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2025-03-31-accounts

Home-Start UK

Annual report and group financial statements For the year ended 31st March 2025

Home-Start UK Clarence House 46 Humberstone Gate Leicester LE1 3PJ

t. 0116 464 5490 e. info@home-start.org.uk w. www.home-start.org.uk

Home-Start UK, a company limited by guarantee, company no. 5382181 Registered charity England and Wales (1108837) and in Scotland (SC039172)

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Content Introduction from the Chair.………..…....………………………………………………………..…… 3 Reference and administrative information…………………………………..…………………….. 5 Trustees’ annual report ……………………………………………………..………………………………. 6 Independent auditor’s report …………………………………………………………………………… 24 Consolidated statement of financial activities …………………………………………...........28 Balance sheet......................................................................................................... 29 Consolidated statement of cash flows .................................................................. 30 Notes to the financial statements ......................................................................... 31-47

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Introduction from the Chair Lin Hinnigan

It is a privilege to introduce Home-Start UK’s Annual Report for 2024–25. This has been a year of growth, learning, and steadfast commitment to our mission: supporting families when they need it most. Across the country, our network of local Home-Starts has supported 58,938 families and 76,750 children, offering practical help, emotional support, and the reassurance that no parent should feel alone in raising their children.

At the heart of everything we do is the Together with Families strategic framework 2022–2027, guiding us to deliver on four shared commitments: Growth, Voice, Inclusion, and Impact. Our ambition is clear: to reach more families, strengthen the capacity of our network, increase diversity, and build a resilient, sustainable Home-Start movement that is ready for the challenges ahead.

This year has seen significant developments in national policy and funding, including the Government’s new Best Start for Life strategy and the roll-out of Family Hubs, which create new opportunities for Home-Start to strengthen its role in local communities. Our trusted relationships with families and deep experience in community-led support position us well to influence local partnerships and expand our impact.

At the same time, some local Home-Starts continue to face significant pressures; financial, governance, and leadership challenges, as well as the very real impact of volunteer and staff burnout. These difficulties require careful support and strategic intervention to ensure that every Home-Start can continue to thrive, deliver high-quality services, and remain a trusted part of its community.

This year has also seen significant investment in the future of our movement. Strategic partnerships with the Pears Foundation, Cadent, SGN, People’s Postcode Lottery and John Lewis Partnership are expanding volunteer support, funding local services, and ensuring families facing disadvantage receive practical help. I want to thank our ‘mission partners’ who have engaged in these collaborations and place their confidence in Home-Start and our ability to deliver impact at scale.

Our commitment to learning, development, and organisational excellence continues to bear fruit. The launch of our Learning Management System and our ongoing investment in volunteer and staff training are enhancing skills, accessibility, and the reach of our work. Achievements such as Investors in People Silver accreditation and recognition through national awards are a tribute to the dedication and expertise of our people and volunteers.

This year has offered opportunities for celebration, including our volunteer awards ceremony and a Gala Dinner at the BT Tower. From inspiring volunteer-led initiatives to the launch of national programmes, our network continues to demonstrate creativity, resilience, and compassion. At the end of the year, we said goodbye to our CEO Peter Grigg who led Home Start for 5 years, epitomising the values of the movement through his passionate and empathetic leadership. The trustees would like to thank him for his immense contribution. We would also like to thank Vivien Waterfield who stepped in as interim CEO and, with the support of the senior team and all HSUK staff, ensured not only stability but continued momentum with our work.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

As we move into the next phase of our development with new Co-CEOs, Natalie Acton and Jodie Reed we will build on our successes, and remain focused on our vision that no parent feels alone.

Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive, and sustainable Home-Start, one where families are supported, volunteers are valued, and our collective impact grows year on year.

Lin Hinnigan

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Reference and administrative information

Company number England and Wales: 5382181 Charity number England and Wales: 1108837, Scotland: SC039172 Registered office Clarence House, 46 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 3PJ Trustees Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Bushra Ahmed Resigned 4[th] July 2024 Ray Ayivor (Treasurer) Sheena Bolland Retired 20[th] June 2025 Barbara Firth Retired 4[th] October 2024 Lin Hinnigan (Chair) Pearly Siffel Tara Spence Euan Wilmshurst Faiza Waheed Sarah Duxbury Christine Chapman Resigned 22[nd] June 2025 Key Management Jodie Reed Co-Chief Executive Personnel Natalie Acton Co-Chief Executive Vivien Waterfield CBE Deputy Chief Executive Bankers National Westminster Bank plc 1 Granby Street Leicester, LE1 6EJ Solicitors Farrer & Co LLP 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH Auditor Price Bailey LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Tennyson House, Cambridge Business Park, Cambridge, CB4 0WZ Patron HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, KG, GCVO Founder Margaret Harrison CBE (1938-2015) Honorary President James Sainsbury OBE Vice President Alastair Stewart OBE

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Trustees’ annual report

The board of trustees presents its report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the requirements of a directors’ report as laid down by company law, and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Purpose

Home-Start was set up in 1973 with its charitable objects as set out with the Charity Commission, for the relief of children or parents in despair and distress and the prevention of emotional, physical and mental abuse of such children.

Home-Start’s collective ambition as a federation is to ensure that more parents can receive relational compassionate support at the earliest moment so that no parent or family feels alone in the critical task of raising their children.

Home-Start believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life and helping them achieve their full potential.

Our story

A child’s earliest years are irreplaceable. Without a stable, loving and nurturing environment, a very young child will not develop the vital foundations they need.

Home-Start is there for parents when they need us the most, because childhood can’t wait.

Our local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helps families with young children through their challenging times.

Why we do it

The earliest years make the biggest impact. Home-Start makes sure those years count so that no child’s future is limited.

How we do it

Home-Start UK (HSUK) is the national body at the centre of a federated network of Local Home-Starts across the four nations. HSUK maintains strong relationships with all Local Home-Starts (collectively, “the Network”) and provides guidance, learning opportunities, and resources to help them deliver effective support to children and families in their communities. As the lead body, HSUK sets the quality standards for the Network, oversees the Home-Start Handbook, and ensures that all members of the federation uphold the high standards associated with the Home-Start brand.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

The network of Local Home-Start’s offers no judgement, just compassionate, confidential help and support. Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the people we’re helping. Today and every day, in communities up and down the UK, Home-Start volunteers are working alongside families, helping them to change their lives for the better, offering practical help, emotional support, and a listening ear, helping parents feel less alone and more confident in their role.

This year, more families than ever have reached out to us, seeking support with some of life’s biggest challenges: looking after their own mental health and wellbeing, overcoming loneliness and isolation, building strong, nurturing relationships with their children, and managing financial pressures at home. Through our network, families find not just practical help, but the reassurance, guidance, and hope they need to thrive

Together with Families: Our Strategic Framework 2022–2027

In May 2022, Home-Start launched Together with Families , our first-ever network-wide Strategic Framework for 2022–2027. This framework is more than a plan, it is a shared vision for our federated network, ensuring that Home-Start UK’s priorities reflect the needs of families while empowering local Home-Starts to adapt these priorities to the unique strengths and challenges of their own communities.

At the heart of this framework are four strategic commitments, shaped by our passionate movement of volunteers, staff, and supporters, and rooted in the realities of families’ lives:

GROWTH – We are determined to reach significantly more families, ensuring that every parent with young children can access support in ways that work for them. Whether through home visits in rural communities, group work in bustling cities, or digital support for those unable to leave their homes, we are expanding our reach, so no family has to struggle alone.

VOICE – Home-Start stands alongside families to make their needs heard. By advocating for early support and sharing the lived experiences of parents and children, we help prevent crises before they happen, ensuring that families can thrive with dignity and confidence.

INCLUSION – Inclusion and equity are at the core of who we are. Home-Start is a place where everyone feels welcomed—parents, children, volunteers, staff, and trustees. We are committed to growing the diversity of our people so that our teams and leadership reflect the communities we serve, and so that our support reaches those most in need, regardless of background or circumstance.

IMPACT – Collaboration makes us stronger. By fostering a connected network of local Home-Starts, we create a resilient, UK-wide community of high-quality support. Together, we share learning, best practice, and innovation, ensuring every family experiences the best possible care.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

By 2027, we aim to:

Key Achievements 2024–25

In communities right across the UK, from Cornwall to Orkney and from Enniskillen to Norfolk, HomeStarts are working with 58,938 families and 76,750 children .

Over the past four years, Home-Start has increased the number of families we support by over 20,000. Home-visiting outreach support remains the core of the service that Home-Starts provide to families. Last year 19,520 families received home-visiting support .

The needs of each community are different, but across the UK, over half of families we support are struggling with their mental health, 30% are facing challenges with debt and finance, and 23% have challenges with disability. 13% of families Home-Starts support live in unsuitable housing.

Home-Starts adapt their services to reflect the different challenges families face in their communities. The result is that over 90% of parents supported by Home-Start report that they achieve or partially achieve improvements in their ability to cope with loneliness and isolation, in their confidence and self-esteem, and in their ability to cope with adult mental health issues.

94% of parents say that they achieve or partially achieve improvements in how involved they are with their children’s development and early learning.

The work that Home-Starts do with families – whether that is outreach work in people’s homes, or by bringing families together, builds connections, reduces isolation and strengthens communities.

We are grateful for the remarkable support of our partners and funders, who have allowed HomeStart UK to extend our reach, strengthen our network, and invest in the people who make our work possible:

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Partnerships and Funding

Pears Foundation - We are delighted that the next phase of funding from the Pears Foundation will enable us to make a significant step forward in volunteer transformation. An investment of £750k over two years will focus on recruitment, training, and the ongoing support of volunteers and volunteer managers, recognising the vital role they play in delivering high-quality family support. This initiative will allow us to test and learn from new models and approaches, building the capacity of our local teams to meet growing demand.

Cadent Partnership - Our Warm Spaces partnership with Cadent continues to thrive, with a £700k commitment, which includes grants to 64 Home-Starts. This funding will directly support families facing fuel poverty and other challenges, helping ensure children and parents have safe, warm, and secure homes. To mark the partnership, we launched a Cadent cookbook with all proceeds going to Home-Start, reinforcing the practical and tangible ways our supporters help families.

SGN Partnership - A £1.5m two-year partnership with SGN went live this year, offering annual grants to 37 Home-Starts in the SGN region. This funding supports core work while also building awareness around carbon monoxide safety, energy efficiency, and the priority services register. This partnership demonstrates how national collaborations can strengthen our network’s capacity to reach families with targeted support.

John Lewis Partnership - The second Made by Care lifestyle range launched successfully, showcasing the creativity of care-experienced young people and raising funds for Home-Start alongside other Building Happier Future partners. Additional charitable products, including Christmas items, and a supplier fundraising ball, have further supported Home-Start, enhancing both our visibility and income. Meanwhile our Healthy Happy Home programme received a valuable boost with the launch of new inclusive play course to meet the evolving needs of families and communities. The course includes expert guidance and practical advice developed alongside the Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning at the University of Cambridge

Fundraising Gala Dinner - In May, we held our first-ever fundraising gala at the iconic BT Tower, raising £35k and bringing together existing and new supporters. The event was a celebration of the partnerships, philanthropy, and community that sustain our work, as well as a platform to inspire future support.

Learning and Development

This year saw significant progress in strengthening the learning and development opportunities across the network, ensuring that staff, trustees, and volunteers have the skills and knowledge to deliver exceptional family support.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Learning Management System (LMS) - Launched in September 2024, and during our first year the Home-Start Learning Centre has registered over 7,300 learners, including 153 local Home-Starts actively using the platform for learning throughout their organisations and another 19 are now registered to start using it in the near future. There are 4,700 volunteers, 800 trustees, and 1300 staff, using the system. Since launch, 4,100 courses have been completed, with another 1400 currently in progress. Healthy Happy Homes modules alone saw 2,200 completions, highlighting the rapid adoption and value of the new system.

New modules have included volunteer training on play, neurodivergence, and Healthy Happy Homes topics such as sleep, financial management, and health and nutrition, ensuring that learning meets the evolving needs of families and communities.

Local Home-Starts have added 120 of their own events, webinars, and meetings to the shared training scheduler. This functionality did not exist previously, giving us visibility of learning activity across the network and enabling better coordination and support. New modules have included volunteer training on play, neurodivergence, and Healthy Happy Homes topics such as sleep, financial management, and health and nutrition, Home Safety and energy saving ensuring that learning meets the evolving needs of families and communities.

Campaigns and Public Engagement

This year has also been a milestone for Home-Start UK in raising awareness of the vital work our network delivers.

Cries Campaign – We launched our first-ever TV advertising campaign aired on ITV3, featuring real parent stories and highlighting the challenges families face. The launch event at Curzon Aldgate brought together families and supporters, providing a moving and public celebration of the difference Home-Start makes in everyday lives.

Royal Visit to Home-Start Lorn - The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Home-Start Lorn in Tobermory, shining a national spotlight on rural community support. The visit highlighted the value of locally led interventions and was widely covered in the press, including HELLO!, The Oban Times, and on the Royal Family website.

Volunteer Awards 2025 - Our first in-person volunteer awards in 12 years were held as a hybrid event at the RAC Club Pall Mall, hosted by Ambassador Kirstie Allsopp and President James Sainsbury OBE, with many more local Home-Start and supporters joining us on-line from around the country. The awards celebrated the incredible impact of volunteers across the network, recognising the dedication, commitment, and life-changing work they do every day.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Home-Start Thank You Day (1 May) - Was a coordinated national campaign to thank supporters, volunteers, and staff. Using social media, video messages, letters, and local engagement, we reached thousands of supporters and amplified the message across our network, creating a truly heartfelt national moment of gratitude to all who support our work.

1 Million Minutes - In December, for the third year Home-Start took part in Good Morning Britain’s campaign to attract volunteers. Throughout the month supporters pledged an incredible 1831 people registered their interest in giving their time to Home-Start.

Projects and Initiatives

Connected from the Start - An independent evaluation of our 3-year Peri Natal Infant Mental Health programme concluded that over 90% of participants achieved the intended learning outcomes, and 84% applied new skills in supporting families. The programme has benefitted approximately 10,000 families, improving parental mental health support, early years engagement, and volunteer confidence.

Federation Theory of Change - Led by Trust Impact, this project engaged the network in the development of clear measures of collective network impact, providing a framework to understand and communicate the difference our network makes nationally.

Organisational Development - The organisation has continued to strengthen its systems, processes, and capacity this year.

ISO 9001 Assessment - Home-Start Uk was rated “exemplary”, reflecting robust internal systems and effective governance.

Office Relocation - Our main office successfully relocated under a 12-month temporary lease, ensuring operational continuity while adapting to new ways of working.

Planning and Budgeting - We have enhanced our systems and processes enhanced to align resources with strategic priorities, improving efficiency and oversight.

Learning and Volunteer Support – Continued investment in the LMS, network training, and volunteer development is ensuring greater accessibility, improved reporting, and strengthened impact measurement, benefiting staff, trustees, and volunteers alike. In 2025 over 9,000 HomeStart volunteers contributed their time to ensuring families received home visiting and communitybased support

Quality and Safeguarding - We embedded a new continuous Quality Assurance framework, helping local Home-Starts assess their own practice and demonstrate their commitment to excellence through ten digital quality badges. This has created a clearer and more consistent approach to quality across the network.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Our focus this year was on the priority standards of Protecting Families, Family Support and Governance and Leadership. We supported local Home-Starts to identify areas for improvement and share examples of best practice. One standout example was the adoption of the PLANTs model, developed by Home-Start Hillingdon, which helps volunteers and staff focus on children’s needs within supported families.

We carried out 18 of our in-depth Quality Assurance Certification Audits, supporting each Home-Start to work through improvement plans and achieve accreditation against the Home-Start Handbook. This has strengthened confidence and accountability in local governance and safeguarding practice.

Our Safeguarding Forum continued to grow, bringing together local staff and trustees to learn and reflect on topics such as safeguarding culture, practice reviews, and volunteer boundaries. New guidance for volunteers has provided greater clarity on maintaining professional boundaries, ensuring families are supported safely and respectfully.

We also reviewed and strengthened key safeguarding documentation and policies, adding clearer guidance on low-level concerns, managing allegations, and reporting marks or bruises to non-mobile babies. Collaborative work with the Disclosure and Barring Service and Volunteer Scotland helped ensure local Home-Starts remain compliant with current legislation and best practice.

The Quality Team, along with the wider network team played a crucial role throughout the year, quality assuring local Home-Starts, hosting webinars, reviewing policies, and promoting a strong safeguarding culture across the network. Their work continues to help local Home-Starts deliver safe, consistent, and high-quality support for families when they need it most.

Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Home-Start is committed to making inclusion, equity, and diversity central to everything we do. This commitment is reflected in our strategic framework, where inclusion stands as one of the four core pillars. We know that creating compassionate, supportive communities for parents requires every part of our organisation to be welcoming and accessible to all.

Being truly inclusive also means growing the diversity of our staff, volunteers, and trustees, so that Home-Start better reflects the communities we serve. By doing so, we strengthen our ability to understand, connect with, and respond to the needs of every family we support.

This year, we’ve made tangible progress in embedding equity, equality, diversity and inclusion across Home-Start UK. From welcoming external speakers sharing lived experience, to strengthening recruitment practices and ensuring inclusive policy updates - our commitment is increasingly reflected in how we work and who we are. We have introduced EEDI performance measures and improved website accessibility. Our Disability Confident Employer status and Race at Work Charter membership signal our alignment with national inclusion standards.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

While progress is visible, we recognise areas for further development - particularly in supporting local Home-Starts with their own EEDI plans and deepening strategic partnerships to support this important work. These priorities will shape our focus in 2026/27 as we continue building a culture where every family feels seen, heard and supported.

Awards and Recognition

Home-Start UK has received a series of accolades this year, reflecting the quality, impact, and ambition of our work.

Investors in People - We achieved Silver accreditation, a mark of excellence attained by only 22% of organisations. We are proud of this achievement and will be reviewing assessor recommendations with our Better Workplace Forum to continue developing Home-Start as a fantastic place to work.

British Quality Foundation (BQF) Awards - We were shortlisted for two prestigious awards: the Patron’s Award: Excellent People Doing Excellent Things, and Excellence in Employee Health and Wellbeing. Our People Team presented to the judging panels, with both awards reflecting the outstanding commitment of our staff and volunteers.

Smiley Charity Film People’s Choice Award - Our film The Reunion , telling the story of a family supported by Home-Start, won national recognition, highlighting the real impact of our work.

Third Sector Business Award - The Warm Spaces programme, delivered in partnership with Cadent, was shortlisted, reflecting the innovative ways we address fuel poverty and support vulnerable families.

Campaign Magazine Awards - Our We Answer the Cries You Don’t Hear campaign was shortlisted in the content category.

Our Plans for the Future

Together with Families, is our five-year strategic framework that sets out Home-Start’s vision for the future. It builds on our legacy of over 50 years of standing alongside families in communities across the UK. Our work over the next two years will focus on three interconnected areas: strengthening our network, expanding our movement, and building strong foundations for sustainable growth.

Programmes of Work 2024–2027

Strengthening our network

We will strengthen the Home-Start network so that families are supported by skilled volunteers, confident staff, and resilient local organisations. By enhancing quality, safeguarding, training, and collaboration, we aim to create compassionate communities where families feel seen, supported, and connected.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Growing the Movement

To reach more families, we will inspire more people to volunteer, donate, and advocate for our work. By amplifying the voices of families and volunteers, and building strong partnerships, we will grow our influence, profile, and resources, helping Home-Start’s impact reach further than ever before.

Strong Foundations

Sustainable growth depends on strong foundations. We will invest in our people, systems, and culture, ensuring Home-Start UK is an agile, inclusive, and resilient organisation. By harnessing data and insight, we will continuously improve services, support our network, and demonstrate the lifechanging impact of Home-Start.

In addition to these priorities, we have identified cross-cutting themes that are needed to run through all of our plans and guide our work. These are:

Activities

Home-Start supports families who are facing the many challenges that can impact on raising children, from mental and physical health difficulties to poverty, homelessness, disability, and other pressures. Our work is delivered through a network of around 175 independently run local Home-Starts across the UK, each rooted in its own community.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

As a national federated charity, Home-Start UK exists to strengthen and support this network. We work closely with local Home-Starts to help them grow, remain sustainable, and deliver high-quality services. This includes providing guidance, sharing best practice, offering training, and supporting research to improve and influence services for families. We set and monitor quality standards so that every family can access consistent, excellent support, no matter where they live.

Through our national presence, digital platforms, and resources, we connect families and referrers to local Home-Starts, ensuring that the right support reaches those who need it most. In doing so, we help build strong, resilient, and compassionate communities where families can thrive.

Public benefit

The board of trustees confirms it has complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Organisational structure

Home-Start UK is a charity constituted as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, governed by a board of trustees. The Home-Start network consists of Home-Start UK together with 175 local Home-Starts, affiliated to Home-Start UK through a legal agreement. Local Home-Starts are separate charities in their own right and are responsible for their own financial affairs and statements. The total income of local Home-Starts is £50million, which together with Home-Start UK’s group income of £5million gives the total Home-Start network income of £55 million.

Home-Start UK owns 100% of the issued equity share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated in England. The subsidiary undertaking commenced trading during 2020-21.

Governance and management

Our Board of Trustees, who are also Directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, have overall responsibility for setting the strategy of the Charity. Our Chief Executive, working with the Senior Leadership Team is responsible for delivering the Board’s vision and strategy and for its day-to-day operations.

When seeking to fill vacancies on the board, the trustees identify the particular skills and expertise needed to cover the work of the board and prioritise these during the recruitment process. In an attempt to increase the diversity of the board’s membership we advertise widely for new trustees, and ensure, throughout the recruitment process, that all applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds have an opportunity to succeed.

A panel of trustees interview all prospective trustees to determine that they have the required skills to contribute to the charity’s management and development. New appointments are ratified by the full Board of Trustees. Trustees serve for an initial term of three years, and subject to review and the approval of the board, may serve a second period of three years. When trustees are appointed, they are given a formal introduction to the work of the charity and the information they need to fulfil their roles as charity trustees and company directors. The trustee board meet quarterly plus two additional meetings to focus on Board development and strategy.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

A Finance and Risk Committee, with members with specific knowledge and experience in finance, fundraising or governance, meet four times per year and report to the board.

An Impact Committee, which includes the Board's lead trustee for safeguarding, meets four times per year to oversee issues of quality, impact and network development and support the strategic governance of the impact of work across the Home-Start federation.

A People Committee, comprising trustees and co-opted members with relevant expertise, meets four times per year to provide strategic oversight of workforce matters, including HR policies, equity, diversity and inclusion, staff wellbeing, and Board development.

The charity provides third party indemnity insurance provision on behalf of the board of trustees.

Related parties and Home-Start Worldwide

Home-Start UK provides model operating policies, guidance and procedures for our network of 175 local Home-Starts.

Home-Start Worldwide sustains the development of Home-Starts across the world. In 2024-25 there were Home-Starts operating in 22 countries and five continents.

Home-Start UK owns 100% of the issued equity share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated in England. Related party transactions during the year are shown in Notes 12 in the group financial statements. Home-Start Consultancy Limited undertakes commercial activities on behalf of the parent company Home-Start UK.

Financial review

The year-ending 31[st] March 2025 saw a notable rise in income, reflecting planned growth and associated investment. Total income reached £5.24m, significantly exceeding the planned target of £4.36m and representing a 36% increase on the previous year’s income of £3.85m. This growth was driven by enhanced fundraising efforts linked to increased programmatic funding requirements. These programmes have been included within the designated funds. This income source secured £1.44m in 2024-25, an increase of over 300% from £0.46m in the previous year. This reflects our success in securing funding for specific strategic initiatives that will be delivered in future years. While this income contributes to the overall reserves held at year-end, it is earmarked for planned activities and therefore does not represent unrestricted growth in available reserves. The increase enables us to move forward with confidence in delivering multi-year projects aligned with our strategic objectives.

Expenditure for the year total�ed £4.54m, closely aligned with budget expectations and reflecting disciplined financial management. This included £3.80m directed toward charitable activities and £676k invested in fundraising — a strategic increase of £0.1m from the previous year to support long-term income generation.

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Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

The year concluded with a surplus of £665k, a marked improvement from the previously budgeted deficit of £480k. This variance is attributable to a combination of factors: increased end of year holding in designated and restricted funds, £566k within designated funds (2024: £308k), and £412k within restricted funds (2024: £252k), both of which will be utilised in future years in line with programme delivery. The remaining £167k positive variance includes a one-off compensation payment of £100k recorded under other income, and the remaining a unexpected increase in corporate donations in the later end of the year. The surplus does not reflect underlying growth but rather timing differences in income recognition and exceptional items. Programmatic costs increased in line with income and have been appropriately held within designated funds for future delivery. Resources (including staffing) stabilised during the year, with 50 full-time equivalents supported, and a renewed focus on capacity building to enable future growth.

The Group Balance Sheet, encompassing Home-Start UK and its subsidiary Home-Start Consultancy, shows an increase in net assets to £2.74m (2024: £2.07m). This includes £1.76m in unrestricted funds, £566k in designated funds, and £412k in restricted funds. The pension reserve continues to reflect the net present value of agreed deficit recovery payments, in line with FRS 102, and is accounted for within short-term and long-term liabilities.

Our commitment to financial transparency and efficiency remains central to our operations. Approximately 84% of total expenditure was applied directly to charitable activities, consistent with our mission to support families and strengthen the Home-Start network. Grants to local HomeStarts total�ed £610k, enabling the delivery of targeted services and supporting innovation across the federation. We are deeply grateful to the funders whose generosity makes this possible — their contributions have a direct and meaningful impact on families and communities. While these grants form an important part of our support offer, they sit alongside a much wider package of resources and infrastructure provided by Home-Start UK. This includes safeguarding frameworks, volunteer recruitment tools, governance support, training, and quality assurance — all of which are essential to enabling local Home-Starts to thrive. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to all the funders who have supported the wider work of Home-Start UK this year. Your investment in our infrastructure, strategic development, and core services has been instrumental in strengthening the federation and enabling us to respond to the growing needs of families with confidence, compassion, and impact. With an estimated £50 million needed annually across our local network, our role is to ensure that every local Home-Start has access to the tools, guidance, and national representation they need to deliver high-quality, sustainable support to families.

Our Budget and Future Targets 2025-26 and 2026-27

Home-Start UK continues to operate within a framework of strategic financial planning, designed to support long-term sustainability and growth. As we enter the final two years of our five-year strategy, our focus remains on maintaining a balanced and resilient financial position, enabling us to respond to increasing demand across our network while investing in the people, programmes, and infrastructure that drive our mission forward.

We continue to take a cautious approach to our growth initiative. While our overall income target for 2025–26 has been adjusted slightly downward, this reflects a strategic decision to focus on longterm stability and quality of income rather than short-term gains. The reduction is primarily due to

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slower-than-anticipated progress in new business development, which has prompted a rebalancing of our fundraising strategy.

Encouragingly, our trust income has significantly exceeded expectations, demonstrating continued confidence in our work and the impact of our programmes. Individual giving has also grown, supported by increased engagement from our wider supporter base. These areas of strength have helped offset challenges and reinforce the value of our diversified income model.

We remain committed to financial efficiency and effectiveness. Our staffing plans continue to evolve, with new roles funded through multi-year grants that support delivery and innovation. We are managing recruitment carefully to align with income and operational priorities, ensuring our workforce is equipped to meet the needs of our Local Home-Start network. We anticipate modest increases in staffing and departmental costs, aligned with our commitment to maintaining quality, strengthening delivery, and building capacity across the organisation.

Looking ahead to 2026–27, our financial planning is supported by a foundation of multi-year funding agreements, which provide early assurance for a portion of our income requirement. However, we recognise that reaching our overall income target will require continued effort and adaptability, particularly in a challenging external environment.

As demand on our network continues to grow, our financial strategy ensures that Home-Start UK remains well-positioned to support local Home-Starts in delivering compassionate, community-based support. We are deeply grateful to our funders, partners, and individual supporters whose generosity and belief in our mission continue to drive our progress.

Investment policy

The Memorandum and Articles of Association give the Trustees unrestricted powers of investment. The charity’s current investment strategy is to deposit the majority of funds in short- and mediumterm interest-bearing accounts with UK banks and building societies.

CCLA were chosen as a charity specialist investment manager with strong governance and a clear approach to responsible and ethical investments designed to reflect the nature of the charities they serve. During 2024-25, no further funding was added to the Fund. Unrealised losses of £32K during the year resulted in a net balance in this Fund of £672K as of 31st March 2025 (2023-24: £705K). As this investment is intended to be held more than one year, the investment fund has been classed as a Fixed Asset Investment on the Balance Sheet.

Our funders

We are immensely grateful to everyone who makes Home-Start’s work possible. From individuals giving one-off or regular donations, to our valued partners and organisational funders, your support enables us to reach families across the UK and make a lasting difference in their lives. Every contribution, large or small, whether to our national or local work, helps Home-Start provide practical, emotional, and vital support to parents and children.

18

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

To all of you who invest in, champion, and stand alongside our network, thank you. Your generosity, commitment, and belief in our mission mean that no parent has to face the challenges of raising young children alone. We simply could not do this without you, and together we are building stronger, more compassionate communities for families everywhere.

Risk management and internal control

HSUK maintains a Strategic Risk Register, which consolidates and reflects key risks escalated from the operational risk registers. This ensures that day-to-day operational risks are monitored, with significant issues and trends feeding into the strategic view. The strategic risk register is reviewed regularly by the Senior Leadership Team, Board Committees, and the Board of Trustees, ensuring risks are identified, monitored, and mitigated in alignment with the organisation’s strategic planning process.

Since Home-Start works with children and families at risk of harm, we consider safeguarding and child protection the greatest area of inherent risk with our work. Home-Start UK has developed a comprehensive framework of consents, controls, policies and reviews to ensure local Home-Starts fulfil their safeguarding/child protection responsibilities and deal with any concerns rapidly and sensitively. Home-Start UK asks local Home-Starts to report data breaches and safeguarding reputational threats against set criteria. Our Impact Sub Committee was created as a governance layer to support the protection and safeguarding of at-risk groups. They report quarterly to the trustee board on safeguarding issues, emerging themes, staff training and reportable incidents. Staff across the network team have received DSO training, as the direct contact for safeguarding concerns and reportable incidents.

Maintaining an effective oversight and management of risk is a central responsibility of the Board of Trustees but to support the Board, each of our formal sub committees takes a direct role in leading on the ongoing review of a group of identified risks. This is complemented by an annual review of the risk by the Board and the ability to dive into any risk at any stage as deemed relevant by trustees and the senior leadership team as well as to test the effectiveness of our approach to risk management.

The management of risk is structured through a clear delegation process as outlined below:-

Finance Committee –

Oversees financial risks including income and expenditure balance, legal and regulatory compliance, cyber security, and financial controls. Reports to the Board on strategic financial risks and control weaknesses.

Impact Committee -

Monitors safeguarding, quality, impact measurement, and operational risks across the Home-Start network. Provides quarterly reports to the Board on safeguarding incidents, emerging themes, and reputational risks.

19

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

People Commi�ee –

Oversees workforce-related risks including staff capacity, wellbeing, skills development, and organisa�onal culture. Monitors risks related to legal and regulatory compliance, recruitment, reten�on, capacity and skills, diversity and inclusion, and leadership effec�veness. Reports to the Board on people-related strategic risks and emerging workforce themes.

Senior Leadership team -

Responsible for iden�fying and managing strategic and opera�onal risks, including organisa�onal agility, staff wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion. Reviews emerging risks and reports to the Board and subcommi�ees.

Remunera�on policy

The Finance Commi�ee, on behalf of the trustee board, consider and set staff pay. A non-contractual health care provision is in place for all staff as an addi�onal benefit.

We review staff job descrip�ons annually as part of an annual appraisal process and the senior leadership team consider any proposals for amendments to roles and remunera�on.

The Board sets the chief execu�ve pay level taking into account pay levels in other similar sized chari�es. The Board also considers any proposed changes to roles and remunera�on for execu�ve staff on the senior leadership team. Trustees are en�tled to claim expenses but do not receive any remunera�on for their �me. Trustee expenses are shown in Note 10 of the group financial statements.

Reserves policy and going concern

During the year the trustees have reviewed the level of reserves they believe are required to fund the work of Home-Start UK.

Free reserves are held for working capital resilience, each year the target is determined using a nuanced approach, that provides a calculated free reserve target not including fixed assets and funds set aside in key areas, stated as Designated funds. The current target set is £1.76m, the holding at 31 March 2025 were £1.75m.

The minimum free reserves have been set at £1.24m, which equates to 2.6 months of budgeted revenue expenditure. This is based on a calculated considera�on of the requirements necessary for different aspects of the organisa�on’s expenditure (principally salaries, overheads and Liabili�es rela�ng to contracted commitments). The Trustees ensure diligent oversight of the reserves through systema�c reviews within the framework of monthly management accoun�ng procedures and a comprehensive evalua�on on a quarterly basis as part of the strategic financial risk assessment protocol.

At 31 March 2025, free reserves including designated funds were £2.30m (2024: £1.75m). This equates to 4.2 months revenue expenditure (2024: 4.8 months).

20

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Following a comprehensive evaluation of the reserves and strategic planning activities conducted throughout the year, the trustees have determined that the charity possesses adequate reserves to maintain its operations as a going concern. After thorough deliberation of the charity's budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, reserve levels, and financial arrangements, the trustee board has ascertained that there are no significant uncertainties that would affect Home-Start UK's ability to operate for a minimum of 12 months.

Fundraising regulator

Home-Start UK is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. We work within the guidelines and standards as set out by the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator to ensure the protection of the public, including vulnerable people, from unreasonably intrusive or persistent fundraising approaches, and undue pressure to donate.

Home-Start UK maintains a formal complaints procedure. There were no complaints received during the year under review. We are committed to always listening to our supporters and putting them at the heart of our work. A subsequent review of our procedures in this area has ensured a better experience for all those who participate in fundraising challenge events on our behalf.

On occasion our federated structure can mean that some donations intended for a local Home-Start come through to Home-Start UK in error. Any such identified donations are forwarded to the relevant Home-Start in line with the donor’s wishes.

Our directly employed fundraising team undertakes the majority of our fundraising work. However, because of the specialist nature of some of the work, we do from time-to-time work with external agencies for creative, digital and marketing support to help us communicate effectively with donors and potential donors. We require these contractors, as a minimum, to operate within the remit of the fundraising regulator TPS framework, the GDPR framework and our own fundraising guidelines and monitor each contract on an ongoing basis to make sure operators comply with these requirements.

Protecting our data

Home-Start UK takes the protection of personal data extremely seriously. We are vigilant in safeguarding against cyber threats and remain fully compliant with the evolving data protection landscape, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We have appointed Really Good Data Protection (RGDP) as our external Data Protection Officer (DPO) to provide expert oversight and ensure robust data governance. We conduct regular reviews of our data handling practices, including legitimate interest assessments, consent management, and privacy notices, to ensure transparency and accountability in all our communications.

Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy

Home-Start UK’s goal is to be truly inclusive, benefit from diversity and appreciate everyone for their contribution, welcome and value difference. We treat everyone with respect and offer equal chances to participate. Our Strategic Framework, launched in May 2022, places a specific focus on advancing inclusion.

21

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Home-Start UK has high standards, and we will investigate and act on any reports of practice, which trustees, staff, volunteers or families believe to be unfair or discriminatory.

As described earlier, in 2022 we launched a new Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Action Plan, which reports directly to the Trustee Board. The plan is made publicly available on our website to ensure transparency. We have established a Diversity Champions Group and regularly compile staff surveys to measure our progress as an employer. Insights from these surveys inform future planning. We are fully compliant with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.We take seriously our role as a charity and central body within a federation to challenge inequality, use data to build understanding and action, become a more inclusive employer, enhance the representativeness of our Boards and instil greater cultural confidence of Home-Start UK and the wider network.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of Home-Start UK for the purposes of company law) 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 law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

22

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees on 31 March 2025 was 9 (2023-24: 11). The trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Auditor

Price Bailey LLP was appointed as the charitable company’s auditor during the year and has expressed its willingness to continue in that capacity.

The trustees’ annual report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

The trustees’ annual report was approved by the trustees on 3[rd] December 2025 and signed on their behalf by the ch air.

Lin Hinnigan

Chair of Board of Trustees

23

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Home-Start UK

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Home-Start UK (the ‘parent charitable company’) and its subsidiary (‘the group’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprises the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the group and parent charitable company balance sheets, the consolidated statement of cashflows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

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 responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent charitable company 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.

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.

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 group and parent charitable company'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.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

24

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees' annual report, 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. 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial

statements themselves. 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:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

25

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement (set out on page 22) 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 group and parent charitable company’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 group or parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and under Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with the Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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 these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

26

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or noncompliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the FRC's website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditors/audit-assurance/auditor-s-responsibilities-for-the-audit-of-thefi/description-of-the-auditor%E2%80%99s-responsibilities-for. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and to the charitable company’s trustees, as a body in accordance with Regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’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 charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Shaun Jordan ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of Price Bailey LLP Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditors Tennyson House Cambridge Business Park Cambridge CB4 0WZ

Date: 10 December 2025

Price Bailey LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

27

Home-Start UK

Consolidated statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total
Note £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations 2 1,203,875 243,097 125,000 1,571,972 1,026,689 289,432 288,175 1,604,296
Charitable activities
Standing Alongside Families 3 319,140 575,456 315,502 1,210,098 291,026 - 222,577 513,603
Standing Together 3 615,633 575,456 656,743 1,847,832 505,222 175,000 551,524 1,231,746
Growing our Movement 3 180,049 50,000 189,198 419,247 234,513 - 166,370 400,883
Other trading activities 4 35,375 - - 35,375 49,406 - - 49,406
Other Income 4a 100,000 - - 100,000 - - - -
Investments 5 57,525 - - 57,525 47,477 - - 47,477
Total income 2,511,598 1,444,009 1,286,443 5,242,050 2,154,333 464,432 1,228,646 3,847,411
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 6 672,060 3,791 675,851 118,513 64,432 390,007 572,952
Charitable activities
Standing Alongside Families 6 520,582 444,047 326,747 1,291,377 709,025 5,040 118,641 832,706
Standing Together 6 706,402 650,936 510,248 1,867,586 827,716 167,483 709,573 1,704,772
Growing our Movement 6 301,183 50,000 289,970 641,153 549,621 3,990 216,184 769,795
Subtotal of operating expenditure 2,200,227 1,148,774 1,126,966 4,475,967 2,204,875 240,945 1,434,405 3,880,225
Increase in pension liability 23 67,909 - - 67,909 21,833 - - 21,833
Total expenditure 2,268,136 1,148,774 1,126,966 4,543,876 2,226,708 240,945 1,434,405 3,902,058
Net (expenditure)/income before 243,462 295,235 159,477 698,173 (72,375) 223,487 (205,759) (54,647)
investment gains
Net gains/(loss) on investments (32,843) - - (32,843) 58,511 - - 58,511
Net income/(expenditure) for the year 210,619 295,235 159,477 665,330 (13,864) 223,487 (205,759) 3,864
Transfers between funds 37,588 (37,588) - - (20,358) 20,358 - -
Net movement in funds 248,207 257,647 159,477 665,330 (34,222) 243,845 (205,759) 3,864
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 25 1,509,849 308,389 252,398 2,070,636 1,544,071 64,544 458,157 2,066,772
Total funds carried forward 1,758,056 566,036 411,875 2,735,966 1,509,849 308,389 252,398 2,070,636
----- End of picture text -----

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 25(a to d) to the financial statements.

282727

Company no. 05382181

Home-Start UK

Balance sheets

As at 31st March 2025

The Group The Group The Charity The Charity
Note
Fixed assets:
Shares in group undertaking
Listed investments
Tangible assets
14
15a
15b		 2025
£
26,314
672,073
-		 2024
£
63,902
704,916
-		 2025
£
26,314
672,073
100		 2024
£
63,902
704,916
100
Current assets:
Debtors
Short notice deposits held for investment
Cash at bank and in hand
18		 698,387
368,120
950,000
1,287,575		 768,818
348,670
300,000
1,131,412		 698,487
408,306
950,000
1,238,907		 768,918
393,391
300,000
1,075,901
Liabilities:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
19		 2,605,695
(533,491)		 1,780,083
(478,265)		 2,597,213
(529,010)		 1,769,292
(470,846)
Net current assets 2,072,204 1,301,818 2,068,203 1,298,445
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after one year
21		 2,770,591
(34,625)		 2,070,636
-		 2,766,690
(34,625)		 2,067,363
-
Total net assets 2,735,966 2,070,636 2,732,065 2,067,363
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted income funds:
Designated funds
Pension reserve
Non-charitable subsidiary funds
General funds
The funds of the charity:
25		 411,875
566,036
(47,373)
3,901
1,801,527		 252,398
308,389
(14,431)
3,273
1,521,007		 411,875
566,036
(47,373)
-
1,801,527		 252,398
308,389
(14,431)
-
1,521,007
Total unrestricted funds 2,324,091- 1,818,238- 2,320,190 1,814,965
Total funds 2,735,966 2,070,636 2,732,065 2,067,363

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime within part 15 of the Companies Act 2006

Approved by the tr ustees on 3rd December 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Lin Hinnigan Home-Start UK, Chair of Trustees

29

Home-Start UK

Consolidated statement of cash flows

----- Start of picture text -----
For the year ended 31st March 2025
Note 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Cash flows used in operating activities
Net cash used in operating activities 26 753,271 (1,719)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest from investments 57,525 47,477
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (4,635) (62,078)
Net cash used in investing activities 52,890 (14,601)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year 806,161 (16,320)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 1,431,413 1,447,733
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 27 2,237,574 1,431,413
----- End of picture text -----

30

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

a) Statutory information

b) 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) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly-owned subsidiary Home-Start Consultancy Limited on a line by line basis. Transactions and balances between the charity and its subsidiary have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. Balances between the two entities are disclosed in the notes of the charity's balance sheet. A separate statement of financial activities, or income and expenditure account, for the charity itself is not presented because the charity has taken advantage of the exemptions afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The wholly-owned subsidiary became operational on 1st November 2020.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

In applying the financial reporting framework, the trustees have made a number of subjective judgments, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates. Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The nature of the estimation means the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. Any significant estimates and judgments affecting these financial statements are detailed within the relevant accounting policy below.

c) Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

d) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

e) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

f) Donations of gifts, services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any

conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

On receipt, donated gifts, professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

g) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes. It may include dividends and interest. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably.

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund. Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for the charitable purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.

31

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

1 Accounting policies (continued)

i) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

l Costs of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose.

l Standing alongside families relates to the costs incurred in making the case for support to help more families avoid crisis as a result of receiving appropriate early support.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

j) Grants payable

Grants payable are made to third parties in furtherance of the charity's objects. Single or multi-year grants are accounted for when either the recipient has a reasonable expectation that they will receive a grant and the trustees have agreed to pay the grant without condition, or the recipient has a reasonable expectation that they will receive a grant and that any condition attaching to the grant is outside of the control of the charity.

Provisions for grants are made when the intention to make a grant has been communicated to the recipient but there is uncertainty about either the timing of the grant or the amount of grant payable.

k) Allocation of support costs

Where directly attributable resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates. Where information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is provided to potential beneficiaries, the costs associated with this publicity are allocated to charitable expenditure. Similarly where such information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is also provided to potential donors, activity costs are apportioned between fundraising and charitable activities on the basis of area of literature occupied by each activity.

l Standing alongside families 22%
l Stronger together 44%
l Growing our movement 20%
l Cost of raising funds 14%

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

m) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £2,500. Depreciation costs are allocated to activities on the basis of the use of the related assets in those activities. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

l Fixtures and fittings 15%
l Computer Equipment 33%
l Information system 15%

Investments in subsidiaries are at cost.

Investments are a form of non-basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. Any change in fair value will be recognised in the statement of financial activities. Investment gains and losses, whether realised or unrealised, are combined and shown in the heading 'Net gains/(losses) on investments' in the statement of financial activities. The charity does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments.

32

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

p) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.

q) Short term deposits

Short term deposits includes cash balances that are invested in accounts with a maturity date of between 30 days and 12 months.

r) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

s) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount.

t) Financial instruments

The charity has both basic and non-basic financial assets and financial liabilities. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value. Non-basic financial instruments are measured at fair value with any gain or loss going to the statement of financial activities. Full details are given in the financial instruments note.

u) Pensions

Home-Start UK makes contributions into a defined benefit pension scheme, which is now closed and a number of defined contribution schemes. The defined benefit scheme is a multi-employer scheme and it is not possible in the normal course of events to identify on a consistent and reasonable basis the share of underlying assets and liabilities belonging to individual participating employers. Home-Start UK has recognised its liability for past service deficits for this scheme and these are noted as a liability and in the pension reserve. The assets of the various schemes are held separately from those of Home-Start UK in independently administered funds. Employer contributions are charged in the Statement of Financial Activities as they fall due.

2 Income from donations

Gift in Kind
Cost of living appeal
Legacies
Individual donations
Corporate partnership donations
Trust/foundation donations		 Unrestricted
£
289,932
946,984
166,174
30,891
12,990
1,446,972		 Restricted
£
65,000
-
60,000
-
-
125,000		 2025
Total
£
354,932
946,984
226,174
-
30,891
12,990
1,571,972		 £
Unrestricted
191,790
846,490
102,362
9,030
166,449
1,316,121		 Restricted
£
-
-
288,175
-
-
288,175		 2024
Total
£
191,790
846,490
390,537
9,030
166,449
1,604,296

Donations

Income received from charitable trusts, corporate partners, charity challenges and individual givers for our work across the UK. Individual donations decreased as the UK economy experienced an increase in the cost of living which has an impact on individual givers. Corporate partnership donations decreased as our partnerships with some major corporates can to an end as new ones are negotiated

33

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

Funding is allocated to either the most relevant strategic workstream or, where appropriate, proportionally across multiple workstreams.

Unrestricted
£
40%- Membership Levy
40%-Corra Foundation (Scotland)
30%-DHSS Family Policy Unit (Northern Ireland)
Support from trusts and foundations-100% RNRMC & Army
100%- The promise-Scottish Government
Standing Alongside Families
Support from corporate partners
318,099
-
-
-
al
-
576,497
Sub-total for Standing Alongside Families
894,596
40%- Membership Levy
40%- Corra Foundation (Scotland)
70%-DHSS Family Policy Unit (Northern Ireland)
40%-Support from trusts and foundations+100% KGJ
Training events
Sales of material and publications
Stronger Together
Support from corporate partners
318,099
-
-
163,443
706,361
-
3,186
Sub-total for Standing Together
1,191,089
r
20%- Membership Levy
20%-Corra Foundation (Scotland)
Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Growing our Movement
Support from trusts and foundations- 60% of AIM+100% Ga
159,049
-
-
71,000
weston
Sub-total for Growing our Movement
230,049
2,315,735
Total income from charitable activities		 Restricted
£
-
82,740
4,929
133,333
94,500
-
315,502
-
82,740
11,503
562,500
-
-
-
656,743
-
41,370
-
147,828
189,198
1,161,443		 2025
Total
£
318,099
82,740
4,929
133,333
94,500
576,497
1,210,098
318,099
82,740
11,503
725,943
706,361
-
3,186
1,847,832
159,049
41,370
-
218,828
419,247
3,477,177		 £
Unrestricted
291,026
-
-
-
-
-
291,026
291,026
-
-
169,375
218,205
-
1,616
680,222
145,513
-
-
89,000
234,513
1,205,762		 Restricted
£
-
82,740
5,670
66,667
67,500
-
222,577
-
82,740
13,229
375,000
80,555
-
-
551,524
-
41,370
-
125,000
166,370
940,471		 2024
Total
£
291,026
82,740
5,670
66,667
67,500
-
513,603
291,026
82,740
13,229
544,375
298,760
-
1,616
1,231,746
145,513
41,370
-
214,000
400,883
2,146,233

Membership Levy

The membership levy is received from local Home-Starts who each contribute 2% of 90% of their income from the previous financial year in line with the HomeStart agreement. The levy is not a payment for specific services and the support of an individual local Home-Start does not vary according to the amount that they pay each year. During 2024-25, the levy was capped at £12,000 for individual local Home-Starts (2023-24: £12,000).

Government Grants

A grant was received from DHSS Family Policy Unit of £16,432 (2024: £18,899) for our work in Northern Ireland. A grant was received from the Corra Foundation of £206,850 (2024: £206,850) for our work in Scotland.

Support from the Community fund, corporate, trusts and foundations

Grants were received to support our work across the UK with continued support in specific areas across the UK. A number of trusts and foundations continued to support our work started in previous years: Cadent £410,182.50 (2024:£175000.00, ) SGN £742,812 (2024-£0) for our Breathing Spaces project and from KGJ Foundation £149,443 (2023:£143,375) for perinatal mental health support. The roll out and development of Big Hopes Big Future® in England and Wales is funded by the Masonic Charitable Foundation in 2025 for £85,328 (2024: £87638). Funding was drawn from Army Central Fund of £80,000 (2023: £57,500) for our work with army families and we received £4,500 (2023:£10,000) for partnership with The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity for work with naval families.

34

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

4
Income from other trading activities
Subsidiary trading income-JLP licen�e fees
Other
4a
Other Income
Office Lease Surrender Compensation		 Unrestricted
£
9,700
25,675
35,375
Unrestricted
£
100,000		 Restricted
£
-
-
-
Restricted
£
-		 2025
Total
£
9,700
25,675
35,375
2025
Total
£
100,000		 2024
Total
£
£
Unrestricted
Restricted
£
28,200
21,206
-
-
28,200
21,206
49,406
-
49,406
2024
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
-
-
-
5
Income from investments
Bank Interest
Interest from fixed asset investments
All income from investments is unrestricted.		 2025
£
38,361
19,164
57,525		 2024
£
28,681
18,795
47,477

35

2024 Total
£
2,378,138
22,562
50,030
367,148
2,586
627,640
218,813
69,976
11,720
54,345
76,268		 3,879,226
-
-		 3,879,226
Governance
costs
£
Central
support costs
£
2025 Total
£
758,351
24,128
21,031
247,971
1,383
2,324,622
35,954
80,903
389,619
8,126
1,097,121
125,214
17,901
27,516
42,223
30,891
154,690
140,088
3,791
-
20,271
42,223
30,891
23,790
58,906		 27,581
1,205,154
4,474,867
-
-
(27,581)
(1,205,154)
-
-
-
-		 ()
-
4,474,867		 1100 4,475,967 -
-
3,879,225
Charitable activities Standing
alongside
families
£
Stronger
together
£
Growing our
movement
£
311,824
3,548
14,871
32,977
738
411,685
21,613
3,611
2,118
570,668
5,085
26,131
65,689
1,288
597,937
53,726
8,709
3,122
210,890
1,537
10,488
24,815
513
87,500
37,100
3,283
991
39,194
11,693
67,418
30,308
26,422
8,658		 853,872
1,430,082
412,195
428,627
428,627
220,080
8,878
8,878
8,878		 1,291,377
1,867,586
641,153		 1,291,377
1,867,586
641,153		 832,707
1,704,772
769,795
Cost of raising
funds
£
472,889
1,656
8,382
18,167
413
12,775
2,298
1,014
21,657
6,733		 545,984
127,820
948		 674,751 1100 675,851 571,952
Staff costs (Note 10)
Recruitment
Travel
Office Costs
Internal Meetings
Grants to local Home-Starts (Note 7)
Content Creation Expenses
Technical advice and support (Note 8)
Training and development
Depreciation and loss on disposal
In-Kind Donations
Fundraising materials/events expenses
Audit fees/legal and professional		 Central support costs
Governance costs		 Home Start Consultancy Expenses Total expenditure 2025-HSUK Total expenditure 2024
Governance
costs
£
Central
support costs
£
2024
£
-
812,320
6,679
15,531
286,490
594
-
17,787
19,390
11,720
-
24,407
-
2,378,138
22,562
50,030
367,148
2,586
627,640
218,813
69,976
11,720
54,345
76,267
-
-
1,275
-
-
-
-
-
18,750
-		 20,025
1,194,918
3,879,225
-
-
(20,025)
(1,194,918)
-
-
-
-		 -
-
3,879,225
Charitable activities Standing
alongside
families
£
Stronger
together
£
Growing our
movement
£
300,506
1,525
6,099
16,679
141
86,010
35,386
6,662
-
7,253
5,371
-
645,414
3,621
12,574
39,339
337
448,120
109,987
19,921
-
17,229
12,705
-
241,894
1,207
5,060
13,124
112
93,510
32,535
5,273
-
5,742
4,300
-		 465,632
1,309,247
402,757
360,506
-
6,569
388,956
-
6,569
360,469
-
6,569		 832,707
1,704,772
769,795
Cost of raising
funds
£
378,004
9,530
10,766
11,516
127
-
23,118
18,730
-
24,121
10,734
-		 486,646
84,987
-
319		 571,952
Staff costs (Note 10)
Recruitment
Travel
Office Costs
Internal Meetings
Grants to local Home-Starts (Note 7)
Technical advice and support (Note 8)
Training and development
Depreciation and loss on disposal
Fundraising materials/events expenses
Audit fees/legal and professional
Evaluation, scaling & dissemination		 Central support costs
Governance costs		 Total expenditure 2024

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
||||| |---|---|---|---| |7|Analysis of grants to local Home-Starts| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Grants to institutions| |Breathing Space fund - Pears- 2- to provide 21 LHS with support throughout the cost of living crisis,| |help sustaining LHS at risk allowing them breathing space to be able to continue supporting families|350,000|371,000| |To deliver change in holistic family support in Scotland (The Promise), establish practice hubs| |undertaking activities furthering our aim to keep|the promise|47,500|22,500| |Supporting work with service families(Army Central)|67,500|50,000| |Big Hopes Big Future®|(1,872)| |Supporting families in Yorkshire areas of economic/academic/ h��lth deprivation- 9LHS -Liz &| |terry Brammell foundation|6,000|-| |Supporting the wellbeing of new parents with Cystic Fibrosis|-|4,000| |Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to allow them to form the energy advise groups,| |supporting families with warm spaces,|draft making workshops, making families warm and safe|266,625|120,312| |Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by SGN)- 36 LHS to allow them to form the energy advise groups,| |supporting families with warm spaces,draft making workshops, making families warm and safe|309,744|-| |Supporting families with children at risk of going in to care, reduce the disadvantage faced by those| |in care-4LHS -(John Lewis Building Happier future)|36,000|-| |Empowering women (Funded by White Stuff)-20 LHS-|fund dedicated to one to one confidence building,| |creating strategy for safety, opportunity for building friendships,|support for mental and physical health/���������� services|-|50,000| |Family Support to naval families (funded by the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity)|2,500|7,000| |Other|11,252|4,700| |At the end of the year|1,097,121|627,640| |Home-Start UK is instrumental in securing funding to pass on to local Home-Starts. These grants are distributed in line with the criteria of the funder. Applications are| |formally assessed by a panel. Central support costs are allocated as shown in Note 6. In total, 291 (2024: 119) grant payments to local Home-Starts were made during| |2024/25.|

----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |Breakdown of material grants included in the above grants to institutions:-|2025|2024| |£|£| |◦|Supporting local Home-Starts to support families through Cost of Living Crisis| |- supporting 21 of the most vulnerable local Home-Starts by providing Breathing Space grant to survive| |through Cost of living crisis|350,000|371,000| |Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent & SGN)- 28 LHS &36 �HS respectively to keep families warm and form the| |energy advise groups draft making workshops, making families safe and warm|576,369|120,312| |926,369|491,312| |8|Analysis of technical advice and support| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Technical advice and support| |Network development|16,414|63,346| |PR and communications|-|54,054| |Corporate partnership development|-|7,370| |Digital, data and technology development|-|93,793| |To support funded projects|1,487|250| |17,901|218,813|

----- End of picture text -----

Home-Start UK uses technical advice, support and expertise to assist in strategic development as part of externally funded projects and to provide targeted expenditure in key areas such as strategic development, digital development, buidling corporate partnerships and supporting network development using freelance, interims via agencies and consultancy.

This is stated after charging /(crediting):

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Depreciation|19,269|11,720| |Operating lease rentals:| |Property|-|35,196| |Auditors' remuneration (excluding VAT):| |Audit|19,500|18,750| |Other services|1,000|1,000|

----- End of picture text -----

37

38

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

10 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows:

2,025
£
Salaries and wages
Redundancy costs paid and settled
Social security costs
Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes (Defin�d contribution pension scheme amounts
outstanding at the year end were £28,297 (2024-£20,554)
1,969,319
-
207,564
147,739
2,324,622
The following number of employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs and employer's national insurance) during the y
2025
No.
1
-
-
1
-
2
£60,000 - £69,999
£90,000 - £99,999
£70,000 - £79,999
£80,000 - £89,999
£100,000 - £109,999
£110,000 - £119,999		 2,024
£
1,965,055
56,533
206,123
150,427
2,378,138
ear between:
2024
No.
1
-
-
1
1
-

The total employee benefits including pension contributions and employer's national insurance of the key management personnel were £457,179(2024: £364,481).

The charity trustees were not paid nor received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2024: £nil).

Trustees' expenses represents the payment or reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs totalling £3,791 (2023: £1,275) incurred by 11 (2024: 11) members relating to attendance at meetings of the trustees.

11 Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:

Growing our movement
Raising funds
Stronger together
Central support costs
Governance
Standing alongside families		 2025
No.
3.5
14.4
15.2
5.5
10.4
0.6
49.6		 2024
No.
3.2
13.2
16.6
6.6
8.9
1.1
49.6

The number of employees calculated on the basis of full-time equivalents at the end of the year was 49.6 (2024: 49.6).

12 Related party transactions

Our honorary president, James Sainsbury OBE, is also a trustee of The Headley Trust and The Tedworth Charitable Trust. The Headley Trust made a grant of £27,000 (2024:£27,250) and The Tedworth Charitable Trust made a donation 2025:nil (2024: 30,000) towards Home-Start UK core costs. There were no outstanding balances due to or from related parties at 31st March 2025. (2024: £nil). James Sainsbury OBE also contributed towa�ds HSUK Volunteer awards event for £10.9k ��� he receives no benefit from the grants or donation made to the charity.

Home-Start UK received donations totalling £3,000.00 (2024: £2,531.50) from 1 trustee (2024: 2 trustees). The trustees receive no benefit from the donations made to the charity. Due to the nature of the federated model, Trustees of Home-Start UK may also hold key management positions within Local Home-Starts. Grants to Local Home-Starts are awarded through a structured process based on objective criteria and overseen by robust governance arrangements. These arrangements ensure that no Trustee is able to influence the outcome of grant decisions. As such, these grant distributions are not considered related party transactions��

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

The charity's trading subsidiary Home-Start Consultancy Limited distributes under Gift Aid available profits to the parent charity. Its charge to corporation tax in the year was:

UK corporation tax at 25%

13 Taxation

2025 2024 £ £

39

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March2025
14
Tangible fixed assets
At the beginning of the year
Additions
Cost
The group and charity
Disposals in year
At the end of the year
Depreciation
At the beginning of the year
Disposals/W/off in year
Charge for the year
Net book value
At the end of the year
At the end of the year
At the beginning of the year
All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.
15a
Listed investments
Fair value at the start of the year
Net gain/ (loss) on change in fair value
Fair value at the end of the year
Investments comprise:
COIF Charities Investment Fund
Shares in group undertaking
15b
Cost at 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025		 Fixtures and
fittings
£
48,268
4,635
(29,073)
23,830
2,702
(6,119)
7,825
4,408
19,422
45,566
2025
£
The
704,916
(32,843)
672,073
672,073
672,073		 Computer
equipment
£
34,126
-
-
34,126
15,791
-
11,444
27,235
6,891
18,336
group
2024
£
646,405
58,511
704,916
704,916
704,916		 Information
system
£
Total
£
-
-
-
82,394
4,635
(29,073)
-
57,957
-
-
-
18,492
(6,119)
19,270
-
31,643
-
26,314
-
63,902
2025
£
The charity
2024
£
704,916
(32,843)
646,405
58,511
672,073
704,916
672,073
704,916
672,073
704,916
2025
£
100
2024
£
100

40

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

16 Subsidiary undertaking

The charity owns the whole of the issued ordinary share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company registered in England. The company number is 02810260. The registered office address is Clarence House,46 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 3PJ.

The subsidiary is used for non-primary purpose trading activities. All activities have been consolidated on a line by line basis in the statement of financial activities. Available profits are distr�buted under Gift Aid to the parent charity.

The trustee Pearly Siffel is also a director of the subsidiary.
A summary of the results of the subsidiary is shown below:
Cost of sales
Turnover
Gross profit
Administrative expenses
Profit on ordinary activities before interest and taxation
Profit on ordinary activities before taxation
Taxation on profit on ordinary activities
Profit for the financial year
Retained earnings
Distributed to parent charity
Total retained earnings brought forward
Profit for the financial year
Total retained earnings carried forward
Liabilities
The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and reserves was:
Assets
Reserves		 2025
£
9,700
-
9,700
(4,749)
4,951
4,951
-
4,951
3,273
4,951
(4,323)
3,901
50,412
(46,411)
4,001		 2024
£
28,200
-
28,200
(23,877)
4,323
4,323
-
4,323
15,495
4,323
(16,445)
3,373
58,762
(55,389)
3,373

Amounts owed to/from the parent undertaking are shown in notes 18 and 19.

Included within administrative expenses above is a management charge of £3,649 (2024: £22,877) from the parent entity.

41

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March2025
17
Parent charity
The parent charity's gross income and the results for the year are disclosed as follows:
Gross income
Result for the year
18
Debtors
Prepayments
Amounts due from group undertaking
Accrued income
Trade debtors
19
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Accruals
Amounts owed to group undertaking
Grant commitments
Pension deficit
Deferred income (note 20)
Trade creditors
Taxation and social security
Deferred income
20
Balance at the beginning of the year
Amount released to income in the year
Amount deferred in the year
Balance at the end of the year
21
Creditors: amounts falling due after one year
Pension deficit
22
Financial instruments
Financial assets measured at fair value through profit and loss
Investments
Financial liabilities measured at fair value through profit or loss
Defined pension scheme liability		 2025
£
The
187,647
105,879
74,594
-
368,120
The
2025
£
185,259
104,445
105,401
12,238
12,748
-
113,400
533,491
2025
£
The
33,955
(33,955)
113,400
113,400
2025
£
34,625
The
34,625		 group
2024
£
177,126
61,868
109,676
-
348,670
group
2024
£
178,937
95,072
150,352
5,518
14,431
-
33,955
478,265
group
2024
£
5,548
(5,548)
33,955
33,955
group
2024
£
-
-		 2025
£
2024
£
5,245,821
664,701
3,858,534
15,986
2025
£
The charity
2024
£
186,581
105,879
74,594
41,251
174,544
61,868
109,676
30,857
408,306
376,945
The charity
2025
£
2024
£
185,259
100,616
104,071
12,238
12,748
678
113,400
176,220
91,222
149,022
5,518
14,431
478
33,955
529,010
470,846
2025
£
The charity
2024
£
33,955
(33,955)
113,400
5,548
(5,548)
33,955
113,400
33,955
2025
£
34,625
The charity
2024
£
-
34,625
-
2025
£
2024
£
672,073
704,916
(47,374)
(43,475)

42

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025 23 Pension scheme

The Pensions Trust - Growth Plan ("the scheme")

The company participates in the scheme, a multi-employer scheme which provides benefits to some 950 non-associated participating employers. The scheme is a defined benefit scheme in the UK. It is not possible for the company to obtain sufficient information to enable it to account for the scheme as a defined benefit scheme, therefore it accounts for the scheme as a defined contribution scheme.

The scheme is subject to the funding legislation outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 which came into force on 30 December 2005. This, together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Technical Actuarial Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council, set out the framework for funding defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK.

The scheme is classified as a 'last-man standing arrangement'. Therefore the company is potentially liable for other participating employers' obligations if those employers are unable to meet their share of the scheme deficit following withdrawal from the scheme. Participating employers are legally required to meet their share of the scheme deficit on an annuity purchase basis on withdrawal from the scheme.

A full actuarial valuation for the scheme was carried out at 30 September 2023. Following confirmation of the final audited asset value, the deficit has reduced to £16.1m.

Expenses will no longer be included in the deficit payment and from 1 April 2022 will be identified separately and paid in addition to deficit contributions. This approach is more transparent and has the benefit to employers of expenses no longer being included in employer accounts for the purposes of FRS102. The recovery plan contributions are allocated to each participating employer in line with their estimated share of the Series 1 and Series 2 scheme liabilities. Where the scheme is in deficit and where Home-Start UK has agreed to a deficit funding arrangement, Home-Start UK recognises a liability for this obligation. The amount recognised is the net present value of the deficit reduction contributions payable under the agreement that relates to the deficit. The amount recognised includes the unwinding of the discount used to calculate the net present value.

Home-Start UK ceased to provide this defined benefit scheme with effect from January 2009, with most of the members switching to the defined contribution scheme. Home-Start UK contributed £14.4k to the past service deficit of the defined benefit scheme in the year (2024: £17.3k) and will continue to contribute annually until 2028 subject to changes in deficit contributions once confirmed. Under the new recovery plan, from 1 April 2024, the deficit contributions are £14.4k per annum and the expense amount is £20.5k per annum bringing the total payment to £34.9k annual payment.

24a Analysis of group net assets between funds - current year

Investments
Tangible fixed assets
Long term liabilities
Net current assets
Net assets at 31st March 2025
Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Long term liabilities
Net current assets
Net Assets at 31 March 2024
Movements in restricted funds - current year
Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity
Small Trusts - CFP
Corra Foundation
Corra Foundation - The Promise Partnership
Fidelity UK Foundation
Masonic Charitable Foundation
NI development-DHSS & Northern Ireland
Pears Family Charitable Foundation - Breathing Space Fund
Major Donor-Lockwood
Liz & Terry Bramell Fou�dation
Army Central Fund
Charles Gordon Foundation
Pears Foundation-Volunteering-NVRT
Total restricted funds		 At 1st April
2024
£
-
-
-
-
2,401
16,018
53,979
-
175,000
-
3,000
-
2,000
252,398		 General
unrestricted
£
-
672,073
1,085,981
1,758,054
General
unrestricted
£
-
704,916
804,933
-
1,509,849
Income
£
10,000
80,000
60,000
206,850
133,333
-
85,328
16,432
250,000
375,000
4,500
65,000
-
1,286,443		 £
26,314
-
539,723
-
Designated
566,037
£
63,902
-
244,487
-
Designated
308,389
Expenditure
£
(10,000)
(80,000)
(45,000)
(206,850)
(135,734)
(16,018)
(139,307)
(16,432)
(425,000)
(28,125)
(7,500)
(15,000)
(2,000)
(1,126,966)		 Restricted
£
-
-
411,875
-
411,875
Restricted
£
-
-
252,398
-
252,398
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total funds
£
26,314
672,073
2,037,579
-
2,735,966
Total funds
£
63,902
704,916
1,301,818
-
-
2,070,636
At 31 March
2025
£
-
-
15,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
346,875
-
50,000
-
411,875

24b Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year

43

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

25b Movements in restricted funds - prior year

Charles Gordon Foundation
DHSS & PS Northern Ireland
Corra Foundation
Army Central Fund
NI development
Pears Family Charitable Foundation with DCMS
Scottish Government - Loneliness & Isolation Fund
Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity
Band Trust
Masonic Charitable Foundation
Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation
Fidelity UK Foundation
Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation
Corra Foundattion - The Promise Partnership
Pears Family Charitable Foundation
White Stuff Foundation
Small Trusts-CFP
John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home
Total restricted funds		 At 31 March
2023
£
16,250
-
-
-
-
-
-
70,326
-
-
173,592
-
196,000
-
1,989
-
-
-
458,157		 Income
£
-
57,500
80,000
60,000
206,850
66,667
18,900
139,675
-
-
-
-
500,000
-
10,000
-
8,500
80,554
1,228,646		 Expenditure
£
(16,250)
(57,500)
(80,000)
(60,000)
(206,850)
(64,266)
(18,900)
(193,983)
-
-
(119,613)
-
(521,000)
-
(8,989)
-
(6,500)
(80,554)
(1,434,405)		 Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 At 1st April
2024
£
-
-
-
-
-
2,401
-
16,018
-
-
53,979
-
175,000
-
3,000
-
2,000
-
252,398

44

For the year ended 31st March 2025

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

25c Movement in total funds - current year

Unrestricted funds:
Cadent- Centre for Warmth
Fixed Asset Fund
John Lewis- Building Better Future
Tomoro Foundation
Garfield Weston
Designated funds:
John Lewis- Happy Healthy Homes
SGN- Centre for Warmth
Total designated funds
General funds
Pension liability
Non-charitable subsidiary funds
General funds
Total general funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total restricted funds
Total funds at 31 March 2025		 At 1st April
2024
£
63,902
100,000
125,000
-
-
19,487
-
308,389
1,521,007
3,273
(14,431)
1,509,849
1,818,238
252,398
2,070,636		 Income and
gains
£
100,000
133,096
50,000
10,000
408,100
742,813
1,444,009
2,469,055
9,700
2,478,755
3,922,764
1,286,443
5,209,207		 Expenditure
and losses
£
(80,679)
(125,000)
(50,000)
(5,000)
(306,538)
(581,557)
(1,148,774)
(2,263,388)
(4,749)
-
(2,268,137)
(3,416,911)
(1,126,966)
(4,543,877)		 Transfers
£
(37,588)
-
-
-
-
-
-
(37,588)
74,853
(4,323)
(32,942)
37,588
-
-
-		 At 31 March
2025
£
26,314
119,321
133,096
-
5,000
121,049
161,256
566,036
1,801,527
3,901
(47,373)
1,758,055
2,324,091
411,875
2,735,966

45

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

25d Movement in total funds - prior year

Unrestricted funds:
Cadent- Centre for Warmth
John Lewis- Building Better Future
John Lewis-Happy Healthy Homes
Fixed Asset Fund
Recovery and resilience programme
Designated funds:
Total designated funds
General funds
General funds
Non-charitable subsidiary funds
Pension liability
Total general funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total restricted funds
Total funds at 31 March 2024		 At 31 March
2023
£
43,544
-
-
-
21,000
64,544
1,558,529
15,395
(29,853)
1,544,071
1,608,615
458,157
2,066,772		 Income and
gains
£
-
100,000
189,432
175,000
-
464,432
2,184,644
28,200
-
2,212,844
2,677,276
1,228,646
3,905,922		 Expenditure
and losses
£
-
-
(64,432)
(155,513)
(21,000)
(240,945)
(2,202,831)
(23,877)
-
(2,226,708)
(2,467,653)
(1,434,405)
(3,902,058)		 Transfers
£
20,358
-
-
-
-
20,358
(19,335)
(16,445)
15,422
(20,358)
-
-
-		 At 1st April
2024
£
63,902
100,000
125,000
19,487
-
308,389
1,521,007
3,273
(14,431)
1,509,849
1,818,238
252,398
2,070,636

Purposes of restricted funds Liz & Bramell Foundation Charles Gordon Foundation Army Central Fund Corra Foundation Corra Foundation - The Promise Partnership DHSS & PS Northern Ireland Fidelity UK Foundation John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home John Lewis Partnership - supercharged communities Masonic Charitable Foundation Pears Family Charitable Foundation - Breathing space Fund Pears Family Charitable Foundation -NVRT Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity Small Trusts-CFP Major Donor-Lockwood

Supporting families with social and economic challenges in �orkshire area Perinatal Mental Health support in Scotland Grants for supporting work with service families Scotland Third Sector Early Intervention Fund A Good Childhood - to support necessary shifts to help ensure children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected Revenue grant towards our work in Northern Ireland

Towards business intelligence project enabling more vulnerable families to achieve positive outcomes Volunteer-������������ Programme Give a Little Love campaign ���������� superhubs Big Hopes Big Future® To provide support to LHS facing funding challenges, designed to keep services running while longer term funding is secured To enable ��������������� focus on recruitment,training and the ongoing support of volunteers in volunteer recruitment and retention Family support to naval families

Supporting mothers struggling with Cystic Fibrosis ������������ Volunteer Development programme and supporting documents

Purposes of designated funds

Fixed Asset Fund The fixed asset fund represents all unrestricted funds invested in fixed assets net of any associated liabilities. John Lewis Fund John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home Volunteer-upskilling Programme John Lewis Partnership - supercharged communities Give a Little Love campaign suppporting superhubs Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by SGN)- 36 LHS to allow them to form the energy advise groups, supporting families with warm spaces, draft making workshops, Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to allow them to form the energy advise groups, supporting families with warm spaces,draft making

Garfield Weston- For Expansion of Volunteer Programme �omoro Foundation

To support Home start U� with its charitable activities

Transfers����������������������between unrestricted funds and designated funds are agreed by the trustees.

46

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2025

26 Reconciliation of income to net cash flow from operating activities

Net income/ (expenditure)for the reporting period
(as per the statement of financial activities)
Depreciation charges
Loss on disposal/writeoff of fixed assets
Interest from investments
(Profit) on the disposal of investments
(Increase) in debtors
Increase in creditors
Net cash provided by operating activities
27
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand
Short notice deposits held for investment
Total cash and cash equivalents		 At 1 April2024
£
1,131,412
300,000
1,431,412		 2025
£
665,330
19,269
22,954
(57,525)
32,843
(19,450)
89,850
753,271
Cash flows
£
156,163
650,000
806,163		 2024
£
3,864
11,720
30,000
(47,477)
(58,511)
(42,851)
101,536
(1,719)
£
At 31 March
2025
1,287,575
950,000
2,237,575-

28 Operating lease commitments

The group and charity's total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is as follows for each of the following periods

One to five years
Less than one year		 2025
£
Property
2024
£
-
-
35,196
11,732
-
46,928

29 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital.

47