North Warwickshire Citizens Advice Bureau (a company limited by guarantee) Trustees. Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 Registered Company number 05154555 Registered Charity number 1105712 Registered Office: The Parish Rooms Welcome Street Atherstone Warwickshire CV91DU Contents Chair's Statement Report of the Trustees Administrative Information 23 Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Financial Activities 24 25 Balance Sheet 26 Principle Accounting Policies Notes to the Financial Statements 29 32 hair's Statement North WanNickshire Citizens Advice is one of the few remaining voluntary sector pr8anisations in North Warwickshire and as such exists primarily to serve the citizens ¢f North Warwickshire and provide advice related services and support when and '.here it is most needed. For those in need of our services benefits, utilities and communications and debt advice are the three most common reasons clients access our services, and the chart ,rif page 7 outlines the top ten issues that people need help with. 'Uemand for advice services nationally has increased and we have experienced that rlse in demand In North Warwickshire in 2024/2025 NWCA with a 10.4 % increase in. the number of issues we have advised upon compared to the previous year. Full details of the impact or value to clients of NWCA can be found on page 6, and . you will see from the data the tangible benefits we bring to the citizens of North SNarwickshire. This includes the range of clients we support. We have been able to meet the increase in demand by prudent budgeting, pxpanding our staffing complement and by providing a variety of means of access to yi;,ji our seriices. These include telephone and other technology services, face to face '*).:' appointments and for the flrst time a fully equipped Mobile Advice Centre (MAC). .The MAC helps us to reach many more rural communities and thereby individuals ,who would otherwise find it difficult to access seNices because,of transport or technology restrictions. '.Nationally Citizens Advice is undergoing a radical change and consultlng members on *:: ihihat future services should look like and how the national organisation can best senie local advice centres. We have submitted our responses to those consultations, -and we continue to SUPPOrt the concept of local services that are easily accessible to -local citizens along with a strong national organisation that provides membership s.ervices to local citizens advice centres. The outcome of the transformation and a new membership agreement will be in place in 2026.::. . Similarly local councils are undergoing consultations regarding reorganisation that has the potential to impact upon your citizens advice service either structurally or financially. At NWCA we will continue to campaign for local services that meets the . specific needs of geographical areas. We will also continue to campaign to be fully funded and supported by local councils for core advice services, but we will Endeavour to supplement that funding by seeking alternative sources of funding or. other resources that can enhance our services and consequently the support that we can give to the people of North Wanvickshire. In this regard we are grateful to both North Warwickshire Borough Council (NWBC) and Warwickshire County Council (WCC). On behalf of the trustees, staff, volunteers, and clients I would like to take this opportunity to thank officers and councillors for their continued endorsement and assistance. Similarly, we are grateful for the support and funding provided by Cadent Gas Ltd, the Department for Business and Trade, the Money and Pensions Service, National Grid, E-on Next, and The Community Fund. These projects have been invaluable in :: augmenting our provision of advice and other services across Warwickshire and::.:. :.. beyond. Our partnership with other Warwickshire LCA'S continues to grow and develop and for the first time we held a joint conference in December 2024 which was very well.:. attended by volunteers, staff, local councils and other dignitaries. We continue to provide good governance and achieved top marks in our Leadership Assessment in December 2024 which was carried out by National Citizens Advice. I would like to express my gratitude to al! trustees for their ongoing support. NWCA along with all other LCA'S rely on staff and volunteers to maintaln its services. . Volunteers are dedicated people who give their time freely and work hard sometimes in very difficult circumstances. The staffing complement has grown this year, and we . have a dedicated group of management and ancillary staff with a variety of skills and experience. The Board of Trustees acknowledge the invaluable Service given by volunteers and all staff and we would like to express our gratitude for their dedication to NWCA, thank them for their hard work and to commend them for thelr public service. Dr Roger Minett- Chair, North Warwickshire Citizens Advice October 2025 Report of the Trustees The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial Statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are prepared to meet the requirements for a directors, report and accounts for Companies Act purposes. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. Charitable Objectives and Activities The objects of the Charity as set out in the Charity's governing document, the Articles of Association, are to promote any charitable purpose, particularly for the benefit of the community in North Warwickshire and surrounding areas and those contacting the charity by telephone or electronically, by the advancement of education, the protection and preservation of health and relief of poverty, sickness and distress. The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, when reviewing the Charitys aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. Delivery of Advice At North Warwickshire Citizens Advice, we deliver advice through a variety of channels including face-to-face, telephone (as part of the Warwickshire telephony service), and email. This provision optimises a clienvs access to our range of services in the most cost-efficient way, whilst making sure that resources are available to the most vulnerable clients. A new outreach project, a fully equipped Mobile Advice Cente (MAC), provides us with the opportunity to travel across North Warwickshire (and beyond by invitation) to attend areas where the transport links are poor and where we have identified areas of deprivation. This provides an advice service to people who for a number of reasons may not be aware of our services or cannot access us any other way. Clients can also contact NWCA by using the contact request form on our website, We receive referrals from other local services, as well as users of our online self-help information, available 24 hours a day1365 days per year via our national website at www,citizensadvice,org.uk. Clients can attend the office in Atherstone during opening hours where we operate a triage system, Face-to-face appointments are available in Atherstone, and by arrangement where possible at community venues across the borough. We also now have a timetable of visits by the MAC to surrounding areas We aim to provide our clients with the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward, whoever they are and whatever their problem. Our service is available for everyone. We are relied upon by people from all backgrounds to assist them with their problems. We support people to develop the skills and confidence to help themselves. We then utilise that evidence of the issues presented by our clients to help bring about policy changes to benefit everyone. The unique frontline evidence we collate is subsequently shared anonymously with government, regulators and industry to highlight problems faced by our clients through National Citizens Advice submissions. We can work together so that solutions can be found to issues which people are regularly faced with across a range of policy areas. These include access to justice, access to money and debt advice, enabling the benefit system to work for people, and protecting people from all forms of abuse. The Impact of Advice 000 000 19.127 issues 2023-24 21.112 issues . 2024-25 7.1 issues per enqulry 2023-24 +5.6% 7.5 issues per enquiry 2024-25 The number of issues we advised on increased from 19,127 to 21,112 in 2024-25 compared to the previous year, a 10.40/0 increase. This is fairly consistent with last year's 10.3% increase and reflects the intersectional nature of our clients, situations, The 5.6% increase in issues per enquiry underlines this. Clients generally have multiple, related issues, or are offered advice on related issues which will progress them with the presenting or root issue for which they approached us. For example, over 60% of the clients who we advised on Benefits issues were also advised on energy bills and budgeting related matters: indths &ccffrfNr4cali(ffj5 COThS￿ goods& seryices t BeDeSlsUnNer531 CJedit F&yNr Re￿￿Onsh￿S & Tay GVA& Hale Qimf* As is generally the case, the most common issues we helped clients with were Benefits, comprising 30.4% of all issues we helped with. Of these, Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit were the main topics, with over 3,000 issues advised on between the two. Advice on benefits primarily comprises calculating entitlement and advising on new claims or challenging decisions, but also considers the household's financial situation holistically by discussing bills, budgeting and debts. The second most common issues were Utilities & Communications at 20.1 %, The most common issue in this category was practical energy efficiency advice, but issues relating to savings on water bills through social tariff and problems with meters or billing were also prevalent. In debt advice this year, Council Tax Arrears wa5 the most common issue - this is consistent with most previous years, though does reflect a change from our 2023-24 report wherein Fuel Debt was the most common issue. The top debt issues were Council Tax Arrears (17.3%), Fuel Debt (13.5%), and credit cards (8.8%). Rent arrears across all tenures amounted to 7.1 % of debt issues, with rent arrears to local authorities being the most prevalent of these. Our Top l O Issues 2024-25 3% l . Benefits 2. Utilities & communication5 3. Debt 4. Financial services & capability 45. Consumer 6. Housing 7. Legal 8. Employment 9. Relationships & family l O. Charities, grants & food banks Our advice directly brings value to client5 through helping them claim and retain benefits and grants, helping them save money and helping them avoid payments they are not liable for. KEYO OMES Benefits gained. increased. or put back into payment £1,570.618 Energy and budgeting savings £355.877 Improved health & capacity to manage 3174 people Charitable grants. goods and services obtained £25.454 Debts written off £141.626 Our advice reaches some of the most vulnerable populations in North Warwickshire. People with disabilities, children or low incomes and isolated older people are Significantly More likely to need advice following critical life events or arising from the cost-of-living crisis. 27.9 % 30.90/0 of our clients were of age 65 or above 23.70/0 of our clients live in the top 30% most deprived areas of the country, of our clients had a disability or long- term health condition of our clients had dependent children ONS Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 Research and Campaigning In recent years we have undertaken local research relating to financial issues affecting our clients such as the cost-of-living crisis and food poverty. OLJr research is then disseminated and used to influence the provision of local services and highlight issues - which can- have a lasting effect on the local economy. By campaigning for change, we contribute to improving the quality of life for our clients and for those who have not used our services. As part of this commitment, we worked collaboratively with the other Local Citizens Advice in Warwickshire by sharing inforrnation on trends. This allowed us to target key emerging issues such as entitlement to Pension Credit and the Warm Home Discount, including a joint campaign. Public Benefit and Volunteering The problems our clients face can be stressful and pose barriers to their ability to go about everyday tasks like working, keeping control of their finances, or forming and maintaining personal relationships. Citizens Advice research shows that in addition to financial value, our service improves the wellbeing of the people we see in many ways Our advice also provides wider financial savings to Statutory services and society by: tackling financial exclusion, reducing homelessness, alleviating problems which lead to, or exacerbate, health issues, keeping people in work Citizens Advice calculates the value of these savings using the Treasury-approved methodology developed by New Economy. The calculations from evidence-led financial model demonstrated that NWCA'S work with clients in 2024-2025 resulted in., £3QL45A savings for the NHS £11192S savlngs for the Local Authority £21￿& savings for local housing providers £SQ&29S savin85 for the Department for Work & Pensions Citizens Advice volunteering has a positive impact on each volunteer's sense of self~ worth, their employability and their contribution to society, and research shows that our volunteers benefit from a variety of personal improvements. Our volunteers who give advice, and thereby support local communities and our national network, gain new skills and improve their own personal development, wellbeing and sense of community. This comes with associated financial benefits to society by reducing unemployment and demand for health services; research by National Citizens Advice shows the value of volunteering at North Warwickshire Citizens Advice in 2023-24 was £231.133, a 45% increase compared to the previous financial year. Value of time donated Volunteering time Skill development and employability Gaining em ment more quickl Receiving a higher wa%e due to beinR more skilled Health and wellbeing Iiicreased life satisfaction Imprc)vod ment