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2024-03-31-accounts

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED �1 MARCH 202�

Company registration number: ������� Registered charity number: �������

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED �1 MARCH 202�

CONTENTS Page
Trustees’ report � � �
Auditors’ report � - ��
Statement of financial activities ��
Balance sheet �� � ��
Statement of cashflow ��
Notes to the financial statements �� - ��

1

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended �1 March 202�

The trustees, who are also the Directors of the charity, present their report for the year ended �� March ����. Due to the Trustees� status as directors under the Companies Act ����, this report constitutes a directors� report as required by the Companies Act ����, and has been prepared taking advantage of the exemptions conferred by Part �� of this Act.

Our purposes and activities

The objects of North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice �the Charity� are to promote any charitable purpose for the benefit of the community in the County of Gloucestershire and surrounding areas by the advancement of education, the protection of health and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress.

The main aims for the year continued to be the provision of free, independent, confidential and impartial generalist and specialist advice services to members of the public. The main areas where advice is given include: welfare, debt and money advice, utilities, consumer, relationship matters, housing and employment. A team of paid and unpaid staff, adequately covered by professional indemnity insurance, ensures that the Charity is able to achieve its objectives.

Achievements and Performance

Cost of Living issues continue to have a significant impact on our communities and as a result we saw large numbers of clients seeking advice, with numbers using our services rising from the historic number the previous year. Issues such as Welfare Benefits, Debt, Housing and charitable grants continued to be significant enquiry areas for our clients but we also saw large numbers of energy related issues and a need for emergency food.

By the end of ����/�� we helped ��,��� contacts with ��,��� issues. Welfare benefit enquiries were highest with over ��,��� enquiries in the year. Housing enquiries were high this year and reflect the increasing challenges we are seeing with the Housing Crisis having a large impact on local people. Issues faced by clients include large numbers of in tenants receiving notice from landlords, repair issues and homelessness with total enquiries in this area at �,���. The impact of the cost of living issues continues to impact clients with Debt and Energy enquiries our third and fourth enquiry area after welfare benefits and housing.

Debt, as expected, has had a major impact on our clients and we assisted with over �,��� enquiries in this area. To assist clients we worked with large numbers of partners providing energy grants through the governments Household Support Fund and the local Housing Rescue Funds. Both funds making a significant positive impact on our clients challenging situation, filling a gap which is of significant importance for many households at a time of economic turmoil.

Partnership working is central to our work and we continue to look at opportunities to develop close relationships with organisations to enable us to bring benefits to our communities. During this year we have developed a new partnership with the NHS Community Mental Health Transformation Team, supporting their patients with welfare benefit, debt and housing enquiries. This pilot project has enabled us to illustrate the importance of advice to a clients health and wellbeing outcomes. We continue important partnerships with organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, local authorities, NHS, national Citizens Advice, Barnwood Trust and others to enable us to achieve outstanding results for our clients. With nearly ��,��� people supported across the four districts which we service, we were able to secure over ��� million of financial outcomes, of which over ��� million were by identifying additional income for clients.

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended �1 March 202� �continued�

Financial Review

The Charity’s income increased in the year by ����,��� to ��,���,���. There was restricted income in the year of ����,���.

Expenditure in the year also increased in year by ����,��� to ��,���,���. There was restricted expenditure in the year of ����,���.

The Charity realised a surplus of income over expenditure for the year of ����,��� �����/��: ����,����.

At �� March ���� the charity held total funds of ����,��� ��� March ����: ����,����.

Principal Funding Sources

Funding sources are detailed in note � to accounts �pages �� � ���.

Reserves Policy and going concern

The Trustees have determined to retain a � months of operating costs in unrestricted reserves to meet unexpected events. Where reserves fall below � months of operating costs the Trustees regularly review that the charity has sufficient funds in cash �or near cash� to meet the liabilities of the business as such liabilities fall due.

Reserves are an important element of charitable organisation funding and help protect the organisation against:

a� The risk of unforeseen emergency or other unexpected need for funds, e.g. an unexpected large repair bill or finding ‘seed-funding ’for an urgent project.

b� Covering unforeseen day-to-day operational costs, e.g. employing temporary staff to cover a longterm sick absence.

c� A source of income, e.g. a grant, not being renewed. Funds might be needed to give the trustees time to take action if income falls below expectations.

d� Planned commitments, or designations, that cannot be met by future income alone, e.g. plans for a major asset purchase or to a significant project that requires the charity to provide ‘matched funding’.

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended �1 March 202� �continued�

e� Unrestricted funds are funds that the Charity may use for any purpose so long as it meets the aims and objectives of the bureau outlined in our governing document. A restricted fund is given to the Charity for a specific purpose and in respect of which conditions have been imposed as to its use. Funds must be spent on this purpose. Funds may not be completely spent in year and the balance, which shows as net income in the year will be spent during the next calendar year �resulting in net expenditure�. The Charity is effectively acting as a steward for these funds. The calculation of free unrestricted reserves is after taking into account any designated funds which the Trustees have deemed it appropriate and prudent to so designate.

In ����/�� the expenditure on unrestricted activity was ��,���,��� indicating a level of free reserves required of at least ����k. At �� March ����, the charity had free reserves of ����,���.

Investment Policy

As noted above the Charity does not have surplus free reserves to invest. All cash funds are therefore maintained in the Charity’s current bank accounts.

Plans for the future

As an organisation we have grown significantly during the past three years, recruiting additional staff, mainly frontline, advice staff. This significant increase in income and staffing has strengthened our delivery of services across the � districts we serve. A focus on health and wellbeing mean that now have � health projects; Macmillan, Oncology, Healthy Homes, and our new Mental Health support project with the ICB. All four projects illustrate the positive impact good advice can have on a clients health outcomes and this is important work we continue to develop.

Welfare benefit enquiries, especially around disability benefits, continue to be a significant issue for clients with many requiring support with applications and appeals. This is a continuously important issue and we work with partner organisations to raise the continuous challenges seen by clients with local and national government.

Supporting the strengths we see in our communities has been central to our developing Advice First Aid project. We continue to develop this in the coming year with the intention of developing a County wide approach. This new approach has been welcomed by our partners and is proving to be effective in ensuring clients receive appropriate support and building resilience within communities.

As in previous years, nearly ��� of our clients have a long-term illness, disability or mental health issue and reflects a significant need within our community for timely and expert advice. Providing our service through a variety of channels is vital to ensure that as many people can access our service locally and we will continue to seek to work with partner organisations to ensure that our clients receive the support they need.

The Housing Crisis is a significant problem facing many residents across the county. As an organisation we will continue to use our clients experiences to raise awareness of the importance of policy changes in this area. We look forward to government plans for rental reform and we will work with other organisations locally to achieve better outcomes for local residents.

Finally, we are very aware that cost-of-living issues continue to be a burden for residents and the emergency support in terms of grants and food vouchers is now a vital and important part of our work, providing value solutions to people in crisis. We expect to see this continue in ����/��.

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Reference and administrative details

North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Limited

Operational Address: Messenger House 35 St Michaels Square Gloucester GL1 1HX Independent Examiner: Bankers: Burnside Lloyds Bank plc Chartered Accountants Blackheath, London Branch 61 Queen Square PO Box 1000 Bristol BX1 1LT

Key management personnel:

Malcom Vine Derek Jones Robert Knibbs Peter Whittall Vareta Bryan Robert Priddy Mike Mintram Julia Roxans

Clare Knapman

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended �1 March 202� �continued�

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on ��[th] February ���� and registered as a charity. The charity’s governing document is its Articles of Association. As a Company Limited by Guarantee, the Bureau has no share capital and the liability of the members on liquidation is limited to ��.��. In the event that a surplus remains after the realisation of assets, that surplus shall not be distributed to the members but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable purposes as the members by ordinary resolution decide, failing which, the same shall be transferred to the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Recruitment and Appointment of the Trustee Board

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the Company’s Articles are known as the Trustee Board. Under the requirements of the Articles of Association the members of the Trustee Board are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they may be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken within the community, the Trustee Board seeks to ensure that the diversity of the community is reflected through the Trustee Board. Individuals are approached to offer themselves for election to the Trustee Board through local networking with statutory and voluntary organisations. Potential Trustees are required to provide a list of their skills and are invited to attend Trustee Board meetings as observers in order to gain an insight into the operation and management of the service.

Trustee Induction and Training

New Trustees are invited and encouraged to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it works, by spending time with the Chief Executive Officer and observing the service in action. All new Trustees receive a copy of the Articles of Association, Charity Commission publications including “Responsibilities of Charity Trustees” and a copy of the charity’s Business Plan.

Risk Management

The Trustees have assessed the major risks that the charity is exposed to, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to these risks. Procedures and policies are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the membership requirements of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and the needs of the charity.

Internal control risks are minimised by, for example, the implementation of procedures for the authorisation of all transactions. Procedures are in place to ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to the Bureau.

In response to recent concerns about data security, the charity has reviewed and updated its procedures on Information Assurance. Actions taken include the adoption of a comprehensive Information Risk Policy, the appointment of a Senior Information Risk Officer �who is responsible for insuring that the policy is implemented effectively� and the setting up of an Information Assurance Working Group, chaired by a Trustee.

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended �1 March 202� �continued�

In response to recent concerns about data security, the charity has reviewed and updated its procedures on Information Assurance. Actions taken include the adoption of a comprehensive Information Risk Policy, the appointment of a Senior Information Risk Officer �who is responsible for insuring that the policy is implemented effectively� and the setting up of an Information Assurance Working Group, chaired by a Trustee.

Organisational Structure

The Trustee Board may consist of up to �� members. It meets on alternate months and is responsible for the governance, strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the Trustee Board has � members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. A staff representative, a volunteer representative and representatives of the Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester City Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council are entitled to attend ordinary Board meetings but have no voting rights.

A scheme of delegation is in place and the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for implementing the strategic direction of the service, identifying and responding to funding opportunities and ensuring that the charity delivers the services specified and that key performance targets are met. The Chief Executive Officer is also responsible for operational day to day service delivery and, in conjunction with the line management team, for individual supervision of staff and volunteers, ensuring the team continue to work effectively and develop their skills and working practices in line with good practice.

Public Benefit

The Charity Commission in its �Charities and Public Benefit� Guidance requires that there are two key principles to be met in order to show that an organisation�s aims are for the public benefit: first, there must be an identifiable benefit and secondly, the benefit must be to the public or a section of the public.

North � West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Bureau aims to benefit the public directly by the provision of free independent, confidential and impartial generalist and specialist advice services to members of the public. Our clients come from across Gloucestershire.

Related Parties

The charity is a member of “Citizens Advice”, a national charity which sets standards for advice and operational performance and supports local offices with an information system, training and other services. As part of the charity’s membership of Citizens Advice, it has agreed to operate within the national charity’s policies, aims, methods and principles. The charity contributes to Citizens Advice national research and campaigns policy, media, publicity and parliamentary work. It also maintains an information and advice website.

On a local level the charity is involved in local strategic partnership thematic groups and attends a range of local voluntary and statutory sector forums.

Pay policy for senior staff

The directors consider that the members of the Trustee Board and the Chief Executive Officer comprise the key management personnel of the charity and are responsible for directing, controlling and running the charity on a day to day basis.

�

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED ort of the Trustee Board for the ear ended 31 March 2024 continued All Trustees give their time freely and no Trustee received remuneration during the year. The pay of the Chief Executive Officer is set by the Trustee Board on an annual basis. Trustees, responsibilities in relation to the financial statements Company law requires the Trustee Board to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustee Board should follow best practice and: Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently: Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP,. Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent: State whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements: Prepare financial statements on the on-going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis. The Trustee Board is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Statement as to disclosure to our auditor5 In so far as the trustees are aware at the time of approving our trustees, annual report.. There is no relevant information, being information needed by the Independent Examiner in connection with preparing their report, of which the charity's Independent Examiner is unaware, and The trustees, having made enquiries of fellow directors and the charity's Independent Examiner that they ought to have individually taken, have each taken all steps that they are obliged to take as a director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Independent Examiner is aware of that information. Approved by the Trustee Board on December 19th 2024 and signed on its behalt by.. Derek S Jones TRUSTEE- Chairman Date Iq Ili120Z

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

OPINION

We have audited the financial statements of North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Limited �the “charitable company”� for the year ended �� March ���� which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland �FRS ����.

In our opinion the financial statements:

This report is made solely to the company�s members, as a body, in accordance with Part �� of the Companies Act ����. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company�s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor�s 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 company and the company�s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

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

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in which the ISAs �UK� require us to report to you where:

�

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

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 trustees are responsible for the other information. 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.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

OPINIONS ON OTHER MATTERS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANIES ACT 200�

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

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

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

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page ��, the trustees �who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes 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 trustees directors 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 trustees 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 trustees 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

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs �UK� will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

An understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the charitable company was obtained from the management and the trustees of the charitable company. The audit team was confirmed to have the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify non-compliance with the framework. The audit plan considered the risk of irregularities, including fraud. An element of unpredictability was built into our sample selection for audit tests. The risk of fraud over income was mitigated to an acceptable level as nearly all income is grant income that is paid directly into the charitable company’s bank account by funders; we agreed a risk-based sample of grant income to relevant documentation and performed analytical procedures on income. The risk of misappropriation of the charitable company’s assets was considered; the charitable company’s bank account balance was tested and confirmed to relevant documentation, and expenditure was tested for validity by substantive tests that included analytical procedures. Accounting estimates were considered as part of our audit work.

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our audit report.

STEPHEN BURNSIDE ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of

�1 Queen Square Bristol BS1 �JZ

BURNSIDE Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor

Date:

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted Restricted Total funds Total funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 Note £ £ £ £ Income from: Charitable activities: Grants, donations and legacies 3 1,518,312 327,364 1,845,676 1,679,897 Fees receivable 3 2,645 - 2,645 150 Total income 1,520,957 327,364 1,848,321 1,680,047 Expenditure on: Charitable activities: 4 1,419,786 304,620 1,724,406 1,341,951 Total expenditure 1,419,786 304,620 1,724,406 1,341,951 Net (expenditure)/income and net movement in funds for the year 6 101,171 22,744 123,914 338,096 Transfers - - - Net movement in funds for the year 101,171 22,744 123,914 338,096 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 446,059 254,021 700,080 361,984 Total funds carried forward

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

BALANCE SHEET

Notes £ £ FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 7 65,026 83,772 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 8 471,925 287,918 Cash at bank and in hand 578,093 535,395 1,050,017 823,313 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year 9 (284,116) (199,497) NET CURRENT ASSETS 765,901 623,816 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 830,927 707,588 PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES (6,932) (7,508) NET ASSETS 823,995 700,080 THE FUNDS OF THE CHARITY: Restricted funds 11 276,765 254,021 Unrestricted: General 12 547,230 446,059

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED BALANCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2024 {continued) These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006. These financial statements were approved by the directors and authorised for issue on December 19th 2024. and are signed on their behalf by: Derek Jones TRUSTEE - Chairman Date Iqlii120Z4 The notes on pages 17 to 28 form part of these accounts. Company number- 4373653 15

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

STATEMENT OF CASHFLOW

Notes 2024 2023 £ £ Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities Net movement in funds 123,914 338,096 Add back depreciation charge 25,642 25,830 Decrease/(Increase) in trade debtors 46,992 (61,050) (Increase) in other debtors (230,998) (127,737) Increase/(Decrease)/Increase in trade creditors 92,074 (31,302) Increase in other creditors (8,029) 59,057 Net cash used in operating activities 49,593 202,894 Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible fixed assets (6,895) (21,330)

Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities

Increase/(decrease) in cash & cash equivalents

of the year 535,395 353,831 Total cash & cash equivalents at the end of the year 14 578,093 535,395 __ ____

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED �1 MARCH 202�

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland �FRS ���� �effective � January ����� � �Charities SORP �FRS �����, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland �FRS ���� and the Companies Act ����.

North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Limited meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS ���. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note�s�.

The trustees have considered the ��-month period from the date of approval of the financial statements.

At the year end the charity has net assets of ����,���, net current assets of ����,�� and free reserves of ����,���.

The charity has prepared a budget for ����/�� which shows that a surplus is forecast.

Based on its budget forecasts for the year ended �� March ����, the trustees consider that the charity is a going concern.

Items of income are recognised and included in the accounts when all of the following criteria are met:

1�

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED �1 MARCH 202� �continued�

Dona�ion� and g�an��

Income from donations and grants, including capital grants, is included in incoming resources when these are receivable, except as follows:

In�e�e�� �ecei�able

Interest is included when receivable by the charity.

Expenditure is included in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis, inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered.

Most expenditure is directly attributable to a specific activity and is allocated to that activity. Support costs have been apportioned to each specific activity based on the staff and volunteer time spent on each activity.

Funds held by the charity are:

Unrestricted general funds � these are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds � these are funds that 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.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

1�

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED �1 MARCH 202� �continued�

�. ACCOUNTING POLICIES �continued�

�f� Tangible fixed assets

The cost of tangible fixed assets is written-off by equal annual instalments over their expected useful lives as follows:

�g� Pension costs

The charity offers paid staff a defined contribution scheme with the following providers: The Pensions Trust; NEST; Royal London; Hargreaves Lansdown; Prudential and Standard Life. The funds of the scheme are administered by the providers and are separate from the charity. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to the fund and is shown in Note � to these accounts.

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

PRIOR PERIOD COMPARATIVES

Unrestricted Restricted Total funds Funds Funds 2023 £ £ £ Income from: Charitable activities: Grants, donations and legacies 1,284,885 395,021 1,679,897 Fees receivable 150 - 150

Total income

Expenditure on: Charitable activities:

Total expenditure

movement in funds for the year 96,367 241,729 338,096 Transfers 4,753 (4,753) Net movement in funds for the year 101,120 236,976 338,096 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 344,939 17,045 361,984 Total funds carried forward 446,059 254,021 700,080

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NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

BY FUNDER - GRANTS, DONATIONS AND LEGACIES RECEIVABLE

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds
_		 Funds
_		 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Forest of Dean District Council 65,000 - 65,000 70,000
Gloucestershire County Council 229,504 - 229,504 83,333
Gloucestershire County Council Outreach - - - 33,333
Gloucestershire County Council Multiply - 28,400 28,400 21,250
Gloucester City Council 31,000 - 31,000 31,000
Tewkesbury Borough Council - 53,620 53,620 53,620
Cheltenham Borough Council 160,200 - 160,200 108,200
Town and Parish Councils 11,871 - 11,871 9,852
Gloucester City Council — HRF - - - 150,000
Gloucester City Council — HSF - 32,844 32,844 27,000
Forest of Dean District Council — HSF - 40,000 40,000 92,500
Tewkesbury Borough Council — HSF - 25,000 55,000 50,000
Tewkesbury Borough Council 30,000 - 30,000 -
Cheltenham Borough Council — HSF - 32,500 32,500 28,600
Gloucester County Council — HSF - 112,500 112,500 25,000
HSF fees 12,500 - 12,500 -
CSDF Remote Service — CitA 62,250 - 62,250 -
GLOMAS - - - 600
Gloucestershire County Council Kickstart - - - 8,938
MacMillan Cancer Support 196,174 - 196,174 201,500
Energy Advice Project 9,450 - 9,450 14,850
Cheltenham Foodbank 41,229 - 41,229 23,960
North Cotswold Foodbank 39,928 - 39,928 27,590
Forest Foodbank 34,622 - 34,622 -
Cheltenham Well Being - - - 9,750
National Grid - - - 9,670
The Big Energy Saving Network 3,500 - 3,500 7,874
Help to Claim 161,085 161,085 164,905
We Are Digital 500 - 500 -
Surviving Winter - - - 2,500
Good Things Foundation 1,600 - 1,600 8,040
Smart Meters 2,550 - 2,550 16,389
Healthy Homes 134,160 - 134,160 134,160
MAPSDAP 128,478 128,478 124,736
Barnwood Trust Pilot Scheme - - - 14,286
National Benevolent Society 2,042 - 2,042 7,500
EU Settlement Grant 1,994 - 1,994 37,754
CMAP— CO Monitors - - - 31,857
GCC Pilot Scheme - - - 9,912
GCC Levelling Up Together 80,280 - 80,280 8,920
Sub-total carried forward 1,439,917 1,439,917 324,864 1,764,781 1,649,379

21

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

BY FUNDER - GRANTS, DONATIONS AND LEGACIES RECEIVABLE

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Sub-total brought forward 1,439,917 324,864 1,764,781 1,649,379
Staff Hardship Fund - 2,500 2,500 5,000
CAB Cost of Living 17,582 - 17,582 2,144
Cheltenham Cost of Living - 2,474
Gloucestershire Community Foundation Gloucestershire Community Foundation
6,440		 - 6,440 5,000
NHS—ILB 3,750 - 3,750 4,500
NHS— Gloucestershire ICB 35,000 - 35,000 -
Other 15,623 - 15,623 11,400
FEES RECEIVABLE
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Electrotechnical Certification Training Electrotechnical Certification Training
-		 - - 150
GLOMAS training courses 2,645 - 2,645 -
2,645 - 2,645 150
BY ACTIVITY
Grants, donations Fees Total Total
and legacies receivable 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
General advice 282,176 - 282,176 225,864
Benefits advice 382,258 - 382,258 299,863
Money and debt advice 376,009 - 376,009 262,233
Health sector advice 456,737 - 456,737 385,429
Energy advice 348,496 - 348,496 506,508
Other activities - 2,645 2,645 150
Charitable activities 1,845,676 2,645 1,848,321 1,680,047

22

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TOTAL EXPENDITURE

----- Start of picture text -----
||||| |---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total| |Funds|Funds|2024|2023|

----- End of picture text -----

General advice Benefits advice Money and debt advice Health sector advice Energy advice Charitable activities

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Grants|Other| |Staff|paid to|direct|Support|Total|Total| |costs|clients|costs|costs|2024|2023| |£|£|£|£|£|£| |General advice|325,276|-|80,600|2,754|408,630|305,119| |Benefits advice|184,688|-|45,764|1,564|232,015|203,618| |Money and debt advice|239,375|-|59,315|2,026|300,716|272,745| |Health sector advice|359,293|-|89,029|3,042|451,364|392,046| |Energy advice|86,831|222,600|21,516|735|331,682|168,693| |Charitable activities|1,195,462|222,600|296,224|10,121|1,724,406|1,341,951| |Other Direct Costs:|2024|2023| |£|£| |Charitable|activities|(grants|paid|to|clients|in|2023)|95,166| |Bad debts expenses|17,118|-| |Other staff and volunteer costs|47,254|27,451| |Office costs|116,795|103,248| |Premises costs|115,057|82,079| |296,224|307,944| |Support Costs:|2024|2023| |£|£| |Governance costs|10,121|21,673|

----- End of picture text -----

All staff costs have been directly allocated to the activities of the charity in the year on the basis of time spent by staff on each activity.

23

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STAFF COSTS AND TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION

Staff costs were as follows:

Wages and salaries Social security costs Employer pension contributions

Particulars of employees:

The average number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the charity during the financial year amounted to:

Total Total

Management staff Paid staff

Staff levels have been kept on the same level as in prior year.

The charity’s Trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity

There were no other related party transactions with Trustees during the year.

The key management personnel of the charity comprises of the Chief Executive Officer. The total

This is stated after charging:

Depreciation

24

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TANGIBLE ASSETS
Leasehold Computer Office
Improvements Equipment Equipment Total
£ £ £ £
COST
At 1 April 2023 69,522 72,355 29,344 171,221
Additions 1,430 22 5,443 6,895
At 31 MARCH 2024 70,952 72,377 34,787 178,116
DEPRECIATION
At 1 April 2023 30,705 35,873 20,871 87,449
Charge for year 7,238 13,164 5,239 25,641
At 31 MARCH 2024 37,943 49,037 26,110 113,090
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 MARCH 2024 33,009 23,340 8,677 65,026
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 MARCH 2023 38,817 46,482 8,473 83,772
DEBTORS 2024 2023
£ £
Trade debtors 39,418 86,410
Prepayments and accrued income 432,486 201,037
Other debtors 21 471
471,925 287,918
CREDITORS 2024 2023
£ £
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade creditors 112,816 33,142
Other taxation and social security 63,224 30,062
Accruals and deferred income 74,055 106,398
Other creditors 34,021 29,895

25

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DEFERRED INCOME Deferred income comprises grants received in advance. Balance as at 1 April 2023 Amount released to income earned from charitable activities Amount deferred in year

RESTRICTED FUNDS
Balance Incoming Outgoing Transfer Balance
b/f resources resources c/f
£ £ £ £ £
Revenuefunds
Household Support, Rescue
and Fuel Funds 244,398 242,844 (220,810) - 266,432
Surviving Winter 2,500 - - - 2,500
North Cotswold Foodbank
-
White Goods		 2,496 - (1,040) - 1,456
Cheltenham -— Cost of Living 2,474 - - - 2,474
Staff Hardship Fund 2,153 2,500 (750) - 3,903
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Fund - 53,620 (53,620) - -
Gloucestershire County Council
Multiply Fund - 28,400 (28,400) - -
254,021 327,364 (304,620) - 276,765

Purposes of Restricted Funds

Funding is provided from Gloucestershire Community Foundation for grants towards winter fuel costs for individuals who require financial assistance.

Funding from the local authorities to provide emergency grants to households to help them pay their fuel bills.

26

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Funding to provide emergency grants to staff members to help them pay their fuel bills.

Funding to provide grants to people in North Cotswold Area to help them buy White Goods.

Funding to finance office costs of North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Limited and payroll of staff providing advice to the citizens of Tewkesbury Borough Council.

Funding to reimburse staff costs associated with the delivery of the Multiply programme which aims to increase adult numeracy across the population of Gloucestershire County Council.

ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Net
Tangible current
fixed assets assets Provisions assets Provisions Total
At 31 March 2024 £ £ £ £
Restricted funds - 276,765 - 276,765
- 276,765 - 276,765
Unrestricted funds
General funds 65,026 489,135 (6,932) 547,230

CONTINGENT LIABILITY

With respect to the Bureau’s position in its pension scheme operated by The Pensions Trust, a liability

remains inconclusive as to the treatment regarding these liabilities. The Bureau will provide for any liabilities when agreement has been reached between the DWP and The Pensions Trust.

NORTH AND WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE LIMITED

Cash at bank 577,619 534,986
Cash in hand 474 409
578,093 535,395
LEASING AGREEMENTS
Minimum lease payments fall due as follows:
Non-cancellable operating
leases
2024 2023
£ £
Net obligations repayable:
Within one year 44,488 44,488
Between one and five years 157,260 201,748