2024-03-31-accounts - Taking Part

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Taking Part

An Independent Service for People with Health & Social Care Needs

Louise House, Roman Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 9JN Telephone: 01743 363399 takingpart@takingpart.co.uk

Changing Times, Changing Lives

January 2025

Taking Part continues to survive another challenging year like many other charities throughout the sector. We will have the great pleasure in celebrating our 30 year anniversary in November 2024. This will be quite an achievement for such a small charity in the current circumstances with pressures being experienced on finances and increased demand for our services.

In February 2024, Taking Part were awarded the Quality Performance Mark for advocacy from NDTI again. This award lasts for 3 years and it is our 3[rd] time of being awarded it. Our assessor from NDTI said that for a small charity we punch way above our weight. We received glowing feedback from our submitted information and site visit.

At the beginning of 2024, Taking Part was preparing for retendering for existing contracts for our advocacy service. We worked with our collaborative partners to have facts and figures available to be able to submit a tender document with the hope that we would be successful going forward.

During 2023/2024 our dedicated staff team supported an increasing amount of people with a wide range of health and social care needs in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

Advocacy Information Advice Guidance

Registered Charity No: 1092033 Company Registration No: 43629481

In Shropshire, our Advice, Advocacy and Welfare Benefits partnership supported 652 people with advocacy with 8399 interventions. Our volunteer advocates provided 1915 hours of the time for free which equates to £25.220

In Telford, our Wellbeing Independence Parnertship took 1736 call at First Point of Contact and supported a further 339 clients with follow up and more intense work.

In October 2023, 2 of our board members retired after giving us over 20 years of service. It was said to say goodbye to them but we understood their reasons for retiring. In May 2024, sadly, another of our trustees died very suddenly. This was devasting news for their family and Taking Part as an organisation. For the rest of the year Taking Part endeavoured to recruit more Trustees.

During this financial year of 2023/2024, Taking Part was able to secure some additional funding from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin NHS to continue work around health inequalities for people with learning difficulties. We also remained a preferred supplier in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to provide parental advocacy to clients who have substantial difficulties in understanding statutory services where their are under child protection or are children in need

Continued work with our local Integrated Care System along with other voluntary sector colleagues is challenging and time consuming. Our CEO is still involved in many workshops and meetings to see how the voluntary sector is being included and seen as equal partners but without funding. Within Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW) there is much work being undertaken strategically by voluntary sector leads to ensure that charities and their work is being recognised as vital services in the preventation agenda in the world of health and social care. Taking Part is very much linked into this work encouraging community solutions and promoting self help where possible. This work is also looking at resilience and sustainability of the sector across STW and assessing our impact locally based on outcomes and outputs and social value.

Taking Part remains resilitant and confident that we can continue to deliver our services for going forward. However, we are experiencing a reduction in funding year on year and an increase in demand for our services.

Our Taking Part team consists of:

Volunteer Board of Trustees

Jean Harris (chair)
Garry Kirlew
Sue Godfrey (retired October 2023)
John Godfrey (retired October 2023)
Paul Hume-Miller (passed away May 2024)

Staff Team

C.E.O Julie Mellor, day to day management of the charity plus strategic representation, networking, maintaining our ongoing business plans and maintaining all required returns and outcome reports.
Six further contracted staff – 4 Shropshire based, 2 Telford based
Four sessional workers.
Ten Experts by experience.
Thirty Five volunteer citizen advocates.
Two professional advisors.

Finances for the year 2023/24

Funding from local authorities, health, private funded commissions and other projects are reported on a quarterly basis and our monitoring and reporting mechanism reflect outputs, outcomes and funding spend.

We hold reserves to cover running costs for 18mths in compliance with our reserves policy. We also continue to hold ring fenced redundancy funds for staff and liable costs in the event of charity closure.

Accounts available on Charity Commission website. Independently audited by; Phillips Ltd. Chartered Accountants 4 Pearson Road, Central Park Telford, ShropshireTF2 9TX

Jean Harris Chair of Trustees

Taking Part Registered Charity number 1092033 Company Limited by guarantee number 04362948 Unaudited Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 OffIS Taking Part Louise House Roman Road Meole Bra Shrewsbury Shropshire SY3 9JN Accountants Phillips Ltd Chartered Accountsnts 4 Pearson Road Central Park Telford TF2 9TX

Taki Part Com an No 04362948 Chari No 1092033 Contents of the Financial Statements for the nod 1stA ri12023 to 31 March 2024 Contents 1. Report of the Directors 2. 1 ndependent Examinerfs Report 3. Statement of Finanaal Activities 4. Balance Sheet 5. Notes to accounts

Takin Part Re ort of the Directors for the eriod 1st ri12023 to 31 st March 2024 The Directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the period 1st April 2023 to 31 st March 2024. Princi al Activit The principal activity of the company in the period under review was that of the prevention or relief of poverty and provision of information,adwce. advocacy and training for those clients who have health and social care needs. Directors The directors who have held Offi during the period from 1 st April 2023 to the date of this report are as follows: Mr Garry S Kirlew Mrs Jean Harris Mr Paul Barton (appointed 22nd November 2024) Mr Paul R Hume-miller (resigned 23rd May 2024) Mrs Susan M Godfrey (resigned 5th October 2023) Mr John Godfrey (resigned 1 Oth Dember 2023) All the directors who are eligible offer themselves for election at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. This report has been prepared in accordan with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Mrs Jean Harris Date . 4th Dember 2024 Page 1

Inde endent Examinels Re ort on the Accounts to the trustees of Takin On the Accounts for the nod 1stA ri12023 to 31st March 2024 Inde ndent examinerfs re rt to the trustees of Takin Part I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Taking Part for the year ended 31 March 2024. Res onsibilities and basis of re ort As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in acKordanGe with the requirements of the Charities Ad 2011 {'the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Trusfs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the ACL Inde ndent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection wth the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. . accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Sectton 130 of the act,. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records". or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements conmIng the fo and contents of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts 2nd Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independenl examinalion. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Neil Phillips FCA Phillips Ltd Chartered Accountants 4 Pearson Road Central Park Telford TF2 9TX /bL( ci Date Page 2

Takin Part Statement of Financial Activities for the eriod 1st A ri12023 to 31 March 2024 Unrestrictsd Restricted funds furmts 2024 2023 Incoming resources from charitable activities Grants and contracts 247,752 1,803 249,555 188,647 Total incoming resources 247,752 1.803 249,555 188.647 Resources expended Charitsble activities 252.TTO 252,770 240,463 Total resources expended 252.770 252,770 240.463 Net incomingl(outgoing) resources (5,018) 1,803 (3,215) (51,816) Page 3

Takin Part Balan Sheet as at 31 March 2024 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds 2024 2023 Current assèts Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets 68,263 121,197 189,460 68,263 274,611 342,874 38,236 307,948 346,184 153,414 153,414 Creditors 2,872 2,872 2,967 Net current assets 186,588 153,414 340,(K12 343,217 Net assets 186,588 15 ,414 340,002 343,217 Funds of the Charity Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2024 2023 Opening Funds Net inwming resources Totsl funds 191,606 (5,018} 186,588 151.611 1.803 153,414 343.217 395.033 {3.215) (51,816) 340,002 343,217 For the year ended 31 st March 2024 the company vrfas entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordan with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006 The directors acknowledge their ponSI.11ty for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 4th December 2024 and were signed on its behalf by: Mrs Jean Harris Page 4

Takin Part Notes to the financial statements for the riod 1 st ri12023 to 31 March 2024 1 Accounting policies Basis of preparation The ffinancial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention wilh items recognised at cost or transaction value unless othetwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 and with the Charities Act 2011. Incoming resources All incoming resources are included on the Ststement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Resources expended Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Charitable expendrture comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its benefficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. 2 Incoming resources from charitable activities 2024 2023 Grants Other Income 10,724 237.028 2477 9,892 178,425 3 Totsl resources expended Charitsble Activities 2024 Charitable Activities 2023 Wages Expenses TelephorE Postage & Stationery Computer Expenses Staff training Sundry expenses Accountancy and professional charges Travelling Rent and premises costs Insurance Bank Charges 205,317 13,938 2.157 3,829 8.261 4,913 187,141 12,205 2.818 5,088 9,356 1.573 I I 1.996 720 7.051 2,524 1,972 13.198 763 4.232 2,404 1,580 105 240.463 252 770 Page 5

Takin Notes to the Financial Statements for the riod 1stA ril 2023 to 31 March 2024 4 Debtors: amounts falling due within one year 2024 2023 Trade Debtors 68.263 38,236 68,263 38,236 5 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 2024 2023 Other creditors and accxuals 2.872 2,967 2,872 2,967 6 Taxation status The company is a registered Charity and, under sections 478 and 479 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 is exempt from corporation tsx on its charitable activities. 7 Reserves policy General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for the use at the di5(Tetion of the Trustees in furtheran of the general obj.ectiv of the charity and which have not trEen designation for other purposes. Designated funds comprise restricted funds that have Ien set aside by Twstees for particular purp)ses. Reserves will be used to continue with the running of the se1 until other funds a obtained in the case of future lost income from stslutory sour. Funds in reseNes will have to tske into consideration payments required staff redundancies and expenditu assc(iated with the closure of the Servi if further fundiThJ is not forthcoming in the future. This expenditure will all be overseen by the board of Trustees. The tharity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share cBpital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liabilty in reSt of the guarant is limited. Page6