PRISONERS’ PENFRIENDS
(A company limited by guarantee)
Report and Financial Statements
Year ended: 31 March 2023
Charity no: 1098118 Company no: 4629036
Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Table of Contents
Legal and administrative information ………………………………….…….1 Report of The Trustees and Directors…………….……………….……...2 - 3 Independent Examiner’s Report ……………………………….…………4 - 5 Accounting Policies………………………………………………….……….6 Statement of Financial Activities……………......………………..………….7 Balance Sheet………………………………………………..….……………8 Notes to the Financial Activities…………………………….…………..9 - 10
Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Legal and administrative information
Structure, Governance and Management
The company is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 6th January 2003 and registered as a charity on 20th June 2004. Each member has undertaken to contribute a sum not exceeding £1 in the event of the winding up of the company.
The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
The management of the Charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are appointed under the terms of the Articles of Association.
During 2023, Prisoners’ Penfriends entered into a merger agreement with The Hardman Trust. Discussions were held between both boards throughout 2023, with a merger agreement being signed in July 2023. The Prisoners’ Penfriends Board stood down at this point, being replaced by The Hardman Trust Board of Trustees, as per the agreement. The Trustees and Directors of Prisoners’ Penfriends have therefore been updated to reflect this below.
Trustees and Directors
Joy Boyce (resigned on 23 July 2023) Rose Malleson (resigned on 23 July 2023) Peter McKinney (resigned on 23 July 2023) Daniel Rogers (resigned on 23 July 2023) Peter Hill (resigned on 23 July 2023) Alexandra Marks CBE (appointed 24 July 2023) Cathal Cunningham (appointed 24 July 2023) Edward Du Boulay (appointed 24 July 2023) Kim Evans (appointed 24 July 2023) James King (appointed 24 July 2023) Christopher Leslie (appointed 24 July 2023) David Maguire (appointed 24 July 2023) Louise Spencer (appointed 24 July 2023)
Statement of benefit
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the charity commission relating to public benefit as explained below.
Prisoners’ Penfriends supports the wellbeing of prisoners by extending the hand of non-judgemental friendship via letters and emails. The charity makes it possible for volunteers, in the community outside prison, to write to prisoners in complete safety. The scheme is unique in that every correspondence is carefully supervised and every letter is similarly monitored, thereby protecting our volunteers from harm and enabling us to detect any danger of prisoners suffering violence, self-harm or even suicide. The University of Warwick has studied our scheme and found that it has an important role to play in helping to rehabilitate convicted offenders.
Registered Office
7 Bell Yard, London, England, WC2A 2JR
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Report of the Trustees and Directors for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
The management committee presents its report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023
Activities
The company is a charity and exists to:
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Promote the relief and rehabilitation of people in prison and anyone who has received a criminal sentence in particular but without limitation through the establishment, support and promotion of a pen friend scheme;
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To advance the education of the public generally and in particular by encouraging and developing basic reading and writing and creative writing skills amongst people in prison and anyone who has received a criminal sentence.
Results
The net loss for the year amounted to £10,451 and was supported by the general reserves, which now stand at £13,205.
Responsibilities of the Trustees and Directors
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Prisoner’s Penfriends for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these accounts, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (FRS 102);
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards (FRS 102) have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable it to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. It is 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.
Principal Funding
The Trustees are satisfied that the Charity’s assets are available and adequate to fulfill its obligations. The most significant source of the Charity’s funds is derived from donations and grants.
The Trustees are particularly grateful for the donation from the Garfield Weston Charitable Foundation.
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Report of the Trustees and Directors for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
Risks and Reserves
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. The Trustees’ strategy is to continue to seek funding and donations to cover current levels of expenditure and build reserves to maintain the reserve level of unrestricted funds identified as being adequate to mitigate the main risks to the organisation. The Trustees have explored merger options to further support the fulfillment of its aims and objectives. Having evaluated the associated risks and opportunities, this has resulted in a successful merger with The Hardman Trust, details of which are outlined in the report below.
In preparing this report the Committee of Management have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 415A of the Companies Act 2006.
Approved by the management committee on 21 December 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Cathal Cunningham (Director)
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Independent Examiner’s Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
Independent Examiner’s Report to The Trustees of Prisoners’ Penfriends
I report to the charity Board on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023
This report is made solely to the charity's Board, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity's Board those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the charity's Board as a body, for my work or for this report.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Board of the company (and its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the company's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Independent Examiner’s Report (continued) for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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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 (FRS 102).
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.
Signed:
Dated: 21 December 2023
Richard Rhodes FCA
Feltons Chartered Accountants 1 The Green Richmond Surrey TW9 1PL
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Accounting Policies
Basis of accounting
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 102) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Companies Act 2006.
The Prisoners’ Penfriends meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.
The Prisoners’ Penfriends is a company limited by guarantee and is registered in England & Wales. The company registered address and company number can be found on Legal & Administrative Information page
The Charity's functional and presentational currency is GBP.
Fund accounting
The General/Unrestricted Funds are funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity has entitlement to the funds, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. Grants where related to specific deliverables are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration.
No amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers.
Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid/Just Giving is recognised at the time of the donation. Other income is recognised in the period in which it is receivable.
Resources expended
Expenditure is accounted for on an accrual basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular activities they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.
All resources expended are inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
Going concern
The trustees of Prisoners’ Penfriends have analysed and will carry out ongoing monitoring of the impact on the company's financial position. The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. As a result, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Statement of Financial Activities
(including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2023
`
| Total Incoming Resources 41,162 Total Resources Expended 51,613 Net Income Before Gains and Losses - Net Movement in Funds (10,451) Unrestricted fund Notes £ Income From 1 Donations and legacies 41,130 Investments 32 Expenditure on: Charitable activities 2 51,613 Total Funds Brought Forward 23,656 Total Funds Carried Forward 13,205 |
- - - - Restricted funds £ - - - - - |
- - - - Restricted funds £ - - - - - |
41,162 51,613 - (10,451) 2023 Total funds £ 41,130 32 51,613 23,656... 13,205 |
40,874 2022 Total funds £ 40,874 - 61,320 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61,320 | |||||||
| - | |||||||
| (20,446) | |||||||
| 44,102... 23,656…... |
|||||||
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Balance Sheet at 31st March 2023 Company no: 4629036 / Charity no: 1098118
| Unrestricted fund Notes £ Current Assets Cash at bank and in hand 15,936 15,936 Creditors Amounts falling due within one year 3 2,731 Net current assets 13,205 Total assets less current liabilities 13,205 Net assets 13,205 Reserves / Funds Reserves Unrestricted funds: General Fund Restricted funds: Restricted Fund Total Funds |
Restricted funds £ ---- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- |
2023 Total funds £ 15,936 15,936 2,731 13,205 13,205 13,205 13,205 ------ 13,205 |
2022 Total funds £ 27,855 27,855 4,199 23,656 23,656 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23,656 | |||||
| 23,656 - 23,656 |
|||||
The company's financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
The Board consider that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to have an audit under the provisions of section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 ("the Act") and members have not required the company to obtain an audit for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Act.
The Board acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
Approved by the Board of Trustees/Directors on 21 December 2023 and were signed on their behalf by:
............................................. Cathal Cunningham Director
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Prisoners’ Penfriends (A company limited by guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Activities
(including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Investments Bank interest 32 Total Incoming Resources 41,162 Total Resources Expended 51,613 (3). Creditors Creditors 2,731 Unrestricted fund £ (1). Income From Donations and legacies Grants and donation Just giving Gift aid 33,661 2,958 4,511 (2). Expenditure on Charitable activities: Management fee/salaries 39,545 Computer database 348 Franking machine 232 Office and admin costs 11,488 Legal fees - Staff cost accrual 2,731 |
- - - - Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - |
32 41,162 51,613 2,731 2023 Total funds £ 33,661 2,958 4,511 39,545 348 232 11,488 - 2,731 |
- 40,874 61,320 4,199 2022 Total funds £ 35,246 5,628 - 42,496 940 307 17,577 - 4,199 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
(4). Trustees Remuneration and expenses
None of the Trustees received any remuneration. No trustees received reimbursement for travel costs during the year (2022: nil).
(5). Related Party transactions
There were no related party transactions in the year
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(6). Staff costs
Staff costs of £39,545 comprises gross salaries of £38,552 and £993 for pension payments.
The average monthly number of employees, including non-salaried executive directors, during the year was 1 (2022: 1)
No employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 in either year.
(7). Post Balance Sheet Event
On 24 July 2023 the Trustees of The Hardman Trust and the directors of Prisoners’ Penfriends Limited agreed to merge the two charities together. The Hardman Trust is a charity focused on the needs of people on long term prison sentences. Sharing similar values, aims and objectives, the merger enables both organisations to pool their resources, expertise and knowledge to further support people in prison. At the time of writing this report, the merger has been completed and is being formalised via the Charity Commission and Companies House. All volunteers and staff involved in both organisations have remained in post, and Prisoners’ Penfriends work continues without interruption under The Hardman Trust’s name.
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