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2021-03-31-accounts

04443326

CHARITY REGISTERED NUMBER:1093803

MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

NOEL & CO.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 4 PARLIAMENT CLOSE PRESTWOOD GREAT MISSENDEN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HP16 9DT

MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Company Number: 04443326 Registered Charity Number: 1093803 Registered Office: 45-47 Oxford Road High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 2EB Accountants: Noel & Co. Chartered Accountants 4 Parliament Close Prestwood Great Missenden Buckinghamshire HP16 9DT

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MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The Trustees present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" (FRS102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

1 OVERVIEW

Mediation Buckinghamshire provides Community Mediation Services operating in Buckinghamshire and adjacent counties. We seek to help people involved in disputes by facilitating discussions that allow the parties to reach their own agreements. Mediation empowers people to take control of the issues and to find solutions.

Our volunteer mediators are all qualified and provide their time freely to support the community.

Traditionally most of our income to pay for our overheads has come from local authority and community housing grants. Unlike many not-for-profit charitable organisations, our funders have continued to support us and to use our services. However, we are not complacent and we continue to look for new sources of funding so that we can continue and enhance the services that we provide to the community.

In this regard, the past year has been dominated by COVID but Mediation Bucks rose to meet the challenges and to exceed all of our expectations. We drew on the IT skills of our volunteers and ran training courses in the use of Zoom which were enthusiastically embraced by our mediators. We were also fortunate to have been given an IT grant by Leslie Clarke of Wycombe District Council which enabled us to equip our casework manager to work from home.

With more people furloughed and at home, there was an increase in referrals for our mediation services and, having mastered the technology for on-line mediation, we were well placed to support referring parties including individual members of the community as well as the Police and Housing Associations.

In September we were approached by South Oxon & Vale of White Horse Community Safety Partnership to supply mediation services and after discussions we were awarded a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Also, during the year we mediated a number of civil cases and in February we were awarded an SLA by Buckinghamshire Family Support Services. This will enable us to take referrals from them and help to resolve issues between parents and children and issues of communication between parents themselves.

Mediation Bucks has also started offering Conflict Coaching on a trial basis and plan to roll this out more extensively in the coming year.

1.1 Our Support for the Community

Our case workload in the year which is the benchmark of our support to the community has been as follows:

In 56% of the cases closed, our volunteer mediators visited one or more of the parties.

Our mediators contributed a total of over 1,686 voluntary hours of service.

1.2 Our Successes

Where joint meetings between the parties were held, 72% resulted in an agreement being reached.

3-months after a case involving mediators is closed, we write to the referrer and ask if there have been any further incidents between the parties involved in the disputes . In 69% of the replies the referrer reported that there had been no further incidents.

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1.3 Moving Forward

We realise that the prevailing economic climate is very difficult and that we must continue to be prudent. However, we are determined to meet our aims of making mediation available to all the residents of Buckinghamshire and adjoining counties who find themselves in conflict of one form or another. To this end we are focussed on expanding the support that we provide to the community.

We plan to build on our expertise in mediating by Zoom and offer our services to a wider area. In addition we will be recruiting a Development Officer to meet this objective and to liaise with our existing referrers.

Our plans include:

1.4 Funding

We have continued to enjoy the support of our funders and in addition we have earned over £6,955 from civil and workplace mediation which represents 13% of our activity generated funds.

1.5 Our Appreciation

We would like to thank our staff, volunteers, past and present, and our supervising mediator Denis for their hard work and contributions. We would also like to thank our funders for their continued financial support and commitment to the work that we do in support of the community.

2 REFERENCE A1ND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

2.1 Incorporation and registration details

Mediation Buckinghamshire was incorporated as number 04443326 on 21 May 2002 and registered with the Charity Commission under charity number 1093803 on 13 September 2002.

2.2 Address

The charity conducted its affairs from 45-47 Oxford Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2EB.

2.3 The trustees

The trustees who held office during the year were as follows:

2.4 The staff

During 2020-21 there was 1 part time staff member, Henza Cruz.

The Trustees have delegated the day to day management of the charity to John Elliot, trustee, who does not receive any remuneration.

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2.5 The volunteers

As of 31 March 2021 our volunteers were:

Andy, Annie, Antony, Aylene, Barry, Catherine, Claire, Eileen, Emma, Graham, Janet, Jeremy, John, Lin, Linda, Liz, Lynne, Margaret, Michael, Oliver, Pally, Pat, Philmore, Phyllida, Rajiv, Richard, Rita, Russell, Sandy, Stig, Sue, Teresa and Tony.

2.6 Independent Examiners

The independent examiners to the charity were Noël & Co., 4 Parliament Close, Prestwood, Great Missenden HP16 9DT.

2.7 Bankers

The principal bankers to the charity are Lloyds Bank plc, PO Box 1000, Andover BX1 1LT.

2.8 Insurances

Mediation Buckinghamshire has insurance policies for:

Employers’ Liability £10,000,000 Public Liability £5,000,000 Professional Indemnity £1,000,000

3 AIMS AND ORGANISATION

3.1 Who We Are?

We are a charitable not-for-profit organisation that cares about our community and which has the capability to play a valuable role in resolving issues and disputes and, thereby, to assist in creating a better environment for people to live and work. The following key statements help to define us and the service that we provide:

Mediation is a flexible process of resolving disputes in which the mediator or mediators act in a neutral capacity to assist the parties involved to identify the issues; to clarify misunderstandings; to explore solutions; and to negotiate an agreement.

Our Aim is to help people in the community to resolve their disputes through respectful communication and listening in order to achieve better understanding and solutions.

Our Core Values that guide the way that we work together and with our community can be summarised by the following key words:

We operate by providing trained and accredited volunteer mediators who are organised and overseen by a small team of staff members with direction and governance provided by a board of trustees.

Our unique selling points are that:

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3.2 Public Benefit

We believe that it is everybody's right to live peacefully with their family and neighbours. The stress that is caused by disputes is real and should not be underestimated. Our clients and referrers tell us that mediation is an effective way of resolving disputes and as such provides a public benefit to the residents of Buckinghamshire.

In addition, the trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty of Section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The charitable purpose for the charity within the meaning of the Act is enshrined within its objects as stated above.

3.3 What We Do

3.3.1 Our Services and Who Uses Them

The following Table briefly identifies the services that we provide together with typical users and referrers of the services, a fuller description of the services is then provided. We are able to develop these services to suit particular needs where our communication skills can be of value providing that these accord with our Aims and Core Values.

Mediation Service Typical Users of Service Typical Referrers
Community Mediation Neighbours, members of the
community		 Self-referrals, local authorities,
housing providers, police
Room to Talk Family members GPs, school pastoral care,
social care, parents
Workplace mediation Organisations employing staff HR departments
Civil Mediation Individuals and/or businesses with
a contractual relationship		 Solicitors, parties to a contract,
professional bodies (e.g. RICS,
CIArb)
Mediation Awareness Organisations wishing to gain
knowledge of what mediation can
achieve and when to use it		 Local authorities, housing
providers, universities

3.3.2 Community Mediation

Communities can use our independent service to resolve neighbour disputes and anti-social behaviour issues. We seek to provide this service free at the point of delivery. Cases can be self-referred or referred through other agencies such as local authorities, housing providers or the police. The following scenarios are typical:

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3.3.3 Family Mediation

Where there is tension within a family and a young person is thinking of leaving home, or maybe has already left on bad terms, our Room to Talk service can help family members by enabling them to talk and to listen to each other. It can be used if young people are:

Workplace Mediation is available to managers, employers, HR departments and businesses to resolve differences among work colleagues without resorting to industrial legislation in the first instance. By engaging in mediation, businesses are able to save both time and money. Participation in this process often results in improved employee satisfaction and increased productivity.

3.3.5 Civil Mediation

In commercial relationships, mediation offers a fast, effective and less stressful way of resolving disputes that might otherwise end up in court. Government policy is to encourage alternative forms of dispute resolution. Civil mediation is an independent method of resolving contract disputes by enabling the disputants working with trained mediators to make their own agreement rather than having one imposed on them in a court.

3.3.6 Mediation Awareness

Training in the use of mediation can be provided to ‘front desk’ staff working with our partners (funding organisations) to ensure that they appreciate the uses and benefits that mediation can bring and can recognise cases where mediation can help.

3.4 How We Work

Mediation Buckinghamshire is a not for profit company (limited by guarantee) and is a registered charity. The structure of the organisation can be represented as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
Trustees
Coordinator
(Staff/Volunteer)
Supervision Case Workers Working Groups
(Consultants) (Staff) (Volunteers)
Mediators
(Volunteers)
----- End of picture text -----

Outline responsibilities are as follows:

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Currently we have one Case Work manager who is a member of staff and a part time Supervisor who is selfemployed and paid on an hourly basis. All other assistance is provided by volunteers.

The charity has a wide range of policies covering Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding Children and Young Persons, Confidentiality, Health and Safety and other relevant subjects. These policies are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

The charity has a 3-year business plan that is regularly reviewed and updated.

4 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

4.1 Cases

Details of our cases are given in the Table below:

Details 2020-2021 2019-2020
No of cases received 248 173
% of cases received that were self-referred 24% 21%
No of cases closed 233 171
% of cases closed that involved mediators 56% 62%
% of closed cases that involved mediators and which
went to a Joint Meeting		 31% 20%
% of Joint Meetings that resulted in an agreement 72% 87%
No of residents involved in these closed cases 551 412
Total number of volunteer hours 1,686 1,218

4.2 Equal Opportunities

Comparison between the 2011 census return for Buckinghamshire and Mediation Buckinghamshire's clients.

Ethnicity Bucks County MB clients MB clients
2020-2021 2019-2020
White 86% 80% 88%
Asian/Asian British 8% 11% 8%
Black 1% 3% 3%
Mixed/multiple ethnic group 1% 1% 1%
Other 4% 2% 0%

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Age distribution of adults over 20 Bucks County MB clients MB clients
2209-2021 2019-2020
20-29 14% 6% 7%
30-39 17% 23% 14%
40-49 21% 21% 29%
50-59 17% 24% 24%
60-69 15% 13% 18%
70+ 16% 13% 8%
Disability Bucks County MB clients MB clients
2020-2021 2019-2020
Severely, a little or a lot disabled 14% 24% 20%

5 FINANCIAL REVIEW

The financial statements appended to this report reflect the activities outlined above and have been drawn up to comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities.

In 2020-21 there was an increase in funds of £4,866 (2019-20 £8,076 decrease). The overall funds available to the charity are sufficient to enable it to continue to carry out its stated objectives.

The internal financial controls were reviewed in December 2018 in line with the Charity Commission checklist.

5.1 Principal Funding Sources

The charity works in partnership with its principal funders including Local Authorities, Housing Associations, and the Police. In 2020-21 we had Service Level Agreements with:

In addition, we have received grants from the Community Safety Partnership and District Councils of Chiltern & South Bucks, Buckinghamshire Council and the Police Property Fund.

The Charity undertakes workplace mediation, civil mediation and mediation of disputes involving Housing Associations with which it does not have a Service Level Agreement, and for which it gets paid on a case-bycase basis.

5.2 Investment Policy

Any funds that we have over and above our needs for the next 3 months are put in a COIF deposit account that pays a nominal rate of interest.

5.3 Reserves Policy

The charity continues to create a reserve. This reserve is calculated to cover redundancy payments, lease and other obligations that would arise should the charity cease trading.

The amount of the reserve is calculated annually and as of 31 March 2021 is £12,000.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing Document Mediation Buckinghamshire is a company lilnited by guarantee and rcgisiered as a charity. Tlie governing document of ihe charity is the Memorandum and Articles of Association issued 21 May 2002 and last updated on 20 November 2012. &2 Governing Body Overall responsibility rescs with ihe Board of Trusiees who are also appointed as directors of the Chan￿b]e ornpany. The board of Iruqiee8 u8ually meetq every month ai the charity's offices wlien they receiv¢ fituncial and business reports and ensure compliance with our charitable objeciiveq. They are asked to auihorise matters Such as the employment of staff. salary reviews, and expansion of the busines.8 into new areas of mediation. Meelingy are minuted by one of th¢ trust¢es and submilled for approval at the following meeilng. 0.3 Organi.fdiionrtl M(tnagemeni Day 10 day operaiion of the charily is delegjaied 10 the office siaff and a volunieer manager. Some volunteer mediators and iru%iee.$ alsts provide support for 8pecific task5 e.8. fund raising, funder liaison, marketing, office orgjanisaiion and accounts. 4 Rl.%k Tlie Iruslees have in place a risk regi%leT which is reviewed annually. The most 4ignificani risk lo the charity is lo%% of funding and conyiderable effort ha8 been put into en%urin&T we offer an excellent service to our funders and to actively seek new funders and grants. Truslec& RLp&ponJtbililieJ Chariiy and conipany law requires the Inlsieeg 10 pr¢par¢ finan¢ial 81at¢mcnt$ for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the siaie of affairs of Ilie chariiy and of the nei incoming>s and ou(goings for ihat period. In preparin8 these financial Statement￿ the IrustLY8 are required to.. Select suiiable accounting policie8 and to apply Iliem con¥isienily Make judbTemen15 and estimaies that are reasonable and pl￿dent Stole whether applicable accouniin&p $iandard8 have been followed subject to any material depgrtures di￿lOSed and explained in ihe financial statements Prepare the fJnan¢ial slalements on the 80ing cort¢ern b)si.g unl¢s8 it 18 appropriate to pre8um¢ that the company will not continue in bu.%ines%. The Iru5tees are responsible for keeping proper accounting Tecords which di8close, with reasonable accuracy at the iiine. the financial posiiion of the charity and lo enable them to ensure thai Ihe financial siatements comply with the Chgrities and Companie8 Act8. They are also responsible for stsfeguarding the asseis of the company and taking reasonable sieps for the prevention of fraud and oiher irregularities. O Members ihg Committee T]ie members of (he management comniiitee, who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of ch8riiy law. and who served during the year and up io the date of this report are sei out in section This report was approved by the board of directors and tnlslees on. Kevin McKee Cliair olTnL8lees Dated

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021 which are set out on pages 10 to 15.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Linda Noel FCA Dated 28 September 2021 Noel & Co.

Chartered Accountants 4 Parliament Close Prestwood Great Missenden Buckinghamshire HP16 9DT

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MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Note Total Funds Total Funds
2021 2020
£ £
Income and endowments from:
Voluntary income 2 24,000 19,950
Activities for generating funds 28,305 25,818
Investment income (Bank Interest) 43 307
–––––– ––––––
Total income and endowments £52,348 £46,075
–––––– ––––––
Expenditure on:
Costs of charitable activities 3 47,482 54,151
–––––– ––––––
Total resources expended 47,482 54,151
–––––– ––––––
Net movement in funds 4,866 -8,076
Total funds brought forward £54,537 62,613
–––––– ––––––
Total funds carried forward £59,403 54,537
–––––– ––––––
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities

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MEDIATI N BUCKINGHAMSHJRE Company Number: 04443326 BALANCE SHEET AT I MARCH 20 Noit 2021 2020 Tanglble fixed A$set$ Taiigible a55eis 74 147 Current assets Debtors Bank Accounis 3,161 74,134 477 66.893 77,295 67,370 Credltors An)ounl% falling due within one year 17.966 12,980 IY¢l current Rssets 59,329 54,390 Total as$¢l$ 1¢$$ ¢urreiit 59,403 54,537 Iyel a55et5 £59,403 £54,537 Capltfil funds Unresiricted fund Restrieted fund$ £59,403 54,437 100 TotAI funds £59,403 £54,537 All income and expenditure derived from continuing activities For the year endit)g 31 M&rch 2020 the Company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Coinponies Act 2006 relating lo small ¢ompanies. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in que51ion in accordance with section 476. The directors acknowledge tlieir responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect 10 accoujiting r￿OrdS and the preparation of the account5. Th¢s¢ financial stalenients have been prepared in accordancc with the sp￿la1 PTovisions relating to the small ompanies, regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006. Approved by tl)e InTsiees John Trustee Dated

MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

These annexed notes form part of the Financial Statements

1. Accounting policies

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. 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 (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014 (as updated through Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from 1 January 2015.

The charity has applied Update Bulletin 1 as published on 2 February 2016 and does not include a cash flow statement on the grounds that it is applying FRS 102 Section 1A.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical convention (modified to include certain items at fair value). The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years unless otherwise stated.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the SOFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Resources expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.

Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Computers - 25% per annum of cost Fixtures and Fittings - 25 % per annum of cost

Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund as set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension Costs

The company contributes to a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable to the fund in respect of the year.

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MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

2
Income
Voluntary income
Grants and donations


Activities for generating funds
Mediation services


Investment income
Bank Interest

Total income

3
Cost of Charitable activities
Salaries and pension costs
Mediators expenses and venue hire
Premises (Rent, utilities & Building Insurance)
Insurances (Contents and Professional Indemnity)
Office costs (IT, Phone, Publicity, Copying, Consumables)
Training
Supervision
Depreciation
Independent Examination
Trustee expenses
Repairs & Renewals and Small capital items <£1,000

 Total
Funds
2021
£
24,000
––––––

24,000
––––––

28,305
––––––

28,305
––––––

43
––––––

£52,348
––––––

2021
£
30,434
443
6,002
414
3,783
70
5,730
73
480
13
40
—–––––

£47,482
––––––
Total
Funds
2020
£
19,950
––––––
19,950
––––––
25,818
––––––
25,818
––––––
307
––––––
£46,075
––––––
2020
£
23,065
2,570
7,232
390
5,874
8,575
3,600
1,025
480
440
900
—–––––
£54,151
––––––

There was no remuneration for Trustees in the year. There are no related party transactions to report.

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MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

4 Staff costs

The average number of persons employed by the company, including director, during the year was as follows:

Office administration (full time equivalent)
Salaries
Pensions

Total

5
Tangible fixed assets
Plant and machinery
Cost:
At 1 April 2020
Additions

At 31 March 2021

Depreciation:
At 1 April 2020
Charge for the year

At 31 March 2021

Net book value:
At 31 March 2021

6
Debtors and prepayments
Amounts falling due within one year:
Prepayments and Accrued Income
Invoice 20085 - Paradigm Housing Group
Invoice 20087 - Paradigm Housing Group

 2,021
2020
£
£
1
1
29,738
22,599.00
696
466
—–––––
—–––––
30,434
£23,065
––––––
––––––
£
4,101
––––––
4,101
––––––
3,954
73
––––––
4,027
––––––
74
––––––
2021
2020
£
£
461
477
1,350
1,350
–––––
–––––
£3,161
£477
––––––
––––––

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MEDIATION BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

7
Creditors
Amounts falling due within one year:-
Accruals and Deferred Income
Deferred income from Police Property Fund & BCC for 2020/21
Deferred income from Bucks County for 2021/22


8
Financial Commitments
Leases under 5 years:-
Office lease with 3 month break clause

 2,021
£
4,466
13,500
–––––

17,966
––––––

2021
£
4,750
–––––

4,750
––––––
2020
£
480
12,500
–––––
£12,980
––––––
2020
£
4,750
–––––
£4,750
––––––

9 Trustee Expenses Trustees only claim travelling expenses to and from meetings. There were no related party transactions.

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