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← Flitwick Eagles Football Club

2025-05-31-accounts

Flitwick Ea les Football Club g

Founded 1986 Registered Charity : 1109671

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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www.flitwickeagles.org

FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

CONTENTS

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||| |---|---| |Page| |General Information|1| |Trustees Report|2 – 7| |Independent Examiner’s Report|8| |Statement of Financial Activities|9| |Balance Sheet|10| |Notes to the Financial Statements|11 - 14|

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

GENERAL INFORMATION

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||| |---|---| |Trustees| |Geoff Springall (Chairman)|Ian Mulligan| |Melvyn Gazeley (Secretary)|Colin Giggle| |Roger Gallucci (Treasurer) Paul Jenkins| |Lynda Gazeley|Ian Dunne| |Independent Examiner|Mr P Fenn| |Mercer & Hole LLP| |The Pinnacle| |170 Midsummer Boulevard| |Milton Keynes| |MK9 1BP| |Bankers|Barclays Bank Plc| |111 High Street| |Bedford| |MK40 1NJ| |Registered Charity Number|1109671| |Principal Address|Flitwick Football Centre| |Ampthill Road| |Flitwick| |Bedfordshire| |MK45 1BA|

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

Trustees’ Report 2024-2025

The Trustees present their Annual Report with the Financial Statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 May 2025.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Trust’s Deed and 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).

Objectives of the Charity

The charity was established by a constitution adopted on 10 April 2005 and was registered on 25 May 2005.

The objectives of the Charity are to advance the educational and physical development of boys and girls living in Flitwick and the surrounding area, regardless of race, ability or social background by the provision of sports facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and in particular football.

The trustees meet four times a year and review our charitable purpose, to ensure that the club offers both the facilities and the opportunities to all children in the local community. This is demonstrated not only by the teams that represent the club on a Saturday and Sunday but also the diversity of sessions we are able to offer across the board, from those first starting out in our Eaglets sessions to our adult Ladies side and our wider community activities, including vets and walking football.

Review of the development, activities and achievements of the charity

Club Development

The club continues to grow with over 50 teams and 700 playing members competing throughout the season with great representation throughout local leagues on both Saturdays and Sundays in youth levels and in Ladies senior football. With the club now in it’s 40th year it is clear to see the growth from the first few teams calling Hinksley Road their home ground to what we have at our disposal now. The football centre has provided a base where teams, volunteers and parents can interact and has the potential to be a great social setting for the local community.

We now have over 50 teams and well over 100 volunteers, the lifeblood of any grassroots sports club, from the trustees that oversee the good governance of the club to those running teams. Compliance of all volunteers with the FAs requirements is a great testament to our people but even greater testament to Lynda Gazeley who works extremely hard to maintain this high standard within the club.

The trustees continue to review the club policies and where necessary develop new club policies to ensure that we continue to cater for the local community whilst providing a safe and friendly environment for all.

Facilities and equipment

The Flitwick Football Centre continues to set the standards in the local footballing community, the biggest and best and all run by volunteers, incredible! The 2024/25 season was the second with our

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

own AGP facility, meaning that much of the clubs training requirement as well as game play can be catered for “in house”. The investment Flitwick Eagles made, alongside partners including Central Beds Council, the Football Foundation and Flitwick Town has meant that the money the club paid for external facilities, now has a circular effect with some being re-invested into our own facilities and not elsewhere. The AGP has proven to be a fantastic facility, one that once again set us apart from the rest. There’s a great deal of works also associated with the AGP, with a manual driven machine required to drive across the surfaces a number of times a week, another example of the unseen work that keeps the place ticking over.

The grass pitches remain a real example of where good and dedicated volunteers can strive to provide excellence. It really is wonderful to see our pitches in use each weekend with proud players and their families representing our club. The club is indebted to Colin Giggle and Melvyn Gazeley for their unmatched hard work maintaining our wonderful home. This is the third year of having our own tractor, meaning that even more of the maintenance work has been undertaken in house. The pitches are rested from May to September to allow for maintenance and for new grass to grow, unlike previous years the summer was particularly wet and therefore provided ideal conditions for the grass to grow. In this respect we have been lucky but we must learn from previous dry summers where the playing surface suffered. The club are keen to support initiatives to improve the facilities and are committed to provide funds to support in the installation of an irrigation system. We are in regular conversation with the FA regarding additional funding for the purchase of a system that will keep the full field watered. This remains a high priority. Whilst we had a great number of our teams training at the football centre, we still had to supplement it with training on the 3G at Redborne School and indeed the demand on matchdays for our pitches has meant the hire of grass pitches at the school too. The use of both facilities has enabled greater flexibility in delivering effective training sessions. We must cater for all age groups, with suitable training slots and times, some teams having to be flexible with their expectations. Our own AGP provides us opportunity to think innovatively and provide even more opportunity to play football to a wider audience in the community.

We have remained with our local equipment provider in Prestige Sportswear, who provide us with everything from cones and balls to our traditional Royal Blue and White striped kits. On the whole supply has been good, but for a club of our size, with the demand for equipment that we have we must always make sure our needs are being met.

Growth and Retention

Our membership remains stable. With over 50 teams, we have over 700 playing members in the club. We also have many satellite activities supporting the wider community outside of the structured weekend leagues with Eaglets, Ladies, Veterans and Walking football. This was the sixth season that the Eaglets sessions were held on a Sunday morning at the Flitwick football centre. These sessions have been very well attended with over 60 children regularly attending, this allows the 3–6-year-olds the opportunity to experience the club at the weekends, something that we hope embeds them into the club for years to come. A clear area of concern for the club is a loss of players to other clubs due to the perceived better opportunities that can receive elsewhere. We are committed to providing the opportunities our members want within our own club. The 2025/26 season has seen the reintroduction of our Men’s development side, a side made up of last year’s U18s.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

Raising Standards and Addressing Abusive Behaviour

We continue to encourage good behaviour both on and off the pitch. We continue to ensure our coaches and managers hold the necessary qualifications, and despite the growth of participation within the club, these high standards have been maintained.

The introduction of ID cards several seasons ago for all coaches and managers displaying names and FAN numbers is an added safeguard in place at the club, one that sets a standard within the county. The FAs codes of conduct for coaches, players and parents are embedded within the club, and we will not tolerate non-compliance. The club supports initiatives such as, silent support weekends and were the first to introduce mandatory matchday delegates for each match, an initiative now implemented by some of our local leagues. Once more showing the clubs influence, maintaining high standards and developing further good practice.

Running the Game Effectively

It was he clubs third year of using the online payment management system, Spond to register and collect our monthly fees. Spond notifications are sent to members at the start of each month that a payment is required, meaning that payments can’t be forgotten. In addition, Spond can also be used by teams to organise fixtures, training and other events and has proven very intuitive.

The financial management of the club continues to be first class. With a significant player roster, efficient collection of fees and good control of expenditure has continued to provide a solid foundation for the club. Ian Mulligans 15 years as treasurer set out the good practices to manage finances effectively – an important attribute for any prospective funding body.

Roger Gallucci stepped into the role of club treasurer during the season with the transition from Ian Mulligan the previous incumbent of the role being absolutely seamless. Thank you, Roger.

Development of human resources

We continued to develop new coaches through the FA Introduction to coaching course, the successor to the FA Level 1 course, providing learners with an introduction to coaching in the game, including Safeguarding and basic first aid requirements. All coaches within the club maintain their qualifications and we are also able to support those coaches who have the desire to develop further, which can be financially subsidised by the club.

A number of our playing members have also shown an interest in refereeing, and this has helped to supplement the growing need for officials at the weekend, with many leagues struggling to find sufficient resource. This has proven invaluable as the demand for referees has grown and the number of willing young officials has sadly declined. We have a volunteer pool of approximately 100 Coaches and Managers who help out on a regular basis and a large number of parents / carers with a willingness to support. It is important that we encourage this number as the services we provide continue to grow and the demands and expectations of our members increase.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

Marketing and Public Relations

We make use of the WhatsApp messaging service to convey important information through the team managers, we have also relied on managers to convey important messages about events etc. within their teams. Spond should be a way for the club to communicate directly with our members going forward. The club has a higher presence now on social media, with Facebook updated with some club announcements and Instagram in use across a number of teams. The clubs website is now in the care of someone who is able to update on an annual basis but also able to update on an ad hoc basis as and when required.

Football in the Community

Eaglets (introductory sessions for 3–6-year-olds) continue to be popular sessions with numbers remaining high year on year. These sessions are held at the football centre on Sunday mornings and are a great opportunity for parents to socialise and for the children to experience the club on a “matchday”. The sessions are very well attended and longer term we may benefit from additional sessions being facilitated. These sessions are also a great opportunity for aspiring young coaches, current and former players from the club to get involved, an additional opportunity for those associated with the club to gain invaluable experience, not just coaching football but all the other skills that brings with it. In addition, walking football and veterans' football are very well attended with regular sessions being held. The veterans' sessions are enjoyed by many of our volunteers. We tested running regular holiday sessions during the school holidays and feel this is another great opportunity for the club that will also benefit the local community.

Social Activities

Off field and outside of match days it is acknowledged that we need to develop the social side of the club. We had a great social calendar prior to the Covid lockdowns, and we’ve not been able to re invigorate this back to where it was. There have been activities booked that have been cancelled due to support. With next year being the clubs 40th anniversary I am hopeful we can drive the support needed to celebrate this great milestone in style.

Tournament

We hosted our annual boys pre-season tournament at the football centre for the ninth time. This again proved to be successful, although on a slightly smaller scale. The tournament is a solid fundraising event for the club and the football centre, the preparation for the weekend has become increasingly labour intensive and it’s important that we get more volunteers embedded into the preparation going forward. It was our seventh year of using the Eventbrite system to enable teams to book their places on to the tournament. This was managed very well, as always by Peter Hagan despite Peter resigning from this role within the club two years prior and emphasises the need for new volunteers for these roles. We were pleased to host the girls only end of season tournament in May. We lost the event from our calendar during the AGP build last season and that was extremely disappointing, as this is a key feature of the clubs calendar and extremely important in the development of the girls sides within the club, and to assist their transition into our senior Ladies side.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

Presentations

The end of season presentations were held at the football centre at the end of season. These once again proved to be great social events and the club were pleased to hold them in a format that the playing members and their families could enjoy.

Public benefit

The Trustees consider that the main activities of the Charity detailed in the objects above are for the public benefit and have given due regard to the Charities Commission guidance on public benefit.

Trustees

The trustees continue to ensure the club is operating on a sound base. The group met four times through the year and the Trustees who served during the period were:

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||| |---|---| |Geoff Springall (Chairman)|Lynda Gazeley (Welfare Officer)| |Melvyn Gazeley (Secretary)|Peter Hagan (resigned 16 February 2026)| |Ian Mulligan (Treasurer to 5 January 2025)|Colin Giggle| |Ian Noble (resigned 16 February 2026)|Paul Jenkins| |Ian Dunne|Roger Gallucci (Treasurer, 6 January 2025 on)|

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Risk assessment

In accordance with the guidelines in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) the trustees have considered the major risks affecting the charity and have taken steps to mitigate these as far as possible.

New trustee appointments and training

New trustees receive information on the charity in respect of its mission, charitable objectives, charitable activities and structure. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events that will facilitate the undertaking of their role.

The trustees have regard to the need for any specialist skills which individuals bring to the charity.

Reserves policy

The trustees regard it as important to retain an adequate level of reserves to meet operating costs over the summer period relating to the provision of training facilities and the annual maintenance programme for the football pitches. The Trustees have currently set a minimum level for general reserves of £25,000. This will be reviewed again during the 2026 year to ensure that the level is sufficient to meet any additional maintenance required from increased usage and inflationary cost increases for materials and services purchased.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and so the financial statements are prepared on the going concern basis.

Summary

On behalf of the trustees, I would again like to thank everyone has volunteered and contributed to making Flitwick Eagles a club to be proud of.

G Springall

Geoff Springall Chairman

17[th] February 2026

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YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Flitwick Eagles Football Club (the Charity) for the year ended 31 May 2025.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The Charity trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:-

Basis of Independent Examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosure in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. 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:

I have no concerns and in my opinion have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

P Fenn

Philip Fenn FCA FCCA

Mercer & Hole LLP The Pinnacle 170 Midsummer Boulevard Milton Keynes, MK9 1BP 17[th] February 2026

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025 INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

Notes
Income
Income from:
Memberships & donations
Charitable Activities
2
Investment income
3
Other
Total Income
Expenditure
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
4
Charitable activities and other
expenses
5
Total Expenditure
Total funds brought forward
at 1 June
Net income/(expenditure)
Total funds carried forward
at 31 May		 Unrestricted
Funds
2025
£
55,523
108,285
1,252
2,563
167,623
10,757
147,374
158,131
78,492
9,492
87,984		 Unrestricted
Funds
2024
£
37,050
127,722
854
2
165,628
9,526
150,063
159,589
72,453
6,039
78,492

The notes on pages 11 to 14 form part of these Financial Statements.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MAY 2025
Notes
Current Assets
Debtors
6
Cash at bank and in hand
Total Current Assets
Creditors (amounts falling due
within one year)
7
Net Current Assets
Total Net Assets
Accumulated Funds
Unrestricted general funds
9
Unrestricted designated funds
9
Restricted funds
Total Funds of the Charity		 11,281
110,227		 31 May
2025
£
87,984
87,984
37,984
50,000
-
87,984		 -
118,939		 31 May
2024
£
121,508
(33,524)		 118,939
(40,447)
78,492
78,492
38,492
40,000
-
78,492

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 17th February 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

R Gallucci

………………………………….. R Gallucci FCCA Treasurer

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)).

Flitwick Eagles Football Club meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

The Trustees have taken advantage of the exemption in FRS102 Section 1A, from including a cash flow statement in the financial statements on the grounds that the organisation is small.

1.1 Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds comprise accumulated surpluses and deficits on general funds. They are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees of the charity in furtherance of the general charitable objectives. Designated funds are unrestricted funds that the Trustees have designated or allocated for identifiable future expenditure. Restricted funds are amounts for specific purposes as defined by the donor.

1.2 Income

Incoming resources represents donations, subscriptions, subsidies, sponsorship, grant funding and other income. Income is only recognised once it has been received and voluntary donations are recognised on receipt where the donation relates to the current accounting period.

1.3 Expenditure

Expenditure incurred on activities falling directly within one cost category have been recognised as such. Items of expenditure which involve more than one category have been allocated on a reasonable and consistent basis.

1.4 Capital expenditure

Items under £100 are not capitalised. Items over this level are assessed individually before a decision is made regarding whether they should be capitalised. Donated assets are recognised at their monetary value, as estimated by the trustees, when received and are capitalised at this value. In certain cases, where title to an asset is restricted so that it has either no or little net value to the charity, the trustees’ policy is that the item should not be capitalised in the accounts.

1.5 Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any discounts.

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Cont’d

1.6 Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will 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 after allowing for any discounts.

1.7 Financial Instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

1.8 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. In making this assessment, the Trustees have reviewed the income and cash flow forecasts of the Charity and concluded that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

2. Income from Charitable Activities

Football training
Football tournaments
Community activities		 2025
£
80,994
18,147
9,144
108,285		 2024
£
98,780
19,321
9,621
127,722

3. Investment income Investment income comprises bank interest totalling £1,252 (2024: £854)

4. Expenditure on Raising Funds

Tournament costs
Prizes and social events
Stationery & adverts		 2025
£
6,523
3,541
693
10,757		 2024
£
5,058
3,690
778
9,526

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Cont’d

5.
Expenditure on Charitable Activities
Training and playing facilities
Equipment
Affiliation and League fees
Match officials
Tournament fees
Coaching
Trophies and prizes
Pitch maintenance & improvements
Repairs and maintenance
IT system charges
Administration costs
Independent examiners fee
6.
Debtors
Inland Revenue Gift Aid
Other debtors and prepayments
7.
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
Creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 2025
£
81,499
35,575
5,811
12,965
-
2,115
4,317
1,020
-
4,072
-
-
147,374
2025
£
10,403
878
11,281
2025
£
20,000
13,524
33,524		 2025
£
81,499
35,575
5,811
12,965
-
2,115
4,317
1,020
-
4,072
-
-
147,374
2025
£
10,403
878
11,281
2025
£
20,000
13,524
33,524		 2024
£
60,434
26,681
5,599
11,414
103
1,010
4,682
36,000
80
4,038
22
-
150,063
2024
£
-
-
-
2024
£
36,000
4,447
33,524 40,447

Accruals relate to operating costs incurred for which purchase invoices were not issued at the yearend date.

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FLITWICK EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB

YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Cont’d

8. Related Parties

Flitwick Eagles Football Club is a member of Flitwick Together, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registration number 1157451 that holds the lease to the Flitwick Football Centre. Flitwick Eagles Football Club has the right to appoint Member Trustees to Flitwick Together CIO and Lynda Gazeley and Ian Mulligan are currently Trustees of both Flitwick Eagles Football Club and Flitwick Together CIO.

A donation of £nil (2024: £nil) was made by the charity during the year to Flitwick Together CIO to assist with the purchase of pitch maintenance equipment. No amounts were owed to, or due from Flitwick Together CIO at the year-end (2024: £nil).

The Flitwick Sports Community Interest Company Limited operates the Flitwick Football Centre on behalf of Flitwick Together CIO. Melvyn Gazeley is currently a Trustee of Flitwick Eagles Football Club and a director of The Flitwick Sports Community Interest Company Limited.

Flitwick Eagles Football Club paid rent for the hire of facilities during the year of £74,000 (2024: £50,000) from The Flitwick Sports Community Interest Company Limited on an arm’s length basis. No amounts were owed to, or due from The Flitwick Sports Community Interest Company Limited at the year-end (2024: £nil).

9. Funds

All assets and liabilities are held as unrestricted funds, although £50,000 of the unrestricted funds have been designated by the trustees in respect of the maintenance and improvement of the training and playing facilities, which are soon expected to need substantial expenditure in view of the high levels of usage.

There are no restricted funds.

10. Reserves policy

The charity has a policy of holding an adequate level of general reserves to meet operating costs over the summer ‘pre-season’ period and have therefore set a minimum level for unrestricted general funds of £25,000. This will be reviewed annually to ensure that the level is sufficient to ensure the long-term stability of the charity.

11. Remuneration to Trustees for services

None of the Trustees received any remuneration or reimbursement for expenses in respect of their services as a Trustee during the year.

12. Control

The Charity is controlled by the trustees.

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