## **2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts**
**Giving people the power to speak up and stop crime. 100% anonymously. Always.**
**Speak up. Stay safe.**
1
## **Contents**
3 Welcome from our Chair
4 Welcome from our CEO
5 Our vision, mission and values
6-7 Achieving our strategy
8-9 Real-life cases
10-12 Driving quality information
13-14 Connecting with every community through our supporters
15-17 Building trust in our service
18-19 One charity, one team, working better together
20 Crimestoppers in numbers
21 Our future plans
22-25 Financial results
26 Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
26-28 Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Crimestoppers Trust
29 Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities
30 Balance Sheets as at 31 March 2023
31 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
32-33 Principal accounting policies
34-44 Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023
45-46 Thank you to our partners and supporters
47 Legal & administrative information
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## **Welcome from our Chair**
Every day, we witness the courage and strength of more than 1,600 people who call us or go online to Crimestoppers-uk.org or Fearless.org
**Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC** Chair of Board of Trustees, Crimestoppers
## **Trust rises with record numbers contacting Crimestoppers**
Welcome to our Annual Report 2022-2023 as we reflect on our work and challenges, mark our successes, report on our finances and look ahead to plans for the coming year.
Crimestoppers exists primarily to support our beneficiaries – the hundreds of thousands of people each year who take the brave decision to speak up anonymously when they have information about crime.
Most people who contact us won’t go to the police. They’re estimated to make up about a fifth of the population. They fear revenge or have concerns about other people’s negative reactions. There can also be cultural barriers to reporting.
Our charity offers strong reassurance: there’s no comeback. We guarantee anonymity. We offer hope.
This information, given to our UK Contact Centre, changes lives for the better and helps prevent more sadness and pain from ever happening.
## **Record rewards in tragic circumstances**
Notable recent activity involved working with communities across Liverpool after the tragic shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. For this appeal, we offered the highest reward in our charity’s history: £200,000.
Some months later, to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) after the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell, private donors pulled together via Crimestoppers to offer our second highest-ever reward of £150,000.
Every day, the charity Crimestoppers makes a difference. We are determined that everyone can speak up anonymously. As our vision explicitly states, we believe everyone has the right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live.
## **Protecting people, connecting communities**
Every day, we witness the courage and strength of more than 1,600 people who call us or go online to Crimestoppers-uk.org or Fearless.org. They’re keen to share what they know, hoping that by contacting us, action will follow to tackle the violence and harm that festers when criminal gangs go unchallenged.
Thank you for your support and I hope you will spread the word and always be an advocate for our charity when the opportunity arises. We are here to help whenever people need us.
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## **Welcome from our CEO**
By running hotlines that help rebuild trust in vital public services, we are helping public bodies and companies drive out bad behaviour and improve their culture.
**Mark Hallas OBE** Chief Executive, Crimestoppers
## **A helping hand of support**
Trust and confidence in the criminal justice system, from policing to the courts, is essential for Crimestoppers to be effective. There is no doubt that faith in the police has taken a hit in recent years.
This is why I’m incredibly encouraged to see forces, such as the Metropolitan Police Service, take the essential steps needed to confront some deeply entrenched issues.
Our Metropolitan Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse service is the first of its kind. The new public-facing service enhances the work of our existing internal police reporting lines.
We are not just working with police to tackle those who take advantage of their position of authority, but also with other essential services such as fire and rescue. This is in addition to supporting major companies and public sector organisations by running vital whistleblowing services on their behalf.
By running hotlines that help rebuild trust in vital public services, we are supporting public bodies and companies to drive out bad behaviour and improve their culture.
## **Successful engagement**
In terms of performance and how we play an active role to help solve and prevent crime, Crimestoppers has proven its value and its worth. The need for our service is greater than ever.
We continue to run campaigns and appeals guided by our partners, and offer rewards to encourage tip-offs about homicide, hidden harms and also more traditional crimes such as burglary and robbery.
We are further refining and improving our offer to the public so that they have as many tools available as possible to stand up safely for their communities. This includes continued rollout of the bystander approach – making people aware that everyone has the power to protect those they care about, whilst staying safe.
Whilst I’m incredibly proud of our work, I recognise that there is always more we can do.
As the police, Police and Crime Commissioners and others recognise, there is a significant journey ahead. I’m pleased that Crimestoppers is playing its part, doing what we do best: giving the public a safe option to speak up about crime 100% anonymously.
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## **Our vision, mission and values**
## **Vision – why we exist**
Everyone has the right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live.
## **Mission – what we do to achieve our vision**
We’re an independent charity that gives you the power to speak up to stop crime, 100% anonymously.
Whoever you are, wherever you live, from communities to companies.
By phone and online, 24/7, 365 days a year.
We also share advice on how to protect the people and communities you care about from crime, so everyone can feel safe.
## **Values – the principles that guide how we conduct ourselves**
At Crimestoppers, we believe that it is people who stop crime. Our community of staff and volunteers live our values every day:
� **We care** – we believe that everyone has the right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live. Crime can be frightening, so we offer hope.
� **We are inclusive** – we don’t judge people. We’re here for everyone who needs us. We can change communities for the better by working together.
� **We are trustworthy** – we’re reliable, honest and an independent charity. We act responsibly and never break anonymity.
� **We are determined** – we commit all our efforts to achieving positive change. We have a ‘can-do’ attitude.
## **Our role**
We break down barriers that silence people and communities by offering a trusted, alternative place for people to pass on crime information with no comeback. The information we receive and pass on ensures lives are saved, criminals are stopped, and victims and their loved ones receive justice.
## **Our impact**
Every year, we help solve and prevent thousands of crimes.
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572,408
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Over half a million people contacted us last year.
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196,621
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We sent over 196,000 pieces of information to the police.
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218,000
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Plus we sent more information to a wide range of other statutory, commercial and third sector partners, totaling over 218,000 reports.
## **27,263**
The police tell us we helped solve and prevent more than 27,263 crimes. As not all forces provide comprehensive feedback, we can estimate our impact is more than double this.
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## **Achieving our strategy**
## **Connecting with every community to help solve and prevent crime**
All our activities are focused on achieving the following objectives:
- Grow the quality of information Crimestoppers receives - this is information the police are often unable or unlikely to be given voluntarily and directly.
- Build trust and confidence in our service - by telling our charity’s true story of hope. Since we were formed in the late 1980s, we’ve kept our promise of anonymity to the millions of people who have trusted us with their crime information.
- Attract more people and organisations to support us. This boosts our efforts to connect with people in every community across the UK.
We do this in a number of interrelated ways. Whilst our Contact Centre is at the heart of how we serve the public, our other activities focus on:
**Campaigns –** local, regional and national communications on relevant crime issues affecting identified communities, with the aim of encouraging and inspiring people to come forward with quality information.
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OBJECTIVES
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**ACTIVITIES**
**Community engagement –** outreach work with key audiences to build trust in our services and confidence in our promise of anonymity.
**Networks and partnerships –** from big brands to local charities and individuals, every connection is an opportunity for our charity to reach and help more people.
**Quality information**
**Campaigns**
**Trust and confidence Community engagement CONTACT CENTRE**
**Networks & partnerships**
**Support for our charity**
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## **Achieving our strategy**
## **Build a community of Crimestoppers**
People are our advocates and can tell our story of helping to stop and solve crime whilst staying completely anonymous.
Our non-police partners are critical supporters, with many receiving information they can investigate; a quarter (25%) of all our reports. This includes everything from tackling fraud to preventing wrongdoing and corruption in the workplace.
Our volunteers find innovative activities to build trust in Crimestoppers within their local communities. Their ideas are now easily shared across the volunteering community via our online Inspiration Hub, for others to use as fits their area (see page 18).
## **Tell our real-life stories of anonymity**
Real-life stories help us connect with key audiences. They build trust in our service by demonstrating the impact of speaking up and illustrating the difference we can all make. They can inspire support.
We thanked the community of Liverpool for their incredible response that helped secure justice for Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s family (see page 10).
We focused on areas known for high crime and low reporting rates. We design our communications to reinforce our independence and prove how anonymity works.
## **Reach key audiences**
Target groups and communities who most need our services, which means encouraging and convincing those who are less likely to speak directly to police to contact Crimestoppers.
We work with specific sectors, such as housing associations, to engage with people who rent their homes, where reporting is traditionally lower than average. Our partnership with Abri in the south of England provides regular engagement with their residents (see page 14).
We integrated our Fearless work with our website, including a page dedicated to parents and guardians, offering information on how to talk to young people about reporting crime and the options available.
## **Expertise at breaking down barriers**
Promote the importance of individual action to stop crime. Show the many ways we can all help stop crime.
We embedded active bystanders into our Fearless programme of engagement with young people (see page 17).
We have shared our research about experiences of sexual harassment in public places and why people don’t want to speak up.
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## **Real-life cases**
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Making a
difference –
true stories,
anonymised
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Our real-life stories illustrate how Crimestoppers connects with communities across the UK
## **Fatal knife attack suspects arrested**
## ~~**Murder**~~
A young man was robbed at knifepoint and ultimately stabbed to death. Two men were arrested and charged with murder after key information was passed to Crimestoppers. The attack was targeted and planned.
## **Million pounds worth of cocaine found in lorry**
## ~~**Drug smuggling**~~
A tip-off to Crimestoppers about a vehicle smuggling drugs into the UK was passed to Border Force, who consequently found millions of pounds worth of cocaine inside a lorry as it crossed into the UK.
## **Speedy murder charges save critical police time & money** ~~**Murder**~~
Information passed to Crimestoppers led to the arrest and charge of those involved in a brutal murder. Police said that without Crimestoppers intelligence, they would not have been in a position to make swift arrests or to gather key forensic material. This helped to save many thousands of pounds and hundreds of police officer hours in a complex case.
## **Swift arrest of wanted drug trafficker** ~~**Drug traffcking**~~
The travel movements of a wanted and dangerous drug trafficker who was hiding abroad were given to Crimestoppers and passed on to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Details were largely accurate and played a major part in leading to a swift arrest abroad.
## **Drug delivery drone intercepted**
## ~~**Drug smuggling**~~
Crimestoppers received a call late at night alleging that a drone had been used to drop Class A drugs inside the perimeter of a local prison. After investigations by staff, large packages of heroin were found, along with items that could be used as weapons. Later, a review of CCTV confirmed the use of a drone for delivery.
## **Cannabis cultivation gang snared**
## ~~**Drug cultivation**~~
An anonymous tip-off to Crimestoppers flagged up concerns over an empty property being rented out to a number of men, who were growing hundreds of cannabis plants and stealing electricity. After we passed on the information, a raid at the given address discovered a cannabis farm with plants worth at least half a million pounds. Two men were subsequently arrested.
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## **Real-life cases**
## **Violent Most Wanted robber found**
## ~~**Wanted on recall to prison**~~
## **Violent drug offender arrested and charged**
## ~~**Weapons, drug dealing**~~
A violent robber, who was wanted for recall to prison, had been on the run for some time until a call to Crimestoppers led to his arrest at the given location just 45 minutes later.
A man with a history of using guns and knives – along with drug dealing and dangerous driving – was reported to us, with a specific address given. Police confirmed that he was wanted. He was then arrested and charged.
## **Street attacker jailed**
**Police later thanked Crimestoppers, as our tip-off allowed them to intervene early, ensuring the vulnerable person was safeguarded.**
## ~~**Serious assault**~~
An assault on an innocent man in a busy town centre shocked the neighbourhood and left the victim with serious injuries. The perpetrator may have avoided facing justice, as he was a foreign national who was not known to the police or other authorities. Information given to Crimestoppers helped identify the attacker. He went to prison and his victim received compensation.
## **Victim safeguarded from violent sex offender**
## ~~**Sexual offences**~~
A convicted sexual predator, who had been released from prison under strict bail conditions, was spotted at the address of a known vulnerable individual. Police later thanked Crimestoppers, as our tip-off allowed them to intervene early, ensuring the vulnerable person was safeguarded and that the offender was swiftly removed from the address and returned to jail.
## **Dangerous Most Wanted fugitive found**
## ~~**Grievous bodily harm**~~
A violent partner who left his victim unconscious and with serious eye and facial injuries had been on the run for months after the attack. Police say he was caught, after he was spotted in an area of the country to which he had no links, only due to a Crimestoppers Most Wanted website appeal. He pleaded guilty and received a significant prison sentence.
## **Sex slavery stopped**
## ~~**Keeping a brothel, modern slavery**~~
Several addresses operating as illegal brothels for many years under the guise of massage shops were identified from information given to our charity. The workers were victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, and were safeguarded during a police raid. Arrests were made and all the businesses were closed down.
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## **Driving quality information**
## **Liverpool schoolgirl killing saw Crimestoppers at the centre of the community**
As the media descended on Liverpool in the aftermath of the brutal murder of a young schoolgirl, it was clear that Crimestoppers had an important role to play to ensure the killer was caught.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel was just nine years old when she was gunned down in her home in August 2022. Despite the number of firearms incidents having recently fallen, this was the third fatal shooting in the city that week. There was shock and anger, not just across Merseyside, but throughout the country.
With decades of experience at breaking down barriers, there was a good chance our charity could prove vital in helping investigators.
## **Crimestoppers in Merseyside**
Crimestoppers has been active in Merseyside for over 30 years and because of this work, the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), police, politicians and community leaders used media and broadcast interviews to encourage people to contact our charity anonymously.
‘Hard Calls Save Lives’ campaign in London. Pastor Lorraine, who lost a son due to knife crime and has visited our HQ & Contact Centre, gave an impassioned plea for people who knew something about Olivia’s murder to contact Crimestoppers.
Our footprint is already strong, with over 7,000 reports from the Merseyside area each year, and campaigns challenging the ‘no grass’ culture.
## **Hundreds speak up**
Whilst anonymity prevents us from sharing details, in the days that followed the shooting, our charity’s UK Contact Centre received over 200 contacts and calls.
Crimestoppers’ Chair and Founder, Lord Ashcroft, offered a reward of up to £50,000. He then doubled the initial pledge to match a £100,000 donation from a new, private donor: a combined, record-breaking £200,000 total which made this the largest ever reward offered via Crimestoppers. The press conference in Liverpool to break the news was covered live on Sky News, BBC News and other major outlets.
In a 24-hour period, the record reward received media coverage worth over £1.7m in terms of the Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE), which is the estimated cost had the coverage been bought as advertising. Following the press conference, our Chief Executive Mark Hallas and Director of Operations Mick Duthie conducted a number of live TV interviews.
The next day, ITV’s Good Morning Britain interviewed Pastor Lorraine Jones, a mother who featured in our
## **Community confidence**
In the days that followed, our North West Regional Manager Gary Murray attended a crucial local community event in Dovecot, where Olivia was murdered, to speak to and reassure the community of our anonymity promise.
Feedback from the Senior Investigating Officer and local media was positive, as the event helped calm fears.
## **Comprehensive approach**
We engaged with local community groups, the main housing provider in the area, local councillors and the MP to publicise the use of Crimestoppers across their social media channels.
Importantly, a leaflet drop saw over 14,000 homes in Dovecot reached, which complemented the targeted social media campaign.
Our work in Dovecot and across Merseyside has not stopped, with Thomas Cashman, Olivia’s murderer, being sentenced to 42 years behind bars. We continue to give people in the community a voice by encouraging them to contact Crimestoppers and to help stop criminals in the area from regaining a damaging foothold.
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## **Driving quality information**
## **On the front line: our UK Contact Centre**
**Our UK Contact Centre team work hard to quickly help those who need us, whether that’s speaking on the phone in a professional and empathetic manner, or looking at submitted online forms.**
More people than ever are contacting Crimestoppers.
On some days, we are now receiving more than 2,000 calls and online forms. Whilst this shows the trust that people have in our service, it inevitably has an impact.
Our UK Contact Centre team work hard to quickly help those who need us, whether that’s speaking on the phone in a professional and empathetic manner, or looking at submitted online forms – some of which are time-critical.
## **Building on our core service**
In this reporting period, over 25% of all answered calls in the Contact Centre came from one of our bespoke commercial lines; the highest it’s ever been.
These commercial lines include longestablished partnerships with the likes of Immigration Enforcement, the Insurance Fraud Bureau and Stay Energy Safe, as well as the new Metropolitan Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Hotline (see page 16). This is in addition to growth in internal police reporting lines.
Managing these different services is a delicate balancing act. We need to ensure that we meet contractual obligations, whilst aiming to satisfy the needs and expectations of our Stoppers and other beneficiaries. Computer IP addresses and telephone calls are never traced. Nobody will ever know you contacted our service.
Our team of Duty Managers act on all of the incoming demands in real time. They use specialist Contact Centre software to monitor everything from service levels and call wait times to the number of calls queuing, to name but a few indicators.
This same software also shows each agent’s current status and their skillset, allowing managers to deploy the right agent at the right time to meet demand.
The increased demand in Crimestoppers and commercial services means that we are constantly reviewing and adjusting resources where possible.
## **Investing in staff and recruitment**
Recognising the need to stabilise the workforce, we have invested time, effort and money in recruitment, inductions and training, and also agent career path development.
We refreshed our job adverts, consulted and used new recruitment agencies, improved the interview process and have since seen several extremely successful recruitment campaigns. This has led to a higher application rate and an increased number of job offers.
## **For the long term**
In terms of career development of Contact Centre agents, we have successfully implemented a competence and length of service promotion scheme, and have incentivised staff to work towards a Senior Agent role. This helps recognise and reward their experience and knowledge.
These changes have already resulted in many promotions, allowing us to better meet the increased demand.
Thankfully, we are now seeing a good return on investment, with retention rates improving month-on-month as we learn to manage demand more consistently.
Next steps include focusing on technology to complement and enhance the excellent work of our charity’s dedicated Contact Centre team.
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## **Driving quality information**
## **More than half a million people search Crimestoppers Most Wanted gallery**
## **Vietnamese lorry deaths arrest**
**In July 2022, we launched a joint appeal with Essex Police to find Most Wanted Mihai Draghici. He was wanted over the deaths in 2019 of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a lorry trailer.**
**He was arrested in Bucharest, Romania the following month.**
It seems incredible that Most Wanted began all the way back in 2005.
A UK-wide gallery of suspects on our website gives the public a chance to review photos of those who are on the run. Those who know or suspect the whereabouts of any of those wanted are encouraged to contact our charity anonymously.
Fugitives from the list are often named in reports from news outlets across the country, who benefit from having access to such a valuable, up-to-date platform. Our police partners know the importance of accuracy and, given their role as law enforcement, it’s the forces themselves who load and remove individuals as they are caught. Often this is due to information we passed on.
We recently ran a campaign highlighting the top five fugitives wanted by police forces for serious crimes. Within 24 hours and after nearly 110,000 web page click-throughs, our Contact Centre was passing on vital information.
## **The security of anonymity**
Some of the fugitives are dangerous, and should not be approached.
With decades of expertise in giving people an anonymous option, our charity knows people who rely on our service often fear consequences and potential revenge attacks or reprisals if they speak directly to the police. This can prevent some people from coming forward, even if they have information.
Fugitives often move around and change location regularly, as they try to stay below the radar. Their aim is generally to be invisible, and to totally avoid police attention.
This is why Crimestoppers being able to tap uniquely into community intelligence around any potential sightings or the behaviour of suspects is absolutely crucial.
Whilst there is no compulsion for police to make use of Most Wanted, we are delighted that the majority of police forces recognise the unique contribution of Most Wanted and use this free service.
And with over half a million people visiting the Most Wanted section of our website each year, it’s evident that the public appetite has not diminished.
## **FOR THE YEAR TO END OF MARCH 2023**
**126** live appeals listed
**182** arrests
**OVERALL, SINCE MOST WANTED BEGAN**
**17,898** appeals have been posted
**4,923** of those featured being arrested
**27.5%** ‘clear up’ rate
**All information and images correct at time of publication**
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## **Connecting with every community through our supporters**
**Scotland Crimestoppers National Manager Angela Parker and former Minister for Community Safety Elena Whitham**
## **Scotland’s “clear, significant” achievements celebrated**
Crimestoppers Scotland launched its annual Scottish Impact campaign in Glasgow, with the former Minister for Community Safety, Elena Whitham.
**“The clear, significant impact that the information provided to Crimestoppers has had on tackling crime shows the power we all have to help keep our communities safe.”**
Running from February 2023, it shows the Scottish public the real difference their information makes – every single day.
As a result of high-quality anonymous tip-offs from communities across Scotland, over 350 people were arrested and charged, including five with murder.
Contacts about drug supply, manufacture and dealing continue to rise, and the charity passed on information to Police Scotland and other agencies which helped recover drugs with a street value worth more than half a million pounds. We also received information around child harm, abuse and neglect, domestic abuse and modern slavery.
**Former Minister for Community Safety Elena Whitham**
Fearless, the youth programme of Crimestoppers, saw over 58,000 young people from across Scotland visit the Fearless.org website, and they reported crime more than ever before.
Our Crimestoppers Scotland colleagues are a critical link, ensuring our charity remains available when people need us, and relevant to local and national needs.
## **Supporting Northern Ireland after detective’s shooting**
It’s been a difficult time for police in Northern Ireland following the attempted murder of a senior PSNI officer.
DCI John Caldwell was left with life-changing injuries in a shooting that sent shockwaves across the region.
Whilst we’re unable to go into further details at the time of publication, our charity put up our second highest-ever reward of £150,000 for information given anonymously. The amount was, in part, thanks to a number of private donors coming forward to help our appeal.
There have been other high-profile rewards, including around the murder of 32-year-old Natalie McNally. She was 15 weeks pregnant when her body was found, having been stabbed to death in her own home.
## **Nurturing trust**
Crimestoppers Northern Ireland has run a series of campaigns on domestic abuse, drugs, the exploitation of young people who are coerced into criminal activity, and hate crime. A number of new assets to promote the charity’s trusted service across social media to people across Northern Ireland have also been developed.
Our charity sent a record 3,600 reports to the PSNI – a 50% rise in the past eight years – leading to hundreds of positive outcomes and dozens of arrests and charges.
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## **Connecting with every community through our supporters**
## **Reports up in Cardiff crime hotspot**
**Local Councillor Owen Jones, Adamsdown Ward, Cardiff Council, said: “I fully support the campaign, encouraging anyone who has seen or experienced criminal activity in our area to speak up 100% anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers. Everyone should feel safe in the area they call home; everyone should feel comfortable walking their streets.”**
Media reports had suggested residents and businesses in an area of Cardiff were increasingly concerned about safety and crime. The location of Adamsdown, just outside the city centre, has plenty of accessible travel links - which has helped to create a hotbed for criminal behaviour.
Crimestoppers Wales Clifton Street campaign worked with local authority and partner organisations, after the area was identified as being at high risk of serious organised crime.
Crime gangs have a major impact by using violence, weapons and intimidation. Human trafficking, modern slavery, child exploitation, money laundering and sexual exploitation are all part of their negative activities. This can heighten community anxiety and tensions.
We focused our social media campaign on 12 relevant post code areas. With this specific and targeted approach, the initiative highlighted the dangers caused by serious organised crime gangs operating in Cardiff. People were encouraged to speak up 100% anonymously to our charity if they knew about those involved.
## **Helping housing association residents to feel safer at home**
Our research has shown that people who rent are less likely than most to contact the police to report their crime concerns. This can have consequences, as communities which are silenced through intimidation can be taken advantage of by criminals, which negatively affects everyone living nearby.
This is why our partnership with housing association Abri is important.
With everyone feeling safe from crime wherever they live being one of our charity’s core beliefs, we know that supporting residents to feel empowered makes a genuine difference to their communities – and Crimestoppers is part of the solution.
Building on the success of our partnership and general awareness campaign, followed by another focusing on the dangers of drug-related activities and the effects on local communities, we have recently highlighted modern slavery and the relevant signs to spot.
The number of reports to Crimestoppers from the targeted postcode areas where Abri dominates has more than doubled since working in collaboration with the housing provider. This indicates that we are building trust with residents in the relevant areas.
We saw an encouraging 8% increase in reports during the period of this campaign, with information passed on to the relevant authorities to take action.
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## **Building trust in our service**
## **New brand campaign hits key communities**
In early 2023, Crimestoppers adopted a new approach to engaging with harder to reach audiences. This group includes people who live in the most deprived areas, suffer high levels of crime and historically low levels of reporting.
We developed a campaign designed to test a new audience-targeting methodology. Using Government data to target areas to focus on, we ran a two-week national brand recognition campaign to nearly a dozen major cities and towns across the UK.
**“Is Crimestoppers really anonymous?”** We wanted to reach more disengaged communities to improve brand recognition, reminding the public of our charity’s core service: giving information about crime completely anonymously. We’ve proudly upheld this guarantee for over 35 years.
The brand campaign had three strands, reassuring the public that:
- Crimestoppers is an independent charity
- We’re human – real people handle information given both online and on the phone
- We guarantee you stay anonymous
We used both organic and paid ads on our social channels, as well as limited out-of-home advertising at bus stops and on billboards.
## **Reports surge in target areas**
Results revealed a total average increase in reports to Crimestoppers of 30% across the UK when compared to the three months prior to the brand campaign launch. Areas specifically targeted as part of the new strategy showed a 14% average rise from reporting levels 12 weeks earlier.
Visitors to the website landing page spent an average of just under 2 minutes and 30 seconds scrolling through the messaging, with more than a third (35%) of visitors clicking through to the online form to give information anonymously.
Social media saw a reach of nearly 700,000 – meaning that well over half a million people actively took time to read the campaign messaging on their devices whilst scrolling their social feeds. That’s over half a million people who will have been reminded of our services or have had their first opportunity to engage with the concept of anonymously reporting crime.
This proves the messaging resonated well with key audiences and achieved its intention of building trust, whilst reaching communities who will benefit the most from anonymity uniquely provided by Crimestoppers. We have adopted this new approach for all future national campaigns, targeting new towns and cities.
Serving a short-run brand awareness campaign ahead of any crime-specific activity has proven to be both costeffective and successful to generating vital tip-offs to our Contact Centre.
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## **Building trust in our service**
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The
Metropolitan Police
Anti-Corruption
and Abuse Hotline
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## **Met Police whistleblowing service passes on hundreds of allegations**
Trust in policing and how to rebuild confidence in law enforcement across the UK has been of huge national concern in recent years.
The revelations that have come to light have damaged reputations and made maintaining law and order even more difficult for the committed majority of police officers and police staff. Trust has particularly lowered among women and girls.
The challenge now is how policing helps itself to find and identify those who are corrupt or who abuse their position of authority. It needs a comprehensive approach, and difficult decisions, as the police have said, will need to be made.
## **Crimestoppers is uniquely placed**
One such example is with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the new Metropolitan Police AntiCorruption and Abuse Hotline. This service – which is also available via our website – is specifically designed to give the public an anonymous route to report what they know. For those who wish to receive progress updates from the Met team responsible for managing and investigating, there is an option to leave personal contact details with us.
The rationale of Crimestoppers being commissioned to run this service is that we are uniquely placed as a charity with a proven record of delivery to support the vulnerable. This will help to encourage those whose experiences, to date, have silenced them and prevented them from coming forward.
For many, it may be a harrowing ordeal to recall what happened or recount a previous bad experience. They are more likely to speak up if they can take that first step with our charity.
The new public-facing service complements our long-established internal reporting lines operated for the MPS and over 20 other forces, with more coming on board.
## **Mutually beneficial**
Our partnership with police is integral to the impact we can make. We regularly pass on new and highquality information for the relevant team at New Scotland Yard and other forces to probe.
Ultimately, we hope that as corruption is challenged and action taken against those who need to be disciplined or dismissed, that public trust will begin to improve and eventually be restored.
**The rationale of Crimestoppers being commissioned to run this service is that we are uniquely placed as a charity with a proven record of delivery to support the vulnerable.**
16 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Building trust in our service**
**For the year to March 2023, Fearless ran more than 1,000 workshop sessions, which reached over 29,000 young people.**
## **Championing the bystander approach**
the power of one. However, when no one take the first steps, others are also unlikely to get involved or take the lead in challenging unacceptable behaviour.
Our youth service Fearless continues to grow and develop, with a return of visits by our outreach team to schools after the restrictions brought in during the Coronavirus pandemic were lifted.
## **Being an ‘active bystander’**
The bystander approach introduces young people, the professionals working with them and their parents/ guardians/carers to the power of being an ‘active bystander’.
For the year to March 2023, Fearless ran more than 1,000 workshop sessions, which reached over 29,000 young people.
Our workshops, delivered by the Fearless Outreach Workers, explore the role of bystanders, especially friends, classmates and colleagues, and sets out how we can engage them in the prevention and reporting of crime.
We also led on 120 sessions specifically for groups who work with young people – this helped over 2,600 professionals better understand youth crime, the challenges and how Fearless.org can make a difference by offering young people a safe and secure option without talking to the police.
Workshops provide attendees with a toolkit to enable them, when it’s appropriate, to intervene. When we ‘step in’, either at the time or in some way afterwards, it shows others that what they are seeing is unacceptable and that we want to see change.
Encouraging adults and young people to step up and give information about crime is not enough. We must also enable them to have the tools to take positive action where safe to do so. This is where the bystander approach is critical.
Workshops will continue to raise awareness of the opportunity to give information about crime 100% anonymously, and will be tailored to a range of crime types to meet the needs of the community in which they are being delivered. In many parts of the country, this is focused on knife crime and County Lines.
Along with other partner organisations, we are pleased to be at the forefront of promoting the so-called bystander approach.
We have launched our ‘Snitching and the Bystander’ resource which has been a major focus for Fearless.
This new approach to Fearless encourages a pivotal shift in the way communities think about the impact they can have on crime, wrongdoing and inappropriate behaviour.
Research on the bystander approach tells us that when someone takes the lead, it’s very likely that others will follow:
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
17
## **One charity, one team, working better together**
## **Volunteers connect us with every community**
## **Sharing a common purpose**
Over 300 volunteers play a vital role in promoting our charity and engaging on a local level with communities that need us most.
They speak up about our promise of anonymity and show that, despite challenges everyone faces, we can all help to reduce and stop crime by working together.
This year, we’ve launched our new **Volunteer Inspiration Hub** . This online collection of volunteer-led initiatives is shared internally to inform and inspire all our volunteers into action.
It showcases innovation and creativity seen across our volunteer community, as well as offering tips and ideas for use anywhere.
Through easy-to-read summaries of initiatives, our volunteers:
- learn from each other’s experiences, and are
- spared from ‘reinventing the wheel’.
**We give our Community Ambassadors the tools to have conversations about Crimestoppers, so more people can be confident to speak up.**
The Hub is proving popular and has new content added regularly.
The **Community Ambassador programme** has been refreshed. Community Ambassadors come
from a wide range of organisations; from public authorities, charities, local companies and grass roots agencies. Their staff and/or volunteers are often in day-today contact with those who are involved with or affected by crime.
We give our Community Ambassadors the tools to have conversations about Crimestoppers, so more people can be confident to speak up. This programme is designed to increase the quantity and quality of intelligence to police and therefore help keep communities safe. New materials have been developed to support our ambassadors. In 2023, all committees who have not yet done so will be encouraged to roll out the Community Ambassador scheme in their area.
18 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **One charity, one team, working better together**
## **Volunteer Awards 2023**
It’s both inspiring and humbling to hear of the fantastic work being carried out by our volunteers each year. We wish we could give every one of them an award.
## **Next steps for volunteering**
In the coming year, we will help our volunteer committees assess their general health. Our committees are free to develop agendas that fit their local needs and meet the charity’s strategic goals. We’ll be asking:
- Are they carrying out the activities needed to achieve their goals locally?
This will help staff provide relevant support to those committees which could do with some extra help, including through volunteer-to-volunteer ‘buddying’.
- What are their future plans?
- Do they have the right people to achieve the plan?
- **Volunteer of the Year Award, given in memory of Carolyn Randall:** Anna Letts, Northamptonshire Committee
“Anna dedicates her time to talk about and educate professionals and young people about Fearless and its resources. Anna always attends events the charity is involved in, and is a massive support to both the Regional Manager and Chair.”
- **Committee of the Year Award:** West Country Committee
- **Youth Volunteer Award:** Logan Clark, Fearless Volunteer, West Scotland
- **Unsung Hero Award:** Peter Salmon, Essex Committee
- **Joint Lifetime Achievement Award:** Alan Smithies and David Fairclough, Merseyside Committee
- **CEO’s Corporate Award:** Unique Voice, West Country
## **Learning from staff**
We invited staff to share their thoughts and views about their experience of working at Crimestoppers. 80% took the opportunity to have their say. Compared to 2019, feedback in all areas was more positive. But there was still plenty to learn.
**Pay.** Unsurprisingly, pay is important, especially with the cost-of-living crisis. We are doing all we can in this area, especially for those on lower income grades, making sure we are fair and in step with the charitable sector.
**Benefits and other recognition.** We have introduced a number of new benefits, from life insurance and better pensions to days off for volunteering and more support for welfare issues. We will do more.
**Working from home.** We changed our expectations for office staff regarding working from home to give them more flexibility, which is working well.
**Internal Communications.** We’ve improved our internal comms greatly over recent years, but there’s always more to do. This is now a dedicated and increasingly important function of the Comms team.
**Behaviours.** A few people observed that there was not a consistency of behaviour displayed by all staff. This is a very important issue. We have reinforced our expectations for all staff, and in particular, managers.
## **Training, Learning and**
**Development.** This is a high priority for the year ahead to make sure we are supporting our staff fully to do the best job they can for our charity.
We have sought staff views to refresh our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) regarding the most important things they do to deliver good service. In addition, we have started conversations about what makes a good and inclusive team.
## **Gift of consultancy**
For many years now, we have benefitted from the graduate scheme at Clarasys, and now many of their staff feel like part of our team as well.
Clarasys are experts in business analysis, programme and change management, process improvement and customer experience. During a six-week
work placement, we benefit from having three graduates with a consultant to oversee their work.
- Improvements in the triaging process to save time and resources
This year they looked in depth at the end-to-end crime � Better accuracy of form reporting process, to understand information current inefficiencies, and identify and provide prioritised � Reduced number of recommendations to achieve: unactionable forms received
- Reduced number of unactionable forms received
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 19
## **Crimestoppers in numbers**
~~**April 2022 – March 2023**~~
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Reports
572,408 196,621
Over half a million people Disseminations to all forces
contacted us
6%
On the previous year
Outcomes Rewards
1,301 25,962 39
Total arrested Positive Number of
and charged outcomes enhanced rewards
Recoveries
£514,908 £20,225,471 126
Total property recovered Total drugs ‘street’ value Weapons recovered
**----- End of picture text -----**
20 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Our future plans**
## **Prioritising the communities who suffer most from crime**
## **Key priorities for the year ahead:**
## **Complex crime communities**
To increase the quality of crime information we send to the police, we must build trust with those communities most likely to need Crimestoppers. Target key audiences and locations using quality resources and techniques.
## **Improved productivity**
Our goal is to consistently and continually improve our productivity for those who contact us, the methods we use to process our data and our partners who receive it. Being more efficient allows us to invest more resources to help the people who need us.
## **Integrity and Reporting lines**
Trust and confidence in the whole criminal justice system is needed for Crimestoppers to be effective. Being part of the solution for public sector change gives us a role in holding our partners to account.
## **Our Team**
Great workplaces are built on many things, but great people is probably the most important. Creating one team requires effort from everyone, and leadership that prioritises it. Working together for the same goals, recognising and using the wealth of experiences everyone brings and strong connections between people – all are vital.
## **One Team**
**Provide development opportunities** for all our staff by creating a talent management programme.
**Enable effective volunteering** as we continue to provide the tools and resources needed to reach every community.
## **Community of Crimestoppers**
**Reach people on the periphery of crime** with a Community Ambassador network of grass roots organisations who benefit from having pre-existing relationships with those most likely to need our service.
**Secure new clients and supporters.** Improve the visibility of our integrity line services to help others with internal wrongdoing.
## **Key audiences**
**Reach more communities with complex crime problems but with little trust in police.** Use longerterm community engagement activities to create a more lasting trust in our service.
**Reach more young people through trusted relationships.** Work with other charities and local groups to expand our network of those who can talk with young people about crime.
## **Excellent service, working well**
**Give our Stoppers the best service.** Review all the touchpoints our service users, our Stoppers, have with the charity to see how we can improve their experience.
**Improve Contact Centre productivity.** Roll-out our latest information database to improve collation of anonymous information and its accurate dissemination.
## **Our story and impact**
**Generate quality information** through six nationally-led campaigns, partnership campaigns and countless regional campaigns.
**Demonstrate our impact through better feedback from police.** Fill the gaps where we receive no feedback and then focus on the quality of that feedback, including sharing our successes with real-life case studies.
## **Speaking up; our expertise**
**Enable more meaningful conversations about what actions we can all take when confronted with crime and wrongdoing.** Roll-out the bystander approach across the charity.
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
21
## **Financial results**
The group results for the year ended 31st March 2023 are given in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) on page 29. The charity’s assets and liabilities as at 31st March 2023 are given in the Balance Sheets on page 30.
## **Trading results**
More information is available in the notes to the accounts on pages 32 to 44.
Income increased by 6.4% from the prior year to £7,138,720. This rise of £431,186 was again due to increased revenue from charitable activities and our corporate partners, which justifies a focus placed on business development to diversify the income base of the charity. The charity’s costs in comparison increased by 7% to £6,659,045, a rise of £453,641. Such higher costs are due primarily to the amount of campaign work undertaken which, as a charitable activity, is undertaken at an affordable rate for our partners. As a comparison, staff and support costs rose in total by £208,921, an increase of 4.4%. This demonstrates that, in spite of high inflation seen particularly in the second half of the year, the charity has kept good control of costs and hence delivered its service at good value for money for its partners and beneficiaries. The Trustees are pleased with this outcome, especially in the face of inflationary pressures affecting both itself and its partners. As is explained in the Reserves policy, the surplus has been used to increase the level of reserves held by the charity.
As in 21/22, the majority of police forces saw no increase to the cost of the service provided by the charity, something that will change in the financial year 23/24. Charitable activities income increased by £187,160 to £3,625,144 due primarily to increased campaign work, whilst corporate partner and event income rose by 26.2% to £1,037,037. The latter reflects continued increased support from our corporate partners, who are crucial to the financial wellbeing of the charity, an activity led by our Business Development Team who offer our reporting line services to a broad range of clients across the charity, government and corporate sectors. Income from donations and legacies grew very slightly to £2,455,183.
The balance sheet strengthened in the year with total funds increasing by £479,675 to £2,907,096. The charity invested £118,481 in capital expenditure, principally in both computer hardware and a comprehensive upgrade to the software used to deliver its core service. Net current assets increased by £510,525, the majority of which was due to a further increase in cash and current investments to £3,603,968, a rise of £339,208. Increased interest rates have allowed the charity to generate funds by placing monies on short and long term deposit, something that is expected to continue in the coming financial year.
The increase in reserves of £479,675 has allowed the charity to transfer £490,117 to designated reserves, representing funds held by regional committees and which are not restricted funds but purposed for work across the United Kingdom delivered by volunteers. In the coming financial year, the charity has a goal to work closely with committees to ensure such funds are utilised for its charitable purpose.
In summary, the Trustees are pleased with the financial outcome for the year, which not only generated a surplus but continued to see an increase in the work done with corporate partners. Furthermore, investments were made in IT to improve both the quality of the charity’s offering and the productivity of its staff, the benefits of which will be felt over a number of years.
More information is available in the notes to the accounts on pages 34 to 44.
## **Investment policy**
The charity’s policy is to maintain all of its liquid resources in interest bearing accounts at competitive rates available in the market.
## **Reserves policy**
The charity maintains a level of reserves to allow it to meet its operational obligations and to mitigate against the financial costs of identified risks.
The level of reserves is set in the light of risks identified in the Risk Register, which is reviewed annually by the board. The key risks identified concern damage to the charity’s reputation to guarantee anonymity to every member of the public who passes on information about crime and loss or reduction of grant support from the Home Office.
The Trustees consider that a level of reserves in the range of £2 million to £2.2 million is appropriate given the level of risk identified. The level of unrestricted free reserves on 31 March 2023 was £1,812k, which the Trustees target to increase over an appropriate period, being mindful of the need to invest funds to further the charity’s purpose.
The Trustees review the level of reserves yearly and update the policy annually.
22 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Financial results**
## **Going concern**
The Board of Trustees, in considering the adequacy of the charity’s resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, has had due regard to the risks of possible reduced funding from the Home Office, donors and sponsors. The Home Office has committed to continue to support the charity with the award of a grant for 2023/24, at the same level as for the last five financial years. Given the continued pressure on the Home Office’s finances, we see this continued funding as a positive endorsement of the charity. The Trustees anticipate that Home Office funding will continue to be available for periods beyond 31 March 2024. Additionally, the Trustees believe that the work being undertaken to attract funding from other sources will meet any potential shortfall and are therefore satisfied that the charity can continue to meet its commitments as they fall due.
## **Potential impact of conflict in Ukraine**
The economic uncertainty caused by the conflict in Ukraine will undoubtedly affect the charity. Whilst disruption to supply lines or the ability to trade in Europe are not issues, the cost of energy and rising inflation will affect the charity, its beneficiaries, staff, partners and supporters. The budget for the coming year has been set in the light of these factors, which will be monitored closely and action taken as appropriate.
## **Subsidiary undertakings**
The charity’s subsidiary undertakings as at 31 March 2023 were wholly owned and registered in England and Wales. Details are included in Note 14 to the financial statements. Some of the funds required to support the operations of the charity are raised through its subsidiary, Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited.
## **Risk management and internal control**
The Board of Trustees has examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen these risks. The principal risk facing the charity is to its reputation in being able to guarantee anonymity to every member of the public who passes on information about crime. The Trustees will continue to implement policies which protect the operation’s integrity. The other main risk to the organisation is the contribution from the Home Office, as it continues to provide significant funding for the charity; around 11% of its overall income in 2022/23. Trustees and staff continually look to increase other sources of income to ensure that the charity remains viable.
The Board has overall responsibility for ensuring that the charity has a system of internal control. Such a system of control can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance against errors or fraud. The controls include clearly documented accounting procedures and a delegation of the authority of the Board of Trustees through the Chief Executive to the rest of the organisation. Controls safeguard Crimestoppers’ assets and maintain the integrity of accounting controls.
## **Employees and volunteers**
Information about the aims and activities of the charity is disseminated to all staff and volunteers by means of briefings, meetings, reports, newsletters and the Crimestoppers intranet.
Crimestoppers fully accepts its social and statutory duty of enabling disabled people to play their part in the community, and will employ them wherever practical. Should any staff member become disabled, every reasonable effort is made to continue their employment and, where necessary, to provide special training or equipment. Career development and promotional opportunities are the same for all staff and volunteers.
The remuneration of the Chief Executive and other senior management is approved annually by the Trustees.
The charity depends heavily on the valuable contribution made by its volunteer committee members, both with regard to fundraising for regional projects and the promotion of the Crimestoppers service.
Crimestoppers operates an annual planning and budgeting system with a yearly budget approved by the Board. Any significant changes to those plans or budgets need specific approval from the Audit Committee. Revised forecasts are undertaken during the course of the year. The financial reporting system compares results with the budget and forecast on a monthly basis.
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 23
## **Financial results**
## **Organisational Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Charitable status**
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Our work extends throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a connection to Crimestoppers International.
## **Board of Trustees and organisational structure**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by the Board of Trustees, whose members are also Directors for the purposes of the Companies Act. The Trustees who served during the year are set out on page 47. The Board is responsible for the oversight of the management of all the affairs of Crimestoppers. They are subject to fixed-term appointments and election or re-election in accordance with procedures set out in the charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, which is its governing document. Trustee recruitment and appointment is on the basis that new appointees are familiar with both the responsibilities of being a Trustee and the detailed nature of the organisation. Due to the Trustees’ business and charities experience and their awareness of the aims of the charity, it is felt that formal training beyond an induction process is unnecessary at the present time, but this will remain under review.
The Board ensures that all activities are within agreed charitable objectives.
The Board’s work includes setting the strategic direction and agreeing the financial plan.
It appoints an Advisory Board (‘AB’) which currently consists of representatives from the Trustees, regional volunteer committees and the senior officers of the charity. The AB meets twice a year, the principal purpose of which is to provide a communication channel between the Trustees, senior officers and regional volunteers.
The Governance Committee undertakes an annual review of the Board’s performance and Trustees are confident that the charity’s governance meets the Charity Governance Code’s recommended practice in all material respects, which was confirmed by a comprehensive audit carried out in the year. Trustees have reviewed and confirmed that in the few areas where the charity does not – benchmarking, Board size and Trustee length of service – there is sufficient justification. The unique nature of the charity’s operation means there are no obvious direct benchmarking comparators, but this will be kept under review. For the time being, Trustees have agreed a regime of continuous improvement. The Board’s complement is under constant review and while this has resulted in a reduction, the number still exceeds that recommended by the Code. In addition, a number of Trustees have served longer than the recommended nine years. However, those individuals continue to provide excellent service to the charity.
## **Audit Committee**
The Audit Committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees and consists of up to three Trustees. It meets at various times during the year to consider reports from the Auditors, and advises the Board on financial control and organisational effectiveness.
## **Trustee Directors’ responsibility**
Each of the Trustee Directors has confirmed that so far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity’s auditor is unaware, and that they have taken all the steps that they individually ought to have taken as a Trustee Director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditor is aware of that information.
## **Auditor**
In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing Mazars LLP be re-appointed as auditor of the charity will be put to the Annual General Meeting.
## **Our volunteers**
## **Governance Committee**
The Governance Committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees and consists of up to three Trustees. It meets a minimum of twice each year. Its purpose is to ensure that the Board of Trustees fulfils its legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities through adequate governance, policy development, monitoring of Board activities, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of Board performance.
There are 44 regional volunteer committees, consisting in total of approximately 310 volunteers from business, local government, the media and representatives generally of the communities they serve. They are responsible for working collaboratively with a wide variety of partners including the police, Police & Crime Commissioners, Community Safety Partnerships and other partners promoting Crimestoppers generally and managing campaigns in their local area. The majority of committees are supported by salaried Regional Managers. It should be noted that a great amount of time, the value of which is not reflected in these financial statements, is donated by our volunteers, without whom the charity would not be able to sustain the current level of activities.
24 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Financial results**
## **Our staff**
In the year, there were on average 91 full-time equivalent staff who are responsible for the management and administration of the charity, manning the 24/7 Contact Centre, marketing and fundraising, building and maintaining UK-wide partnerships, managing UK-wide campaigns, and supporting regional volunteer committees. Of the staff, 28 are part of its Central Office team, 43 work either in management positions or under a shift system in our 24/7 Contact Centre and 20 work in a regional or area managerial role providing support to particular volunteer committees. The Crimestoppers headquarters is also the base for several volunteers who assist with fundraising and operational tasks. The organisation has no staff on zero hours contracts.
The charity contributes to a defined benefit scheme, which was closed to new entrants in 2005, and to a defined contribution scheme. The defined benefit scheme was closed to future service accrual on 1 April 2022. A professional actuary carried out a three-yearly valuation at 31 March 2020 of the defined benefit scheme, updated at 31 March 2021, which is not under Crimestoppers’ direct control, as the charity is only a small part of a much bigger group which participates in the scheme. The revised valuation undertaken in 2021 shows a decrease from the previous valuation undertaken in 2017, with an estimated 77 per cent (2017 – 98 per cent) being the proportion of the accrued benefits which the scheme assets cover.
Additionally, the actuary carries out a separate annual valuation for financial reporting purposes in line with the accounting standard, FRS 102. The annual valuation is carried out using different assumptions and often results in a very different funding deficit or surplus. The 31 March 2023 valuation under this method showed a surplus of £385,000 compared with a surplus of £67,000 at 31 March 2022. The balance does not represent the cash position, as the cash flow required relates to future pension contributions and recovery payments agreed with the trustees of the scheme. Current financial projections indicate that the charity will be able to make these contributions as they fall due. FRS 102 requires that the balance of the pension scheme should be shown as a change in unrestricted funds. The details are shown in full in Note 17 to the financial statements. The asset is not shown on the balance sheet as the Trustees are of the view that the uncertainty around its long term likelihood are unknown and hence to do so would not be appropriate.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
**Peter Gaze FCA**
**Ceris Gardner**
**19 July 2023**
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 25
## **Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities**
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting practice).
Company and charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and parent charity and of the income and expenditure, of the group for the year. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
- Observe the methods and principles in the charities SORP.
- Make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate and proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and parent charity, and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended), the Charities Act 2011 and regulations made thereunder and with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the group and parent charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of the financial statements and other information included in annual reports may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Crimestoppers Trust**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Crimestoppers Trust (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Consolidated and Charity Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements:
- Give a true and fair view of the state of the charity and the group’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of the group’s income and expenditure for the year then ended;
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
- Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
26 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Crimestoppers Trust**
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the Strategic Report and Report of the Trustees, other than the financial statements and our Auditor’s Report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- Adequate and proper accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- The financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- Certain disclosures of Trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- We have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## **Responsibilities of Trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 26, the Trustees (who are also the Directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
- The information given in the Report of the Trustees which includes the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- The Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report included within the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Directors’ Report included within the Report of the Trustees.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an Auditor’s Report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements.
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 27
## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Crimestoppers Trust**
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.
Based on our understanding of the charity and its sector, we considered that non-compliance with the following laws and regulations might have a material effect on the financial statements: employment regulation, health and safety regulation, antimoney laundering regulation, non-compliance with implementation of government support schemes relating to COVID-19.
To help us identify instances of non-compliance with these laws and regulations, and in identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect to non-compliance, our procedures included, but were not limited to:
- Inquiring of management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, as to whether the company is in compliance with laws and regulations, and discussing their policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations;
- Inspecting correspondence, if any, with relevant licensing or regulatory authorities;
- Communicating identified laws and regulations to the engagement team and remaining alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout our audit; and
- Considering the risk of acts by the company which were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.
We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the preparation of the financial statements, such as tax legislation, pension legislation, the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice.
- Making enquiries of the Trustees and management on whether they had knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;
- Gaining an understanding of the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud;
- Discussing amongst the engagement team the risks of fraud; and
- Addressing the risks of fraud through management override of controls by performing journal entry testing.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities including fraud rests with management. As with any audit, there remained a risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal controls.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org. uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Auditor’s Report.
## **Use of the Auditor’s Report**
This report is made solely to the charity’s members as a body in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditor’s Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s members as a body for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
## **David Hoose**
In addition, we evaluated the Trustees’ and management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements, including the risk of management override of controls, and determined that the principal risks related to posting manual journal entries to manipulate financial performance, management bias through judgements and assumptions in significant accounting estimates, income recognition (which we pinpointed to the cut-off assertion), and significant one-off or unusual transactions. Our audit procedures in relation to fraud included but were not limited to:
(Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of Mazars LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 6 Sutton Plaza, Sutton Court Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4FS
Date: 15 August 2023
28 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities**
(incorporating the income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2023
|Notes
**Income**
Income from charitable activities
**1**
Donations and legacies
**2**
Other trading activities
**3**
Income from investments
**_Total income and endowments_**
**Expenditure**
Charitable activities
**4**
Expenditure on raising funds
**5**
**_Total expenditure_**
**_Net income/(expenditure)_**
**_before transfers_**
Gross transfers between funds
**_Net income/(expenditure) before_**
**_other recognised gains and losses_**
**Other recognised gains/(losses)**
Actuarial gain/(loss) on defned
beneft pension scheme
**17**
**_Net movement in funds_**
**Reconciliation of Funds**
**_Total funds brought forward_**
**_Total funds carried forward_**|Unrestricted
Funds
£
3,625,144
1,046,583
1,005,292
19,155
**5,696,174**
4,297,085
821,518
**5,118,603**
**577,571**
77,577
**655,148**
-
**655,148**
2,030,755
**2,685,903**|Restricted
Funds
£
-
1,408,600
31,745
2,201
**1,442,546**
1,383,416
157,026
**1,540,442**
**(97,896)**
(77,577)
**(175,473)**
-
**(175,473)**
396,666
**221,193**|Total Funds
2023
£
**3,625,144**
**2,455,183**
**1,037,037**
**21,356**
**7,138,720**
**5,680,501**
**978,544**
**6,659,045**
**479,675**
**-**
**479,675**
-
**479,675**
2,427,421
**2,907,096**|Unrestricted
Funds
£
3,437,984
992,273
801,503
229
**5,231,989**
4,062,405
581,628
**4,644,033**
**587,956**
(71,807)
**516,149**
166,000
**682,149**
1,348,606
**2,030,755**|Restricted
Funds
£
-
1,455,378
20,110
57
**1,475,545**
1,443,988
117,383
**1,561,371**
**(85,826)**
71,807
**(14,019)**
-
**(14,019)**
410,685
**396,666**|Total Funds
2022
£
3,437,984
2,447,651
821,613
286|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**6,707,534**|
|||||||5,506,393
699,011|
|||||||**6,205,404**|
||||||||
|||||||**502,130**|
|||||||-|
|||||||**502,130**|
|||||||166,000|
|||||||**668,130**|
|||||||1,759,291|
|||||||**2,427,421**|
The principal accounting policies on pages 32 to 33 and the notes on pages 34 to 44 form part of these financial statements.
All amounts are derived from continuing activities.
There are no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities incorporates the consolidated income and expenditure account. For the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, excluding intangible income and expenditure, income for the year was £7,066,720 (2022 – £6,639,734) and expenditure was £6,587,045 (2022 – £6,137,604).
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 29
## **Balance Sheets as at 31 March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Fixed assets**
Total tangible assets
**9**
Total intangible assets
**9**
**_Total fxed assets_**
**Current assets**
Debtors
**10**
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand
**_Total current assets_**
**Liabilities**
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
**11**
**_Net current assets_**
**_Total assets less current liabilities excluding pension liability_**
**_Net assets excluding pension asset/(liability)_**
Defned beneft pension scheme defcit
**17**
**_Net assets including pension defcit_**
**13**
**The funds of the charity:**
**_Total restricted funds_**
**12**
Designated funds
Unrestricted funds
Defned beneft pension scheme defcit
**17**
**_Total unrestricted and designated funds_**
**_Total funds_**
**13**|**CONSOLIDATED**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
249,316
279,297
93,334
94,203
342,650
373,500
1,041,172
936,370
1,000,000
-
2,603,968
3,264,760
4,645,140
4,201,130
(2,080,694)
(2,147,209)
2,564,446
2,053,921
**2,907,096**
**2,427,421**
**2,907,096**
**2,427,421**
**-**
**-**
**2,907,096**
**2,427,421**
**221,193**
**396,666**
490,117
-
2,195,786
2,030,755
-
-
**2,685,903**
**2,030,755**
**2,907,096**
**2,427,421**|**CHARITY**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
125,266
94,586
11,551
20,234|
|---|---|---|
|||136,817
114,820
902,447
970,541
1,000,000
-
1,133,908
1,480,339|
|||3,036,355
2,450,880
(1,553,679)
(1,248,261)|
|||1,482,676
1,202,619|
||||
|||**1,619,493**
**1,317,439**|
||||
|||**1,619,493**
**1,317,439**|
|||**-**
**-**|
|||**1,619,493**
**1,317,439**|
||||
|||**221,193**
**396,666**|
|||490,117
-
908,183
920,773|
|||-
-|
|||**1,398,300**
**920,773**|
||||
|||**1,619,493**
**1,317,439**|
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees:
**Peter Gaze FCA 19 July 2023**
**Ceris M Gardner 19 July 2023**
The principal accounting policies on pages 32 to 33 and the notes on pages 34 to 44 form part of these financial statements. Company No 05382856
30 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows**
|**Net movement in funds**
Investment income
Depreciation
Amortisation
Loss on disposal of fxed assets
(Increase)/Decrease in debtors
(Decrease)/Increase in creditors
(Decrease) in pension scheme liability
**Net cash infow from operating activities**
**Cashfows from investing activities**
Investment income received
Purchase of investments
Purchase of tangible fxed assets
Purchase of intangible fxed assets
Net cash used in investing activities
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in reporting period**
**Opening balance at bank**
**Closing balance at bank**|**2023**
**£**
**479,675**
(21,356)
98,463
50,869
0
(104,802)
(66,515)
0
**436,334**
21,356
(1,000,000)
(68,482)
(50,000)
(1,097,126)
**(660,792)**
**3,264,760**
**2,603,968**|**2022**
**£**
**668,130**
(286)
90,674
52,366
0
440,143
7,817
(181,000)|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||**1,077,844**|
|||286
-
(67,837)
(49,363)
(116,914)|
|||**960,930**|
||||
|||**2,303,830**|
||||
|||**3,264,760**|
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 31
## **Principal accounting policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
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 (FRS 102)) and the Companies Act 2006.
Crimestoppers Trust meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
The Trustees have reviewed detailed cash flow projections to 31 July 2024 and have agreed detailed budgets for the year ended March 2024. Both sources of income and types of expenditure have been reviewed. The Trustees have also considered the Group’s working capital and capital expenditure requirements. As a result of the foregoing, the Trustees are satisfied that it is appropriate to prepare the accounts on a going concern basis.
The principal accounting policies of the charity are set out below:
## **Company status**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The members of the company are the Trustees named on page 47. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Board of Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Funds held by regional committees which are not for a specific purpose are regarded as unrestricted while still within the control of the relevant committee. Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that have been raised for particular purposes.
## **Income**
All income is included in the SOFA when the charity is legally entitled to it, receipt is probable, and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## **Voluntary income**
Voluntary income represents income received from monetary donations, grants and intangible income. It is credited on receipt or entitlement to unrestricted funds or restricted funds, as appropriate, unless required by the donor to be deferred to future years. Intangible income, which comprise gifts in kind and donated services, is included in voluntary income at a valuation which is an estimate of the financial cost borne and confirmed by the donor, where such a cost is quantifiable and measurable. Such costs include
amounts in excess of commercial discounts given, where such discounts are deemed by the donors as donations. No income is recognised when there is no financial cost borne by a third party.
## **Activities for raising funds**
Activities for raising funds represent income from fundraising events and licensing undertaken by the charity during the year.
## **Investment income**
Investment income consists of interest and is accounted for on a receivable basis.
## **Expenditure**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.
Costs of raising funds are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the charity’s activities.
Support costs, which include the central and regional functions such as general management, finance and accounting, information technology and human resources, are allocated across the categories of charitable expenditure and the costs of raising funds. The basis of the cost allocation is by head count and estimated time spent by personnel under each category.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Fixed assets are capitalised when their cost exceeds £500 and when their useful economic life is expected to exceed three years in the case of computer equipment and five years for all other assets.
Depreciation is charged to the SOFA so as to write off the cost of fixed assets on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Depreciation is charged on a monthly basis from the month of purchase, with a whole month’s charge in the month of disposal. Leasehold improvement costs are amortised over the remaining period of the appropriate lease.
## **Intangible fixed assets**
Intangible fixed assets are recognised as website and software costs exceeding £500. These costs have been capitalised at historic cost and amortised on a straightline basis over three years. Depreciation is charged to the SOFA on a monthly basis from the month of purchase, with a whole month’s charge in the month of disposal.
## **Pension costs**
The charity is a participating employer member of the Foundation Pension Plan, which is closed to new members and to future service accrual as from 1 April 2022. The scheme is a defined benefit pension scheme, the funds of which is administered by its own trustees and is separate from those of the participating employers. The cost of providing pensions and related
32 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Principal accounting policies**
benefits is charged to the SOFA over the employees’ service lives on the basis of a constant percentage of earnings, which is an estimate of the regular cost. Variations from regular cost, arising from periodic actuarial valuations, are allocated over the expected remaining service lives of current employees on the basis of a constant percentage of current and estimated future earnings. Any difference between the charge to the SOFA and the contributions payable to the scheme is shown as a liability on the balance sheet. An asset is not recognised.
The full deficit for the scheme is recognised on the balance sheet in line with the requirements of FRS 102. Any surplus is not recognised. The cost of the pension scheme has been brought into the SOFA in full, and allocated across expense codes on a consistent basis with the allocation of all other staff costs.
Pension costs in respect of the group occupational money purchase scheme are charged to the SOFA for the year in which they are payable.
## **Operating leases**
Payments made under operating leases are charged to the SOFA when incurred. The charity does not acquire assets under finance leases.
## **Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
There were no specific estimates or assumptions that were critical to the preparation of these financial statements. The following judgements have been made:
## **Foundation Pension Plan**
As the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the reporting date is less than the fair value of plan assets at that date, the plan has a notional surplus. As management do not consider that the charity will be able to recover the surplus, either through reduced contributions in the future or through refunds from the plan, the surplus has not been recognised in these financial statements in line with paragraph 28.22 of FRS102.
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 33
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**1. Income from charitable activities**
24/7 Call Centre
Other
Contractual income
**2. Donations and legacies**
Income from donations:
Other voluntary income
Companies and trusts
Individuals
Grant Income:
Central government
Local government
Intangible income
**Total income from donations and legacies**|**2023**
**£**
2,666,170
958,974
-
**3,625,144**
**2023**
**£**
972,310
344,903
8,584
**1,325,797**
897,300
160,086
**1,057,386**
72,000
**72,000**
**2,455,183**|**2022**
**£**
2,607,051
830,933
-|
|---|---|---|
|||**3,437,984**|
|||**2022**
**£**
974,009
356,164
4,581|
|||**1,334,754**|
|||882,000
163,097|
|||**1,045,097**|
|||67,800|
|||**67,800**|
||||
|||**2,447,651**|
Central government grants include £770,500 (2022 - £770,500) Home Office contribution to support the core operating costs of the charity.
|**3. Activities for raising funds**
Corporate partners and other licensing income
Events|**2023**
**£**
939,951
97,086
**1,037,037**|**2022**
**£**
781,735
39,878|
|---|---|---|
|||**821,613**|
34 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **4. Charitable activities**
|**4. Charitable activities**
Staff costs – promoting the Crimestoppers scheme and building
up anti-crime partnerships, nationally and locally
Publicity and promotion of the Crimestoppers scheme
Support costs
Other direct operational expenditure
Audit fee
Rewards|**2023**
**£**
3,293,279
1,540,708
808,233
11,056
24,575
2,650
**5,680,501**|**2022**
**£**
3,303,338
1,407,322
758,154
9,910
20,019
7,650|
|---|---|---|
|||**5,506,393**|
Within the £5,680,501 (2022 – £5,506,393) of Charitable Activities, costs for the charity are £62,549 (2022 – £62,793) relating to Governance costs.
Within the £3,293,279 (2022 - £3,303,338) of Staff Costs are £Nil (2022 - £7,606) Redundancy Costs. Within the £1,540,708 (2022 - £1,407,323) for the publicity and promotion of the charity are matching costs of £72,000 (2022 - £67,800) of the intangible income (outlined in note 2 above).
## **5. Expenditure on raising funds**
|**5. Expenditure on raising funds**
Staff costs, including consultancy and training
Support costs
Fundraising events and publicity
**6. Staff costs**
Wages and salaries
National insurance
Pension and other benefts
Consultancy and temporary staff
Training and recruitment
Pension scheme administration
Other staff costs
The average number of full-time equivalent employees
(including part time staff) during the year were as follows:
Fundraising
Charitable activities
Administration
Total
Average number of staff during the year
Higher paid employees received emoluments during the year in
the following bands:
£60,000 - £69,999
£70,000 - £79,999
£80,000 - £89,999
£130,000 - £139,999
£150,000 - £159,999|**2023**
**£**
625,757
301,143
51,643
**978,544**
**2023**
**£**
3,218,406
333,534
143,385
101,757
115,903
669
5,382
**3,919,036**
4
76
11
**91**
**98**
**2023**
2
-
2
-
1
**5**|**2022**
**£**
509,653
162,923
26,435|
|---|---|---|
|||**699,010**|
|||**2022**
**£**
3,163,848
305,345
158,866
94,015
86,550
(399)
4,766|
|||**3,812,991**|
|||4
83
12|
|||**99**|
|||**106**|
|||**2022**
1
1
1
1
-|
|||**4**|
Of these employees none (2022 – None) was a member of the Trust’s defined benefit pension scheme. The total remuneration cost of the key management personnel during the year was £540,496 (2022 – £520,166).
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 35
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **7. Trustees’ emoluments**
No Trustee received any emoluments or expenses during the year (2022-Nil).
|**8. Support costs**
Travelling expenses
Rent, repairs and maintenance
Depreciation
Stationery, copying and postage
Telephones & internet
Legal fees
Other support costs|**Charitable**
**activities**
**£**
72,027
140,881
137,511
24,334
96,248
45,528
292,451
808,980|**Expenditure on**
**raising funds**
**£**
20,131
62,785
11,821
7,367
14,167
20,557
77,513
214,341|**2023 Total**
**£**
**92,158**
**203,666**
**149,332**
**31,701**
**110,415**
**66,085**
**369,964**
**1,023,321**|**2022 Total**
**£**
**61,845**
**166,861**
**143,041**
**25,502**
**147,288**
**32,723**
**343,817**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**921,077**|
36 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **9a. Consolidated fixed assets**
|**9a. Consolidated fxed assets**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost**
At 1 April 2022
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2022
Charge for the year
Eliminated on disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2023
At 31 March 2022
**9b. Charity fxed assets**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2022
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2022
Charge for the year
Eliminated on disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2023
At 31 March 2022||Tangible|||
||**Leasehold**
**Improvements**
**£**
228,039
13,050
(3,312)
**237,777**
36,613
22,572
(3,312)
**55,873**
**181,904**
191,426|**Furniture,**
**Fixtures**
**& Fittings**
**£**
129,703
-
(102,979)
**26,724**
111,707
9,327
(102,979)
**18,055**
**8,669**
17,966|**Computer**
**Equipment**
**£**
344,212
55,432
(300,647)
**98,997**
274,337
66,564
(300,647)
**40,254**
**58,743**
69,905||
|||Tangible|||
||**Leasehold**
**Improvements**
**£**
78,330
13,050
(763)
**90,617**
12,531
7,866
(763)
**19,634**
**70,983**
65,799|**Furniture,**
**Fixtures**
**& Fittings**
**£**
99,206
-
(96,772)
**2,434**
95,132
2,546
(96,772)
**906**
**1,528**
4,074|**Computer**
**Equipment**
**£**
180,887
49,978
(169,661)
**61,204**
156,174
21,936
(169,661)
**8,449**
**52,755**
24,713||
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 37
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**10a. Consolidated debtors**
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
**10b. Charity debtors**
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Amounts due from associated undertakings|**2023**
**£**
605,212
96,621
339,339
**1,041,172**
**2023**
**£**
454,039
93,022
252,500
102,886
**902,447**|**2022**
**£**
756,257
151,634
28,479|
|---|---|---|
|||**936,370**|
|||**2022**
**£**
254,868
136,586
28,479
550,608|
|||**970,541**|
Amounts due from associated undertakings includes the outstanding management charge in respect of strategic and support services supplied to the subsiduary £60,500 (2022 - £500).
|**11a. Consolidated creditors due within one year**
Trade creditors
Taxation and Social Security
Accruals
Deferred income|**2023**
**£**
235,507
320,109
356,742
1,168,336
**2,080,694**|**2022**
**£**
227,566
329,295
228,945
1,361,403|
|---|---|---|
|||**2,147,209**|
Deferred income of £1,361,043 at the end of 2022 was released during the year.
|**11b. Charity creditors due within one year**
Trade creditors
Taxation and Social Security
Accruals
Deferred income
Other creditors|**2023**
**£**
230,946
159,770
270,725
892,238
-
**1,553,679**|**2022**
**£**
183,042
86,193
200,063
779,163
-|
|---|---|---|
|||**1,248,461**|
38 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **12. Movement on restricted and designated funds**
|Total Regional restricted funds
Fearless Worker funding
Contact Centre relocation
Other restricted funds
**Total Central Offce restricted funds**
**Total restricted funds**
**Designated funds**|**Opening**
**Balance**
**£**
**127,097**
58,554
182,025
28,990
**269,569**
**396,666**
**-**|**Income**
**£**
**237,541**
455,298
-
749,707
**1,205,005**
**1,442,546**
**-**|**Expenditure**
**£**
**(259,059)**
(444,370)
(20,170)
(816,843)
**(1,281,383)**
**(1,540,442)**
**-**|**Net Transfers**
**£**
**(46,241)**
(69,482)
-
38,146
**(31,336)**
**(77,577)**
**490,117**|**Closing**
**Balance**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**59,338**|
||||||-
161,855
-|
||||||**161,855**|
|||||||
||||||**221,193**|
|||||||
||||||**490,117**|
## Purpose of restricted funds
- Fearless Worker funding – These are funds specifically received in respect of Fearless Workers across a number of regions, with the funding running through into the next financial year.
- Contact Centre relocation – Grant income received from the Cayo Foundation to fund the refurbishment of the Head Office premsies to facilitate the relocation of the Contact Centre. This balance represents the amount included as part of the fixed assets which will be written off over the lease term of ten years.
## Purpose of designated funds
Designated funds are those raised by regional committees. The transfer in from unrestricted reserves reflects the balances held on regional committee bank accounts.
|**13a. Consolidated fund balances at 31 March 2023**
represented by:
Fixed assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors
**Net assets at 31 March 2023**
**13b. Charity fund balances at 31 March 2023**
represented by:
Fixed assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors
Net assets at 31 March 2023|Unrestricted and
Designated Funds
£
180,795
1,041,172
3,544,630
(2,080,694)
**2,685,903**
Unrestricted and
Designated Funds
£
95,837
902,447
1,953,695
(1,553,679)
**1,398,300**|Restricted
Funds
£
161,855
-
59,338
-
**221,193**
Restricted
Funds
£
40,980
-
180,213
-
**221,193**|**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
342,650
1,041,172
3,603,968
(2,080,694)|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**2,907,096**|
||||**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
136,817
902,447
2,133,908
(1,553,679)|
||||**1,619,493**|
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 39
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **14. Subsidiary Companies**
The group subsidiary companies at 31 March 2023, which were wholly registered in England and Wales, were as follows:
## **Activity**
Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited Operation of a 24/7 contact centre Crimestoppers Enterprises Limited Dormant
The results of Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited for the year ended 31st March 2023 were as follows:
|The results of Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited for the year ended 31st March 2023 were as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
|Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross proft
Administrative expenses
Operating surplus
Interest receivable and similar income, net of interest payable
Proft for the year
Fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets
Proft and loss account
Total shareholders funds|**2023**
**£**
4,028,287
(1,741,566)
2,286,721
(809,155)
1,477,566
9,615
1,487,181
205,831
1,081,350
1,287,181
1,287,181
1,287,181|**2022**
**£**
3,825,536
(1,903,011)|
|||1,922,525
(712,699)|
|||1,209,826
153|
|||1,209,979|
|||258,679
851,300|
|||1,109,979|
|||1,109,979|
|||1,109,979|
During the year, a change was made from the parent company to Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited for the provision of management and support services of £785,500 (2022 – £750,500); it is included in the Administrative expenses figure.
All taxable profits of the company are distributed to the parent charity, Crimestoppers Trust and on this basis no taxation charge is payable for the year ended 31 March 2023 or the year ended 31 March 2022. Where taxable profits are lower than the accounting profits due to temporary timing differences, reserves are retained in the company.
For 2022/23, distributions of £1,309,979 (2021/22 - £165,884) were made to Crimestoppers Trust.
Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited is a company limited by guarantee.
40 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **15. Leases**
|**15. Leases**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Commitments under operating leases are as follows:**
**Consolidated:**
Payments within one year
Expiring between one – fve years
Expiring after fve years
**Charity:**
Payments within one year
Expiring between one – fve years
Expiring after fve years|**Land & buildings**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
115,500
66,000
528,000
511,500
297,000
431,532
940,500
1,009,032
**£**
**£**
115,500
66,000
528,000
511,500
297,000
431,532
940,500
1,009,032|**Others**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
18,785
20,100
-
18,425
-
-
18,785
38,525
**£**
**£**
18,785
20,100
-
18,425
-
-
18,785
38,525||
||||38,525|
||||**£**
20,100
18,425
-|
||||38,525|
The lease for the Central Office based in Wallington, Surrey was renewed with effect from 7 July 2020 for a further period of 10 years. The initial rental for the period to 6th July 2023 is £66,000 pa which subsequently increases to £132,000 pa for the remaining term.
## **16. Related Parties**
During the year, the charity received a donation of £40,000 (2022 – £40,000) from the Bestway Foundation Charitable Trust. Lord Choudrey CBE, a Trustee of the charity, is a Trustee of the Bestway Foundation Charitable Trust.
Mr Bill Griffiths, a Trustee of the charity, provided consultancy for which he incurred expenses and was reimbursed £214 (2022 - £213).
Sir Paul Stephenson, a Non-Executive Director of British Horseracing Authority (BHA) until 1 January 2022, is also a Trustee of the charity. During the year, Crimestoppers provided an Integrity Line service and Intellectual Property to the BHA at a cost of £16,734 (2022 – £18,507).
During the year, Crimestoppers charged management fees to its wholly owned subsidiary, Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited of £785,000 (2022 - £750,000); in addition, distributions of £1,309,979 (2022 – £165,884) were made by Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited. At 31 March 2023, £102,886 (2022- £550,608) was due from Treble 5 Treble 1 Limited to Crimestoppers Trust.
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 41
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **17. Pension commitments**
The charity participates in the Foundation Pension Plan, a non-segregated multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme in the UK. The disclosures set out below are based on calculations carried out as at the Balance Sheet Date by a qualified independent actuary.
The assets are held in a separate trustee-administered fund to meet long-term pension liabilities to past and present employees. The trustees of the Plan are required to act in the best interest of the Plan’s beneficiaries. The appointment of trustees is determined by the trust documentation.
The liabilities of the Plan are measured by discounting the best estimate of future cash flows to be paid out of the Plan using the projected unit method. This amount is reflected in the surplus or deficit in the balance sheet.
The projected unit method is an accrued benefits valuation method in which the liabilities make allowance for projected earnings.
The liabilities set out in this note have been calculated based on the scheme funding assessment being carried out by the trustees as at 31 March 2020, updated to the Balance Sheet Date.
The value of the assets for the charity at the Balance Sheet Date has been taken as the same proportion of the liabilities that relate to the employees and former employees of the charity in comparison to the liabilities of the whole plan at the Balance Sheet Date. When apportioning the assets of the Plan in this way, no allowance has been made for the effects of GMP equalisation for the charity.
The following disclosures relate only to employees and former employees of the charity.
At the Balance Sheet Date, no contributions are payable to the Plan in respect of Pensionable Earnings as it is closed to future service accrual.
In addition, the charity will pay its share of the death in service insurance premiums and administration expenses, including levies. The charity’s contributions (including death in service premiums) expected to be made in the year commencing 1 April 2023 are £6,000.
## **a) Principal Assumptions**
The principal actuarial assumptions at the balance sheet date were:
||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|
|Discount rate|4.65%|2.65%|
|RPI infation|3.35%|3.75%|
|CPI infation|2.65%|2.95%|
|Rate of increase in salaries|n/a|n/a|
|Rate of increase to pensions in payment:|||
|Fixed|In line with Scheme
Rules|In line with Scheme
Rules|
|RPI capped at 5.00% pa|3.20%|3.55%|
|CPI capped at 2.50% pa|2.10%|2.20%|
42 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **17. Pension commitments (continued)**
|Pre and post retirement mortality
S3PxA with CMI 2021
with 1.25% pa long
term improvements
Cash commutation
80% of maximum
tax-free cash
Future life expectancy of male aged 65 at balance sheet date
21.4
Future life expectancy of male achieving 65, 20 years after balance sheet date
22.7
Future life expectancy of female aged 65 at balance sheet date
24.0
Future life expectancy of female achieving 65, 20 years after balance sheet date
25.4
For the avoidance of doubt the above assumptions are in absolute terms.
**b) Asset breakdown**
The major categories of the Scheme assets are:
**2023**
**£000’s**
UK and Overseas Equities
1,048
Insured Pensioners
270
Government Fixed Interest Bonds
46
Corporate Bonds
347
UK Index Linked Bonds
253
Cash
72
Total
**2,036**
**c) Net defned beneft liability**
**2023**
**£000’s**
Fair value of Scheme assets
2,036
Present value of defned beneft obligation
(1,651)
Unrecognised surplus
(385)
Defned beneft asset/(liability) to be recognised
0
**d) The total expense recognised in the statement of fnancial activities**
**2023**
**£000’s**
Current service cost
0
Past service costs including curtailments
110
Net interest on the net defned beneft liability
(2)
**Total**
12
**e) Total amounts taken to Other Comprehensive Income**
**2023**
**£000’s**
Actual return on Scheme assets
(94)
Amounts included in net interest on the net defned beneft liability
(57)
Remeasurement (losses) and gains
Return on Scheme assets excluding interest income
(151)
Remeasurement gains
Actuarial gains
560
**Remeasurement gain not recognised in Other Comprehensive Income**
**409**
The asset has not been recognised in the fnancial statements as there is suffcient uncertainty
over its recoverability to justify its inclusion.|S3PxA with CMI 2021
with 1.25% pa long
term improvements
80% of maximum
tax-free cash
21.4
22.6
23.9
25.3
**2022**
**£000’s**
1,098
338
47
385
277
35
**2,180**
**2022**
**£000’s**
2,180
(2,113)
(67)
0
**2022**
**£000’s**
10
0
2
12
**2022**
**£000’s**
71
41
30
203
**166**|
|---|---|
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 43
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **17. Pension commitments (continued)**
## **f) Changes in the present value of the defined benefit obligation**
|Present value of defned beneft obligation at beginning of period
Benefts paid
Current service cost
Interest cost
Remeasurement losses and (gains)
Actuarial losses and (gains)
Employee contributions
Past service including curtailments
Present value of defned beneft obligation at end of period
**g) Changes in the fair value of assets**
Fair value of Scheme assets at beginning of period
Interest income
Remeasurement (losses) and gains
Return on Scheme assets excluding interest income
Contributions by employer
Employee contributions
Benefts and death in service premium paid
**Fair value of Scheme assets at end of period**|**2022**
**£000’s**
2,113
(67)
0
55
(560)
0
110
**1,651**
**2023**
**£000’s**
2,180
57
(151)
17
0
(67)
**2,036**|**2022**
**£000’s**
2,329
(69)
10
43
(203)
3
0|
|---|---|---|
|||**2,113**|
|||**2022**
**£000’s**
2,148
41
30
27
3
(69)|
|||**2,180**|
44 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Thank you to our partners and supporters**
## **Trusts and Foundations**
- The Bestway Foundation
- The City Bridge Trust
- The High Sherriff of Gloucestershire
- The Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Charitable Trust
- The Peacock Charitable Trust
- The Sir John Beckwith Charitable Trust
- The Ingram Trust
- The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
- The Adint Charitable Trust
- Community Rail Partnership – Great Western Railway
- The National Lottery
- The Henry C Hoare Charitable Trust
- The Emerson Foundation
- The St Hilda’s Trust
- The Marjorie and Geoffrey Jones Charitable Trust
- London Freemasons Charity
- The JR Corah Foundation Fund
- The Mr and Mrs TCS Haywood Charitable Trust
- The William Webster Charitable Trust
- The Charity of F P Finn
- The Hugh Neill Charity
- The Bassil Shippam & Alsford Trust
- The Prince Phillip Trust Fund
- The Gray Trust
- The Shawlands Trust
- The Tory Family Foundation
- Somerset Community Foundation
- Halifax Foundation Northern Ireland
- The Mather Family Trust
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 45
## **Thank you to our partners and supporters**
## **Partnerships**
- Abri
- Altia
- Amazon
- Association of Convenience Stores
- B&Q/Screwfix
- Barnardo’s Scotland
- BASE
- Border Force
- British Horseracing Authority
- Carlisle
- City of London Police
- Electoral Commission
- England & Wales Cricket Board
- Environment Agency
- EPC-UK
- ESRI
- Federation Against Copyright Theft
- Food Standards Scotland
- Forensic Science Regulator
- HM Prison & Probation Service
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Immigration Enforcement
- Independent Press Standards Organisation
- Insurance Fraud Bureau
- Intellectual Property Office
- Isle of Man Government
- Liberty
- � Link ATM
- Long Clawson Dairy
- Morrisons
- Muller
- National Crime Agency
- National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership
- Natural Resources Wales
- Next
- NHS Counter Fraud Authority
- NHS Scotland
- Railway Delivery Group
- Retail Energy Code Company
- � Ring � Royal Mail � Save the Children
- Security Industry Authority
- � South Caernarfon Creameries � Thames Water � The Metropolitan Police Service � Tideway � UK Sport � UKAD � Viva Street � William Hill
## **Police with Integrity Lines:**
- Bedfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- � Cheshire � Derbyshire
- Devon & Cornwall
- Dyfed Powys
- Gloucestershire
- Greater Manchester
- Guernsey
- � Hertfordshire
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Kent
- Leicestershire
- Metropolitan Police Service
- Ministry of Defence Police
- North Wales
- Northumbria
- Police Service of Northern Ireland
- South Wales
- Thames Valley
- Warwickshire
- West Mercia
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
## **Fire and Rescue Services with Firestoppers:**
- Cleveland
- County Durham and Darlington
- � Derbyshire � Essex
� Humberside � Kent � Northamptonshire � Nottinghamshire � South Yorkshire � Tyne & Wear
- **Trading Standards:** � Greater Manchester
� Kent & Medway � Wales
## **FRS Speak Up Service:**
- Bedfordshire
- Gloucestershire
- Greater Manchester
- � Humberside
- Mid and West Wales
- � Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- South Wales
- � Suffolk
- Openreach
- Peoplesafe
- PortSafe
46 2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT
## **Legal & administrative information**
## **Trustee Directors**
## **Chair of Trustees**
- Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC
## **Trustees**
- Lord Choudrey CBE
- Mr Peter Clarke CVO OBE QPM
- *Ms Angela Entwistle
- Ms Ceris Gardner
- Mr Peter Gaze FCA
- Mr Bill Griffiths CBE BEM QPM
## **Senior Officers**
- *Mr Mark Hallas OBE, Chief Executive
- *Mr Stephen Mann, Director of Finance, Company Secretary
- *Mr Michael Duthie, Director of Operations
- *Mr David Crawley, Director of Business Development
- *Ms Karen Ogborn, Chief of Staff
- Mr Stewart Harris FCA
- Ms Suzanne Jacob OBE
- *Mr Michael Laurie CBE
- *Mr Barry Mizen MBE
## **Bankers**
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4RB
- Mr Nick Ross CBE
- Mr Stephen Rubin OBE
## **Auditor**
- Sir Paul Stephenson QPM
## **Advisory Board**
Trustee Directors and officers marked with a * serve on the Advisory Board, together with the following:
- Mr Phil O’Shea
- Deputy Chair & AB Member for Northern Ireland & the Islands (Isle of Man & Channel Islands)
- Miss Jane Antrobus North West Region Representative
- Mr Bill Cullen East Midlands Region Representative
- Mrs Nina Dawes West Midlands Region Representative
- Mr John Dobbin Yorkshire & Humberside Representative
- Mr Jonathan Hamill North East Region Representative
- Mrs Sarah Pease South West Representative
Mazars LLP 6 Sutton Plaza, Sutton Court Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4FS
## **Solicitors**
Bates Wells, 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1BE
## **Status**
Crimestoppers Trust was originally established by a Deed of Trust on 20 October 1986 and was registered by the Charity Commission with effect from 4 November 1987. On 1 April 2005 the complete undertaking of Crimestoppers Trust was transferred to a company limited by guarantee, Company Number 05382856, which is itself a registered charity, Number 1108687 (England) and Number SC037960 (Scotland). The registered office of the charity is at 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1BE.
The principal office is PO Box 324, Wallington, SM6 6BG.
- Mr Stuart Rawlins East Region Representative
- Mr Peter Rolington South Region Representative
2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT 47
**Yes. 100% anonymous. Always.**
Tell us what you know, not who you are.