Charity Registration No: 1109083 Company Registration No: 5320369 (England & Wales) LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP x+x+x ADVOCACY SERVICES LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP Legal and Administrative Inforniation ststus The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 23 December 2004 and registered as a charity on 18 April 2005. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which éstablished the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. Under those Articles members of the committee are elected at the Annual General Meeting and are subject to ratification at each Annual General Meeting. Directorsrrrustees The Directorsrrrustees in office during the period and at the date of this report.. Michelle Stanistreet (Chair) Robert Garlinge (Trustee) Hannah Raven (Co-chair} Zelda Mccollum (Trustee) Sean Phillippo (Treasurer) Meriel Hodgson-Teall (Trustee) Ashley Thomas (Secretary) Mark Anderson (Trustee) Imthiaz Rehman (Trustee) Stood down at AGM November 2024 Secretary Ashley Thomas Charity Director Marsh Stitchman Organisational Structure Lewisham Speaking Up is governed by a Board of Trustees who are voted in at the AGM. Three of our Trustees are people with a learning disability. The Board is led by a Chair and a Co-chair, who is somebody with a learning disability. We pride ourselves on having a diverse Board with varying skills including finance, media, legal, advocacy, and experiences inFluding learning disability, volunteering, and being a parenusibling of a person with a learning disability. We currently have two sub-committees which make recommendations to the Board. These are Finance & Funding and Policies. Registered Office and Principal Address Room F1 The Leemore Centre 29-39 Clarendon Rise Lewisham London SE13 SES Independent Examiner Andrew Thurburn Andrew Thurburn & Co. Chartered Accountants 38 Tamworth Road Croydon Surrey CRO 1XU Bankers The Cooperative Bank, PO Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale WN8 6vwr LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP CONTENTS Page Trustees, Report Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Accounts LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DIRECTORS'ITRUSTEES, REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Directorsrrrustees present their report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025, having had regard to relevant SORP requirements. When preparing this report, the Trustees have also referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing and reporting on the charity's delivery of aims and objectives. In particular, the Trustees have considered how planned activities will contribute to meeting stated aims and objectives. WHAT LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DOES Objectives and activities that are for public benefit The company is a charity that works to support and provide advocacy services to people with learning disabilities, particularly in the London Borough of Lewisham. Our charrtable objectives are.. (a) to relieve and support people disadvantaged by learning disability, difficulty or special need through advocacy services which promote their rights and entitlements as equal citizens; (b) to advance and promote education of all people with learning disabilities through group work, training and other relevant advocacy practice., (c) to advance the educati3n of the public about the educational, physical, emotional and psychological needs of people with learning disabilities. REVIEW OF THE YEAR'S ACTIVITY AND RESULTS This report is about our activities and outcomes for the people we support and who participated in our activities during the twelve months from April 2024 to March 2025. The year was a positive one for the charity. Our new self-advocacy coordinator started in April 2024 and quickly became an asset to our work, bringing in new ideas and reinvigorating our flagship People's Parliament project. She has also led on our partnership with Entelechy Arts on a new programme that seeks to raise the voice and lived experience of people with profound and multip5e learning disabilities (PMLD). We continued to strengthen our partnerships and develop new ones, giving us greater opportunities to ensure the voice of people with learning disabilities is heard loud and clear, both in Lewisham and beyond. We were pleased to be commissioned to work with the UK Health Security Agency and the Valuing People Alliance on a national project to advise the UKHSA on producing easy read information. We have continued to diversify our income away from grant funding and have secured around £15,500 through small donations and charging for our services. Over the course of the year, we ran a range of 134 different groups and activities, recording 1409 attendances by people with learning disabilities. Our 1-2-1 advocacy services worked with 93 individual referrals and our financial advocate secured £18,362.33 in regular benefits for individuals plus £3,715.37 in back payments. Self-Advocacy In April we began the drawdown on our grant of £88K from the City Bridge Foundation to fund and develop our self-advocacy work for the next two years. This grant allowed us to recruit a new self-advocacy coordinator in March 2024 and she started in April. We ran four People's Parliament events in the period on the topics of Self-Advocacy, the election of new People's Parliament representatives, Safer Streets, and Money & Benefits. LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DIRECTORS'ITRUSTEES, REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 In January 2025 we held our first ever Lewisham Question Time event based on a suggestion from one of our newly elected People's Parliament reps. We were pleased to have all three Lewisham Members of Parliament present to answer questions from people with learning disabilities. In April 2024, we started a new monthly self-advocacy 'Big Group, which ran every month throughout the year with an extra event in October for Hate Crime Awareness Week. 1-2-1 Advocacy Providing one to one case-based advocacy support is a key part of our service and in this period we provided two types of 1-2-1 advocacy for 93 referrals: Community (non-statutory) Advocacy Financial Advocacy Partnerships We pride ourselves on working well with others who share similar missions to ours, and who want to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism. We developed new and built on existing partnerships this year.. Lewisham Community Connections: we continued as an official partner of Lewisham Community Connections. They are the largest social prescriber in the borough, and we are their only partner that specialises in working with people with learning disabilities Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board: we became an official member of the Board. We have attended meetings throughout the year and have supported people with learning disabilities to attend and present at Board meetings Lewisham Learning Disability Partnership Board.. we worked with Lewisham Council Joint Commissioning Team to provide the co-chair of the Partnership Board. We also supported people with learning disabilities to attend the health subgroup. The Director of Lewisham Speaking Up srts on the Board Lewisham Safer Neighbourhood Board: we became an affiliate member of the Board and have supported people with learning disabilities to present at a Board meeting Entelechy Arts.. we have been working as a partner with Entelechy Arts on a programme that seeks to raise the voice and lived experience of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). We have been supporting decision makers to attend events and start to see the world through the eyes of people with PMLD UK Health Security Agency." we partnered with the UKHSA and the Valuing People Alliance to offer guidan￿ on how the UKHSA can produce easy read documents more effectively., Learning Disability England & The Race Equality Foundation". we continued our work with LDE and the Race Equality Foundalion looking at how to highlight and address the health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. This included delivering nationwide training to senior NHS staff Local Government Association: we partnered with the LGA and other seff-advocacy groups to help them produce guidance for Local Government commissioners on why funding self-advocacy is important LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DIRECTORS'rrRUSTEES' REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 RESULTS The total incoming reSoUr￿S for the year amounted to £179,529 with an expenditure of £185,091. The charity operates for the public benefit by.. providing self-advocacy groups and larger events for people with learning disabilities based at the Leemore Centre in Lewisham and other venues", supporting self-advocates to participate in meetings and events - local, regional and national., providing specialised training and support for people with learning disabilities that supports their full participation in society and their ability to raise awareness of issues that affect them amongst the wider community., 1-2-1 advocacy support which includes a specialist financial inclusion 1-2-1 advocacy service. Advocacy is both short and long tenn and is in response to issues, problems or hanges with services, esQecially where independence from seniice provider conflict is critical. FUTURE STRATEGY The Board of Trustees remains committed to taking Lewisham Speaking Up forward in line with its objectives, as a grassroots advocacy charity, rooted in direct engagement with people with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities in Lewisham are the core focus of our work and we continue to strive to tackle discrimination, enable access to services and promote their voice to decision makers - both collectively and as individuals. Our local knowledge and reputation with Lewisham-based stakeholders is a significant strength, as is our cooperation with the London Borough of Lewisham. This collaborative approach contributes to our sustainability and enables us to better meet our objectives. We have recognised challenges in the funding environment which continue to be exacerbated by ongoing cost of living issues. We recognise that competition for grant funding is fler￿r than ever, and we know we must find ways to diversify our funding. We continue to build on our Local Authority grant with additional funding and by being alert to new opportunities, to ensure that we can Garry on building our work on a sustainable foundation. It continues to be clear our beneficiaries value Lewisham Speaking Up and have benefited from better self-esteem; a greater ability to articulate their needs to Servi￿ providers; and improved choices through our support. The national policy environment has further increased the need for independent advocacy for people with learning disabilities and the support we offer is thus even more critical for their wellbeing. When considering future strategy, Trustees will take careful account of how to meet ongoing challenges with continued emphasis upon delivering high quality advocacy provision for our beneficiaries. It is important that the charity continues to apply for grant funding whilst seeking opportunities to diversify its income, such as charging for services where possible and seeking both public and corporate donations. LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DIRECTORS'ITRUSTEES, REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 RESERVES POLICY Free Reserves The Directorsrrrustees want to make sure the money that Lewisham Speaking Up re￿iVeS is used to help us to do what we set out to do. They want to make sure our money does not just sit in the bank and that it helps us achieve our aims. However, they think Lewisham Speaking Up needs to have some money in reserve in case something unexpected happens. The increasingly difficult financial climate makes a sudden reduction in our funding more likely. For these reasons, Lewisham Speaking Up needs money in reserve that will give us time to plan, find more money, or change things. The Directorsrrrustees think Lewisham Speaking Up also needs enough money in reserve to make sure they can carry out their responsibilities as a good employer. They think that the amount of money needed in reserve should be at least enough to cover six months, core running costs, which are the essential costs required to fulfil Lewisham Speaking Up's core charitable activity. This does not include the costs of additional projects that attra(¥ their own funding. As at 31 March 2025, our free reserves level is £61,765 (excluding designated funds). Our target for next year's reserves is a minimum of £47,442 (6 months, core running costs). RISK REVIEW The Directorsrrrustees continue to be of the view discontinuation or reduction in grant funding is the main risk to our activity and are pleased with the steps we have taken to diversify our funding base over the past twelve months. Notwithstanding the above, we continue to believe that a local grant is vital to core stability, and we remain of the view that grants better sustain local beneficiary-led groups such aB ours. We believe that the benefits and added value that beneficiary-led and locally rooted groups bring should be attractive to funders. We believe this is recognised by Lewisham Council who acknowledge this by sustaining a grant programme despite having to make cuts. There have been substantial changes to the Council's grant programme announced for 2025126 which we will need to pay close attention to as we will seek to apply for the next round. During the year, the Directorsrrrustees are led by a robust fundraising strategy and priorities to sustain and develop the work of Lewisham Speaking Up. The Board continues its finance and funding sub-committee to give better scrutiny and management of the charity's finances. Internal policies (including financial) are in Pla￿ to minimise risk and ensure service and operational quality for the charitable company. LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP DIRECTORS'rrRUSTEES' REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Members of the Board of Trustees, who are Directors for the purposes of cothpany law and Trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the year up to the date of this report, are set out at the front of this report. Members of the charitable company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees on 31 March 2025 was 8. As noted on page i, Imthiaz Rehman (Trustee) stood down at the AGM in November 2024. STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS'rrRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES Company law requires the Directorsrrrustees to prepare annual accounts which give a true and fair view of the state of therompany's affairs and of the surplus or deficit of the company for that period. In preparing the company's accounts, Directorsrrrustees are required to.. consistently apply suitable accounting policies and make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is appropriate to presume that the company will not continue to carry on its business. The Directorsrrrustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any particular time the financial position of the company. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. y¥ These accounts have been prepared in accordance wth the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to Small Companies. The Board approved the accounts on 30th September 2025 Signed Michelle Stsnistreet Colhalr Signed Sean Phillippo Treasurer INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Lewisham Speaking Up I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Lewishaffi Speaking Up (the Charitable Company) for the year ended 31 March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trustees of the Charitable Company (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 {'the 2006 Act,). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011Act. Independent oxaminerfs statement I have completed my exarnination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006., or (2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or {3) the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). {4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and prin￿leS of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland - FRS 102}. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Andrew Thurburn FCA Andrew Thurburn & Co. Chartered Accountants 38 Tamworth Road Croydon Surrey CRO 1XU 30th September 2025 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds Total Total 2025 2024 Note5 INCOMING RESOURCES Voluntary income Investment income Incoming resources from charitable activities- Fees from charrtable activities 68,892 100,700 169,592 180,532 5,385 4,552 9,937 7.792 Totsl incoming resources 74,277 105,252 179,529 188,324 RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable expenditure.. Activity costs Fundraising costs Governance costs 69,085 113,088 182,173 147,312 954 2.125 2,918 2.918 Total resources expended 72,003 113,088 185,091 150,391 NET IEXPENDITURE)IINCOME FOR THE YEAR Transfers betmeen funds 2,274 {7.8361 .(5,5621 37.933 (12,2281 12.228 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 19,954} 4,392 15,562) 37,933 Fund balances at 1 April 2024 94,491 13,994 108,485 70,552 FUND BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2025 10 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025 2025 2024 Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank and in hand Debtors (due within one year) 90,906 21,036 94,627 20,100 112,942 114,727 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year (5,019) 16,2421 NET CURRENT ASSETS 107,923 108,485 Deferred Income (5,000) NET ASSETS FUNDS Restricted funds 10 18,386 13,994 Unrestricted general funds Unrestricted designated funds 10 61,765 69,491 11 84,537 94,491 lQ2,9.11 The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025. The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for.. (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Gharitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to Small Companies. The Board approved the accounts on 30th September 2025 Sean Phillippo Treasurer LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 ACCOUNTING POLICIES 1.1 Basis of preparation The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice.. Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. 1.2 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to writ&off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset ovér its expected useful life, as follows. Plant and machinery Fixtures, fittings and equipment 1.3 Fund accounting Funds held by the charity are either: Unrestricted general funds, which can be used in accordance with charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees, and unrestricted designated funds which are unrestricted funds set aside by the trustees for particular purposes., or Restricted funds, which can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. 33 % on cost 330/0 on cost VOLUNTARY INCOME Total Fund8 2025 Total Funds 2024 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Awards For All 8,354 43,200 Community Links City Bridge Trust LB Lewisham Grants 4,800 4,800 42.700 45,000 20,000 6,000 38,000 4,000 3,000 42,700 45,000 45,000 20,000 LB Lewisham LD Commissioning LB Lewisham Partnership Board Henry Smith Charity (Finance Advocacy) A Jurgens Merchant Tylors Lee Charity Trees of David 20,000 6,000 38,000 41,700 4,000 3,000 6,300 1,000 9,500 5,478 SEL NHS Donations 6,092 6,092 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025(Contd) FEES FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds Totsl 2025 Total 2024 Workshops Advisory Work 400 4,985 192 4,360 592 9,345 3,362 4,430 4. TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable Activities Support Costs Governance Total 2025 Total 2024 Expendlture.. Salaries, Nl & Pensions Freelan￿ Workers Other Staff Support Costs Governance Direct Advocacy Support & Group Costs Marketing Administration & Overheads Fundraising 138.228 2,100 2,061 26,608 164,836 120,030 2,100 15,390 2,061 2.295 2,948 2,125 6,217 3,972 443 5,182 954 2.918 6,217 6,959 6,959 Sub-Total Re-allocation of Support Costs 148,606 33,567 33,567 2,918 185,091 150,391 TOTAL TRUSTEES None of the Trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or expenses for their services as Trustees during the year or the previous year. EMPLOYEES Number of employees 2025 2024 The average monthly number of employees {full-time equivalents) during the year was: Administration and Charitable Activities Employment costs 2025 2024 Wages and salaries Social security costs 3,310 Pension costs 151,880 7,043 112,517 5,913 4,203 No employee earned more than £60,000 per annum. 10 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (Contd) TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Plant and Fixtures, Machinery Fittings & Equlpment Total Cost At 1 April 2024 Additions Disposals .1,852 1,852 At 31 March 2025 1,852 1,852 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 Charge for the year On Disposals 1,852 1,852 At 31 March 2025 1,852 1,852 Net book value At 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year 2025 2024 Accruals 5,019 6,242 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS Unre8trlcted Restrlcted , Total Total Funds 2025 2024 Fund balance8 at 31 March 202S'. CLtrrent assets 93,168 13.6321 15,0001 19,774 11,387) 112.492 15,0191 (5,000) 114,727 16.2421 Creditors.. amounts falling due within one year Deferred Income 102 923 10_8 485 LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (Contd 10. Movements of Fund 2024-2025 Un One to Mens 8 Total Restrictsd Designated Rèstricted Sett One Financlal Womens Funds Funds Funds Funds A