Annual report of Walney Community Trust for 2025
Throughout 2025, we continued our well-established two-pronged approach to supporting the local community, roughly split into “youth based” and “community based” activities, with increasing and considerable overlap between the two. Our services again made a positive impact upon sizeable numbers of people of all ages.
Youth activities were led for the first half of the year by our Deputy Lead Youth worker, Yvonne, supported by our team of Youth workers; in the latter part of the year, our newly appointed Lead Youth Worker, Laura P, took over those reins. The youth club was held initially on four evenings per week, organised according to age groups, latterly on three evenings per week plus focus groups and a monthly meal on a fourth evening. Sessions included typical youth club activities: pancake and pizza making, arts and crafts, games, end of year and Christmas parties etc. and visits from the likes of Natural England, Cumbria Fire Service and Barrow AFC. We have maintained our very positive relationship with the local Police Community Support Officer, who has attended sessions regularly and supported us in applying for funding. We also organised a youth club day visit to Morecambe, enjoyed by 20+ of our members. The youth club sessions were very well-attended, with a total footfall of 2400+ (compared to 2600+ the previous year, the reduction due to staffing issues in the youth team).
A major development in our youth provision was the introduction of an in-house “Summer Youth Club” during the summer holidays, for three sessions per week (one daytime, two evenings) for five weeks. The sessions were well attended; for example, a total of 180 young people attended the day sessions, comprising 47 unique users. The feedback from children, parents and carers was overwhelmingly positive, and demand to run the programme again was high. Families told us how much they valued having a safe, structured environment for their children during the long school break.
The community strand of our work was again led by our Lead Community Worker, Laura F, supported in the second part of the year by Sarah (Community and Youth Worker) and Lin (Adult Mentor) and various volunteers. Community activities aimed at supporting both individuals and families were organised from our centre: Saturday community meals with bingo, Toddler sessions, wellbeing walks, chair aerobics, Pilates, Great Big Green Week, litter picks, Warm Welcome Hub, Seed to Plate project, Christmas Fayre etc. We again ran or hosted a number of courses in addition to the above activities e.g. air fryer course, Women’s Safe Space Confidence Building. We participated in Foodshare collections, enabling us to distribute food provisions to the neediest in our community. 2025 was the third of a five-year funding agreement with The National Lottery Reaching Communities England for the development of our community work; the agreed impact statements and outcomes for this project again reveal the impressive extent to which we were able to benefit the community in 2025:
- 100 people will benefit from easy access to community activities and events such as meals, mental and physical wellbeing classes and more, thus easing the burden of poverty and social isolation, which in turn improves mental wellbeing, resilience, confidence and self-esteem, as a result of attending the Trust’s Community actvites
367 people attended Trust activities (for a total of 2500 times)
- 100 people will benefit from access to community activities and events designed specifically to improve knowledge of conservation and our impact on the environment, which will improve their mental wellbeing, physical health and the local community as a result of accessing the Trust’s Community environmental educaton programme
83 people attended Trust environmental education programme events
- 50 people will benefit from improved mental wellbeing, resilience, confidence, self-esteem and learn new life and employability skills, empowering them to be independent as a result of attending the Trust’s Community courses
184 people attended Trust courses
- 200 people will benefit from support for themselves and their families, in times of need, resulting in improved financial and mental wellbeing, resilience, confidence and self-esteem, as a result of accessing the Trust’s Community support
316 people were supported by the Trust (for a total of 562 times)
All staff again demonstrated considerable commitment to updating and improving their skills and knowledge: training in First Aid, mental health first aid, digital marketing, sexual harassment and self-harm awareness was undertaken. We again held staff planning/preparation/training periods in both January and September.
Staff continued to develop and maintain links with a wide range of outside agencies and other charitable groups with whom they work in partnership: Cumbria Youth Alliance, Furness Youth Partnership Network and Community Prosperity Partnership are key examples of these.
Our General Manager Cheryl led regular staff meetings, one to one sessions with staff and twice yearly PPT weeks. Under her leadership, we have continued to make improvements to our ageing building, most notably a completely renovated kitchen, new front door, and new LED lighting, new chairs and new entertainment system in the main hall; the B&Q Community Days scheme provided both materials and labour for the revamp of our youth room. We retained the top Grade 5 in our Environmental Health . Kitchen Inspection We have attended local funding and volunteer fairs, met with the local MP and councillor and played an active role in the Furness Community Network. For the first time, we have received income from electricity exported to the grid from our solar panels. Also for the first time, we have three-year plans in place for both our community and youth work. We have regularly updated our website. We met with a team of executives from James Fisher & Sons PLC, after which we were delighted to learn that they have chosen us as a charity with whom they will work more closely in 2026. At the end of the year, we were excited to learn of our success in Stage 1 of the funding application process with Barrow Rising, with a final outcome expected early in the new year; this could offer transformational funding for the future of the Trust.
The Trustees themselves were active throughout the year, meeting formally on six occasions. We approved and introduced new policies for Environment & Sustainability and Reporting Serious Incidents and added sections on Pricing, Gifts and Hospitality to our Finance & Risk Management Policy; the latter were gaps identified through our work on the Charity Commission’s “Good practice in financial management“ checklist. We maintained our rolling programme, by which key policies are reviewed formally annually and others biennially. We maintained a Safeguarding group comprising two Trustees and staff Designated Safeguarding Leads, meeting formally six times per year and reporting to the Trustee body. Our Finance & Risk Management Group met monthly, submitting minutes to the full Trustee body.
Trustees continued to work on the following strategic objectives:
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Strengthen financial sustainability to maintain and grow capacity
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Build a team and team structure appropriate to the current and future ambition
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Deliver an appropriate and sustainable building solution
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Identify and quantify unmet needs on Walney
Work on these strategic objectives has slipped as more urgent, day-to-day matters have demanded the attention of Trustees; it is intended that greater focus will be given to these in 2026.
We again spent time, supported by the local MP, trying to communicate with the owner of the adjacent pieces of land, in order to effect necessary repairs to a boundary wall. We completed the process of transferring ownership of the premises from the Trustee body to the Charity Commission’s Custodian Scheme.
Two new Trustees, Sue Phipps and Samantha Taylor joined us at the start of the year; the position of Deputy Chair remains unfilled.
The major risks to which the charity is exposed, as identified by the Trustees, have been reviewed and systems have been established to manage those risks.
As ever, a major focus of our work is the on-going efforts to secure funding to enable us to maintain and further develop our activities. We continue to be extremely grateful to the organisations without whose financial support we would not be able to exist, particularly those who have faithfully funded us for many years. These organisations are shown on our website at www.walneycommunitytrust.org .
Walney Community Trust
Financial Statements
For the year ended 31 December 2025
Walney Community Trust
Income and Expenditure Account
For the year ended
31 December 2025
| Income Grants The National Lottery Community Fund - RC North East & Cumbria Region Room hire Youth Club Community Door Donations Refunds received Other income Expenses Wages and NIC Training Travel expenses Systems and Safety Checks Professional Fees Payroll Expenses Building repairs and maintenance Cleaning expenses Utilities DBS checks New equipment Telephone and Internet Charges Licences and subscriptions Advertising Sundry expenses Insurance Printing stationery and advertising Community Project expenses Youth Project expenses WCT - Project expenses CCF Project expenses Capital projects Depreciation Net surplus/(deficit) for the year |
136,057 32,921 1,205 5,908 1,405 100 209 2,075 179,880 112,050 214 - 135 1,365 1,586 346 3,241 2,700 292 45 633 1,091 60 22 2,485 523 6,522 2,373 26,675 - 5,081 1,868 169,308 10,573 2025 |
43,335 15,967 4,270 3,604 804 125 203 1,646 69,954 91,667 2,728 55 1,821 240 1,264 11,206 2,917 1,295 376 186 700 1,025 - 112 2,283 703 9,471 1,917 - 225 5,760 844 136,795 (66,841) 2024 |
43,335 15,967 4,270 3,604 804 125 203 1,646 69,954 91,667 2,728 55 1,821 240 1,264 11,206 2,917 1,295 376 186 700 1,025 - 112 2,283 703 9,471 1,917 - 225 5,760 844 136,795 (66,841) 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (66,841) |
I have examined the books and records of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025 and the above Income and Expenditure Account is in agreement with the books, records, and explanations supplied to me J Kelly MAAT, ACCA 11 March 2026
| Walney Community Trust | Walney Community Trust | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet | ||||
| As at | ||||
| 31 December 2025 | ||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Notes | ||||
| Fixed Assets | ||||
| Tangible Assets | 2 | 90,918 | 87,846 | |
| Cash and Bank Accounts | ||||
| Restricted | ||||
| Grant Fund Wages | 13113038 | 55,048 | 58,383 | |
| Walney Development Fund | 5,549 | 7,426 | ||
| Unrestricted | ||||
| Current Account | 13046063 | 3,856 | 1,670 | |
| Designated | ||||
| Redundancy Fund | 13088637 | 17,749 | 17,749 | |
| Job Development Fund | 4,628 | 3,678 | ||
| Building/Contingency Fund | 2,531 | 4,866 | ||
| BWECT Baywind | - | 528 | ||
| Equipment | 1,118 | 1,485 | ||
| FCN | 4,151 | - | ||
| James Fisher | 5,000 | - | ||
| Co-op Youth Account | 13,220 | 9,564 | ||
| 203,770 | 193,197 | |||
| Capital Account | ||||
| Reserves brought forward | 113,197 | 180,038 | ||
| Revaluation reserve | 3 | 80,000 | 80,000 | |
| Net surplus/(deficit) for the | year | 10,573 | (66,841) | |
| 203,770 | 193,197 | |||
| 1 | - | 0 |
I have examined the books and records of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025 and the above Balance Sheet is in agreement with the books, records, and explanations supplied to me
J Kelly MAAT, ACCA 11 March 2026
Walney Community Trust
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Period Ended 31 December 2025
NOTE 1 Accounting Policies
1.1 Basis of Acccounting
The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the FRS 102 Section 1A Small Entities - The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and the Companies Act 2006.
1.2 Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation
Property is valued at current market value.
Historically Plant & Equipment has been charged to the Income and Expenditure account. These historic assets have been introduced to Tangible Assets in the current period at their carrying value.
Plant & Equipment are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairement losses.
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following basis
Plant and Equipment 25% on the reducing balance Property Not Depreciated
NOTE 2 Tangible Assets
| Cost As at 1 January 2025 Revaluations Additions As at 31 December 2025 Depreciation As at 1 January 2025 Charge for the year As at 31 December 2025 Net Book Value As at 1 January 2025 As at 31 December 2025 |
Property £ 80,000 - 80,000 - - - 80,000 80,000 |
Plant & Equipment £ 9,961 - 4,939 14,900 2,114 1,868 3,982 7,846 10,918 |
Total £ 89,961 - 4,939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94,900 | |||
| 2,114 1,868 |
|||
| 3,982 | |||
| 87,846 | |||
| 90,918 |
NOTE 3 Reserves
| Revaluation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Reserve | ||
| £ | ||
| As at | 1 January 2025 | 80,000 |
| As at | 31 December 2025 | 80,000 |
Walney Community Trust
Financial Statements
For the year ended
31 December 2025
Walney Community Trust
Income and Expenditure Account
For the year ended
31 December 2025
2025 2024
Income
Grants 136,057 43,335 The National Lottery Community Fund - RC North East & Cumbria Region 32,921 15,967 Room hire 1,205 4,270 Youth Club 5,908 3,604 Community Door 1,405 804 Donations 100 125 Refunds received 209 203 Other income 2,075 1,646
179,880 69,954
Expenses
Wages and NIC 112,050 91,667 Training 214 2,728 Travel expenses - 55 Systems and Safety Checks 135 1,821 Professional Fees 1,365 240 Payroll Expenses 1,586 1,264 Building repairs and maintenance 346 11,206 Cleaning expenses 3,241 2,917 Utilities 2,700 1,295 DBS checks 292 376 New equipment 45 186 Telephone and Internet Charges 633 700 Licences and subscriptions 1,091 1,025 Advertising 60 - Sundry expenses 22 112 Insurance 2,485 2,283 Printing stationery and advertising 523 703 Community Project expenses 6,522 9,471 Youth Project expenses 2,373 1,917 WCT - Project expenses 26,675 - CCF Project expenses - 225 Capital projects 5,081 5,760 Depreciation 1,868 844
169,308 136,795
Net surplus/(deficit) for the year 10,573 (66,841)
I have examined the books and records of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025 and the above Income and Expenditure Account is in agreement with the books, records, and explanations supplied to me.
J Kelly
MAAT, ACCA
11 March 2026
Walney Community Trust
Balance Sheet
As at
31 December 2025
Notes
2025 2024
Fixed Assets
Tangible Assets 2 90,918 87,846
Cash and Bank Accounts
Restricted
Grant Fund Wages 13113038 55,048 58,383 Walney Development Fund 5,549 7,426
Unrestricted
Current Account 13046063 3,856 1,670
Designated
Redundancy Fund 13088637 17,749 17,749 Job Development Fund 4,628 3,678 Building/Contingency Fund 2,531 4,866 BWECT Baywind - 528 Equipment 1,118 1,485 FCN 4,151 - James Fisher 5,000 - Co-op Youth Account 13,220 9,564
203,770 193,197
Capital Account
Reserves brought forward 113,197 180,038 Revaluation reserve 3 80,000 80,000 Net surplus/(deficit) for the year 10,573 (66,841)
203,770 193,197 1 - 0
I have examined the books and records of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025 and the above Balance Sheet is in agreement with the books, records, and explanations supplied to me.
J Kelly MAAT, ACCA 11 March 2026
NOTE 1 Accounting Policies 1.1 Basis of Acccounting Notes to the Financial Statements For the Period Walney Community Trust Ended 31 December 2025
The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the FRS 102 Section 1A Small Entities - The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and the Companies Act 2006.
1.2 Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation Property is valued at current market value.
Historically Plant & Equipment has been charged to the Income and Expenditure account. These historic assets have been introduced to Tangible Assets in the current period at their carrying value.
Plant & Equipment are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairement losses.
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following basis: Plant and Equipment 25% on the reducing balance Property Not Depreciated
NOTE 2 Tangible Assets
Equipment
Property Plant & Total
£ £ £
Cost
As at 1 January 2025 80,000 9,961 89,961 Revaluations - - - Additions 4,939 4,939 As at 31 December 2025 80,000 14,900 94,900
Depreciation
As at 1 January 2025 - 2,114 2,114 Charge for the year - 1,868 1,868 As at 31 December 2025 - 3,982 3,982
Net Book Value
As at 1 January 2025 80,000 7,846 87,846 As at 31 December 2025 80,000 10,918 90,918
NOTE 3 Reserves
Revaluation Reserve £
As at 1 January 2025 80,000 As at 31 December 2025 80,000