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2024-03-31-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 2024

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Reference and Administrative Information as at 31 March 2024

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

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 (Resigned 19 July 2023) Ben Ellis (Resigned 1 April 2024) Liz Sims Christabel Edwards John Kilcoyne Kevin Will Danielle Hardy (Appointed 6 April 2023) Anna Pugh (Appointed 11 April 2023) Sue Mear (Appointed 11 April 2023, Resigned 11 March 2024))

Management Team

Louise Buckingham Chief Executive Officer Vicki Langley Business Manager Steph Shinn Service 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 - 5
Report of the Independent Examiner 6
Statement of Financial Activities 7
Balance Sheet 8
Cashflow Statement 9 - 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11 - 17

CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended 31 March 2024

The Trustee Board presents its financial statements and Trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2024.

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 2023-2024 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 benefited from our services

Advice was provided via face to face, telephone, email and web chat.

Our age profile of clients across CAML

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board continued for the year ended 31 March 2024

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. This gives us an insight into the issues our clients are facing and policies that are affecting them unfairly. We feed this information back to national Citizens Advice to help with their research and to influence decision makers to change policies and practices. Our advice is given by a mix of volunteers and paid staff. We also provide specific advice on energy, benefits and debt and can help our clients to appeal decisions and negotiate with creditors.

Quality of advice

We use the ongoing Citizens Advice quality of advice model where we self-assess our performance on a monthly basis; this is then moderated by a sample undertaken by Citizens Advice.

We regularly score “yellow or green” assessments (good or excellent respectively) for quality of advice, case administration and the consistency 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 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 2023-24 were:

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended 31 March 2024

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 CAML 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 CAML’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:

Or in the case of immediate closure,

This second figure was totalled around £128,000 as at 31 March 2024.

Our unrestricted reserves for this year are quoted as £401,721. 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 £252,221. Restricted reserves stood at £NIL.

Plans for Future Periods

We plan to continue to improve access to our services by further use of telephone, electronic face-to-face, webchat and email advice opportunities to complement our well established face-to-face offer.

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.

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 & 6 to the accounts. Trustee recruitment remains a key objective in order that the Board:

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended 31 March 2024

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. Data protection training and assessment is mandatory for all Trustees on an annual basis. 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, e.g. Boston Borough Council.

Organisational structure

We currently have 9 Trustees (as at 31 March 2024) who meet quarterly as a minimum and also attend 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.

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 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, The Trussell Trust, Department for 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.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Report of the Trustee Board for the year ended 31 March 2024

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:

Accountants

Dexter and 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 17 July 2024 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 2024 set out on pages 7 to 17.

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

17 July 2024

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024

Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
2024 2024 2024 2023
Notes £ £ £ £
Income and endowments from
3 Charitable activities 281,741 231,379 513,120 417,003
Donations 40,998 - 40,998 32,967
UK Bank interest 2,596 - 2,596 330
4 Other income - - - 15,660
_______ _______ _______ _______
Total 325,335 231,379 556,714 465,960
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Expenditure on:
5 Charitable activities 367,879 117,046 484,925 468,133
5 Other costs 2,377 - 2,377 2,309
_______ _______ _______ _______
6 Total 370,256 117,046 487,302 470,442
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Net (expenditure) / income (44,921) 114,333 69,412 (4,482)
For the year
Transfers between Funds 143,649 (143,649) - -
_______ _______ _______ _______
Net Movement in Funds
For the year 98,728 (29,316) 69,412 (4,482)
Balances brought forward at
6 April 2023 302,993 29,316 332,309 336,791
_______ _______ _______ _______
Balances carried forward
at 31 March 2024 401,721 - 401,721 332,309
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════

The notes on pages 11 to 17 form part of these financial statements

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Company Number 05449108

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024

2024 2023
Notes £ £
Fixed Assets
8 Tangible assets 9,204 2,880
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand 437,628 363,292
Prepayments 1,352 1,900
_______ _______
438,980 365,192
Creditors
9 Amounts falling due within one year 46,463 35,763
_______ _______
Net Current Assets 392,517 329,429
_______ _______
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 401,721 332,309
═══════ ═══════
10 Funds
Unrestricted 144,773 153,493
Designated 256,948 149,500
Restricted - 29,316
_______ _______
401,721 332,309
═══════ ═══════

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2024.

The trustees have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 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 17 July 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

Simon Bradford

Chairman

The notes on pages 11 to 17 form part of these financial statements.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Company Number 05449108

Cashflow Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024

2024
Notes £
Cashflows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations 1 84,457
_______
Net cash used in operation activities 84,457
═══════
Cashflows from investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (12,717)
Interest received 2,596
_______
Net cash used in investing activities (10,121)
═══════
Cashflows from financing activities -
Change in cash and equivalents in the reporting period 74,336
═══════
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period 363,292
═══════
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period 437,628
═══════

These notes form part of the financial statements

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Company Number 05449108

Cashflow Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Reconciliation of net expenditure to net cash flow from operating activities

2024
£
Net income/expenditure for the reporting period 69,412
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges 6,393
Interest received (2,596)
Increase in stocks -
(increase)/decrease in debtors 548
Increase/(decrease) in creditors 10,700
_______
Net cash used in operations 84,457
═══════
Analysis of cash and equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand 437,638
_______
Total cash and cash equivalents 437,628
═══════
Analysis of changes in net funds
At 1.4.23 Cashflow At 31.3.24
£ £ £
Net cash 363,292 74,336 437,628
_______ _______ _______
Total 363,292 74,336 437,628
═══════ ═══════ ═══════

2. Analysis of cash and equivalents

These notes form part of the financial statements

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

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 2024 cont.

3. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

2024 2024 2023 2023
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted
£ £ £ £
Government and Local Government 236,066 28,134 196,111 10,000
Other 45,675 203,245 47,149 163,743
_______ _______
_______
_______
281,741 231,379 243,260 173,743
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════
4. OTHER INCOME
2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Sundry income - - - 3,508
Boston College Kickstart - - - 5,277
National Citizens Advice - - - 6,875
_______ _______
_______
_______
- - - 15,660
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════
5. EXPENDITURE- UNRESTRICTED
2024 2024 2024 2023
Charitable Other
Total
Total
Activities Costs Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Salaries 270,395 - 270,395 250,226
Training and travelling expenses 6,012 - 6,012 5,018
Office costs 34,380 - 34,380 24,319
Premises cost 45,233 - 45,233 44,273
Other expenses 76 - 76 6,526
Depreciation 6,393 -
6,393
4,281
Independent examiner’s fees - 2,019 2,019 1,954
Trustees meeting expenses 535 - 535 531
PAYE interest - 172 172 65
Bank charges -
186
186 182
National Citizens Advice fee 4,855 - 4,855 5,625
Donation - - - 150
_______ _______
_______
_______
367,879 2,377 370,256 343,150
═══════ ═══════
═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 cont.

5. EXPENDITURE - RESTRICTED

EXPENDITURE- RESTRICTED
Charitable Other
Activities Costs
2024 2024 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Salaries 108,154 - 108,154 115,918
Training and travelling expenses 1,310 - 1,310 1,766
Office costs 1,207 - 1,207 2,264
Other expenses 6,375 - 6,375 7,344
_______ _______ _______ _______
117,046 - 117,046 127,292
═══════ ═══════ ═══════ ═══════

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

6. TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED

2024 2023
Staff Costs Depreciation Other Costs Total Total
£
£

£

£

£
Charitable activities 378,549
6,393

99,983
484,925 468,133
Other costs -
-

2,377
2,377 2,309
_______
_______

_______
_______ _______
378,549 6,393
102,360
487,302 470,442
═══════
═══════

═══════
═══════ ═══════
2024 2023
£ £
Staff costs consist of:
Wages and salaries 349,277 336,841
Social security costs 20,688 20,635
Other pension costs 8,584 8,668
_______ _______
378,549 366,144
═══════ ═══════

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 18 18
═══════ ═══════
No trustee received remuneration.

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 cont.

7. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Funds Funds Funds
2023 2023 2023
£ £ £
Income and endowments from
Charitable activities 243,260 173,743 417,003
Donations 32,967 - 32,967
UK Bank interest 330 - 330
Other income 10,383 5,277 15,660
_______ _______ _______
Total 286,940 179,020 465,960
═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities 340,841 127,292 468,133
Other costs 2,309 - 2,309
_______ _______ _______
Total 343,150 127,292 470,442
═══════ ═══════ ═══════
Net income for the year (56,210) 51,728 (4,482)
Transfers between Funds 58,736 (58,736) -
_______ _______ _______
Net Movement in Funds
For the year 2,526 (7,008) (4,482)
Balances brought forward at
6 April 2022 300,467 36,324 336,791
_______ _______ _______
Balances carried forward
at 31 March 2023 302,993 29,316 332,309
═══════ ═══════ ═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 cont.

8.
9.
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Computer Furniture &
Equipment Equipment
Total
£
£
£
Cost
At 1 April 2023
38,709
15,820
54,529
Additions
12,717
-
12,717
Disposals
-
-
-
_______
_______
_______
At 31 March 2024
51,426
15,820
67,246
═══════
═══════
═══════
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
35,829
15,820
51,649
Charge for year
6,393
-
6,393
Re disposals
-
-
-
_______
_______
_______
At 31 March 2024
42,222
15,820
58,042
═══════
═══════
═══════
Net Book Value
At 31 March 2024
9,204
-
9,204
═══════
═══════
═══════
At 31 March 2023
2,880
-
2,880
═══════
═══════
═══════
All fixed assets are used for charity purposes.
CREDITORS– AMOUNTS FALLING DUE
WITHIN ONE YEAR
2024
2023
£
£
Creditors
506
1,878
Accruals
5,702
1,954
Taxation and social security
12,271
7,765
Deferred income
27,984
24,166
_______
_______
46,463
35,763
═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 cont.

10.
11.
FUNDS
Balance at
Movement in Resources
Balance at
01.04.23
Incoming
Outgoing
Transfers
31.03.24
£
£
£
£
£
Restricted funds
29,316
231,379
(117,046)
(143,649)
-
Designated funds
149,500
-
-
107,448
256,948
Unrestricted funds
153,493
325,335
(370,256)
36,201
144,773
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
332,309
556,714
(487,302)
-
401,721
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
ANALYSING NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
2024
2023

Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
£
Fund balances at 31 March 2024
are represented by:
Tangible fixed assets
9,204
-
9,204
2,880
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
Current assets
438,980
-
438,980
365,192
Current liabilities
(46,463)
-
(46,463)
(35,763)
_______
_______
_______
_______
Net current assets
392,517
-
392,517
329,429
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════
Total net assets
401,721
-
401,721
332,309
═══════
═══════
═══════
═══════

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
01.04.23 in year 31.03.24
Immediate closure/running costs 127,000 - 127,000
IT & office 2,500 - 2,500
Premises provision reserve 20,000 - 20,000
Wages - 107,448 107,448
_______ _______
_______
149,500 107,448 256,948
═══════ ═══════
═══════

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CITIZENS ADVICE MID LINCOLNSHIRE

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 cont.

12. TRANSACTION WITH TRUSTEES

During the year trustees had travel expenses reimbursed of £NIL (2023 – £NIL).

13. JOINT VENTURE

Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire is a participant, with two 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 £68,911 (2023 £68,911) from the joint venture.

As at 31 March 2024 no amounts were due from/to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire.

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