## **Connect in the North Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Connect in the North (continued)**
- 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
Signed: ……Simon Bostrom FCIE……
Date: ……4 October 2022…..
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House
- 34 Lupton Street
Leeds
LS10 2QW
11
## **Connect in the North Statement of Financial Activities**
## **(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|Notes
**Income from:**
Grants and donations
(2)
Contracts
Services provided for charitable objectives
Bank interest
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Staff costs
(3)
Events and activities
Premises costs
Printing, stationery, post and phone
Other running costs|2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
72,653
76,116
8,555
36
157,360
103,371
1,570
16,754
9,218
4,309|2022
Restricted
funds
£
6,457
-
-
-
6,457
9,262
-
-
-
1|2022
Total
funds
£
79,110
76,116
8,555
36
163,817
112,633
1,570
16,754
9,218
4,310|2021
Total
funds
£
77,477
76,116
191
365
154,149
101,375
3,784
16,368
5,924
3,586|
|---|---|---|---|---|
12
## **Connect in the North Statement of Financial Activities (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|Notes
Professional fees
Accountancy and independent examination
Office equipment
Loss on decommissioned computer
Marketing
Depreciation
**Total expenditure**
**Net income / (expenditure)**
**Fund balances brought forward**
**Fund balances carried forward**
(4)|2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
35
672
616
-
162
1,321
138,028
19,332
102,161
121,493|2022
Restricted
funds
£
138
-
-
-
-
-
9,401
(2,944)
10,226
7,282|2022
Total
funds
£
173
672
616
-
162
1,321
147,429
16,388
112,387
128,775|2021
Total
funds
£
11,901
672
94
233
-
1,421
145,358
8,791
103,596
112,387|
|---|---|---|---|---|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
13
## **Connect in the North Balance sheet**
|**as at 31 March 2022**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
(5)
**Total fixed assets**
**Current assets**
Prepayments
Cash at bank and in hand
(6)
**Total current assets**
**Current liabilities:**
**amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors and accruals
(7)
**Total current liabilities**
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Net assets**
**Funds**
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**Total funds**|2022
Unrestricted
£
2,371
2,371
887
121,115
122,002
2,880
2,880
119,122
121,493
121,493
121,493
-
121,493|2022
Restricted
£
-
-
-
7,282
7,282
-
-
7,282
7,282
7,282
-
7,282
7,282|2022
Total
£
2,371
2,371
887
128,397
129,284
2,880
2,880
126,404
128,775
128,775
121,493
7,282
128,775|2021
Total
£
2,149
2,149
328
116,277
116,605
6,367
6,367
110,238
112,387
112,387
102,161
10,226
112,387|
|---|---|---|---|---|
14
## **Connect in the North Balance sheet as at 31 March 2022**
For the year ending 31 March 2022 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 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
Date: ……27/09/2022……
Signed: …Maisie Hirschhorn…. (Trustee)
15
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **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.
16
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1 Accounting policies (continued)**
## **Incoming resources**
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, 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 Donated assets, facilities or services are valued at their estimated value to the charity. This is the price that the charity estimates it would pay in the open market for equivalent items; or services and facilities of equivalent utility to the charity.
## **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.
17
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **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 costing more than £200 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:
Fixtures, fittings and equipment - 25% straight line
## **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.
18
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **1 Accounting policies (continued)**
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
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.
19
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **2 Grants and donations**
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**2 **|**Grants and donations**|2022|2022|2022|2021|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|||funds|funds|funds|funds|
|||£|£|£|£|
||Leeds City Council (LCC) Joint Commissioning|72,653|-|72,653|76,477|
||Leeds Community Foundation Jimbo's Fund|-|5,457|5,457|-|
||Seeability|-|1,000|1,000|1,000|
|||72,653|6,457|79,110|77,477|
|**3 **|**Staff costs and numbers**|||2022|2021|
||Gross salaries|||£
102,838|£
94,396|
||Social security costs|||8,699|6,724|
||Employment allowance|||(4,000)|(4,000)|
||Pensions|||4,800|3,968|
||Other staffing costs|||296|287|
|||||112,633|101,375|
||The average number employees during the year|was 11, being an|average of 3.5 full time equivalent|||
||(2021: 11.5, 3.7 FTE).|||||
There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.
20
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **3 Staff costs and numbers (continued)**
## **Defined contribution pension scheme**
|**Defined contribution pension scheme**
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year
**Restricted funds**
Balance b/f
£
Employability hub
10,226
Seeability - Creative Connections
-
Community Fund - Jimbo's Fund
10,226|Incoming
£
-
1000
5457
6,457|Outgoing
£
8,401
1000
-
9,401|2022
2021
£
£
4,800
3,968
Transfers Balance c/f
£
£
-
1,825
-
-
-
5,457
-
7,282|
|---|---|---|---|
## **4 Restricted funds**
## **Fund name**
Employability hub
Seeability - Creative Connections
## **Purpose of restriction**
To develop a website to aid people with learning difficulties in Leeds to find employment
To connect with 20 people with learning difficulties to help with IT skills.
Community Fund - Jimbo's Fund
To provide bereavement training to people with learning difficulties and family carers.
21
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **5 Tangible assets**
|**Cost**
£
At 1 April 2021
6,897
Additions
1,543
Disposals
-
At 31 March 2022
8,440
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2021
4,748
Depn reversed re. disposals
-
Charge for year
1,321
At 31 March 2022
6,069
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2022
2,371
At 31 March 2021
2,149
Fixtures, fittings
and equipment|Total
£
6,897
1,543
-
8,440
4,748
-
1,321
6,069
2,371
2,149|
|---|---|
22
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **6 Cash at bank and in hand**
|**Cash at bank and in hand**
Co-op Bank
Cash in hand
**Creditors and accruals**
Creditors
Accruals|2022
£
128,217
180
128,397
2022
£
2,208
672
2,880|2021
£
116,097
180
116,277
2021
£
704
5,663
6,367|
|---|---|---|
## **7 Creditors and accruals**
## **8 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.
23
## **Connect in the North Notes to the accounts continued for the year ended 31 March 2022**
## **8 Related party transactions (continued)**
## **Key management personnel**
Only the trustees have authority at this key level in this reporting year, as in the previous reporting period.
There were no other related party transactions during this year or the previous year.
|**9 **|**Operating leases**|2022|2021|
|---|---|---|---|
||Expected future minimum lease|||
||payments over the remaining life of the
lease, analysed into the period in which|£|£|
||the commitment falls due:|||
||Within one year|1,403|1,403|
||In the second to fifth years inclusive|523|1,926|
24
## **Connect in the North**
## **Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Income**
Grants and donations
72,653
Contracts
76,116
Services provided
8,555
Bank interest
36
**Total income**
157,360
**Expenditure**
Staff costs
103,371
Events and activities
1,570
Premises costs
16,754
Printing, stationery, post, phone
9,218
Other running costs
4,309|2021
Unrestricted
funds
(restated)
£
76,477
76,116
191
365
153,149
99,548
3,784
16,368
5,924
3,572|2022
Restricted
funds
£
6,457
-
-
-
6,457
9,262
-
-
-
1|2021
Restricted
funds
(restated)
£
1,000
-
-
-
1,000
1,827
-
-
-
14|2022
Total
funds
£
79,110
76,116
8,555
36
163,817
112,633
1,570
16,754
9,218
4,310|2021
Total
funds
(restated)
£
77,477
76,116
191
365
154,149
101,375
3,784
16,368
5,924
3,586|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25
## **Connect in the North**
## **Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2022**
|2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
Professional fees
35
Independent examination
672
Office equipment
616
Loss on decommissioned computer
-
Marketing
162
Depreciation
1,321
**Total expenditure**
138,028
**Net income / (expenditure)**
19,332
**Fund balances brought forward**
102,161
**Fund balances carried forward**
121,493|2021
Unrestricted
funds
(restated)
£
2,301
672
94
233
-
1,421
133,917
19,232
82,929
102,161|2022
Restricted
funds
£
138
-
-
-
-
-
9,401
(2,944)
10,226
7,282|2021
Restricted
funds
(restated)
£
9,600
-
-
-
-
-
11,441
(10,441)
20,667
10,226|2022
Total
funds
£
173
672
616
-
162
1,321
147,429
16,388
112,387
128,775|2021
Total
funds
(restated)
£
11,901
672
94
233
-
1,421
145,358
8,791
103,596
112,387|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26