**REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 4830437 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1100637**
## West Kent Mediation
Report and Accounts 31 March 2023
**West Kent Mediation**
**Contents of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|**Chairman's Report**|1|
|**Report of the Trustees**|2 to 4|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|5|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|6|
|**Statement of Financial Position**|7|
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|8 to 12|
**West Kent Mediation**
**Chairman's Report for the year ended 31 March 2023**
We have been able to return to a more normal working routine since Covid restrictions were eased. We still have the occasional Zoom meeting and continue to do initial assessments by telephone, but we have resumed face-to-face joint meetings in neutral venues to complete the mediation process.
At the year-end, we were sorry to see three Trustees leave the Board, the Chairman, Rosemary Morgan, as well as Pam Robertson and Sally Constantine. Rosemary was an outstanding Chairman for several years, Pam served for the same period, both making much valued contributions. Sally had been an early years Trustee and after some time away returned to contribute enormously to our governance.
All three will be missed from the Board but we have been lucky enough to recently recruit Marica Tearle to lend experience and knowledge while Richard Seymour, a retired KC, has completed his first year and has brought his wide experience and a different perspective to help us on our way. We would like to recruit another Trustee and we are looking for someone who could bring a different perspective to what we do.
As mentioned in Rosemary's report last year, Gill Brewster finally retired after many years. Her work for us was nothing less than fantastic. We are sure that we have replaced her as Operations Manager with another great talent in Claire Jarvis.
We continue to receive invaluable support from Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling Councils, but it was with great disappointment that we learned that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was withdrawing all financial support from 2023, a problem we share with other local voluntary organisations.
A lot of our funding in previous years came from organisations like the National Lottery Community Fund and various charitable trusts. All credit to Amanda and Gill but, unfortunately, we are showing a loss of £11,480.
Over the years, we have built up reserves and, if we do not receive significant additional funding, these reserves will enable us to continue the service for the next two years. Long serving CEO, Amanda Bell, and new kid on the block Claire, will continue to explore every fundraising possibility. If anyone reading this feels they may have a funding lead, we would be grateful if they would contact the office.
Finally, as always, great appreciation is directed at our amazing team of volunteer mediators who have excelled as always throughout the last 27 years. Our Trustees remain committed to maintaining our important presence in the community.
## Keith Turner
Keith Turner Chairman
Page 1
**West Kent Mediation (Registered number: 04830437)**
**Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2023**
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
West Kent Mediation (WKM) provides a free, impartial and confidential community mediation service to all residents of Sevenoaks District Council, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Mediation is a means of conflict resolution enabling people in dispute to reach a mutually acceptable agreement with the help of volunteer mediators who are trained and supported by WKM's small staff team.
## **Achievements**
Our referrals are received through continued partnership working with both statutory and voluntary organisations, including the three leading housing associations in West Kent. 75% of our referrals during the year were neighbour/community cases, and 25% related to family (including homelessness) conflicts. This year, our peer mediation schools service has resumed and been extremely successful, we have trained over 320 students in mediation awareness skills and trained a further 84 students to become mediators in the school environment.
## **Public benefit**
The Board of Trustee Directors confirms that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Commission.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Financial position**
In the year ended 31 March 2023 the Charity received total incoming resources of £46,263 and expended £57,743 in total, resulting in net expenditure of £11,480 (2022 net expenditure - £1,632). The Charity's cumulative reserves to be carried forward at 31 March 2023 thus amounted to £68,213 (2022 £79,693).
## **Reserves policy**
The Board of Trustees have established a policy whereby the unrestricted free reserves held by the Charity should be maintained at a level where it is considered that a broad business base can be laid for the charity to continue its current activities. The unrestricted free reserves amounted to £42,713 at 31 March 2023, as the Trustees have designated £25,500 to make provision in the event the company be required to make payment for its office accommodation and/or closure costs if ongoing finance is not received. The policy is monitored and reviewed annually.
## **FUTURE PLANS**
The charity seeks to expand its mediation services with an emphasis on our peer mediation training project in primary schools. We continue to work in close partnership with other mediation services within the Kent Mediation network, and other voluntary and statutory organisations within our area.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, its memorandum and articles of association, and constitutes a limited company limited by guarantee as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Annually, one third of the Trustee Directors retire by rotation at the AGM. Additionally any trustee directors who have been appointed by the Board of Trustee Directors since the last AGM shall hold office only until the next following AGM. If not re-appointed at that AGM he/she shall vacate office at the conclusion of the meeting.
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
The Board of Trustee Directors regularly reviews the Board's composition to identify any skills gaps. They also review the methods employed to recruit new trustees; these include through word of mouth and networking, insertions in newsletters circulated to service users and volunteers, through the West Kent Mediation website. WKM's publicity material is also displayed in a wide range of community venues including schools, medical centres, supermarkets, libraries, etc.
Page 2
**West Kent Mediation (Registered number: 04830437)**
**Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Organisational structure**
The Charity's operations are directed by the Board of Trustee Directors, which meets on a regular basis, and is responsible for the supervisory management of the charitable company. The mediation activities are undertaken by volunteers who are recruited, trained, supported and supervised by two paid members of staff. The main funding for the company's charitable activities was provided by and through the local authorities of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells and the three major local Housing Associations in West Kent, together with donations from town and parish councils and others. We are in our final year of a 3 year funding project from the National Lottery. We are extremely grateful for the continued support of all our funders.
## **Risk management**
The Board of Trustee Directors has examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the company faces and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced, so that current controls can be monitored and improvements introduced as and when necessary.
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **Registered Company number**
04830437 (England and Wales)
**Registered Charity number** 1100637
## **Registered office**
Sevenoaks Indoor Bowls Centre Hollybush Lane Sevenoaks Kent TN13 3UX
## **Trustees**
Mrs S J Constantine Councellor (resigned 31/3/2023) Mrs R A Morgan Retired (resigned 6/10/2022) Mrs P J Robertson Retired (resigned 31/3/2023) Mr K W Turner Retired Mrs R A Clibbens Retired Mr R Seymour Retired Judge (appointed 18/5/2022) M Tearle (appointed 6/2/2023)
## **Company Secretary**
Ms C A Jarvis
## **Independent Examiner**
Porritt Rainey The Crown Business Centre 10 High Street Otford Sevenoaks Kent TN14 5PQ
## **Bankers**
Lloyds TSB High Street Sevenoaks Kent TN13
Page 3
**West Kent Mediation (Registered number: 04830437)**
## **Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2023**
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 4 September 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
## Rebecca Clibbens
Mrs R A Clibbens - Trustee
Page 4
**Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of West Kent Mediation (Registered number: 04830437)**
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of West Kent Mediation ('the Company')**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2023.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also 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 your charity's accounts as 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.
## **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:
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 (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.
## Alan R E Peal
Alan R E Peal ACA The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Porritt Rainey The Crown Business Centre 10 High Street Otford Sevenoaks Kent TN14 5PQ
Date: 13 September 2023
Page 5
**West Kent Mediation**
## **Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
Notes
£
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
2
**53**
**-**
**Charitable activities**
4
Mediation
**32,180**
**13,910**
Investment income
3
**120**
**-**
**Total**
**32,353**
**13,910**
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
5
Mediation
**43,833**
**13,910**
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**(11,480)**
**-**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
**79,693**
**-**
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
**68,213**
**-**|**2023**
**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**53**
**46,090**
**120**
**46,263**
**57,743**
**(11,480)**
**79,693**
**68,213**|2022
Total
funds
£
360
49,989
58
50,407
52,039
(1,632)
81,325
79,693|
|---|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 6
**West Kent Mediation (Registered number: 04830437)**
## **Statement of Financial Position 31 March 2023**
|Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
Notes
£
£
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Cash at bank
**81,767**
**-**
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
11
**(13,554)**
**-**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**68,213**
**-**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
**68,213**
**-**
**NET ASSETS**
**68,213**
**-**
**FUNDS**
12
Unrestricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|**2023**
**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**81,767**
**(13,554)**
**68,213**
**68,213**
**68,213**
**68,213**
**68,213**|2022
Total
funds
£
94,495
(14,802)
79,693
79,693
79,693
79,693
79,693|
|---|---|---|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2023.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
- (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
- (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 4 September2023 and were signed on its behalf by:
## Rebecca Clibbens
Mrs R A Clibbens - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 7
**West Kent Mediation**
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
## **Income**
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
## **Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits**
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
## **2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**
|**2.**|**DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2023**|2022|
|||**£**|£|
||Donations|**53**|360|
|**3.**|**INVESTMENT INCOME**|||
|||**2023**|2022|
|||**£**|£|
||Deposit account interest|**120**|58|
Page 8
continued...
**West Kent Mediation**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|**2023**
Activity
**£**
Mediation Fees
Mediation
**860**
Grants
Mediation
**45,230**
**46,090**
Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:
**2023**
**£**
Sevenoaks District Council
**5,000**
Tunbridge Wells Borough
**5,500**
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
**3,410**
Town & Country Housing
**5,100**
West Kent Housing
**5,075**
Kent Police
**-**
Citizens Advice
**-**
Tesco
**666**
Clarion Housing Group
**5,100**
Colyer Fergusson
**1,000**
Early Help
**425**
National Lottery
**9,653**
Linda Hogan Charitable Trust
**-**
Tory Family
**1,050**
Sir Thomas Sythe's Charity
**1,000**
Town and Parish Councils
**2,251 **
**45,230**
**5.**
**CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS**
Direct
Support
Costs (see
costs (see
note 6)
note 7)
£
£
Mediation
**56,033**
**1,710**
**6.**
**DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
**2023**
**£**
Staff costs
**41,236**
Premises Costs
**4,625**
Insurance
**985**
Telephone
**-**
Stationery and Computer consumables
**2,172**
Sundries
**-**
Staff Expenses
**156**
Volunteer Expenses and Training
**672**
Mediation Fees
**3,012**
Advertising and Presentations
**2,600**
Staff Training
**325**
Subscriptions
**250**
Volunteer Training
**-**
**56,033**|2022
£
-
49,989
49,989
2022
£
5,000
2,500
2,145
5,100
5,125
500
1,875
-
5,100
2,000
2,125
17,048
402
200
-
869
49,989
Totals
£
**57,743**
2022
£
36,283
3,559
1,828
204
2,583
48
328
260
1,196
980
79
250
2,532
50,130|
|---|---|
Page 9
continued...
**West Kent Mediation**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **7. SUPPORT COSTS**
|**SUPPORT COSTS**|||
|---|---|---|
|||Management|
|||£|
|Mediation||**1,710**|
|Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:|||
||**2023**|2022|
|||Total|
||Mediation|activities|
||**£**|£|
|Sundries|**14**|**271**|
|Payroll processing costs|**346**|**338**|
|Independent examination|**1,350**|**1,300**|
||**1,710**|**1,909**|
## **8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2023 nor for the year ended 31 March 2022.
## **Trustees' expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2023 nor for the year ended 31 March 2022.
## **9. STAFF COSTS**
|Wages and salaries
Other pension costs
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
Organisational Roles|**2023**
**£**
**38,932**
**2,304 **
**41,236**
**2023**
**2**|2022
£
35,600
683|
|---|---|---|
|||36,283|
|||2022
2|
The value of volunteers’ time is not included within these accounts
## **10. PENSION**
The company contributes for one employee into The Pensions Trust Money Purchase Plan for Charities and Voluntary Organisations. The company has been notified by The Pensions Trust of the estimated employer debt on withdrawal from the Plan based on the financial position of the Plan as at 30 September 2022. As of this date the estimated employer debt for the company was £2,046 which has been provided for by the company (2022 - £2,698).
Page 10
continued...
**West Kent Mediation**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **11. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
||||||**2023**|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**£**|£|
||Accruals and deferred income||||**10,158**|10,804|
||Accrued expenses||||**3,396**|3,998|
||||||**13,554 **|14,802|
|**12.**|**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**||||||
|||||Net|Transfers||
|||||movement|between|At|
|||At 1/4/22||in funds|funds|31/3/23|
|||£||£|£|£|
||**Unrestricted funds**||||||
||General fund|**48,193**||**(11,480)**|**6,000**|**42,713**|
||Designated Reserves|**25,500**||**-**|**-**|**25,500**|
||Designated School Projects|**6,000**||**-**|**(6,000) **|**-**|
|||**79,693**||**(11,480)**|**-**|**68,213**|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|**79,693**||**(11,480) **|**-**|**68,213**|
||Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:||||||
|||||Incoming|Resources|Movement|
|||||resources|expended|in funds|
|||||£|£|£|
||**Unrestricted funds**||||||
||General fund|||**32,353**|**(43,833)**|**(11,480)**|
||**Restricted funds**||||||
||Local Authorities funding|||**13,910**|**(13,910)**|**-**|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|||**46,263**|**(57,743) **|**(11,480) **|
||**Comparatives for movement in funds**||||||
|||||Net|Transfers||
|||||movement|between|At|
|||At 1/4/21||in funds|funds|31/3/22|
|||£||£|£|£|
||**Unrestricted funds**||||||
||General fund|55,825||(1,632)|(6,000)|48,193|
||Designated Reserves|25,500||-|-|25,500|
||Designated School Projects||-|-|6,000|6,000|
|||81,325||(1,632)|-|79,693|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|81,325||(1,632)|-|79,693|
Page 11
continued...
**West Kent Mediation**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **12. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
||Incoming|Resources|Movement|
|---|---|---|---|
||resources|expended|in funds|
||£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|General fund|38,887|(40,519)|(1,632)|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|Local Authorities funding|9,645|(9,645)|-|
|Path Partnership|1,875|(1,875)|-|
||11,520|(11,520)|-|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|50,407|(52,039)|(1,632)|
## **13. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2023.
## **14. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The statutory members of the charitable company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of a winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2023 was 32.
Page 12