Charity for hearing loss
Croydon Hearing Resource Centre
(CHRC)
Unit 12B Capital Business Centre, 22 Carlton Road, South Croydon, CR2 OBS
Annual Report
&
Financial Statements
2023—2024
Registered Charity No. 1081376
Private company limited by guarantee in England
Registered No. 4015700
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PAGE
CONTENTS
| Aims & Objectives | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview of the Organisation’s Operations | 4 | |
| Chair’s Annual Report | 5-6 | |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 7 | |
| Statement of Financial Activities | {FS 1) | 8 |
| Balance Sheet | (FS 2) | 9 |
| Notes to Financial Statements | (FS 3) | 10 |
| Notes to Financial Statements cont. | (FS 4) | 11 |
| income & Expenditure | (FS 5) | 12 |
| Trustees’ Report | (FS 6) | 13 |
| Trustees’Reportcont. | (FS7) | 14 |
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Aims and Objectives
Aims
The aims of the organisation are to offer on-going practical and emotional support to the clients and their families with the hope that the positive services we provide will restore their self-confidence and enable them to return to live as normal a life as possible. We also aim to encourage self-worth and the right to retain independence.
Objectives
The objectives of the charity are:
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Oo The relief of persons suffering from hearing sensory loss, in particular but not so as to limit the generality of the forgoing.
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Give help and support to sufferers from hearing sensory loss, whether or not they are members of the Charity and provide advice and support to their families of such sufferers.
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Provide information likely to benefit those suffering from a hearing sensory loss
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Encourage the employment of those suffering from a hearing sensory loss.
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Educate the general public as to the needs of those with a hearing sensory loss.
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© Provide meeting places for social, educational and recreational purposes.
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Co-operate with the Local Authority and Area Health Authority and other statutory and voluntary services in the provision of information and services for those suffering from a hearing sensory loss and to make and accept referrals relating to such persons to and from the Local Authority, Area Health Authority and other statutory services.
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Advise members of the Charity and persons eligible for membership and their families regarding pensions, disability awards and employment.
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Our services in the community
CHRC is a proactive organisation providing services for adults with a hearing loss.
Equipment assessments for deaf adults.
Hearing aid maintenance and aftercare to support the NHS service.
Provision of practical support, information and advice.
Working links with other voluntary sector and statutory organisations for primary and secondary needs.
Croydon Hearing is a voluntary service that has been providing direct support to people with a hearing loss for over 40 years. Working closely with Croydon Council’s Sensory Impairment Team, Croydon University Hospital Hearing Centre and supporting Health Care Workers in the community by:-
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© Providing information and practical support to people using hearing aids through basic maintenance, re-tubing, supplying batteries, and ensuring hearing aids are worn correctly. This service is available from our Centre in Croydon, in each locality at our community surgeries and home visits.
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o Offering initial hearing testing.
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oO Providing emotional support and insertion practice, referred from Croydon University Hospital Hearing Centre and as we identify clients struggling.
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Identifying directly and taking referrals from other organisations to encourage isolated people to attend independent Social Support Groups where appropriate enabling them to cope better with a hearing loss and to maintain their independence in the community.
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Delivering the contract for environmental equipment on loan from Croydon Council; giving information, advice and support for people and their families.
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Supporting Deaf Awareness Week.
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Offering advice on Deaf Awareness Training for carers and residential/nursing homes on a self-financing basis.
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© Promoting issues regarding hearing impairment at all levels through society and to commercial and statutory institutions.
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Working across Croydon’s diverse community to remove the barriers that some groups may experience.
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o Collaborating with a number of individual and umbrella voluntary organisations in Croydon.
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Chair’s Report 2023-24
it was agreed after the Annual General Meeting in November 2023 that the position of the Chair should be shared between two trustees as the co-manager method has been a successful role model for the charity. Therefore it was voted that David Rose and Mary Saunders would share the Chair position. This was agreed at the ist April 2024 Trustees Meeting. On behalf of the charity we would both like to thank Peter Brown, who had held the Chair for seven years for his support and for skillfully steering the charity through some of the most difficult times including Covid and the uncertainty of funding especially during the last 12 months. We are pleased to accept his offer of remaining on the board of trustees.
0 otals
The activity plan shows overall that the number of services has continued to decline as the service delivery has changed following the pandemic. We are increasingly providing practical services in the community which can often take more time than services over the phone.
Due to the continuous problems with 19 Stafford Road, we have provided fewer services in the office. We no longer offer services at the centre as the new office is now solely an admin base. Our efforts are now more focused to collaborate with other organisations in the community, which enables our service to be bought closer to where people already socialise and live.
All the clients’ visits are now by appointment, enabling us to be more flexible and to manage our resources where they are needed. There has been an increase in new clients which is due to our collaborative work and the improved marketing strategy in the community. This has included improving our work with GP surgeries through social prescribing as well as working with social workers and other Council services.
We started providing a hearing test surgery at Selsdon, this was necessary as the Resource Centre was no longer available due to a lack of space.
Unfortunately the number of home visits has reduced. This was due to training, changes in our work with the Council to incorporate some work with the deaf /blind community, as well as staff sickness.
We have become more community focused, which creates its own challenges in locating suitable sites that are both accessible for our clients and affordable to us. The Thornton Heath Community location had to close, but we were lucky to be able to re-locate to the St Albans the Martyr Church at their community hub. During this year we collaborated with; Croydon Community Partnerships, Selsdon Baptist Church, Croydon Mosque, David Lean Cinema, Elis David Almshouses, Rainbow Medical Centre - where patients have no permanent address, Brigstock Road Community Hub, New Addington Community Hub, Woodside Community Hub, Capital Business Centre - Meet and Mingle, and the Macular Society.
We finally vacated the office at Stafford Road on the 1st September 2023 after giving 6 months notice to the landlord. We had already secured our new office space at Capital Business Centre, South Croydon, and were able to complete our move over several weeks in an organised fashion reducing decades of paper and office furniture that had become redundant. We also had the support of Steve Frieze removal company to help our physical move, as well as with the shredding and the disposal of large desks. Furniture we could not bring with us was offered to other
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charities that needed it. This move was essential after a catalogue of disasters which had made the Stafford Road office untenable. The move was imperative for the health of our staff and our clients. The negotiations of the dilapidation report with the landlord will continue into the next financial year, as the demand for the cost of repairs are extremely unreasonable. The issues were caused by his domestic tenants living above the office, with leaking pipes that damaged the ceilings on a number of occasions and blocked the sewage soil pipe flooding the office floors twice. Negotiations with the landlord have been particularly difficult as communication has been very slow and the terms are yet to be settled. We thank Cluttons for their support in trying to finalise this problem.
The Capital Business Centre is a serviced office environment and should save money on reduced rent, as we require less space, and the utilities, as they are included. This had taken an immense amount of time and stress for our two Managers, Karen Barber and Vanessa Ledgister who work part-time, so a special thanks to them for their perseverance.
We are pleased that the equipment service contract, we provide on behalf of Croydon Council, was renewed for a further 24 months from the ist August 2023. This contract was sent out to tender in April 2023 and there was no guarantee that we would retain it as there were other applicants. We hope that our success was due to the Council valuing our experience and dedication to the people we have served in Croydon.
Initially it was thought that our NHS grant was secure until March 2025 but this sadly was not the case. The grant was submitted as a new business case for renewal in January 2024. Usually it has been agreed by the South West London integrated Care Board (ICB), however, this time it was escalated up the chain to NHS England and had still not been agreed by the end of the grant year.
it was agreed to upgrade our database. This has become urgent as the current system has become unstable and is no longer supported by Microsoft. It was agreed that a new Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) should be commissioned. This has been under discussion for sometime but we were waiting for the outcomes of the two funding steams, Croydon Council and the NHS to be confirmed. In addition, and on the advice of our accountants, we also agreed to update our current Quickbooks accounting system to the Xero software to assist us all and the Treasurer.
It should be noted that that there are three members of the staff who are enrolled under the Government’s Auto Enrolment Pensions Scheme. There have been no staff changes during this year.
Although we are grateful to both Croydon Council and the South West London ICB, their funding is for a limited time, both are continually considering their own financial positions which could have an impact on outsourcing services to organisations like ours. Other avenues of funding are being researched for new projects that we can provide.
Besides all of the trials that lay ahead over the next twelve months we hope that the value of our service is realised by both funders and service users. We also hope that they appreciate our wonderful staff and volunteers that change and adapt to continuously improve the support available to the people of Croydon.
Sadly we have to announce the death of Derry McLellan in August 2023. He was a Trustee and later our Chair, who for over nine years dedicated his knowledge and advice in support of CHRC. As a service user he hardly ever used his hearing aids!
We are eternally grateful to everyone that continues to donate money to the charity to help us maintain the services.
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Joint Chair of Trustees Joint Chair of Trustees OU" June 2024
David Rose Mary Saunders
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Registered Company number: 1081376
CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES
| report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2024 which are set out on pages 8-13.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the 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 company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, | report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination | have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
When the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2017 Act. | confirm that | am qualified to undertake the examination because | a member of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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e accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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e the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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e 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
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e 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.
| 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.
StephenPalmer McCarthy,Hole, FCCA [hehe te * Chartered Certified Accountants Suite 70, Capital Business Centre, 22 Carlton Road, South Croydon, CR2 OBS
La. 2004
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE GENTRE
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 34ST MARCH 2024
nr
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||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|General|Restricted|
|Notes|- Fund|Funds|Total Funds|2023|
|£|£|£|£|
|income and|Expenditure|
|Incoming|Resources|:|
|Fundraising,|Legacies|and|Donations|
|Christmas Draw|719|-|719|735|
|Donations|6,471|-|6,471|10,259|
|Subscriptions from Members|6,435|-|6,435|7,545|
|Gift Aid|2,059|-|2,059|2,452|
|Miscellaneous|Income|2|-|2|995|
|Charitable Activities|
|London Borough of|Croydon|-|64,919|84,919|64,817|
|Croydon NHS CCG|-|47,516|47,516|46,676|
|Ros Harding Trust|7,000|-|1,000|1,500|
|Investment|income|
|Interest received|1,600|-|1,600|371|
|Total Income|18,286|112,435|130,721|135,350|
|Resources|Expended|
|Direct Charitable Activities|4|11,488|$9,808|111,296|108,383|
|Management and|Governance Costs ofthe Charity|5|5,773|32,304|38,077|43,159|
|Total Expenditure|17,261|132,712|149,373|-|151,542|
|Net incoming resources before transfers|4,025|(19,677)|(18,652)|(16,192)|
|Transfers between funds|-|-|-|-|
|Net movement in funds|‘|~|-|-|“|
|tt|
|Reconciliation|of funds:|,|
|Net incoming resources for the year|1,025|(19,677)|(18,652)|(16,192)|
|Fund|balances|brought forward|at|
|ist April 2023|422,505|19,677|142,182|158,374|
|Fund|balances|carried|forward|at|
|3ist March 2024|123,530|0|123,530|142,182|
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The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
The Statement of Financial Activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006
- The notes on pages attached foim an integral part of these accounts
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
BALANCE SHEET
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AS AT 31ST MARCH 2024
a Then teense penne
Notes 2024 2023
CURRENT ASSETS £ £ gE £
Debtors 6 4,216 ~
Prepayments 7 1,780 “
Cash at bank and in hand 126,308 143,400
182,304 143,400
CREDITORS : amounts falling due
within one year 8 8,774 1,218
NET CURRENT ASSETS 123,530 142,182
NETASSETS 123,530 142,182
FUNDS AND RESERVES
General Fund 123,530 87,074
Restricted Funds 0 55,108
9 123,530 142,182
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For the year ended 31 March 2024 the 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 company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect fo accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
Approved by the board of directors on 26 June 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
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Ma ers
Director
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s
CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 Aeern pp
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1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
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Basis of Accounting
The accounts (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) (second edition) - (‘Charities SORP (FRS102)), the financial reporting standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006.
The Company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102
The accounts are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity.
2 Going Concern
in preparing these financial statements the Directors have reviewed future cash flow forecasts and budgets and consider that future activities of the Company will generate sufficient cash to allow the Company to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. Having carefully considered the Company's financial plans and position, including the impact of Covid-19, the Directors are confident in the Company's ability to meet its targets. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting.
3 Taxation
The company, being a registered charity would be generally exempt from corporation tax and income tax, and therefore no provision for tax has been made in these accounts. It is not exempt from Value Added Tax, and irrecoverable VAT is therefore included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
- 4 Income and Expenditure
Income and expenditure is included in the financial statements on an accruals basis.
income is recognised when the charity is entitled fo it, the amount can be reliably measured and receipt is probable.
Expenditure is allocated to expense headings either on a direct cost basis, or apportioned according to management estimates of time spent or space occupied, as appropriate.
DIRECT CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE
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General Restricted Toial
Fund Funds Funds 2023
£ £ £ £
Salaries and National Insurance 11 A88 96,332 107,820 104,356
Environmental & Hearing Aid Equipment - 1,659 1,659 2,137
Travelling Expenses & hire of halis . - 1,817 1,817 1,890
Training - - - -
11,488 99,808 114,298 108,383
id
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 34ST MARCH 2024 enone eraser nr
nee
5 MANAGEVIENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHARITY
| General Fund |
Restricted Fund |
Total Funds |
2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| OfficeRent OfficeEquipment Rentals Printingand Stationery Telephone/lntemet Postage Insurance BuildingMaintenance Trustees’Expenses |
- - - - - - - - |
18,060 - 41,235 6,244 2,165 2,193 2,407 - |
48,060 - 4,235 6,244 2,165 2,193 2,407 - |
18,000 1,081 620 7,872 1,208 1,764 4,877 - |
|
| Advertisingand Publicity Training AGMexpenses Independent Examination Legal Fees |
8 - 13 960 - |
- - - - - |
8 - 13 g60 - |
122 600 213 360 - |
|
| Other | 4,792 | - | 4,792 | §,842. | |
| 5,773 Sa |
32,304 See |
38,077 Sone———— |
43,159 |
6 No director received any remuneration in the year.
‘DEBTORS:
;
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2024 2023
Croydon [Council] £ - £ -
SW London NHS CCG 3,960 -
SSE 124 -
Pozitiv Energy 182 -
4,216 -
PREPAYMENTS:
2024 2023
Office £ £
Deposit 1,780 -
CREDITORS: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
2024 2023
Ros £ £
Harding Trust - Restricted Funds 2024/25 2,100 -
Croydon Council - Restricted Funds 2024/25 5,414 -
Membership advances 60 16
independent Examination 960 960
Other Creditors 240 243
8,774 1.218
FUNDS AND RESERVES
As at ist Incoming As at 31st
Income April 2023 Resources Expenditure March 2024
Croydonand Expenditure Account: £ £
NHS Council 19,677 64,919 84,596 0
Ros 0 47,516 47,516 0
Harding 0 0 0 0
19,677 _ £112,435 182,112 0
As at ist Incoming As at Sist
Income April 2022 Resources Expenditure March 2023
Croydon and Expenditure Account (2023) £ £
Council 52,711 64,817 97,851 19,677
NHS 0 46,676 46,676 0
Ros Harding 0 1,500 1,400 0
o2.111 £112,993 146,027 19,877
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
INCONE AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 ne ene
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|INCOME|Notes|2024£|2023£|
|Donations and|Legacies|15,686|21,986|
|Charitable Activities|113,435|112,993|
|Investment|income|1,600|371|
|Total Income|130,721|135,350|
|EXPENDITURE|
|Salaries and|Other|Direct Charitable Expenditure|4|411,296|108,383|
|Administrative|Expenses|5|38,077|43,159|
|Total|Expenditure|149,373|151,542|
|NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) FOR THE YEAR|(18,652)|(16,192)|
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
The Trustees present their report of Croydon Hearing Resource Centre for the year ending 31 March 2024.
1 Legal and administrative information
The company was incorporated on 12 June 2000 as a company limited by guarantee (registered number 04015700) and is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission (number 1081376). The affairs ofthe company are governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The liability ofthe members in the event ofthe company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £10 for each member. On I October 2000 the company took over the work being carried out by the charity “Croydon Hard of Hearing Project” together with its assets and liabilities and staff employment contracts.
Those who served as Trustees at any time during the year were:
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|Name|Appointed|Retired|
|Mary|Saunders|25|June 2012|-|
|Sandra Worrall|13 June 2013|-|
|Peter Brown|28 June 2016|-|
|David Rose|17 November 2020|-|
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The registered office of the company and the place from which it carries out its work is:
19 Stafford Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 4NG
Organisations appointed to advise and assist the company are:
Bankers: Barclays Bank PLC 1 North End, Croydon CR9 1RN
- 2 Developments, activities and achievements during the year
See “Trustees’ Annual Report”
[3
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CROYDON HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
3 Directors’ Responsibilities
Company Law requires the directors to prepare accounts for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state ofaffairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing those accounts the directors are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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Follow applicable accounting standards, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts:
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Prepare the accounts ona going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position ofthe company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets ofthe company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Signed on behalf of the directors
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David nose
(Chairman)
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Approved by the directors on 26 June 2024
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Registered Office;
Croydon Hearing Resource Centre Unit 12B Capital Business Centre
22 Carlton Road
South Croydon
CR2 OBS
Telephone: 020 8686 0049
Email Address: hello@croydonhearing.org.uk
Website: www.croydonhearing.org.uk In partnership with:
CROYDON www.croydon.gov.uk
Delivering an integrated care system.
Charity for hearing loss
LIVING e CARING e¢ HEARING
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