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2021-03-31-accounts

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)

Company Number: 05449108 (England and Wales) Charity Number: 1111681

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Reference and Administrative Information as at 31 March 2021

Charity name: Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire Charity registration number: 1111681 Company Registration Number: 5449108 Registered Office/ The Advice Centre Operational address Moneys Yard Carre Street Sleaford NG34 7TW Other operational office: Municipal Buildings West Street Boston PE21 8QR

Trustee Board/Company Directors

Simon Bradford Chair Jenny Paterson Vice Chair and Chair of People & Policies committee Stuart Clegg Treasurer / Chair of Finance committee Tony Gordon Christabel Edwards Liz Sims Ben Ellis Kaye Brown Resigned 01/11/2020 Jacqueline Thornalley John Kilcoyne Appointed 04/11/2020 Management Team Kingsley Taylor Chief Executive Officer Vicki Langley Business Support Manager Louise Wells Operations Manager

Independent Examiner

Mrs Nicola Lenton FCCA

Dexter & Sharpe, The Old Vicarage, Church Close, Boston, PE21 6NA

Bankers

Barclays Bank plc, 52 Market Place, Boston, PE21 6LU

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Contents

Page
Trustees’ Annual Report 1 - 6
Report of the Independent Examiner 7
Statement of Financial Activities 8
Balance Sheet 9
Notes to the Financial Statements 10 - 15

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended 31 March 2021

The Trustee Board presents its financial statements and Trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Our Aims and Objectives

Purposes and Aims

Our local aim, from our articles of association is:

This allows us to meet the overall aims of Citizens Advice:

Ensuring that our work delivers our aims

This year saw the benefits by way of increased capacity and our ability to push forward on developing new outlets, service delivery channels and other projects.

Our main key objectives for the year 2020-2021 were to continue to

How our activities deliver public benefit

Our main activities are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for public benefit.

Who used and benefitted from our services

During this financial year which included all of the pandemic lock-down period, we answered just over 3,587 individual clients helping with 12,315 issues during the course of the year (this includes face-toface, telephone, self-help, assisted information, signposting, referral and quick client contacts).

The top 5 issues by proportion were:

Benefits and Tax Credits (inc. UC) 42%
Debt 35%
Employment 8%
Relationships 7%
Housing 6%

Our highest enquiry level includes Universal Credit eligibility and our Help to Claim to first payment service has proved to be very successful.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

Our age profile of clients across CAML:

● 15-24 years old 9% of total clients ● 25-34 years old 18% of total clients ● 35-49 years old 26% of total clients ● 50-64 years old 22% of total clients ● Over 65 years old 25% of total clients

Our main services

We give people the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem. Our service is free, independent, impartial, and confidential. Our advice is given by a mix of volunteers and paid staff. We also provide specific advice on benefits or debt and can help our clients to appeal decisions

Quality of advice

We now use the ongoing Citizens Advice quality of advice model where we self-assess our performance quarterly; this is then moderated by a sample undertaken by Citizens Advice. We consistently score “yellow or green” assessments (good or excellent respectively) for both quality of advice and the quality of our self-assessment.

Specialist services

We continue to offer specialist debt advice via our East Midlands Money Advice project funded by the Money Advice Service and Pensions Service

We also operate smaller projects, as examples, supported by Boston Big Local (focusing on housing, benefit and debt issues for residents of a specified part of Boston), and the Medlock Charitable Trust providing benefits advice in our local Boston community.

Financial Review

Despite local and central government funding restrictions, we have worked hard to secure necessary and additional funding.

Principal funding sources

Our funding comes from a mix of grant and contract income with some donations from small bodies and individuals. We particularly welcomed the continuance of funding at the previous year’s level from our local borough and district councils despite the continuing economic downturn and the reduction in their income from central government.

Our funders for 2020-21 were:

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

Investment policy

Aside from retaining a prudent amount in reserves each year, most of the charity’s funds are spent in the short term so there are few funds for long term investment.

CAML’s funds are managed tightly. An account also contains the Bureau reserves.

The Trustee Board, via the Treasurer, will continue to review investment strategy to establish whether a larger return is available at no risk to the Bureau’s finances.

Reserves policy

The Trustee Board has reviewed the charity’s requirements for reserves in the light of the main risks to the organisation. The established policy is to aim to maintain the greater of:

This second figure was around £103,000 as at 31 March 2021.

Our unrestricted reserves for this year are quoted as £375,171. We will designate reserves as follows:

This leaves a net unrestricted reserve to cover items such as current or future deficits, premises upgrades, service delivery and sustainability at £245,671. Restricted reserves stood at £8,383

Plans for Future Periods

We plan to continue to improve access to our services by further use of telephone, electronic face-toface, webchat and email advice opportunities to enhance our well-established face-to-face offer. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have continued to provide our clients with advice provided by these channels.

To assist in planning we have a revised CAML business and service development plan that has been produced to give our strategic direction and timelines for travel along our development path.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 11 May 2005 and registered as a charity on 13 October 2005. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

Recruitment and appointment of the Trustee Board

The directors of the company are also charity trustees and known as Trustees. Trustees are elected, coopted or nominated to serve for a period of up to the third Annual General Meeting after which they must be elected, co-opted or nominated again. Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in notes 5 and 6 to the accounts.

Trustee recruitment remains a key objective in order that the Board:

Trustee induction and training

New Trustees spend time in the local offices to get an idea of the activities and pressures that staff and clients face. (this was not possible during periods of lockdown due to Covid-19). Information Assurance training and assessment is mandatory for all Trustees.

Trustees are provided with full information on their roles and responsibilities when recruited and asked to work through a programme of information, research and knowledge following their appointment.

Risk management

We have a risk register and have fully reviewed our CAML Business Continuity Plan. This is now being aligned with other partners where relevant, eg Boston Borough. Covid -19 has impacted on the delivery of our face to face service. As soon as lockdown was announced a move to virtual meetings and the use of telephone, webchat and email services were introduced immediately to enable clients to contact us in the usual way. Normal services will be re-introduced as circumstances permit.

Organisational structure

We currently have 9 Trustees (as at 31 March 2021) who meet quarterly as a minimum and also attend inter-Board sub-committee meetings:

The Board also takes responsibility under the new Citizens Advice membership agreement and leadership guidance for the strategic direction and policy of the charity.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

Related parties

CAML is a member of Citizens Advice with its local and national policy. We are represented on various boards and bodies at local Boston level as well as county.

In Lincolnshire, CAML is part of the Citizens Advice Lincolnshire consortium. This allows for a single county conduit to facilitate countywide funding and activity.

We have well established links with many local organisations and contacts: our local councils, Jobcentre Plus, Department of Work and Pensions, Age UK, Centrepoint Outreach (a local homeless charity) and we also continue to maintain close links with our local Community and Voluntary Service colleagues.

Our Trustees also have other areas of interest and influence in our locality and we also encourage our staff to represent their communities within other organisations .

Responsibilities of the Trustee Board

We are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company. In preparing these financial statements the Trustee Board should follow best practice and:

The Trustee Board is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Members of the Trustee Board

Trustee Board members (who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purposes of charity law) who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out earlier.

In accordance with Company Law, as the company’s directors, we certify that:

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

Accountants

Dexter & Sharpe were re-appointed as the charitable company’s accountants during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice; Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued in March 2005 (updated June 2008) and in accordance with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small entities.

Approved by the Trustee Board on 18 November 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

Simon Bradford (Chair of Trustee Board)

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Independent Examiner’s Report To The Trustees of Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 set out on pages 8 to 15.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the 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 your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”). In carrying out my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that:

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

Mrs Nicola Lenton FCCA Independent Examiner Dexter & Sharpe Chartered Certified Accountants The Old Vicarage Church Close Boston Lincolnshire PE21 6NA

18 November 2021

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2021

Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
Income and endowments from
3 Charitable activities 254,915 176,163 431,078 499,391
Donations 18,671 - 18,671 18,439
UK Bank interest 262 - 262 674
4 Other income 16,667 - 16,667 18,418
_______ _______ _______ _______
Total 290,515 176,163 466,678 536,922
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Expenditure on:
5 Charitable activities 308,314 94,894 403,208 478,468
5 Other costs 3,218 - 3,218 1,837
_______ _______ _______ _______
6 Total 311,532 94,894 406,426 480,305
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Net income for the year (21,017) 81,269 60,252 56,617
Transfers between Funds 84,735 (84,735) - -
_______ _______ _______ _______
Net Movement in Funds
For the year 63,718 (3,466) 60,252 56,617
Balances brought forward at
6 April 2020 311,453 11,849 323,302 266,685
_______ _______ _______ _______
Balances carried forward
at 31 March 2021 375,171 8,383 383,554 323,302
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════

The notes on pages 10 to 15 form part of these financial statements

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Company Number 05449108

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2021

2021 2020
Notes £ £
Fixed Assets
7 Tangible assets 8,765 14,267
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand 385,573 327,970
_______ _______
385,573 327,970
Creditors
8 Amounts falling due within one year 10,784 18,935
_______ _______
Net Current Assets 374,789 309,035
_______ _______
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 383,554 323,302
═══════ ═══════
9 Funds
Unrestricted 245,671 181,953
Designated 129,500 129,500
Restricted 8,383 11,849
_______ _______
383,554 323,302
═══════ ═══════

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2021.

The trustees have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 18 November 2021 and were signed on its behalf by:

Chairman

The notes on pages 10 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

Simon Bradford

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. STATUTORY INFORMATION

Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire is a private limited company, limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. The company’s registered number and registered office address can be found on the Company Information page.

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements

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 (FRS102) effective January 2015 – (Charities SORP (FRS102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Income

Grants are included on the accruals basis, being recognised in the period they are intended to cover. Grants received before their period of designated expenditure are accrued as deferred income. Donations are included on a receipts basis.

Expenditure

All material categories of expenditure are included on the accruals basis. Other costs include all expenditure not directly related to the charitable activities.

Taxation

The charity is a registered charity and the accounts are prepared on the basis that its activities are not liable to income tax or corporation tax. The bureau is registered for value added tax and has a partial exemption status. Assets, income and expenditure are shown in the accounts net of any VAT payable or recoverable.

Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Values of less than £500 are not capitalised. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives. The trustees have reviewed the policy and have adopted the following bases of depreciation:

Furniture & equipment 5 years straight line Computer equipment 3 years straight line

Operating leases

Rentals applicable to operating leases, where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessee, are charged against profits on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company’s pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 cont

3. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

2021 2021 2020 2020
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted
£ £ £ £
Government and Local Government 117,661 - 128,641 171,912
Other 137,254 176,163 103,039 95,799
_______ _______
_______
_______
254,915 176,163 231,680 267,711
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════
4. OTHER INCOME
2021 2021 2021 2020
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Fundraising - - - 17,636
Sundry income - - - 782
National Lottery Covid-19 9,950 - 9,950 -
National Citizens Advice IT & Software 6,717 - 6,717 -
_______ _______
_______
_______
16,667 - 16,667 18,418
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════
5. EXPENDITURE- UNRESTRICTED
2021 2021 2021 2020
Charitable Other
Total
Total
Activities Costs Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Salaries 230,542 - 230,542 188,306
Training and travelling expenses 1,751 - 1,751 16,772
Office costs 30,627 - 30,627 19,770
Premises costs 32,385 - 32,385 72,044
Other expenses 1,124 - 1,124 3,567
Depreciation 11,885 - 11,885 10,556
Loss on disposal of assets - - - 665
Independent examiner’s fees - 1,585 1,585 1,512
Trustees meeting expenses - - - 91
PAYE interest - 534 534 87
Bank charges - 199 199 147
Publicity and promotion - 900 900 -
_______ _______
_______
_______
308,314 3,218 311,532 313,517
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 cont

5. EXPENDITURE - RESTRICTED

EXPENDITURE- RESTRICTED
Charitable Other
Activities Costs
2021 2021 2021 2020
£ £ £ £
Salaries 88,258 - 88,258 153,788
Training and travelling expenses - - - 1,408
Office costs 2,086 - 2,086 11,592
Premises costs - - - -
Other expenses 4,550 - 4,550 -
_______ _______ _______ _______
94,894 - 94,894 166,788
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════

The charity holds public liability, professional indemnity and employee liability insurance, the cost of which is included in the above.

6. TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED

Staff Costs Depreciation Staff Costs Depreciation Other Costs Total Total
£ £
£

£

£
Charitable activities 318,800 11,885 72,523 403,208 478,468
Other costs - -
3,218
3,218 1,837
_______ _______
_______
_______ _______
318,800 11,885
75,741
406,426 480,305
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════ ═══════
2021 2020
£ £
Staff costs consist of:
Wages and salaries 294,187 325,793
Social security costs 17,174 8,888
Other pension costs 7,439 7,412
_______ _______
318,800 342,093
═══════ ═══════

No employee earned £60,000 per annum or more. Pension costs are in respect of defined contribution schemes.

No No
The average weekly number of employees was 16 22
═══════ ═══════
No trustee received remuneration.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 cont

7.
8.
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Computer Furniture &
Equipment Equipment
Total
£
£
£
Cost
At 1 April 2020
25,866
15,820
41,686
Additions
6,383
-
6,383
Disposals
-
-
-
_______
_______
_______
At 31 March 2021
32,249
15,820
48,069
═══════
═══════
═══════
Depreciation
At 1 April 2020
12,733
14,686
27,419
Charge for year
10,751
1,134
11,885
Re disposals
-
-
-
_______
_______
_______
At 31 March 2021
23,484
15,820
39,304
═══════
═══════
═══════
Net Book Value
At 31 March 2021
8,765
-
8,765
═══════
═══════
═══════
At 1 April 2020
13,133
1,134
14,267
═══════
═══════
═══════
All fixed assets are used for charity purposes.
CREDITORS– AMOUNTS FALLING DUE
WITHIN ONE YEAR
2021
2020
£
£
Creditors
918
1,119
Accruals
1,585
6,512
Taxation and social security
8,281
11,304
_______
_______
10,784
18,935
═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 cont

9.
10.
FUNDS
Balance at
Movement in Resources
Balance at
01.04.20
Incoming
Outgoing
Transfers
31.03.21
£
£
£
£
£
Restricted funds
11,849
176,163
94,894
(84,735)
8,383
Designated funds
129,500
-
-
-
129,500
Unrestricted funds
181,953
290,515
311,532
84,735
245,671
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
323,302
466,678
406,426
-
383,554
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
ANALYSING NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
2021
2020

Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
£
Fund balances at 31 March 2020
are represented by:
Tangible fixed assets
8,765
-
8,765
14,267
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
Current assets
377,190
8,383
385,573
327,970
Current liabilities
10,784
-
10,784
18,935
_______
_______
_______
_______
Net current assets
366,406
8,383
374,789
309,035
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
Total net assets
375,171
8,383
383,554
323,302
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════

Restricted funds represent grants received for projects, less expenses paid for direct charitable services and administration under the restrictions imposed for these grants.

Unrestricted funds noted above are unrestricted general funds, which represent the free funds of the charity which are not designated for a particular fund. The designated fund is a fund that has been designated by the trustees to cover future costs as follows:

Balance at Transfers Balance at
01.04.20 in year 31.03.21
Immediate closure/running costs 127,000 - 127,000
IT & office 2,500 - 2,500
Premises provision - - -
_______ _______
_______
129,500 - 129,500
═══════ ═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 cont

11. TRANSACTION WITH TRUSTEES

During the year, no trustees had travel expenses reimbursed (2020 – £91).

12. JOINT VENTURE

Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire is a participant, with six other county Bureaux, in a joint venture, Citizens Advice Lincolnshire.

Citizens Advice Lincolnshire is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 12 October 2012.

The Bureau received £82,480 (2020 £66,083) from the joint venture.

As at 31 March 2021 no amounts were due from/to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire.

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