2025-03-31-accounts - Worcester Community Trust

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Company registration number: 04722577 Charity registration number: 112342

WORCESTER COMMUNITY TRUST TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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Worcester Community Trust Contents

	Page
Trustees' Report	1—14
Independent Auditor's Report	15—17
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)	18
Comparative Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account)	19
Balance Sheet	20
Statement of Cash Flows	21
Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows	22
Notes to the Financial Statements	23—32

Doc ID: 4d7cac253899879d0f5398f8b2df6fbee9a1d166

Worcester Community Trust Company No. 04722577 Trustees' Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Objectives and Activities

Aims and Objectives

As defined in the Trust’s Memorandum and Articles the objects of the charity are:

i.To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Worcester City (“The area of Benefit”) in line with The Equality Act 2010, without distinction of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, religion or belief, maternity and pregnancy, by associating together with the inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary or other organisation in a common effort to advance education, relieve poverty and sickness and to provide facilities in the interest of social welfare for recreation and other leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants in the area of benefit.

ii.To establish or secure the establishment of community facilities and to maintain and manage the same whether alone or in cooperation with any local authority or other person or body. Ensuring our work delivers our aims The Trust will be locally driven, owned and controlled thus encouraging a community voice, ownership and democratic participation.

Public Benefit

Worcester Community Trust (WCT) manage 6 community centres in Worcester and run a range of community projects, which aim to change the lives of people every day. The community centres are in the areas which face greatest inequality but offer great facilities for social, leisure and sporting activity for the local community. The community projects we run include community empowerment activities, Debt and Energy Support, Job clubs, youth services, lunch clubs and services for older people and those that feel socially isolated, support to those experiencing domestic abuse and skills and training development, including construction skills. Community work is the core of all centres, providing an outlet and 'safe haven' for residents nearby, operated by people they trust and who understand their problems and needs.

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

Main Achievements

Executive summary

2024/25 has been a positive year for Worcester Community Trust (WCT) against a backdrop of managing the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on people’s lives and continued inflation affecting the running costs of the charity. This year we directly supported 333 people, we have implemented Year 1 of our 3 Year business plan (2023/24 – 2025/26) focusing on strengthening the organisation to withstand the volatile economy and expand on the complex support that the people we work with require to live happier, healthier lives.

The hubs have moved to a new structure of management and along with additional online promotion and tidying of the hubs this has resulted in the highest recorded level of room hire income. From external bookings there have been increase on the pre covid record. Including internal bookings this was a 60% increase.

There has been continued reflection and renewal in our organisations structure to make sure we are the best form to manage the wide range of services, contracts and support that we deliver.

The Joy project is in its final year of funding from Public Health Worcestershire help expand the service across the county. DAWN has increased its support to victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse (DA) through its 1-1, group and partnership work this project is in the final year of funding. Following on the success of community builders that were employed via funding through Worcester City Council. We wanted to continue ABCD as part of our Projects delivery and we are pleased to announce that we successful with an application to Esme Fairburn for 2 years to build on this project. Our continued partnership with Cadent Gas, to deliver Debt and Energy Support that works symbiotically with our Lottery funded Wellbeing Job Clubs. We were also successful with funds from City Council and UKPF for delivery skills that move people closer to employment and increasing digital skills.

Our hubs continued to provide safe and welcoming spaces for our local communities, and we have fulfilled strategic objectives around income, managing increased costs and investing in the assets. As part of the Towns Fund Community Skills Project, we saw the completion of 4 reception areas with improved space for digital connectivity. We also saw the completion of BB2 and an open and handover event will be taking place in April 25. We are very proud of what has been achieved across the past 12 months. Our projects continued to provide vital support to those who needed it most and they developed new and innovative ways of delivering services for local people.

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Main Achievements - continued

WCT remains well placed, in the hearts of our communities, with the support of our local partners, to challenge disadvantage and inequality, to make a big difference to the lives of people across the city and work towards our vision to create a city where people feel connected, supported, and empowered.

Our core values at WCT highlight our ambition to work collaboratively with local people and partners to achieve more, welcoming diversity and innovation and driving a dynamic and visionary organisation. WCT and partners have truly delivered against these values and our social objectives through the past 12 months.

Message from our Chair

This has been another challenging year for WCT, with increases in costs driven in part by inflation and the changes in national insurance. However, through the implementation of the strategic vision for sustainability through building on revenue opportunities, WCT has been able to meet this challenge. Following the restructure of the Hubs, along with a program of refurbishments supported by Worcester City Council, we have seen a steady increase in income. This approach was initially driven by our outgoing CEO Jon Newey and continued by the new acting CEO Helen Davis. The ease that Helen has stepped into this role, alongside the seamless adaptation of Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to rejuggle the management of the business, is another important element of building a sustainable organisation, which is held together by the sum of the parts, rather than one individual. A huge thank- you to all of them.

My next thank you goes to all the staff. Their hard work has ensured that WCT can provide excellent services and support for the residence of Worcester City and beyond. Their commitment and compassion is, as ever, exceptional and in some cases life changing. Without them there would be no WCT. In recognition of this the SLT have supported the Trustees to undertake a pay review and implement a pay restructure to ensure that salaries reflect the role, as well as being more equitable across the organisation.

I would also like to thank all or partners and funders. The projects which they have supported are outlined in this report and we are grateful, not only for the important funding that many provide, but also for their confidence to collaborate with us to ensure that we can deliver and build on the important work we do.

Finally thank you to all the volunteers who help to ensure that we meet the needs of the community. This includes my fellow trustees. There is a diverse range of skills and knowledge on the Board, alongside a strong commitment to WCT. The advice and support hey provide is invaluable and ensures that there is strong governance, which both myself and the SLT welcome and value.

Our current strategy ends in March 2026 and the Board, with the support of the SLT, are in the process of developing the new one. This new strategy will outline our future vision. Setting out the services that will be built on, alongside any emerging priorities. We very much view this as a collaborative piece of work, so will be listening to partners and stakeholders very carefully. We will also be working with, and listening to the people who use our services, as well as those who don’t. This will enable the trust to have a clear understanding of what is important to service providers and the community, thus shape a meaningful and sustainable strategy.

Charitable Activities

Our Vision and Mission

Vision:

Worcester: A City where people feel connected, supported, and empowered.

Mission:

Bringing Communities Together by delivering services and activities for all.

Social Objectives

1.To provide social activities for children, young people families and for those in later life.
2.To provide specialist services for individuals affected by domestic abuse.
3.To provide quality training and support for local people seeking to enhance their skills.
4.To offer professional support and activities to build good mental health and wellbeing.

Values & Behaviours:

We Collaborate – Working together with local people and partners to achieve more.

We are Inclusive – Access for all, welcoming diversity, and valuing uniqueness.

We are Ambitious – We value innovation and creativity, driving a progressive, dynamic, and visionary organisation.

Delivering Excellence – Investing in our staff, volunteers, and infrastructure to provide quality and professional services.

Introduction

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

In 2024/25 Worcester Community Trust (WCT) saw an increase in demand for its services. As a response to the ongoing cost of living crisis. We have strengthened areas such as Debt and Energy support with an additional member of staff and see a continued demand from this work. We have gone from directly supporting 2053 individuals across our many services in 2022/23 to 2,611 individuals in 2023/24. This increase has been through the high level of support offered through our Welfare activity and through the increase in Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) work in Dines Green. To support the strengthening and sustainable management of the hubs, we have reviewed and altered the staffing structure of the hubs to have 2 Full Time managers that manage 3 buildings each, which offer increase pay for the role, more accountability and line management structure to cope with the range of locations and building needs. We have worked with Worcester City Council (WCC) to renegotiate their support in the form of a management grant and a contribution to building maintenance support. This is still an ongoing discussion with Worcester City Council. This financial year we are at 55% that we contribute to maintenance costs

Dawn has seen a continued demand for its services, and we were supported by Public Health This brings it in line with the end other Domestic Abuse (DA) contracts, where all contracts will need to be retendered. We secured new funding to expand our DA work from Garfield Weston, and through a partnership with West Mercia Women’s Aid we have developed a community led training practice called DA Champions that reached 55 different hidden communities.

We have worked innovatively with private organisations such as Cadent Gas, who fund our Debt and Energy support workers and have also distributed low energy cooking equipment and low cost cooking training to 900 people this year. In the latter part of the year we have continued to work on the partnership with GLP and this partnership will grow in 2025/26 with GLP taking on the new construction centre in Dines Green with this is finished in early 2025.

We have progressed in the delivery of the Advanced Towns Fund in completing the Building Block extension As always WCT staff have been at the forefront of leading our services, developing new and exciting projects to support local people and have once again shown strength, determination and resilience in the increasing number of complex challenges people are facing.

WCT have built new relationships with a range of partners, that has assisted in enhancing our existing services, enables the charity to create new opportunities and increased access to community-based services for our residents

Worcester Community Trust support in numbers

WCT has supported residents across the whole of Worcester City and Worcestershire County. We have supported 2611 directly in 2024/25/ through our different projects

Governance

We started this 2024/25 with a Trustees Skills and Demographic Audit to make sure WCT continues to be representative of the people who use our services and also to have the range of skills to manage the breadth and complexity of the organisation. We recruited a new trustee as treasure that came with a breath of experience as a financial controller for a locally based, national sports centre and health provider. We have sought further applications for new trustees to bring in local knowledge of areas close to our hubs, which we are moving currently inviting to observe WCT’s governance processes.

Within the operational team we have made some changes to the structure of the organisation. The hubs have seen an overhaul, moving from a flat structure of 1 person line manging 13 people across 6 locations, to something more structured that sees 2 multi-hub managers overseeing the operation of 3 hubs each with a team of supporting staff.

In this year we have seen our CEO Jon Newey leave the organisation with our Deputy CEO moving into the interim CEO post in Feb 2025 which will run until November 2025

Head of Community Based Services – Hubs, Asset Based Community Development
Head of Skills and Training – Welfare, Employment, Skills, Training - Part of this role is covered by interim CEO and Welfare now forms part of the Health and Targeted Service
Head of Health and Targeted Services – Domestic Abuse, Men’s & Women’s Services, Youth Head of Finance and Resources – Finance, HR, Legal, Physical Assets

WCT continued to deliver our annual staff conference, combining updates on wider organisational business and strategic objectives with a celebration of the people and projects that make up WCT as a whole. The staff survey response rate for the current year was 65% (43 out of 66 staff), compared with 75% in the previous year. Feedback remained very positive, and in 2025–26 WCT will introduce a clearer, online survey to make responding easier and to strengthen the quality of feedback we receive

WCTs Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2024/25 took place in November 2024 and moved quickly from the formal proceedings into an event that focused on White Ribbon which had guest speaker NAtasha Saunders who is a powerful keynote speaker, campaigner, and consultant, known for her compelling advocacy against domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. Drawing on her lived experience, Natasha delivered an impactful talk that was both moving and motivational. Her most significant achievement to date is playing a central role in the legal reform under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which criminalised threats to share intimate images. We also had Adjei Sun who read poetry.

Worcester Community Trust’s Services

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

WCT continues to develop and deliver community-based services to meet the demands of our local communities. The following map represents residents across Worcester City who have accessed our services over the past 12 months. Following a concerted effort to engage partners and communities across the whole city, the following map demonstrates how we have reached communities way beyond those who live close to our hubs.

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

Health and Targeted Services

Youth & Play

Our youth team ran a weekly programme of term-time after school and youth clubs throughout the year from three of our community hubs; The Green Hub, Horizon Hub and KGV Hub. Over the past year we have prioritised giving the young people who attend our sessions a voice within their local community, for example by arranging for them to make a contribution to Worcester City Council’s City Plan. Partnerships have included work with Onside Mental Health Support and YMCA.

Youth club

400 11-18 year olds regularly attended, with 1,819 attendances overall

50 young people regularly engaged in physical activity programs
98% of regular attendees gave positive feedback including improvement in their mental wellbeing following sessions 148 outreach conversations took place outside of our open access sessions

After school club

50 8-11 year olds regularly attended, and 104 sessions were delivered
20 young people regularly engaged in physical activity programs
100% of regular attendees reporting improved mental well being following sessions The sessions mainly focused on arts and crafts, cooking and some physical activities. Multi-sports activity was provided in two locations each school holiday Healthy snacks were provided at each session

DAWN - Domestic Abuse Specialist support

DAWN is our free, confidential, non-judgemental support service for any individual who lives in Wychavon, Malvern Hills and Worcester City and is experiencing, or has experienced, domestic abuse. This year:

287 clients were supported, including 13 male clients 207 individuals left their abusive relationship long term
35 individuals were referred into Higher Risk Management services

As a result of targeted intervention from the team:

437 children are now living safer lives

90 children were stepped down from Initial Investigations or Early Help to closed. 68 children were stepped down from Child in Need to closed.
38 children were stepped down from Child Protection Plans.

During this year DAWN has faced significant funding challenges, with all previous funding coming to an end in March 2025. A successful Crowdfunder enabled us to raise £41,000 of donations from local people, businesses and match funding,. We have also secured 12 months of continued funding from the South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership. We are continuing to explore partnership working to ensure we can maintain the rest of the service.

Domestic Abuse Champions Project

Our Domestic Abuse Champions Project supports and trains individuals across North and South Worcestershire, to recognise victims of domestic abuse within their community and provide details of the support options available in Worcestershire.

This year 101 new Domestic Champions have been trained and DBS checked.

Our Champions had 1,356 conversations around domestic abuse, signposted to support services 129 times, and made 58 referrals
We also trained all WCT staff in domestic abuse awareness, and initiated a safe space for victims in two of our community hubs which included training our two hub managers as DA Champions. Our champions accessed hidden communities across the county including LGBT, GRT, South East Asian, Survivor Networks, Drug and Alcohol users, Elderly, Asylum Seekers, Christian, CYP and students. Also those with disabilities, poor mental health, neurodiversity, single parents, children and men.

West Mercia Women’s Aid have extended their funding for this project for a further 12 months until the end of March 2026. ...CONTINUED

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

JOY & CORE

Both our JOY and CORE projects work to reduce loneliness and isolation, re-empowering and improving confidence within clients, and positively impacting their mental health and wellbeing. Throughout the past year both projects have been supporting a number of clients with highly complex needs to access appropriate support and manage some symptoms until statutory services become available. They have also managed more than 320 significant interventions outside of those who are enrolled.

JOY have supported 163 clients (female and female identifying) CORE have supported 55 clients (male and male identifying) 180 clients accessed training and skills Volunteers gave more than 200 hours of their time

Community-Based Services

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)

Further funding this year from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has enabled us to appoint a Community Development Project Manager (ABCD) and two Community Builders – one based at Dines Green and another at Tolladine, to implement ABCD principles and facilitate community connections.

Crafty Cuppa - a weekly group at The Green Hub - has attracted a dedicated group, who immediately reported a significant improvement in wellbeing from when they initially turned up to having spent a few hours in the company of like-minded people with shared interests and experiences. This has also provided fertile ground for imagining futures together, where those in attendance have been encouraged to explore their gifts and assets, and shown willingness to take on communityled activities, such as developing a community garden, which could complement our surplus food waste project which has steadily been growing this year. Our food waste / community pantry project continues to also run in Tolly, providing free food to the community that would otherwise go to waste.

Community Connectors

Our Community Connectors project closed in September 2024 due to funding coming to an end. During it’s final six months, the project welcomed 77 participants to it’s weekly group sessions which focused on building connections, improving mood and well-being and transitioning to alternative activities.

A number of the projects’ groups have continued to run, independently hiring space at our community hubs. This includes a weekly singing group at Ronkswood Hub.

Community Skills and Training

Debt and Energy Advice

Our Welfare Team provide an amazing service supporting individuals to help ease the burden of whatever financial challenges they are facing. Over the past 12 months the team have spoken with more than 700 individuals and given full support to a number of clients on a wide range of topics including:

Energy Efficiency

Efficient Use of Appliances & Behaviours Slow Cooker Advice (including running slow cooker sessions at two of our hubs) Condensation/Dampness

The Priority Service Register (PSR)
Benefits including Warm home discount, PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance, Universal Credit, DLA, ESA, Tax credits and Pension credit
Housing

Budgeting and saving tips

Carbon Monoxide alarms & advice

The team regularly refer into other services inside and outside of WCT to ensure clients are supported holistically.

This year we had continuation of funding for a further 12 months from Cadent Gas to support our Energy, Debt and Welfare Team.

Wellbeing Job Coaches

Our Wellbeing Job Clubs support people who are looking to work towards gaining employment or training. This is not only supporting clients with practical tasks such as CV building, interview skills and managing finances, but also with improving their wellbeing and confidence.

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

More than 200 clients were supported across the year.

This included a wide range of ages from aged 16 to 65+

113 clients reported an improvement in their mental health and well-being and are moving closer to employment 31 clients moved into employment
86 clients were supported with job search
20 clients moved into training8 in volunteering

Facilitated Skills and Training at the Hubs

Across our hubs we work with a range of partner organisations and facilitate outside clients in delivering training from within our communities.

Heart of Worcestershire college delivered a wide variety of courses from our hubs which were attended by 276 participants, and we estimate that a further 1379 learners accessed training from number of training providers across our 6 hubs in 2024/25. This includes things such as first aid, cooking classes, CPD learning for Teachers and other charities for their training days.

Snack & Chat

Our Snack & Chat lunch clubs bring together the over 50s, offering companionship and support over a home cooked twocourse meal. This year we were successful in extending our funding from Cadent, which will allow Snack & Chat for run for a further 15 months from January 2025.

As well as our weekly clubs at Horizon Hub, The Green Hub and Ronkswood Hub, we expanded Snack & Chat into two residential homes (Himbleton House and Chelmsford Court) which has had a huge positive impact on the wellbeing of residents.

Beyond our regular weekly events, our amazing team of staff and volunteers have gone above and beyond to offer clients and the local community a wide range of additional events including:

The Big Stew - which saw a delicious home cooked stew delivered to hundreds of local residents across one week, free of charge for all. Harvest Festivals - with a lovely service from the local vicars and food hampers for everyone who came. Slow Cooker Courses - supporting clients to batch cook nutritious food for themselves at home, without breaking the budget.
Christmas events - such special occasions for so many of our clients, many of whom can experience loneliness at this time of year.

166 people attended Snack & Chat Lunch Clubs & Events. 83% of attendees were living in a single person household and an incredible 4,065 meals were served by the team.

Towns Fund – Community Skills Project

The main Towns Fund investment is also underway with new this capital investment we have 4 additional new multi-use training spaces, 2 at Ronkwoods 1 at Tolly and the development of a Building Block 2 at Dines Green which will complete in April 2025. It has also enhance the reception areas to Horizon, Dines Green and Ronkswood to create digital access and more informal community training. To support this capital investment we have secured a 12 month contract from UKSPF that has enable us to have a digital skills tutor and an additional job coach.

Building Block 2, at Dines Green started construction in July 2024 and will complete on April 2025.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

In the context of the current challenging economic climate, WCT continues to demonstrate financial resilience. In the previous financial year 2023/24, the organisation reported a surplus of £104,728 which has increased to £130,733 2024/25.

Looking ahead to 2025/26, we recognise that several projects face potential risk as external funding is scheduled to conclude in late 2025 and early 2026. In this context, the projected surplus will contribute to strengthening WCT’s financial reserves.

These reserves are vital to ensuring organisational stability and continuity during periods of uncertainty. In line with our financial risk and continuity planning, WCT maintains reserves equivalent to a minimum of four months’ running costs, which include provision for staff notice periods and redundancy payments. This prudent approach safeguards the Trusts capacity to deliver its mission and sustain operations in times of financial challenge.

Despite our efforts to mitigate the increase in energy costs, through the negotiation of fixed-rate annual energy contracts, the overall cost of utilities has remained high, contributing further to the pressure on our budget

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

The hubs have moved to a new structure of management moving from 6 hub managers to 2 managers overseeing 3 hubs each. The team have focused this year on updating contractual agreements with clients, updating T&Cs, reviewing discounts and more effectively managing internal bookings. This along with additional online promotion and tidying of the hubs has seen the highest recorded level of room hire income on record. From external bookings There has been a 21.7% increase in external bookings

This year, WCT has been supported by 22 different grants and contracts, ranging in value from £235,158 per annum for our Public Health Contract for Joy, to £5,000 from the Motal Charitable Trust for DAWN. In total, we budgeted for £1,235,391 of income from grants and contracts and successfully exceeded this target by over £23,000. While this represents a slight decrease compared to the previous year’s overall grant income, it nevertheless demonstrates WCT’s strong track record in securing diverse funding streams to sustain and develop our services.

Like many sectors, recruitment has been challenging. WCT has responded with creativity—refreshing the language and format of our adverts, widening the forums we use, and investing strategically to reach and attract the right talent

In April 2024, the National Minimum Wage rose by 9.8%. Because WCT operates a flat pay structure—where the gap between the highest and lowest salaries is small—this increase affected all staff. To maintain fairness, WCT not only implemented the minimum wage uplift but also awarded a 3% pay increase to all other staff, at an additional cost of £42,000 per year.

Looking ahead, further pressures are expected from April 2025. Employer National Insurance contributions will rise from 13.8% to 15%, while the threshold for employer contributions will fall from £9,100 to £5,000 per year. This change means WCT will face higher tax costs for every employee, including those on lower pay.

WCT is preparing for these challenges through prudent financial planning and by strengthening its reserves. This approach ensures the organisation can continue to reward staff fairly while safeguarding long-term sustainability

In total we raised £8,608 in financial business donations, and £9,522 through donations from local Cllrs. In addition, we raised £38,091 during a Crowdfunding campaign for DAWN – this comprised of a mixture of business/counsellor & community donations

In the final quarter, project grant income saw a notable increase, including a £57,365 award from UK Groundwork. This funding was invested in surveying and installing solar panels at the Green. The panels have been recognised in our accounts as a capital asset, and in line with our accounting policy, depreciation will be applied over their useful lifetime

Facebook continues to be WCT’s main platform for engaging with the local community, communicating the work of the Trust and opportunities to get involved. Over the year our main Facebook page gained 171 followers, and our Instagram account gained 53 followers. Our website had an average of 4,682 visits per month across the year.

Our Funders, Collaborations, Partnerships and Supporters

WCT could not have delivered and achieved what we have this year without working collaboratively and innovatively with our colleagues and partners across the County and beyond.

WCT would like to share our deepest thanks to all our supporters over the past 12 months. This year we have developed new relationships with new funders, and our local business community has been extremely generous in their support and donations. Thank you to the following:

24/7 Locks Abbey Medical Practice Action for Children Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire Adult Social Care Services Worcestershire Amicii Dog Rescue Andy's Man Club Autism West Midlands Aviva Barnwood Ltd Baron Davenport Batchley Support Group Becoming Families Bengeworth CE Academy BENS Youth and Community Groups Beryl Bikes Beyond Equality Bike Worcester Birmingham LGBT Birmingham Rep Foundry Project Birmingham Solihull Women's Aid Blakemore Foundation Bloom Housing Brethertons LLP Solicitors Brewers Decorators Centres

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

Bright Kids Evesham Nursery British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Bromsgrove & Redditch Network (BARN) Cadent Gas CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) CARM (Complex Adult Risk Management Services) CATCH (Children and Trauma Community Hub) CCP (Caring for Communities and People) Chris Ash (London Marathon runner) Citizen Housing Citizens Advice City Church Worcester Cranham Primary School Cranstoun Crimestoppers / Fearless Croome Court National Trust Crown House Family Assessment Centre Department for Work and Pensions Droitwich Spa CVS Droitwich Wellbeing Hub Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Emerging Futures Emmanual Church Droitwich Esmee Fairbairn Eva Women’s Aid Evesham Unitarian Community Faye Claridge Franche Community Primary School Freedom Leisure Great Malvern Primary School Grey Gable Surgery Hallow CE Primary School HCR Law HeadGym Healthwatch England Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust Hey Girls HM Prison & Probation Service HMP Eastwood Park Hope Church Worcester HOW College Ipsley CE Middle School Jobcentre Plus Kempsey Primary School Kings Heath Primary School Laslett's Charities Local Councillors Madresfield CE Primary School Maggs Day Centre Malvern Community Art Therapy Malvern Hills District Housing Manchester Women’s Aid Men's Sheds Merstow Green Medical Practice MJS IT Services Ltd Montal Charitable Trust Museum of Royal Worcester NHS England Health and Justice Service Nicol & Co North Bromsgrove High School Oasis Academy Warndon Oasis Warndon Community Hub Onside Advocacy Out Together Pathways Family Mediation Perdiswell Young People's Leisure Club Perry Wood Primary & Nursery School Pershore Town Council

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

Pitmaston Primary School Platform Housing Public Health QualitySolicitors Parkinson Wright Reclaim the Night Recovery United Network (RUN) Redditch Borough Council Redditch Self Defence Refuge UK Remade Worcester Restored Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust Rooftop Housing Group RunTheShire Script Haven Seetec Severn Angels Housing & Support Severn Arts Severn River Trust Sight Concern Six Masters Charity Souter Charitable Trust South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership SoulCollage(R) St Egwins CE Middle School, Evesham St Johns House Surgery St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School St Martin's Gate Surgery St Pauls Church, Worcester St Pauls Hostel St Peters Parish Council Stonewater Sutton Croft Tesco The Arts Society Malvern Hills The Basement Project The Blakemore Foundation The Body Shop Worcester The Chantry School The Children's Society The Eveson Trust The Glade Sexual Assault Referral Centre The King's School, Worcester The Listening Herd The Malvern Hills Arts Society The Mayors Fund The National Lottery Community Fund The Old Needleworks Foundation The Rotary Club of Worcester UK Government University of Worcester Wallace House Community Centre West Mercia Police West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) West Mercia Women’s & Girls Criminal Justice Working Group West Mercia Women's Aid West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner West Midlands Police Westlands Primary School Whatley Recordon Solicitors Wickes Willowdene Rehabilitation Women in Prison Women’s Equality Party Worcestershire Worcester Armed Forces & Veterans Club Worcester Arts Collective Worcester Cathedral Worcester City Council Worcester City Primary Care Network

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Activities - continued

Worcester Craftivists Worcester Food Bank Worcester Freemason Lodge Worcester Municipals Charity Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Worcestershire Community Foundation Worcestershire County Council Worcestershire Mum’s Network Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Workpays Wychavon District Council Wyre Forest District Council YMCA Young Solutions Youthscape YSS

Fund-raising standards information

The charity does not undertake any significant public fundraising activities however our trustees and management have been made aware of the relevant regulations and code of funding raising practice, and we are registered with the fundraising regulator.

Measurement of achievements and performance

We measure our achievement and performance by the number of people we reach and those who are involved in activities within their communities. We also use qualitative outcome measurement tools such as Outcome Stars to understand the impact we have on the lives of individuals. Projects also have their own set outcomes as defined with funders, which are assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure projects are on track and delivering.

Financial Review

Financial Position

The main contributor to unrestricted funds this year has been a strong performance from both grant income and lettings income. Lettings income has increased from £271,082 to £329,910, reflecting continued efforts to maximise use of available space and services.

As a result, general unrestricted reserves show a surplus of £74,020. We have placed a strategic focus on steadily growing income generated through room hire, with the long-term aim of covering 100% of the costs associated with building management by 2027/28. The risk to future services ending in 2025/26 means we are in a healthier position with our reserves to support future plans and possible gaps

Restricted funds show a surplus of £61,213 for the year. This surplus arose primarily due to delays in recruitment and a temporary reduction in staffing levels, which led to lower expenditure than originally planned. Restricted funds unspent at year-end will be carried forward into the next financial year. These funds will be applied to support project evaluations as programmes come to a close, and to provide increased staffing capacity to develop and expand services in line with our strategic objectives

Whilst the level of unrestricted reserves has increased, the charity is developing its projects in line with demand. Salary costs are seeing a significant rise, and this has increased the calculation of monthly running costs. Ongoing quarterly meetings monitor scenarios and reassess spending and forecasts.

Reserves Policy

WCT requires short-term reserves to manage potential delays in funding or unexpected fluctuations in cash flow. In addition, long-term reserves are essential to mitigate external risks and to cover advance financial commitments where funding has yet to be secured

Reserves are essential to ensure WCT can meet its obligations if the expected funding falls short. Additionally, reserves might be needed to fulfil financial obligations, including staff salaries and payments to creditors—in the event of organisational closure.

As of the financial year ending March 2025, WCT holds reserves of:-

...CONTINUED

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Reserves Policy - continued

Restricted funds: £237,608 Unrestricted funds: £731,287 of which designated: £377,844 of which free reserves: £393,433

The calculation of the required level of reserves is an integral part of WCT’s planning, budget and forecast cycle. The Finance Sub-Committee is responsible for assessing and recommending the appropriate levels of both short- and long-term reserves to the Board of Trustees, who hold final approval.

This process is guided by the Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) and considers the following key factors:

Risk assessment – An analysis of risks to each significant category of income and expenditure Future activity levels – Projected growth or changes in service delivery that may impact reserve requirements Organisational commitments – Existing or anticipated contractual, financial, or legal obligations

In 2024/25 we invested in more business development to support the increasing number of funded projects we are delivering, and some investment has been made within our community buildings. We expect the reserves requirement during the financial year 2025/26 to increase as our commitments develop for some of our longer-term projects and our maintenance cost rise.

Going Concern

At the date of approving these financial statements the Trustee’s believe the charity to be a going concern and management accounts are being prepared on a quarterly basis to monitor the charities reserves position to ensure this is appropriate.

Investment Policy and Objectives

WCT review its investment policy annually to support the effective management of its reserves. Under this policy, a portion of reserves has been designated as long-term, while the remainder is held as short-term reserves to meet any unexpected cash flow requirements.

WCT aims to achieve the best possible financial return on its investments, within an acceptable level of risk that aligns with the organisation’s values, responsibilities, and long-term sustainability goals.

The investment objective for long-term reserves is to:

Generate a return that exceeds inflation over the long term, Support the financial sustainability of WCT by producing a steady income stream, Contribute to the development and continuation of WCT’s core activities and plans.

Long-term reserves are not expected to be accessed frequently and can therefore tolerate a higher level of investment risk in return for potential capital growth and income generation

The investment objective for short-term reserves is to:

Preserve the capital value of the funds, Ensure low risk exposure, Maintain liquidity, allowing funds to be accessed easily and quickly to meet unforeseen cash flow needs.

These funds are intended to provide financial flexibility and security for the organisation’s operational stability

In the next financial year, the trust is looking to use a centralised online platform that allows then to manage and maximise returns on their cash holdings by accessing a wide range of bank accounts and interest rates through a single secure portal.

Reference and Administrative Details

Trustees

Bridget Brickley Claire Thompson Philip Fowler Jasbinder Cartwright Samantha McCarthy (appointed 10/06/2025) Nicholas Morris (appointed 25/11/2024)

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Richard Soper Sharon Tilki (appointed 15/11/2024)

Charity Number

112342

Company Number

04722577

Accountants

RD Accounting Limited Chartered Certified Accountants 12c Two Locks Hurst Business Park Brierley Hill DY5 1UU

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Worcester Community Trust Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees (who are also the directors of Worcester Community Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statement unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing the financial statements the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

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

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

Statement of Disclosure of Information to Auditors

Each of the persons who are trustees at the time when this trustees' report is approved has confirmed that:

so far as the trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charitable company's auditors are aware of that information.

Small Company Rules

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees' report was approved by the board of trustees and signed on its behalf by:

Bridget Brickley Trustee Date

16 / 11 / 2025

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Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Worcester Community Trust

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Worcester Community Trust (the "charity") for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account), Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 24 to the financial statements, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions Relating to Going Concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

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

Other Information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on Other Matters Prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the information given in the Trustees' Report, which includes the Director's Report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

the Director's Report included within the Trustees' Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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Independent Auditor's Report (continued) to the Members of Worcester Community Trust

Matters on Which We Are Required to Report by Exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Director's Report included within the Trustees' Report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records or returns; or certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the Trustees' Report and from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report.

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the Trustees' Responsibilities Statement set out on page 1—14, the trustees (who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

There is an inherent risk that our audit will not detect all irregularities, including those resulting in material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk is greater in respect of fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

Together with our detailed transaction testing, we assessed the risk of material misstatement as a result of fraud by making direct enquiries with management. We did not identify any significant fraud risk factors.

The trust has secured additional grant contracts and donations which increases the risk of irregularities in terms of expenditure allocation and ensuring funds are spent in accordance with the grant contracts and are within the charity’s objectives/purpose. Added to this are the current pressures on costs, the increase in utility costs, National Insurance and repairs are likely to impact future years significantly and this must be considered within the going concern assumption. All of the above have been considered throughout our enquiries with management and our audit testing.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use Of Our Report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters that we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

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Independent Auditor's Report (continued) to the Members of Worcester Community Trust

Richard Dunkley FCCA CTA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of RD Accounting Limited, Statutory Auditor

Date 04 / 12 / 2025

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Worcester Community Trust Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Unrestricted funds £ 12,031 94,577 340,210 8,718	Restricted funds £ 53,469 1,259,225 21,061 -	2025 Total funds £ 65,500 1,353,802 361,271 8,718	2024 Total funds £ 27,099 1,374,710 333,700 5,967
455,536	1,333,755	1,789,291	1,741,476
(394,516)	(1,259,542)	(1,654,058)	(1,636,748)
61,020 13,000	74,213 (13,000)	135,233 -	104,728 -
74,020 657,267	61,213 176,395	135,233 833,662	104,728 728,934
731,287	237,608	968,895	833,662

The notes on pages 22 to 32 form part of these financial statements.

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Worcester Community Trust Comparative Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Unrestricted funds £ 21,384 87,139 313,958 5,967	Restricted funds £ 5,715 1,287,571 19,742 -	2024 Total funds £ 27,099 1,374,710 333,700 5,967
428,448	1,313,028	1,741,476
(352,541)	(1,284,207)	(1,636,748)
75,907 33,651	28,821 (33,651)	104,728 -
109,558 547,709	(4,830) 181,225	104,728 728,934
657,267	176,395	833,662

The notes on pages 22 to 32 form part of these financial statements.

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Worcester Community Trust Balance Sheet As At 31 March 2025

				2025	2024
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
		funds	funds	funds	funds
	Notes	£	£	£	£
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets	13	3,760	62,188	65,948	6,810
		3,760	62,188	65,948	6,810
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors	14	113,619	61,517	175,136	133,855
Cash at bank and in hand		654,941	336,513	991,454	875,956
		768,560	398,030	1,166,590	1,009,811
Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year	15	(41,033)	(222,610)	(263,643)	(182,959)
NET CURRENT ASSETS (LIABILITIES)		727,527	175,420	902,947	826,852
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES		731,287	237,608	968,895	833,662
NET ASSETS		731,287	237,608	968,895	833,662
FUNDS OF THE CHARITY
Restricted Funds				237,608	176,395
Unrestricted Funds				731,287	657,267
TOTAL FUNDS	20			968,895	833,662

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

On behalf of the board

Bridget Brickley Nicholas Morris Trustee Trustee Date 16 / 11 / 2025

The notes on pages 22 to 32 form part of these financial statements.

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Worcester Community Trust Statement of Cash Flows For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Notes Cash flows from operating activities Net cash generated from operations 1 Net cash generated from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible assets Interest received Net cash (used in)/generated from investing activities Increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 2 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 2	2025 £ 173,410 173,410 (66,630) 8,718 (57,912) 115,498 875,956 991,454	2024 £ 71,709
		71,709
		(2,840) 5,967
		3,127

		74,836 801,120
		875,956

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

1. Reconciliation of income to cash generated from operations

. Reconciliation of income to cash generated from operations
Net income Adjustments for: Interest income Depreciation of tangible assets Movements in working capital: Increase in trade and other debtors Increase/(decrease) in trade and other creditors Net cash generated from operations	2025 £ 135,233 (8,718) 7,492 (41,281) 80,684 173,410	2024 £ 104,728 (5,967) 3,050 (14,465) (15,637)
		71,709

2. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents, as stated in the Statement of Cash Flows, relates to the following items in the Balance Sheet:

2025 £ Cash at bank and in hand 991,454 3. Analysis of changes in net funds As at 1 April 2024 Cash flows £ £ Cash at bank and in hand 875,956 115,498	2024 £ 875,956
	As at 31 March 2025 £ 991,454

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

1. General Information

Worcester Community Trust is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England & Wales, registered number 04722577 and registered charity number 112342. The registered office is .

2. Accounting Policies

2.1. Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) "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)", Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Companies Act 2006.

The charitable company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.

2.2. Going Concern Disclosure

The trustees have not identified any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

2.3. Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for a specific purpose.

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2.4. Incoming Resources

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income received in respect of renting the charities facilities is recognised as income once the event has taken place. Grants are recognised when entitlement, certainty and measurement conditions have been met.

Donations are included as and when received.

2.5. Donated Goods and Services

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognized as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the general volunteer time is not recognized and refer to the trustees' annual report for more information about their contribution.

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

The trustees consider that the rental market value of the community centers and other properties provided to the charity at a peppercorn rent cannot be measured accurately due to their unique purpose and locations. There are therefore no donated facilities transactions recognized in respect of these facilities. Please see the trustees report for further details.

2.6. Resources Expended

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

2.7. Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following bases:

Fixtures & Fittings

25% Straight Line

Longer life non moveable fixtures are depreciated over the life of the remaining lease.

2.8. Leasing and Hire Purchase Contracts

Rentals payable and receivable under operating leases are charged to the Sofa on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

2.9. Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks, other short-term highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and are readily convertible to a known amount of cash with insignificant risk of change in value, and bank overdrafts.

2.10. Taxation

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

3. Income from Donations and Legacies

			2025	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	funds	funds	funds	funds
	£	£	£	£
Donations and gifts	12,031	53,469	65,500	27,099

The following donations and legacies are included within the total income from donations and legacies above:

Business Donations Councillor Donations Other Donations DAWN Crowdfunder	Unrestricted funds £ 3,553 4,100 4,378 -	Restricted funds £ 5,055 5,422 4,901 38,091	2025 Total funds £ 8,608 9,522 9,279 38,091	2024 Total funds £ 13,768 5,635 7,696 -
	12,031	53,469	65,500	27,099

4. Income from Charitable Activities

			2025	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	funds	funds	funds	funds
	£	£	£	£
Community support	94,577	1,259,225	1,353,802	1,374,710

Grants, included above, are as follows:

Grants, included above, are as follows:
			2025	2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	funds	funds	funds	funds
	£	£	£	£
Big Lottery - Community Connectors	-	61,831	61,831	121,289
Big Lottery - Job Coaching	-	-	-	3,057
Big Lottery - The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund	-	-	-	75,000
Big Lottery - Well-Being Club	-	102,707	102,707	97,777
CADENT - Centres For Warmth Project	-	125,699	125,699	105,071
	Pae 24			...CONTINUED

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Garfield Weston - DAWN Funding Laslett's (Hinton) Charity Onside Ltd - PLUS Loneliness Project Platform Housing Group The Eveson Trust - Snack & Chat Salaries The Worcester Consolidated Municipal Charity West Mercia Womens Aid Federation - DAWN Worcester City Council - ABCD Funding Worcester City Council - Hopmarket Grant Aid Worcester City Council - Management Grant Worcester City Council - Other small grants Worcester City Council - Severn Arts funding Worcester City Council - Towns Fund Worcester City/County Council - DAWN Worcester County Council - Youth/Positive activities Worcestershire Community Foundation - DAWN Worcestershire County Council - JOY Young Solutions - Youthscape Sutton Croft Ltd - Youth & Play West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner - DAWN Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (ABCD) Groundwork UK - Energy Efficiency Programme Other small grants The Montal Charitable Trust (DAWN) The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust Worcester City Council - UKSPF Digital Skills Worcester City Council - UKSPF Job Coach Worcestershire Community Foundation (ABCD) Wychavon District Council (DAWN)	- - - - - - - - - 89,120 - - - - - - - - - - - - 2,457 - 3,000 - - - -	20,000 4,500 - - - 44,974 50,014 70,026 - - 200 - 50,000 143,953 89,000 - 235,158 21,885 9,320 45,522 26,500 4,442 2,203 5,000 - 82,574 46,217 10,000 7,500	20,000 4,500 - - - 44,974 50,014 70,026 - 89,120 200 - 50,000 143,953 89,000 - 235,158 21,885 9,320 45,522 26,500 4,442 4,660 5,000 3,000 82,574 46,217 10,000 7,500	20,000 5,457 24,559 500 20,000 42,121 58,612 60,468 7,000 84,080 2,560 5,000 50,000 153,528 84,721 6,000 264,667 21,749 15,972 45,522 - - - - - - - - -
	94,577	1,259,225	1,353,802	1,374,710

5. Income from Other Trading Activities Room Hire Subscriptions & Activities	Unrestricted funds £ 329,910 10,300	Restricted funds £ - 21,061	2025 Total funds £ 329,910 31,361	2024 Total funds £ 271,082 62,618
	340,210	21,061	361,271	333,700

Investment Income

Bank interest receivable

2025	2024
Unrestricted	Total
funds	funds
£	£
8,718	5,967

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

7. Net Income/(Expenditure)

The net income is stated after charging/(crediting):

he net income is stated after charging/(crediting):
	2025	2024
	£	£
Bad debts	7,584	715
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets - owned	7,492	3,050

8. Analysis of Expenditure

8. Analysis of Expenditure
Community support Community support 9. Support Costs Employee costs Premises expenses General administration Depreciation Employee costs Premises expenses General administration Depreciation	Activities undertaken directly £ 706,588	Support costs (see note 9) £ 947,470	2025 Total £ 1,654,058
	Activities undertaken directly £ 798,837	Support costs (see note 9) £ 837,911	2024 Total £ 1,636,748
			2025 Community support £ 608,370 204,321 127,287 7,492
			947,470
			2024 Community support £ 523,562 177,885 133,414 3,050
			837,911

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

10. Auditor's Remuneration

Remuneration received by the charitable company's auditors and their associates during the year was as follows:

Audit Services Audit of the company's financial statements Other Services Other non-audit services 1. Staff Costs taff costs were as follows: Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2025 £ 5,010 7,920 2025 £ 1,059,759 81,814 19,217 1,160,790	2024 £ 5,040
		6,968
		2024 £ 1,068,110 75,168 18,165
		1,161,443

11. Staff Costs

Staff costs were as follows:

No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60,000.

Total remuneration paid to key management personnel during the year was £169,059 (2024: £169,188). This excludes employers pension contributions. Employers pension contributions paid to key management per-sonnel during the year was £4,302 (2024: £4,239)

12. Average Number of Employees

The average monthly number of employees throughout the year was 70 (2024: 76). The average full-time equivalent throughout the year was estimated to be: 36 (2024: 36)

13. Tangible Assets

Cost As at 1 April 2024 Additions As at 31 March 2025 Depreciation As at 1 April 2024 Provided during the period As at 31 March 2025 Net Book Value As at 31 March 2025 As at 1 April 2024	Fixtures & Fittings £ 145,315 66,630
	211,945
	138,505 7,492
	145,997
	65,948
	6,810

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

14. Debtors

Due within one year Trade debtors Other debtors 15. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year Trade creditors Taxation and social security Accruals and deferred income 16. Capital Grants Balance at 1 April 2024 Increase / (Decrease) in the year Balance at 31 March 2025	2025 £ 119,554 55,582 175,136 2025 £ 23,942 22,613 217,088 263,643 2025 £ 66,630 (4,442) 62,188	2024 £ 126,654 7,201
		133,855
		2024 £ 26,498 21,496 134,965
		182,959
		2024 £ - -
		-

WCT received £66,630 during the year for the installation of Solar Panels and Batteries at The Green Centre. This capital grant is being released over the life of the lease (in line with depreciation).

17. Deferred Income

Deferred income movements in the year were as follows:

Balance at the start of the period Income deferred in the current period Amounts released in income from previous periods Balance at the end of the period	2025 £ 103,923 211,017 (103,923)	2024 £ 160,071 103,923 (160,071)
	211,017	103,923

Incoming resources are deferred in accordance with section 5.24 of the Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS102) whereby income is subject to performance-related condition.

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

18. Other Commitments

The total of future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as following:

The Trust leases the following properties in order to carry out its purposes:

The Tolladine Community Centre The Horizon Community Centre The Wardon Commcunity Centre The KVG Community Centre The Ronkswood Community Centre The Green Centre Dines Green Youth and Community Café (DG Den)

The Trust currently rents these properties for £1 per annum. The 2025/26 annual budgeted service charge payable is £48,000 per annum across all centres.

Each lease commenced on 1 October 2010, apart from DG Den which commenced in 2015, all for a term of 30 years.

19. Pension Commitments

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund.

During the year the charge to the statement of financial activities in respect of defined contribution schemes was £19,217 (2024: £18,165).

At the balance sheet date contributions of £NIL were due to the fund and are included in creditors.

20. Movement in Funds

0. Movement in Funds
	As at 1 April				As at 31
	2024	Income	Expenditure	Transfers	March 2025
	£	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted funds
General:
General unrestricted fund	657,267	455,536	(394,516)	13,000	731,287
Restricted funds
DAWN	16,090	298,110	(240,178)	-	74,022
ABCD Fund	13,162	106,526	(78,752)	-	40,936
CADENT	30,488	116,263	(106,670)	-	40,081
Community Connectors	201	62,086	(62,287)	-	-
Digital Skills Tutor WCC	(162)	82,574	(69,256)	-	13,156
Garfield Weston (DAWN)	-	20,000	(20,000)	-	-
Job Coach	-	46,217	(46,217)	-	-
JOY (formerly ASHA)	50,245	235,310	(293,229)	-	(7,674)
Positive Activities	26,443	102,998	(85,780)	-	43,661
Severn Arts	1,411	-	(1,411)	-	-
Snack and Chat Salaries	11,503	30,203	(41,345)	-	361
Towns Fund	-	50,000	(50,000)	-	-
Well-Being Club - Big Lottery	27,014	102,707	(83,656)	(13,000)	33,065
Youth and Play	-	54,434	(54,434)	-	-
					...CONTINUED

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

- -	21,885 4,442	(21,885) (4,442)	- -	- -
176,395	1,333,755	(1,259,542)	(13,000)	237,608

833,662	1,789,291	(1,654,058)	-	968,895
As at 1 April 2023 £ 547,709 18,732 - 407 4,310 29,027 9,090 33,190 - - 807 3,750 - 36,339 - - 27,412 - 4,250 - - - 3,444 10,467	Income £ 428,448 265,671 60,582 34 - 105,805 122,509 - - 20,000 - - 3,057 265,441 75,000 24,559 90,477 5,000 - 43,439 50,000 97,777 61,929 21,748	Expenditure £ (352,541) (258,241) (74,832) (568) - (88,518) (121,151) (33,190) (162) (20,000) (192) (3,750) (288) (243,885) (75,000) (25,528) (126,644) (3,589) (2,674) (33,668) (37,417) (70,763) (58,131) (6,016)	Transfers £ 33,651 (10,072) 27,412 127 (4,310) (15,826) (10,247) - - - (615) - (2,769) (7,650) - 969 35,198 - (1,576) 1,732 (12,583) - (7,242) (26,199)	As at 31 March 2024 £ 657,267 16,090 13,162 - - 30,488 201 - (162) - - - - 50,245 - - 26,443 1,411 - 11,503 - 27,014 - -
181,225	1,313,028	(1,284,207)	(33,651)	176,395

728,934	1,741,476	(1,636,748)	-	833,662

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

FUND DESCRIPTIONS

DAWN (Domestic Abuse Working Network)

The DAWN project supports women who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse in the community. It provides one 2 one support to enable and empower people to make informed decisions to affect their own changes.

COMMUNITY CONNECTORS

A large-scale project connecting people who are socially isolated, have low level mental health problems or long-term health conditions, to professional services and to each other. Help, support and training is provided in the community to make positive lifestyle changes to improve physical and mental health and wellbeing. This project is funded by Big Lottery, Reaching Communities, from November 2017.

YOUTH AND PLAY (PLAYSCHEMES)

JOY & CORE

Both our JOY and CORE projects work to reduce loneliness and isolation, re-empowering and improving confidence within clients, and positively impacting their mental health and wellbeing. Throughout the past year both projects have been supporting several clients with highly complex needs to access appropriate support and manage some symptoms until statutory services become available. They have also managed more than 320 significant interventions outside of those who are enrolled.

WELLBEING JOB COACH

ABCD Fund

Asset Based Community Development - community led, asset-based approach involving community builders developing the skills of local residents to utilise local resources ,skills and people to meet their needs.

CADENT

1-1 and Group welfare and energy support to support residents through the cost of living crisis. Funded fully by CADENT Gas

DIGITAL SKILLS TUTOR WCC

Supporting those in the community that are digitally excluded, sessions will support training in accessing online activities such as Drs , form filling ,DWP . Also includes awareness of online safety. Funded by UKSPF.

GARFIELD WESTON

support towards our DAWN service; A confidential, non-judgmental service for individuals experiencing/have experienced domestic abuse.

SNACK & CHAT

TOWNS FUND

Used for Head of Skills and Training Salary for 2024/25.

FUND TRANSFERS

The following fund transfers occured during the year:-

£13,000 from Lottery Wellbeing Club - This transfer was to provide 'OWN MY LIFE ' training, to be ran by the DAWN project manager for the clients of wellbeing lottery, an ongoing funded project.

21. Transactions with Trustees

None of the trustees received any remuneration or any other benefits from an employment with the charity or a related entity during the current or previous year.

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Worcester Community Trust Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

No trustee expenses have been incurred.

22. Related Party Disclosures

There have been no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.

23. Company limited by guarantee

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

Every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company, in the event of a winding up, such an amount as may be required not exceeding £1.

24. FRC's Ethical Standard - Provision Available for Small Entities

In common with other businesses of our size and nature we use our auditors to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities and assist with the preparation of the financial statements.

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