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2024-03-31-accounts

2024

The Avenues Youth Project Charity number: 1090210 Company number: 04045031

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Contents

Contents
Company information page 2
Report of the Executive Committee 3 - 17
Report of the Auditors 18
Statement of fnancial activities 21
Balance sheet 22
Statement of cashfow 23
Notes to the fnancial statements 24 - 33

Company information

PATRONS

Susan Aglionby OBE, Founder Dame Karen Buck DBE Gill Fitzhugh MBE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jennifer Marshall (Chair) Corrina Ralph – resigned 29 February 2024 Tony Bonnar – appointed 03 April 2024 Virginia Ashton Julia Court Cllr Eartha Pond Geoffrey White Graeme Miller Russell Keir Tutt Cristina Fedi – resigned 29 September 2023 Louisa Gregory Chris Murray

COMPANY SECRETARY

Geoffrey White

CHARITY OFFICES

3-7 Third Avenue, London W10 4RS

COMPANY NUMBER

04045031

CHARITY NUMBER

1090210

AUDITORS

Azets Holdings Limited Regis House, 45 King William Street, London EC4R

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Paddy Barnes

BANKERS

Royal Bank of Scotland 175-177 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SH

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Report of the Executive Committee

The members of the Executive Committee present their report with the financial statements for the financial year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the provision of section 1A ‘Small Entities’ of Financial Reporting Standard 102.

Objectives and Aims

The charity’s objects are to:

We review our aims, objectives, and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months.

It also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remain focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the members of the Executive Committee (being our charity’s trustees) consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

Our Vision

We believe that every child and young person should have the opportunity to realise their potential, whatever their life circumstances.

Our Mission

Our mission is to deliver high quality recreation activities and skills training to young people in West London, to help them fulfil their potential and boost their long-term outcomes.

Our Values

  1. Safe and compassionate - taking our role as trusted adults seriously to provide a kind, respectful and supportive approach to others.

  2. Positive and joyful - inspiring everyone to be themselves, get creative, discover new interests and forge strong friendships.

  3. Empowering - creating opportunities and empowering young people to fulfil their potential.

  4. Trustworthy – delivering high standards of conduct and reliability and keeping our promises.

  5. Committed to community - striving to understand and represent the needs of local young people and to improve their outcomes.

Safeguarding

The charity puts children and young people’s best interests at the heart of all that we do, so our commitment to keeping our service users safe is paramount. The Avenues acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports, or suspicions of abuse in a professional and speedy manner.

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is reviewed and updated annually to make sure The Avenues promotes best practice and works in a way that prevents harm of any sort, including bullying, abuse, and coercion, and that staff, volunteers and partners recognize when this may be happening and what to do about it.

All staff, unsupervised volunteers and youth work contractors are required to obtain an enhanced DBS certificate and attend an induction which includes Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training as well as Safeguarding and Child Protection training. This training must be completed before coming into contact with the young people who use our service.

A repeat DBS check is obtained for all staff, qualifying volunteers and members of the Executive Committee every three years. Refresher Safeguarding and Child Protection training is provided to both Staff and members of the Executive Committee including the designated Safeguarding Lead at least every two years.

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Report from the Chair Jennie Marshall

This year it is a privilege to start my report by highlighting the achievements of Carol Bent, who joined The Avenues as a youth worker in 1979, and for nearly 40 years led The Avenues, acting as an inspirational leader, motivator and father-figure for generations of local young people. He is justifiably known as “Legend” and it is not too much to say that he established the underlying values and foundations on which Avenues continues to grow. In the King’s 2023 Birthday Honours, Carol was deservedly awarded the British Empire Medal for services to young people in the City of Westminster. We were all so pleased and proud, and immensely grateful to Carol for his enduring legacy. Although he has stepped back from his workload he remains involved and has taken on the task of helping to plan our Heritage Project, reaching out to previous Avenues members to hear their stories, explore where they started and where they have ended up. We hope this will be an exciting project giving our current members a chance to explore the history of the club and, by extension, their community and its heritage, providing them with inspiration for their own futures. We look forward to celebrating this with them later this year.

Following a year of rapid rise in attendances by young people in 2022-23, this last financial year reflected the charity’s strategy of consolidation. Nevertheless, we saw a further annual rise in our membership and we are enormously grateful to all our generous supporters and funders who made it possible to provide for this increase. We do not seek growth for the sake of it - the goal is to meet demand for our services, as far as funding can support. Improving the quality of our work, is however, a perennial target.

Upskilling our youth workers is key to improving quality, and we encourage all our staff to keep learning and progressing. It was rewarding that another 10 of our young people completed their Level 1 youth work qualification while studying for their GCE’s and A levels. This year we extended that initiative by providing training for Level 2 and 3 qualifications and we are proud that four of our youth workers have successfully passed their Level 3 qualifications, with yet more taking up the training. Behind the scenes we are also working to improve the quality of the entire organisation, and we have recruited some excellent additions in roles such as finance, fundraising and impact evaluation, as well as organising further

updating of our building, which our Chief Executive describes in more detail in his report.

This is important because the Young Westminster Youth Foundation research, to which we contributed, and on which their Needs Analysis report 2023 is based, clearly showed that youth workers and youth organisations provide vital safety and support for young people in Westminster.

Knife crime in London increased by a worrying 18.6% in the year to August 2023 and knife crime remains a prevalent concern for young people in North Westminster; many feel unsafe in the area they live in. Carrying weapons was described by young people as necessary for their protection rather than to do harm, suggesting this practice has become increasingly normalised. They feel that the police are unable to offer enough support or protection and that youth clubs are regarded unequivocally as the most important source of support for young people after their family and friends.

One parent said:

“Avenues for the children is home from home. I say that they are my son’s second family. The staff, the encouragement, the mentors, the group work. Young males growing up in the urban community can see there’s more to life than the environment we’re living in. They can see there’s opportunities and it makes their minds more focused, you live what you learn. When you go through the doors at Avenues it’s a safe haven - for us it has been a life saver.”

We are fortunate to have such a loyal, dedicated and professional staff, led so effectively by Chief Executive Paddy Barnes and Programme Director Carol Archibald, who work tirelessly to provide this support and security. A huge thank you to them and to our Executive Committee members, who willingly give their time and expertise when needed, to try to make sure that all who become members of The Avenues receive the best possible experience.

Finally, I am delighted to share the news that London Youth have awarded The Avenues their Gold Quality Mark, the sector’s badge of excellence, for a further three years. Our team has once again demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement and rigorous standards across a broad range of criteria and I congratulate everyone involved.

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Jennie Marshall

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Activities & Achievements Chief Executive - Paddy Barnes

Established in 1979, The Avenues is a best-in-class youth centre that continues to go from strength to strength. We provide free-to-access youth work 6 days a week, for 47-48 weeks a year, through a variety of recreational and educational activities that aim to build self-confidence, restore self-esteem and bring happiness and hope to the lives of our young members.

At the time of writing, it is a few weeks since the fatal shooting of a 15 year old child in a park, 150 metres from The Avenues Youth Project. Our charity’s founding purpose was not to deal with the impact of serious youth violence, but that has certainly become an important role we play in the lives of the 1000+ young people who come through our doors each year.

Youth workers are in a sense a frontline defence against violence and anti-social behaviour, providing personal support within the young person’s community. Solving the problem of youth violence is multi-faceted but the answer is as much in providing safe spaces and positive role models as it is about removing weapons. A London School of Economics report (2024)

1,152 unique children and young people attended The Avenues over the year.

671 young people on free school meals.

shows a clear link between a 10% rise in the cost of living and increases in violence, robberies, shoplifting and burglary over the past year. It is clear that too much inequality and not enough opportunity produces criminality.

In an area like ours, which suffers more than its fair share of economic and social disadvantage, we work hard to provide as many opportunities as possible that engage and inspire our young people to fulfil their potential. The high quality service we provide may seem costly, but not funding youth clubs like ours is a quantifiably false economy. We are encouraged by an increasing recognition – across the political spectrum - of the role that youth clubs can play in reducing youth violence and anti-social behaviours.

When young people have nothing to do and nobody to support them the collateral damage can be dire; impacting on their physical health, mental health, education outcomes, employment prospects and involvement in the criminal justice system, and a vicious circle is set in motion. Instead, we model positive behaviours and provide clear pathways that help our members avoid the multiple temptations that are offered to young people at risk.

It is thanks to our wonderful array of funders that we are able to offer so many opportunities to young people. For the second year running, our income and expenditure exceeded £1million, a milestone reached through the successful implementation of our sustainable income plan, the main objective of which is to establish multiple sources of income, and continually develop them, so that we are not overly dependent on any single funder.

We are indebted to our long list of supporters once again, too many to thank individually here, but all listed in this financial report. However, particular credit must go to Westminster City Council, who, having cut funding to youth services down to zero by 2017, have been steadily reversing that trend, and have recognised the importance of our work with a range of project, capital and environmental grants

90% of our young people came from the 40% most deprived areas in UK

during this financial year. This support has afforded us several significant improvements to our building, which was showing its age in many places, and provided us with solar panels and other carbon-reducing measures that have helped reduce our energy bills and improve our long-term sustainability.

Alongside the multiple recreational and sporting projects we

provide, we continue to introduce our teenage members to skills and employment pathways, with another 10 young people concluding our accredited, in-house Level 1 youth work training programme. Within our projects, the voices and opinions of young people sit centre stage, with our new podcast channel on

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Spotify a platform to share this content publicly.

I would like to praise our exceptionally skilled and caring team of staff, both those delivering frontline youth work and those working behind the scenes to run our operation so smoothly. Our trustees also deserve huge credit for tirelessly providing their expertise, wisdom and support to me and my team.

Our beneficiaries

The Avenues Youth Project serves children and young people aged 8-18 in West London, centred around Queen’s Park Ward in North Westminster, one of the 10% most deprived wards in the UK, where one in five residents live in overcrowded housing (seven times the national average).

Growing up in our area is not easy, and as you get older it becomes fraught with dangers. The Mozart Estate has a long history of violence with those from neighbouring postcodes, making it a genuine risk for young people to even travel outside their patch. Yet, aside from The Avenues there are scant recreational opportunities for children and young people in the vicinity, especially for those on low incomes, where many parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet, but are faced with ever-increasing rents, food costs and energy bills. This is why we provide all our

services free of charge to our members, why we provide a nutritious meal in almost every session, and why we run a minibus service in the evenings to return young people home safely.

In the 12 months to 31 March 2024 we have delivered over 4,200 hours of youth work for our membership of 1,152 children and young people, a 17% increase on last year, which itself was a 58% increase on the 2021-22 year.

83% of our members are people of the Global Majority, and many of them face multiple disadvantages stemming from poverty and lack of opportunity.

Despite all the challenges they face, once our members walk through our doors, they feel safe, connected and respected. Our team of youth workers led by Programme Director, Carol Archibald, helps build their self-esteem and resilience to help resist the malign influences and temptations that cross their paths, and show them positive pathways.

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Theory of Change

Our organisational theory of change sets desired outcomes for young people in each project in the context of their environment and wider society.

Our Impact and Evaluation Manager helps the youth work team gather data, then analyses the findings and reports back to funders and other stakeholders.

These are our six organisational outcomes, against which we will measure the impact of all our projects:

We collect data to measure progress towards our Theory of Change through a variety of methods, measuring progress at set points throughout the year whilst being conscious not to ask too much of the young people who engage with our service. During the last 12 months, these are just a few of our findings:

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

“I come to The Avenues because it’s very very very fun!”

“The Avenues is really good to me. My friends here are important, if they weren’t here, I would have no one to play with and that would make me feel isolated.”

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

A selection of programme highlights and achievements

Focus on Learning Zone

The aim of our weekly homework club, Learning Zone, is to enhance the literacy and numeracy skills of the individuals who attend. We specifically target those transitioning from primary to secondary school as well as students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Our theme for this year revolved around assessments, ensuring that all learners attending Learning Zone were adequately prepared to undertake upcoming exams in their various schools. Private tutoring and external academic support can be prohibitively costly, so our high-level academic support 402 young people attended is free-to-access. one of our after-school One notable success during this year was our increased engagement with SEND students. following programmes (“The Zone” and a conscious effort to provide additional “The Secondary Zone”). resources and support to aid these Oo students. A prime example of this is

One notable success during this year was our increased engagement with SEND students. following a conscious effort to provide additional resources and support to aid these students. A prime example of this is

Megan (not her real name), a young learner with substantial learning needs who initially displayed reluctance towards attending the Homework Club, not wanting to spend her free time completing additional schoolwork. However, through consistent encouragement and tailored assistance, Megan since chose to attend every week and has demonstrated commendable progress with her learning.

As demonstrated by Megan’s positive experience, an individualised approach for some learners can be essential for them to thrive. This often isn’t possible in busy school environments, but we are able to offer this unique environment for learners to go at their own pace and feel supported by our teachers and youth workers throughout. Moving forward, we plan to further expand our efforts in working with SEND students.

We believe we have successfully equipped all our learners with the necessary tools and knowledge required to excel in their upcoming examinations, projects, or assignments in school. This was evidenced by the 95% of year 6 students that we worked with achieving a 100+ pass grade in 2023.

Focus on mental health champions programme

This new programme seeks to equip young people aged 11-16 with the knowledge, skills and confidence to assist their peers with mental health challenges. Mental health training is delivered over six weeks, to cohorts of eight young people, covering areas including mental health awareness, self-care and coping mechanisms, active listening, stigma and discrimination reduction and skills for helping others. Participants gain the tools they need to become effective mental health champions within The Avenues and wider community through interactive workshops, group discussions, practical activities and real-world application.

To deliver the training, our experienced youth worker team is supported by mental health facilitators from Mind and 414 young people attended Westminster’s Integrated Gangs Unit. our weekend sports activities For the participants, this has become an empowering and (Sporty Saturdays and important addition to our programme. For those needing support, Saturday Seniors). it provides a first step prior to more formal support.

“I genuinely feel like I can talk and be heard. I was going through stuff, and they really did help with it. If I ever did need anything I can just go to them. They are genuinely there for you, the staff and the children. I love the connection there, it’s like a second home.”

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Focus on Mic Drop and Releasement

The Mic Drop programme is aimed at local young people aged 13-18 with a talent and passion for music, who need guidance, knowledge, experience and confidence to pursue a potential career in the music industry. Mic Drop is led by trained youth workers who are also experienced music industry professionals. It provides a fantastic grounding in all aspects of music creation and production, including lyric writing, composition, arrangement and sound engineering.

Lasting for six months, with two intakes of up to 12 young people each year, the sixth cohort completed in February 2024. The course also includes introductions that highlight how the music scene works, with live event management, promotion and career pathway insights. Participants learn to write and record original music, and then perform to a live audience. Typically, the music produced is UK Rap and Hip Hop, although genres are not prescribed and we have also had electro, pop, R&B Afrobeat compositions come out of Mic Drop. The course includes “out of your comfort zone” challenges, TikTok challenges, and a number of masterclasses delivered with our partners at The Institute of Contemporary Music (ICMP).

42 young people participated in one of our music industry training programmes (“MicDrop” and “Releasement”). Oo

‘Releasement’ is our advanced music creation project that takes graduates of our Mic Drop programme, and other exceptionally talented local music creators, giving them the platform to record original music, create an artist identity and release music onto streaming platforms, reaching a wider audience. It is designed to put down a ; marker in our creative corner of West

London, shining a light on The Avenues as the place for talented young musicians to develop their craft and be supported to achieve outstanding musical outputs – not just for us and them to enjoy, but to make significant progress in developing potential careers. 16 young people completed Releasement in this, its inaugural, year.

Both projects include visits to the state-of-the-art Church Studios in N8, whose owner and legendary music producer, Paul Epworth continues to support our music projects. On their visit to Church Studios, our young people are given the opportunity to record in a truly inspirational studio with a world class team of engineers, which invariably is one of the highlights of the programme. It plants the seeds of hope that one day they will return to Church Studios to record in their own professional capacity.

Weekly programme

~~Ss~~ Ages 8-11
~~Ss~~		 Ages 11-13
~~Ss~~		 Ages 13-18
Monday
~~Ss~~		 The Zone
~~Ss~~		 Secondary Zone
~~Ss~~
Tuesday
~~Ss~~		 The Zone
~~Ss~~		 Secondary Zone
Homework Club
~~Ss~~		 Girls Hub
Wednesday The Zone Secondary Zone Level 1 Youth work training
Kickstart Careers Releasement
Thursday The Zone Secondary Zone Mic Drop
Mentoring
Friday
 The Zone
Saturday Sporty Saturdays / Judo
~~PF~~		 Fit Fusion
~~PF~~

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

School holidays continue to be our most popular time - our doors are open every weekday from 10am to 4pm for ten weeks.

Over Easter, we were able to send 10 young people on a residential trip to Wales in collaboration with our partner youth hubs, St Andrew’s Club and Feathers Association. Our minibus was busy throughout the fortnight, with a total of four day trips each week, two each for our Seniors and Juniors trips. This allowed 51 young people to experience something outside of their

usual routine over Easter.

57 young people engaged In May 2023 half-term we welcomed over 100 children and young in one of our employability people each day and trialled some new physical and creative activities. Partnering with Our Parks, we hosted a number of programmes. skateboarding workshops, and our partners Rising Pheonix delivered kick-boxing sessions, both of which were particularly popular amongst our Seniors cohort.

Music has always been at the heart of The Avenues, and utilising the skills of a new youth worker we were able to offer daily piano and guitar lessons to our young people to complement our digital music sessions. Also during May half-term, we held a number of ‘Start your Script’ workshops, encouraging young people to think about creative writing, developing plots and characters. This project was enhanced by a trip to Other Palace Theatre and Victoria Palace Theatre to see backstage at Hamilton Musical.

Having converted a petrol engined go-kart into a fully functioning electric kart during several Saturday Seniors sessions, our young team of budding engineers headed to a Surrey racetrack during May halfterm to compete in their self-built machine. Racing against schools and other youth organisations, this was a brilliant opportunity for our young people to see a project through until the end, and see their hard work pay off in a fun and exhilarating way.

Summer 2023 was our busiest and most popular programme to date, with 399 unique young people attending over 5-weeks, a 31% increase on last year’s record attendance. We were supported once again by the government’s HAF scheme which covers some of the food and activity costs for children on free school meals.

What most young people want is to escape their immediate area and experience new things, and this summer we were able to take them to The Floating Classroom, Woburn Safari Park, Snow Camp, Lee Valley White Water Centre, Flip Out and on more local trips to parks and the cinema.

12 young people completed 39-weeks of training to earn their Level 1 qualification in Youth Work.

Even more excitingly, our longest ever juniors residential took place in August. Twelve juniors (age 9-12) stayed at Turville

School in Oxfordshire for six nights, fully funded by Turville Trust. For the second summer, members of the Trust generously opened up their homes, grounds, swimming pools and facilities to our children. Activities included horse-riding, arts and crafts, nature trails and outdoor cooking and eating, and lifelong memories were created.

“The Avenues is really good for my mental health because it’s a safe space and everyone is really nice here so I just don’t have to worry.”

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

3 youth workers achieved their Level 2 qualification in Youth Work and a further four reached Level 3.

Twelve of our seniors (age 13-16) went to London Youth’s residential facility in West Sussex, Hindleap Warren. Challenges included breaking away from the comfort zone of familiar surroundings and venturing into woods, overcoming innate fears of heights (obstacle courses), where encouragement and cooperation were needed to succeed.

On every day of the holidays we provide a healthy, free food offer, with young people having access to a ‘help yourself’ breakfast bar with fruit, cereal and toast, and a balanced hot lunch that changes every day. We believe

567 individual participants across 10 weeks of holiday programmes.

this is an integral part of our holiday provision especially with the financial pressures our members families are experiencing in the current economic climate. Throughout the holidays we continue our provision of food donations to the community thanks to our partnerships with Felix Project and City Harvest.

Focus on Girls Hub

Our Tuesday evening girls-only group (for ages 11-18) has extended into our holiday programmes with a ‘Girlz World’ room of female only activities and discussion every day. In the weekly sessions, creation of programme content has been partially delegated to our Level 1 support workers, to help develop their leadership skills.

Highlights included;

17,427 meals were served across term time and holiday periods.

480 food parcels were handed to families in our community.

The girls’ report revealed some interesting findings and made recommendations that The Avenues has since put in place. The four researchers attended a peer research conference at City Hall in June 2023, presented their findings to a large audience and answered questions from stakeholders present.

All four of the girls have gone on to become apprentice youth workers at The Avenues and one has already progressed to Level 2 qualified youth worker. We are immensely proud of the girls and anticipate bright futures for them all.

“You can make new friends here, there are ups and downs but at the end of the day I really feel respected here. I’ve been coming here for a long time and everyone here is there for each other. Nothing bad happens here.”

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

CASE STUDY 1

Will* is a member of The Avenues and attends our after-school club “The Zone” on a regular basis. He has struggled with a tumultuous relationship with his twin brother; their personality clashes exacerbated by confined living conditions in their family home, where they share a bedroom and have very limited space. This lack of personal space often fueled tension and led to frequent conflicts that continued into The Avenues. Will often felt isolated, and his emotional well-being and sense of belonging at The Zone was negatively affected.

However, a change occurred where Will and his twin brother underwent a remarkable transformation in their relationship. They moved away from constant disagreements and animosity to more loving and nurturing behaviours towards each other. Small acts of kindness, such as sharing a basketball or their meals, and engaging in joint activities, have become a regular part of their interaction, and their relationship has evolved into one of camaraderie and mutual support.

The key factor behind this transformation has been the guidance and support of one of The Avenues

youth workers, who has provided a safe and supportive environment for Will to address his feelings and conflicts constructively. This support has not only improved Will’s self-esteem but has also fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation for his twin brother’s struggles and experiences. With help from a youth worker Will is now able to directly address issues with his brother, and both twins have learned to empathise more and work together to resolve conflicts in a more constructive manner.

Will’s journey from a strained relationship with his twin brother to one characterised by understanding, cooperation, and affection illustrates the transformative power of open communication and youth worker intervention. This case study demonstrates that even in challenging family dynamics, positive change is attainable with the right support, and Will’s story serves as an inspiring example of personal growth and improved ‘ ge relationships within The Zone community at The Avenues.

*name has been changed

CASE STUDY 2

Rosie*, a 10-year-old with ADHD, is relatively new to The Avenues. When she first joined she showed interest in our music lessons, which are a fantastic opportunity for young people to develop skills and practice creativity, and also provide our Youth Workers with an excellent chance to really get to know a young person and build a relationship with them.

When Rosie first started piano lessons at The Avenues she was very eager to learn, but often arrived at sessions disoriented lacking concentration, struggling to settle down and focus, and acting disrespectfully to others. However, her enthusiasm for music was evident and over five weeks she made significant progress, successfully learning to play several pieces with her right hand and understanding a range of musical terms. In addition, her behaviour changed noticeably, with increased respect for others and improved concentration as she took time to process the music and perfect her playing.

Rosie is eager to continue developing her piano skills and is interested in learning guitar. The Avenues will continue to support her musical journey and personal growth.

*name has been changed

“I come to The Avenues because I want to have fun and socialise. If I didn’t come here, I would be at home, bored, just doing nothing.”

“The Avenues is important to my community because they keep you safe and keep you off the streets.”

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

CASE STUDY 3

Abdul* is 11 and recently moved to Queen’s Park with his mum. Abdul struggled with shyness and a stammer, leading to teasing at school and low self-esteem. His mum enrolled him in The Avenues judo sessions to help him build confidence, learn self-defence, and make new friends. Initially, Abdul found it hard to start conversations and express himself, which affected his learning and social interactions.

However, during the judo sessions Abdul was supported by a coach and youth worker who fostered a supportive and inclusive environment. They focus on teamwork, discipline, and respect, which helped Abdul feel safe and valued. The judo sessions had a transformative impact on Abdul’s life over just 3 months, with his confidence and resilience improving. With ongoing support from his mum and the youth workers, Abdul’s motivation and engagement in judo have remained strong. Abdul’s mum has also noticed significant improvements in his self-esteem

and overall happiness. Abdul’s shyness and stammer have lessened, and he shows promising progress in interacting with others.

Abdul’s continued development in judo, supported by his mum and the youth workers, holds promise for his future!

*name has been changed

CASE STUDY 4

Ella* is 12 years old and attends The Avenues during holidays as her parents’ work long hours. She is welcoming, polite, and loves cooking. When she first joined, Ella was enthusiastic but lacked kitchen skills and safety knowledge, having never had the chance to learn at home.

Since 2021 The Avenues has taught Ella the basics of cooking, kitchen safety, and hygiene. Although she initially needed much reassurance, Ella has since made remarkable progress and now navigates the kitchen with ease, independently cooks complex recipes, and actively helps her peers. Her culinary interest has also engaged her family, as she often takes her cooking home.

Ella has been informed about our Kick Start employability programme, which focuses on culinary skills and potential career paths. Her growth and enthusiasm in cooking are a joy to witness, and The Avenues looks forward to her continued development.

*name has been changed

“I feel respected here because I’m never pressured to do anything, I can just be myself. All the workers and people here are really nice and I just feel welcome here.

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Operational achievements

In 2023 The Avenues became an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer, demonstrating our commitment as a responsible employer at every level. We had already been paying 95% of our employees above the London Living Wage (£11.95 an hour in 2023-24), and this was extended to all remaining staff. We also awarded an across the board pay increase of 5% at the start of the financial year to help with the cost of living crisis.

We have established a progressive pay structure for all youth workers in the organisation, incentivising individuals to actively work towards professional youth work qualifications, which, over the coming years will increase our capacity to deliver high-quality and effective youth work.

We are proud of our inclusivity. Out of our 48 fulltime and part-time staff, 28 (58%) are women and 41 (85%) are of Black, Asian or Mixed heritage, which in percentage terms reflects the diverse composition of our membership.

Following the launch of a significant new grant programme in North Paddington by Westminster City Council, a total of £376,122 was raised for capital improvements to our building. These included:

Fundraising review

The charity has no endowment fund, so each year it must raise funds from external sources to meet running costs and to provide its wide range of services.

Our income strategy is to maintain our diverse income base, to reduce reliance on individual funders, and once again this has been successfully delivered with a combination of 51 grant funders, three fundraising events, a wide range of donations and regular rental income meeting our budgeted programme and running costs. We employ one parttime Fundraising Manager and one part-time Impact and Evaluation Manager. These roles are supported by me as Chief Executive, and we enrol supporters from the wider community to help with events and introductions to potential donors and partners.

This year 70% of our (non-capital) income came from trusts and foundations, and given the cyclical and competitive nature of grant funding we were delighted to start relationships with City Bridge Trust, Hadley Trust, Sheldon Trust and Tom’s Trust, whilst we strengthened existing relationships with The National Lottery, Two Magpies and Garfield Weston to name but a few of our hugely appreciated supporters.

Westminster City Council was our largest funder over the 12 months, with grants for core costs, projects and a significant one-off capital grant (detailed above) to renovate our building, the local authority accounted for 31% of total income.

Our annual community party was held at The Paradise pub in Kensal Green in November, where six of our young artists performed to a packed audience, a line-up of DJs had the venue rocking and guests enjoyed Caribbean street food prepared by our community partners, Harrow Road Soup Kitchen. Huge thanks for the generosity of Nick Pring at Urban Pubs & Bars once again for venue use and for donating a share of the bar takings.

In March 2024 we staged our now bi-annual

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fundraising dinner-auction in our building with 100 guests enthusiastically bidding at a live auction led by a senior member of Bonham’s London team. Lots were donated by a variety of local supporters including our generous friends at Live Nation. The evening’s highlight was a captivating and moving speech from one of our young youth workers, Jevonte, who shared the story of his experience growing up locally and how much The Avenues had positively impacted his life.

Financial Review

Operational income increased by 4% to £1,181,477 (2023 £1,136,536), broadly in line with target income for the year. Largely unexpected, but very welcome capital grants of £376,122 afforded some significant enhancements to our premises that are described above and highlighted in Note 7.

Overall expenditure increased 8% to £1,107,252 (2023 £1,025,170). The majority of this increase related to direct charitable expenditure - restricted programme funds accounted for 52% of this total (2023: 60%). The charity’s main cost is its dedicated team of staff and youth workers and the decision to subscribe to the London Living Wage, along with the statutory obligation to award holiday pay to zero hours contract workers and a pay increase that recognised inflationary pressures, added to staff costs. Utility costs also played their part as predicted.

A surplus of £450,347 is a consequence of the capital improvements income, where the costs will only gradually be reflected on the face of the statement of financial activities through annual depreciation. However the full effect is shown in the movement on the Restricted Fixed Asset reserve in Note 7.

Excluding the capital income, the reserves showed a surplus of £150,290, the majority unrestricted, some of which will be added our reserves to keep them in line with our Reserves Policy.

Reserves Policy Statement

The Avenues Reserves Policy is to maintain a target reserve of unrestricted funds (general reserves and designated funds) equal to six months of budgeted operating costs, with the actual reserves of unrestricted funds being not less than three months of budgeted operating costs.

The principal purpose of The Avenues Reserve Policy is to mitigate the following risks:

The base case risk is that the Avenues will not have sufficient funds to enable our normal operating activities to be provided on a continuous basis due to temporary shortfalls in typical income streams or other events which trigger an unexpected funding demand: the reserves should at no time be in a sum lower than that needed to enable The Avenues to continue normal operating activities on an uninterrupted basis despite the occurrence of the relevant temporary contingency.

The fundamental case risk is that The Avenues will suffer a material and most likely permanent drop in revenue which, if not addressed, would most likely lead to a permanent cessation of activities: ideally the reserves should at no time be in a sum lower than that needed to fund any restructuring of the business or any other significant change in circumstances, such as moving premises, which the Avenues Executive Committee believes could enable the activities and support to continue being provided to the beneficiaries.

Following guidance by the Charity Commission, the charity has adopted a low-risk investment strategy, placing the majority of reserves in deposit and treasury accounts which have FSCS protection, whilst holding sufficient funds in instant access accounts to meet short-term needs. We carefully spread deposits to mature at regular intervals in case we need emergency access to the funds. The interest earned helps counter inflationary pressures on wages and other costs without us having to turn to funders to meet these increased costs.

Monitoring and Reviewing Reserves Policy

The actual operating costs of The Avenues are closely monitored by the Executive Committee and the Finance Sub-Committee of The Avenues. Together with details of the cash balances, deferred income, and restricted and unrestricted reserves, these are the subject of monthly ‘financial dashboards’ presented to the Finance Sub-Committee and quarterly reports submitted to the Executive Committee. At each of its quarterly meetings the Executive Committee considers whether, in the light of events which have occurred or are expected to occur, any change or changes should be made to the expected amounts of the targeted and minimum unallocated reserves.

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Reserves as at 31 March 2024

The Restricted Fixed Asset Fund of £1,926,959 now includes all tangible fixed assets.

While Westminster Council owns the freehold to the land, The Avenues leases the property and pays the council a peppercorn rent in recognition of The Avenues’ agreement for providing services and support to young people and the local community. The nature of the lease, which has 78 years remaining, is that The Avenues is wholly responsible for the repair, maintenance and improvement of the property. The Executive Committee therefore considers it prudent to hold a Designated Reserve of £196,600 to cover repairs and building works required to maintain and further improve the charity’s youth centre and major asset. A schedule of proposed works, alongside the inevitable repairs, supports this balance.

The Restricted Youth Work Activity Fund balance of £106,126 represents project income recognised in the period but not yet spent and so carried forward to be spent on the intended project in the following year.

At £409,882 the remaining Unrestricted reserves cover four months of 2024-25 budgeted expenditure. When combined with designated funds this rises to six months - in line with our stated policy.

Structure, Governance and Management

Constitution

The charity is a company limited by guarantee constituted pursuant to, and governed by, a Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 1 November 2001.

Members’ Liability

The charity has no share capital. Rather, its members have ‘guaranteed’, i.e., agreed that in the event of winding-up of the charity they will each contribute £1 towards funding any shortfall in the assets of the charity as compared with its liabilities. The members have no right, in the event of a winding-up of the charity, to receive any distribution of any surplus of the value of the charity’s assets over its liabilities; pursuant to the Memorandum and Articles of Association any such surplus is required to be given to another charity having similar objects to those of the charity.

Executive Committee

The business of the charity is managed by its Executive Committee which currently comprises a Chair and nine other volunteers. All members of the Executive Committee, who are also the directors and the only members of the charity, constitute the trustees of the charity.

New members are recruited to the Executive Committee from time to time with relevant skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications. Any person appointed by the Executive Committee holds office until the next Annual General Meeting of the members at which time they become eligible for reelection.

At each AGM one-third of the existing members of the Executive Committee are required to retire but then become eligible for re-election.

The Executive Committee meets a minimum of four times a year and normally holds an annual ‘Away Day’ for in-depth review of particular subjects relevant to the charity.

There are three sub-committees of the Executive Committee: Personnel, Finance and Buildings, and each such sub-committee meets on an ad-hoc basis, co-opting qualified volunteers where appropriate. A Black Heritage Action forum brings members of the Executive Committee and staff together to agree and oversee best practice on equality, diversity and cultural competence.

No member of the Executive Committee is remunerated by the charity for any of their time spent in connection with the affairs of the charity.

Chief Executive

The Executive Committee has delegated day-to-day management of the charity to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive attends all meetings of the Executive Committee and is an ex-officio member of each of the Executive Committee’s sub-committees. The performance of the Chief Executive is the subject of annual reviews carried out by the chair of the Executive Committee.

Signed on behalf of the Executive Committee: Jennie Marshall – Chair, 12 November 2024.

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Report of the Auditors

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Avenues Youth Project (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Executive Committee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the members of the Executive Committee with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The members of the Executive Committee are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

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Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Executive Committee’s report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of members of the Executive Committee

As explained more fully in the statement of Executive Committee’s responsibilities, the members of the

Executive Committee, who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the members of the Executive Committee determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the members of the Executive Committee are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the members of the Executive Committee either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.

In response to the risk of irregularities and noncompliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

John Howard (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of Azets Audit Services, Statutory Audit, Chartered Accountants 2nd Floor, Regis House 45 King William Street London EC4R 9AN

13th November 2024

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Statement of financial activities Income and expenditure for year ended 31 March 2024

Note
Incoming Resources
Grants and donations
2
Other Fundraising
Investment income
Rental income
Other income
Total incoming resources
Resources Expended
Cost of generating funds:
Fundraising expenses
Charitable expenditure:
Direct charitable
expenditure
3
Management and
administration
4
Total resources expended
Net surplus for the year
Fund balances brought forward
Transfer between funds
Fund balances carried forward		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
Youth Work
Activity
Funds
Restricted
Fixed Asset
Fund
Total 2024
Total 2023
£
£
£
£
£
460,474
537,173
376,122
1,373,769
991,170
81,139
-
-
81,139
79,540
16,625
-
-
16,625
3,437
85,376
-
-
85,376
79,544
690
-
-
690
-
644,304
537,173
376,122
1,557,599
1,153,691
21,686
-
-
21,686
24,270
427,582
456,592
-
884,174
834,078
52,044
73,283
76,065
201,392
166,822
501,312
529,875
76,065
1,107,252
1,025,170
142,992
7,298
300,057
450,347
128,521
490,831
94,916
1,603,473
2,189,220
2,060,699
(27,341)
3,912
23,429
-
606,482
106,126
1,926,959
2,639,567
2,189,220

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Balance sheet at 31 March 2024

Note
Fixed Assets
Tangible assets
7
Investments -
8
Deposits falling due after one year
Current Assets
Cash at bank & in hand
Debtors
9
Investments -
8
Deposits falling due in under one year
Creditors
Amounts falling due within one year
10
Net Assets
Funds
General reserves
11
Designated funds
11
Restricted Youth Work Activity Funds
11
Restricted Fixed Asset Fund
11		 Total 2024
Total 2023
£
£
RESTATED
1,926,959
1,603,473
87,991
-
422,952
688,638
53,030
34,896
492,229
185,000
968,211
908,534
(343,594)
(322,787)
2,639,567
2,189,220
409,882
290,831
196,600
200,000
106,126
94,916
1,926,959
1,603,473
2,639,567
2,189,220

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies. The financial statements were approved by the Executive Committee on 12 November 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

J Marshall (Chair)

Geoffrey White (Company Secretary)

The Avenues Youth Project Charity Number 1090210 Company Number 04045031

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Statement of Cashflow

Reconciliation of net cash (used in) Operating Activities
Net income/(loss) for the reporting period
Adjustments for:
Bank interest
Depreciation
(Increase)/ decrease in debtors
Increase/ (decrease) in creditors
Net cash used in operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Deposit interest
Fixed assets purchases
Investment in fixed deposits
Cash flows from financing activities
Bank interest received
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		 2024
£
450,347
(16,625)
76,065
(18,134)
20,807
512,460
512,460
11,974
(399,551)
(580,220)
4,651
(450,686)
873,638
422,952		 2023
£
RESTATED
128,521
(3,437)
61,596
(33,128)
(35,585)
117,967
117,967
-
(8,877)
(185,000)
3,437
(72,473)
761,111
688,638

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Notes to the financial statements

Note 1. Accounting policies

1.1 Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Companies Act 2006; and the requirements of the Statement of Recognised Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective 1 January 2015).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the revaluation of certain assets and the recognition of certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value.

The financial statements are presented in sterling (£) which is also the functional currency for the charity.

2023 balances have been restated to reflect a reanalysis of cash and cash equivalents.

1.2 Going concern

After reviewing the charity’s cashflow projections and taking into account the economic conditions (given inflation levels), the members of the Executive Committee have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.

1.3 Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

Accounting estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable.

The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have been made in the process of applying the above accounting policies:

Useful economic lives of tangible assets

The annual depreciation charge for tangible assets is sensitive to changes in the estimated useful economic lives and residual values of the assets. The useful economic lives and residual values are re-assessed annually. They are amended when necessary to reflect current estimates, based on technological advancement, future investments, economic utilisation and physical condition of the assets. See note 7 for the carrying amount of the land and buildings, plant and equipment and motor vehicles, and note 1.10 for the useful economic lives for each class of assets.

There are no key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

1.4 Legal status

The charity is a private limited company by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.

1.5 Public benefit

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102

1.6 Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the members of the Executive Committee.

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Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the Executive Committee has decided, at its discretion, to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

The Restricted Fixed Asset Fund represents historic grants received to fund expenditure on leasehold property and other fixed assets; this expenditure has been capitalised and will be written off as set out in Note 1.10 below. The Restricted Asset Fund exactly represents the Net Book Value of all Fixed Assets and will be released annually to match the Depreciation Charge for each future year.

1.7 Income recognition

Incoming resources are included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, when the amount can be measured reliably and when it is probable that the income will be received.

For the charity this comprises:

Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of specific performance by the charity, are recognised over a period not exceeding 18 months from the time there is unconditional entitlement to the grant.

1.8 Expenditure recognition

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified by category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:

• Expenditure on charitable activities includes those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

1.9 Allocation of support and governance costs

Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs, governance costs and administrative costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity. At present these costs are not allocated across the charitable activities.

1.10 Fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Cost includes costs directly attributable to making the asset capable of operating as intended. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset on a systematic basis over its expected useful life as follows:

• Leasehold property – straight line over 50 years (although the lease renewed in 2002 is for 99 years, the useful life of the building in its current form is deemed to be 50 years and the property and improvements are being depreciated over that period.)

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1.11 Investments - Deposits

The charity's cash balances all relate to Working Capital but full advantage is taken of shortterm deposit interest where our cash flow indicates this is possible e.g where grants have been received for a future period or where funds have been designated for future cyclical or extraordinary costs associated with the building we occupy. The amounts and maturity dates are approved in advance by the Finance Sub-Committee, ensuring that exposure is limited and maturity dates are spread in accordance with cashflow requirements.

Deposits are recognised at the value of the amount deposited and classified according to maturity. Amounts maturing over one year are shown as fixed assets and amounts maturing under one year are shown as current assets.

1.12

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. Accrued income is measured at the amount due to be received.

1.13

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and deposits with a maturity date of three months or less from the date of opening.

1.14

Creditors

Creditors are recognised when there is a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Other creditors and accruals are recognised at their settlement amount due.

1.15

Financial instruments

The charity only has assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

1.16 Taxation

The charitable company is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part II Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

1.17 Value added tax

Value added tax is not recoverable by the charitable company and as such is included in the relevant costs in the Statement of Financial Activities.

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Note 2. Grants and donations

Restricted
Youth Work Restricted
Unrestricted Activity Fixed Asset
funds Funds Fund Total 2024 Total 2023
£ £ £ £ £
BBC Children in Need - - - - 47,072
Bernard Sunley Foundation - 5,000 20,000 25,000 -
Carlile Foundation - - - - 11,250
CHK Foundation - 31,250 - 31,250 110,417
CIty Bridge Foundation 30,000 - - 30,000 -
City of Westminster Charitable Trust - 15,745 - 15,745 7,500
Drapers Charitable Fund 3,750 - - 3,750 11,250
Edward Harvist Trust - 1,875 - 1,875 500
Esmee Fairburn (TASK Fund) 7,500 - - 7,500 -
Everyone Active - 7,020 - 7,020 5,460
For Foundation 10,000 - - 10,000 -
French American Charitable Trust 8,000 - - 8,000 -
Garfield Weston 17,500 - - 17,500 30,000
Global Media 15,000 1,500 - 16,500 18,500
Greater London Authority - 6,899 - 6,899 54,440
HAF - 33,108 - 33,108 52,661
HS2 Community Fund - 25,000 - 25,000 27,500
Hyde Park Place Estate Charity 6,000 - - 6,000 3,333
Jack Petchey Foundation - 2,700 - 2,700 4,050
Joan Ainslie Charitable Trust 10,000 - - 10,000 -
John Lyon's Charity - 30,667 35,000 65,667 55,666
Kitchen Social (Mayor's Fund for
London)		 - 10,051 - 10,051 5,300
Kusuma Trust UK - 10,417 - 10,417 14,583
London Youth - 6,480 - 6,480 7,910
Luckies of London 9,321 - - 9,321 4,470
Navarac Ltd 3,138 - - 3,138 4,393
Octavia Foundation - 6,000 - 6,000 10,000
Paddington Charities - 7,500 - 7,500 -
People's Postcode Lottery 25,000 - - 25,000 -
Pineapple Youth Trust 10,000 12,500 - 22,500 4,167
Queen's Park Community Council 3,333 - - 3,333 16,667
Sovereign Network Group - 1,524 - 1,524 -
Sport England - 8,614 - 8,614 5,250
St James' Place Charitable Trust - 5,000 - 5,000 -
Strand Parishes Trust - 10,000 - 10,000 5,000
The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust - 7,063 - 7,063 -
The Health Lottery - - - - 2,320
The Hadley Trust - 12,000 - 12,000 -
The Henry Smith Charity 48,750 - - 48,750 33,750
The Hobson Charity - 5,000 - 5,000 -
The Joe Strummer Foundation - 9,000 - 9,000 -
The National Lottery 2,857 108,049 - 110,906 56,915
The Sheldon Trust 8,333 - - 8,333 -

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

The Swire Charitable Trust
Tom ap Rhys Pryce Memorial Trust
Young Westminster Foundation
Two Magpies Fund
Universal Music Recordings
Westminster Almshouses
Westminster Amalgamated
Westminster City Council
Westminster Foundation
Westminster Ward Budget
Wyseliot Rose Charitable Trust
Youth Music
Other grants
Other donations		 6,667
-
-
6,667
-
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
-
19,470
-
19,470
28,684
-
13,750
-
13,750
5,000
-
10,000
-
10,000
-
1,667
-
-
1,667
10,000
-
8,000
-
8,000
6,667
84,861
76,390
321,122
482,373
152,014
45,000
7,878
-
52,878
44,391
-
-
-
-
9,480
5,500
-
-
5,500
-
-
-
-
-
2,997
10,000
3,323
-
13,323
2,400
88,297
13,400
-
101,697
119,213
460,474
537,173
376,122
1,373,769
991,170

Note 3. Direct charitable expenditure

Salaries and staff costs
Salaries, NI and pensions
Training and supervision
Staff recruitment costs
Youth work activities
Office and other costs
Insurance
Light and heat and water rates
Telephone and internet
Repairs and renewals
Maintenance and cleaning
Printing, postage and stationery
Subscriptions
Website
Sundry expenses
Computer support and consumables
Consultancy
Subsistence
Motor vehicle costs
Marketing and PR		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
Youth Work
Activity
Funds
Total 2024
Total 2023
£
£
£
£
285,278
259,691
544,969
446,895
2,229
-
2,229
7,096
2,506
-
2,506
5,730
290,013
259,691
549,704
459,721
-
195,318
195,318
226,082
10,548
-
10,548
7,037
26,190
1,583
27,773
41,616
2,767
-
2,767
3,052
7,506
-
7,506
5,635
57,927
-
57,927
40,432
1,230
-
1,230
1,289
3,177
-
3,177
2,340
-
-
-
-
180
-
180
2,125
7,207
-
7,207
6,034
11,540
-
11,540
25,184
4,197
-
4,197
5,226
2,078
-
2,078
933
3,022
-
3,022
7,372
137,569
1,583
139,152
148,275
427,582
456,592
884,174
834,078

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The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Note 4. Management and administration expenditure

Salary Costs
Salary
Other Costs
Depreciation
Bank charges and interest
Audit fee		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
Youth Work
Activity
Funds
Restricted
Fixed Asset
Fund
Total 2024
Total 2023
£
£
£
£
£
29,600
73,283
-
102,883
89,872
-
-
76,065
76,065
61,596
1,088
-
-
1,088
639
17,428
-
-
17,428
14,715
3,928
-
-
3,928
-
Legal and professional fees
52,044
73,283
76,065
201,392
166,822

Note 5. Operating Surplus / (Deficit)

Operating surplus / (deficit) is shown after charging:

Operating surplus / (deficit) is shown after charging:
Total 2024 Total 2023
£ £
Depreciation on tangible fixed assets 76,065 61,596
Auditors’ remuneration (fees including VAT):
- for audit 9,600 9,600
- for other services 7,828 5,115

29

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Note 6. Staff Costs

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Staff pension
Other staff costs		 Total 2024
Total 2023
£
£
595,012
489,714
38,925
34,270
13,915
12,783
-
-
647,852
536,767

As a charity, no trustee received any remuneration during the year in their capacity as a trustee. None of the trustees have reclaimed travelling and other expenses.

The average weekly number of full time equivalent staff employed by the charity during the year was as follows:

Administrative work
Direct charitable work		 Total 2024
Total 2023
3
3
13
12
16
15

The number of employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more were:

Total 2024 Total 2023
£60,000 - £69,999 - 1
£70,000 - £79,999 1 -

The key management of the charity comprises the Chief Executive. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel for the year were £71,933 (2023: £69,277).

Note 7. Fixed Assets

COST
As at 1 April 2023
Additions
Disposals
As at 31 March 2024
DEPRECIATION
As at 1 April 2023
Charge for the year
As at 31 March 2024
NET BOOK VALUES
As at 31 March 2024
As at 31 March 2023		 Leasehold
property
Furniture
and
Equipment
Motor
Vehicles
Total
£
£
£
£
2,316,613
189,660
22,420
2,528,693
394,888
4,663
-
399,551
-
-
-
-
2,711,501
194,323
22,420
2,928,244
736,891
180,482
7,847
925,220
68,756
2,825
4,484
76,065
805,647
183,307
12,331
1,001,285
1,905,854
11,016
10,089
1,926,959
1,579,722
9,178
14,573
1,603,473

30

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Note 8. Investments

UK cash deposits

UK cash deposits
Maturity date of over 1 year 31-Mar-23
Disposal
Additions
31-Mar-24
£
£
£
£
Cambridge & Counties Bank -
-
87,991
87,991
Maturity date of less than 1 year
Royal Bank of Scotland		 303,449
303,449
85,000
85,000
100,000
(100,000)
103,780
103,780
85,000
(85,000)
Allica Bank
Clydesdale Bank
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Note 9. Debtors 185,000
(185,000)
492,229
492,229
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income		 Total 2024
Total 2023
42,285
13,469
9,065
10,807
1,680
10,620
53,030
34,896

Note 10. Creditors

Trade creditors
SS & other taxes
Accruals
Deferred Income
Other creditors		 Total 2024
Total 2023
12,507
7,166
10,732
10,615
17,113
15,267
295,812
287,658
7,430
2,081
343,594
322,787

31

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Note 11. Funds

Note 11. Funds
Current year fund note: Opening
Balance		 Incoming
Resources		 Resources
Expended		 Transfers Closing
Balance
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted Funds
General reserves 290,831 644,304 (501,312) (23,941) 409,882
Designated Funds 200,000 - - (3,400) 196,600
490,831 644,304 (501,312) (27,341) 606,482
Restricted Youth Work Activity Funds 94,916 537,173 (529,875) 3,912 106,126
Restricted Fixed Asset Fund 1,603,473 376,122 (76,065) 23,429 1,926,959
Total Funds 2,189,220 1,557,599 (1,107,252) - 2,639,567
Prior year comparative fund note: Opening
Balance		 Incoming
Resources		 Resources
Expended		 Transfers Closing
Balance
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted Funds
General reserves 77,861 548,308 (426,579) 91,241 290,831
Designated Funds 432,717 - - (232,717) 200,000
510,578 548,308 (426,579) (141,476) 490,831
Restricted Youth Work Activity Funds 165,706 588,228 (536,995) (122,023) 94,916
(Formerly known as 'Restricted Funds')
Restricted Fixed Asset Fund 1,384,415 17,155 (61,596) 263,499 1,603,473
(Formerly known as 'Restricted Buildings Fund')
Total Funds 2,060,699 1,153,691 (1,025,170) - 2,189,220

Designated Funds

This represents the amount that the trustees felt it prudent to ring fence for building maintenance and improvements in the coming year.

Restricted Funds

Youth Work Activity Project Funds: This amount represents restricted project income remaining as at the year end - to be spent in 2024/5.

Fixed Assets Fund: This amount represents the value of fixed assets shown in note 7.

32

The Avenues Youth Project Report 2023–2024

Note 12. Analysis of net assets between funds

Fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
Youth Work
Activity Funds
Restricted
Fixed Asset
Fund
Total
£
£
£
£
-
-
1,926,959
1,926,959
950,076
106,126
-
1,056,202
(343,594)
-
-
(343,594)
606,482
106,126
1,926,959
2,639,567

Note 13. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions in either the current or the prior year.

Note 14. Ultimate controlling party

The charitable company is considered to have no ultimate controlling party.

Note 15. Subsequent events

There have been no subsequent events.

33

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