44TrME STRT Southern Oxfordshire Ik 'fii Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Annual Report & Financial Statements 2024-25 Supporting families in Oxfordshire since 1989 www.homestart-southernoxfordshire.org.uk
CONTENTS Report of the Trustees 2to28 Chair's report 6t07 Treasurer's report 8t09 Charity information and reference details 26to27 Statement of Trustees, responsibilities 28 Report of the Independent Examiner 29 Income and expenditure for 12 months to 31 March 2025 30 Balance Sheet 31 Notes to the financial statements 32
/ ABOUT US We work with families who are going through challengingtimes, and who have a child/children aged five years or under. We recruit and train volunteers to spend time with families, aiming to increase their confidence and independence by: Offering friendship, support, and practical assistance, with a flexible approach to take account of different needs Developing a trusting relationship with the family, to establish an understanding of their circumstances Reassuring parents that difficulties in bringing up children are not unusual, and encouraging enjoyment in family life Encouraging parents, strengths, emotional wellbeing and parenting skills, for the ultimate benefit of their children Encouraging families to widen their network of relationships and to effectively use the support and services within the local community. In the year 2024- 2025, we also supported families through a paid worker, and two groups, described later in this report. We are an independent charitywithin the Home-start federation, with our own board of trustees, and responsible for our own fundraising. We have a legal agreement with Home-start UK, the charity that centrally supports local Home-starts through influencing policy, sUPPOrting quality improvement, brokering national partnerships and working to enhance our impact forfamilies.
THE AREA WE COVER Providing support across South Oxfordshire & the Vale of White Horse 98 115 families families Families supported by location Abingdon 23 Cholsey 2 Benson &Crowmarsh 6 Didcot 90 Berinsfield 2 Drayton I Blewbury & Harwell 39 Faringdon 9 Chalgrove 3 Henley 2 Chinnor I Steventon & The Hanneys I Sutton Courtenay 4 Thame3 Wallingford 4 Wantage & Grove 19 Watchfield & Shrivenham 2 Watlington 2 153 referrals Referrals for our support continue to rise and have increased by over the last year. Referral sou rces i nclude: self referrals (29), Health Visitors (28), Social and Family Support Seniices (16), education professionals (15), other health services e.g. GP, midwifery & mental health (15), community organisations (4).
OUR IMPACT Because Childhood Can't Wait 213 350 children aged 0-5 years 291 families supported children supported children ed over 5 years 13 78 122 families supported by our Family Support Worker families supported by our home-visiting volunteers families supported at our groups "Home-start is such a fantastic idea, and I wouldrecommend any parent that is struggling to reach out." - Supported family 51 valued volunteers supporting families!
80% of parents felt better able to cope with their chlld's mentst health Our outcomes show that of the families we supported with a home-visiting volunteer over the last year A 88% of parents felt more involved In their children's learning and development of parents felt less isolated 76% of families felt better able to cope with parenting in the earliest years of families experienced improved wellbeing "Having a Home-start volunteer, to help with my twins, made a huge difference to how I copedpostpartum. Without the 2 hours every week to catch up on tasks, the reassurance received, and the new friend I gained with our volunteer, my mental health would have suffered." - Supported family
CHAIR'S REPORT DOREEN MCNULTY l am pleased to present this year's annual report. It gives an excellent representation of Home-start Southern Oxfordshire's work. We started the year with a new 3-year Strategic Plan in place. One of our early objectives was to adopt a new governing document, as our existing documents required minor updates to bringthem into line with Home-start UK. We hope to complete this during 2025. We submitted our Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to Home- Start UK as required, in April. Our Manager, Linda, developed this with a small group of trustees who continued to meet to furtherthe work set out in the plan. Once again, l am proud to mention that at ourAGM in September2024we celebrated our 35-year anniversary of Home-start Southern Oxfordshire. We had as guest speakerthe then CEO of Home-start UK Peter Grigg. Peter congratulated us on reaching this outstanding milestone achievement. "[My volunteer] has been an absolute staple to our week and has helpedme in so manypositive ways. l almost owe my life to her. I suffered with severe anxiety and..... agoraphobia to the point I did friy shopping online. Now I sidto groups, we go for Walks, I do my shopping in the supermarket and I feel like such a betterMer4on mentally and physically." - Supportedfamily
In May 2024, we submitted our first self-assessment (on 'Protecting Families,) to Home-start UK, as part of the ongoing Quality Assurance process. We continued to work on other standards throughout the year, and there is more detail on these later in thisAnnual Report. Towards the end of theyear Colin, our long-standing Treasurer, let us know that he would be retiring in March. We started the long search for a replacement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Colin for his outstanding contribution to the work of the charity. Colin has steered us through many challenges with his professionalism and integrity. We cannot thank him enough and wish him a very happy retirement! Linda also advised us that she planned to retire in June 2025, so we began the recruitment process for her role too. My thanks go also to Linda, whose year was personally difficult with serious health issues. Even during this time Linda did her utmostto ensure everything in the organisation ran as smoothly as possible. l am pleased to say Linda has made an excellent recovery. Thank you to the wonderful staff team and the amazingvolunteers. The volunteers who work so closely with families, giving theirtime, care, life experiences and empathy. Volunteers should be really proud, that they can, and do, make a significant difference to the lives of the familiestheysupport! My final thank you is to my colleagues on the Trustee Board, who bring a wealth of expertise, professionalism and compassion. I would like to thank Gill Bodey, Vice Chair, for her enormous contribution to the charity's smooth running. In December 2024,1 am pleased to say we welcomed a new trustee, Jan Rimmer. Jan comes from a teaching background and brings lots of additional knowledge, including specialist dyslexia training. She has also been a Home-start home-visiting volunteer.
TREASURER'S REPORT COLIN CAMPBELL The scheme had an overall surplus of £58,000.94 in the year to 31" March 2025. We are pleased to recognise the fantastic support from our largest donors: The Henry Smith Charity of £48,100.00; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust of £38,086.00; BBC Children In Need of £30,000.00; The National Lottery Community Fund of £27,409.58 We have received funding from many town and parish councils, as well as grant-givingtrusts, organisations and individuals. We thank them all. Expenditure was above budget, but this was partly due to additional staffing being recruited to provide the increased level of service available from new sources of funding.
Our reserves policy is to hold sufficient reserves to cover potential liabilities if the scheme was to close, plus anticipated funding requirements for the forthcoming year, plus a general reserve of no more than 12 months of annual income. We had reserves at the financial year end totalling £193,662.03. This is represented by two reserves: a designated reserve of £41,000- to cover a Pension Trust liability and potential liabilities from redundancy payments and closing down costs. a free reserve of £152,662.03, which represents about 8.6 months of the budgeted expenditure for 2025/26. Once again, we offer oursincere thanks to all the organisations, individuals and trusts that have supported us throughout the year, together with all our dedicated staff and volunteers. In particular, ourthanks must go to Faye, whose fundraising endeavours have been outstanding this year, enabling us to receive a record level of income in 2024/25 and funding in 2025/26 sufficient to meet the budget. However, the uncertainties of funding from 2026/27 onwards and the increasing challenges, as we try to maintain the much higher level of service we are supplying, means it would be prudentto maintain this higher level of reserves.
MANAGER'S REPORT LINDA CHEONG 00 This year has been a year of growth. We started this financial year in a brighter place financially from the previous year and we have been able to build and manifest some very exciting developments throughout the year. Faye, our Development Manager has been successful in several funding bids, including multi-year core funding from Children in Need, the National Lottery Community Fund, Step Change Fund and Home-start UK'S partnership with SGN. We have also worked more closely with our sister Home-starts in Oxford and Banbury, Bicester& Chipping Norton. We were successful in a collaborative bid to be part of the Oxford Health 0-19 tender and for the first time we have received funding from health services towards our home-visiting work. Collaboratively, we were also successful in receiving funding from Active Oxfordshire to promote Youmove, which has given us the opportunity to play a pivotal role in their target of rolling out the Youmove card to families with under fives. The card gives access to free or low cost activities at leisure centres and local attractions. Again, this year there was greater demand for our service and we received 153 referrals, up from 126 the previous year. Of the 153 referrals we received we had to decline 42, due to either no volunteer capacity, no staff capacity, lack of engagement from the family orthe family declining support. More than 60 of the referrals we received were for families with increased needs, either in Child Protection Plan (CP), Child in Need (CIN) or Team Around the Family (TAF). 10
"ljust want to say thankyou. Having a volunteer has made such a huge difference. We go with her to Rhyme Time nowandR has come out of his shell- he's talking more and doesn't scream around strangers. I'm getting out for a walk every day." - Supported family 81% of parents reported improved confidence in managing their daily life In May, we said farewell to Lydia, who retired from being a Family Co-ordinator after 5 years of working with us. We like to encourage and allow growth and personal development within our team and Kelly, who was our Administrator and Group Worker, expressed a wish to become a Family Co-ordinator. We provided training, and with support from the rest of the team, Kelly has successfullytaken up this role. This move within the team meant we needed to recruit a new Administrator and we were overjoyed when our previousAdministrator Gill applied again! Ourvolunteers are the backbone of all that we do and we certainly would not be able to offer the support we do without them. We recruited a Volunteer Development Co-ordinator, Janet, who had recently retired from a career within the NHS. The role, focusing on recruitment and stewardship of our volunteers, is already proving successful as we have trained 17 new volunteers this year, compared to 9 the previous year. We now have 51 volunteers. Unfortunately, 7 volunteers retired this year. In March we Sadly said good bye to Gill Jones, who had worked with us for a number of years as a Family Support Worker. We also said goodbye to Janet, who decided to embrace retirement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers, from our Board of Trustees to our Home-visiting and our Group Volunteers. Also, a huge thank you to the staff team who have worked hard and gone above and beyond to support the charity during a turbulent year with staff illness and changes. 11
FAMILY STORY We began support for Mum in November2024. Mum had self-referred as she was really struggling with her mental health, isolation and looking after her two children. At the start of hersupport Mum said: "I have severe mental health problems. Depression and anxiety. My children are the only thing keeping me olive. My daughter has suspected autism, however we have been on the waiting list for an assessment for over 4years. Her behaviour is very challenging on a daily basis. Financially, l arn struggling. My UC does not cover my monthly outgoings anymore. Since moving Greas and moving doctors I feel like all of my mental health history and support hasjust been forgotten (7bout as I seem to be getting nowhere. I don't know anyone in this area now I've moved, so I don't leave the house unless I do the school runs. I'm extremely isolated and lonely." We matched Mum with one of ourtrained home-visiting volunteers. Our volunteer's weekly visits have helped Mum improve her self-esteem and increase her confidence. After7 months of support, Mum recently told us: "My volunteer, R, is absolutely amazingll She has helped me leave the house, access medical services and food bonks which I would never hL7ve done by myselfl Before, I literally didn't leave the house. l even got my food shopping delivered. I didn't even go in myown gardenl Now. .sometimes... I do go to the shop and for a walk with the children by myself And we are always in the garden..) Mymental health is stillpretty awful but with the help of Home- Start I have actually contacted the medical centre to start getting it sorted. I'm very appreciative of the help they have all given me,: 12
MEANINGFUL *L FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING FOR HOME-START
voLUNTEER Q&A< u choos art volunteering. After facing my own challenges as a parent, I was incredibly fortunate to receive support from another dad. Family dynamics have evolved dramatically over the years, with men now playing a much more active role in childcare and running the household, sometimes even without a partner. My hope is to offer the same vital support I received, creating a positive impact for dads, children, and families across the board. 'n three words? Purpose, helpfulness and accomplishment. ardi It's truly rewarding to know you're making a tangible difference with every visit. Sometimes, it's as simple as lending an ear over a cuppa, helpingwith everyday tasks like folding laundry or doingthe washing up, orjust pushing a child on the swings at the local park. For some families, your visit might be the only adult companythey've had in days. These small acts of presence and kindness can mean the world. What would you sayto someone who was thinking about becomin -sta un We, as humans, inherently feel better when we help others. Sacrificing some of mytime for Home-start has brought immense personal benefit, while simultaneously supporting otherfamilies. In turn, if you choose to volunteer with Home-start, it could make a profound difference for you, just as it has for me, and for even more families in our community. 14 Making a difference, one visit at a time
VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT Oxtordshir¢ Could you olunteerforus? 00 In September 2024 we were awarded funding from the Step Change Fund to recruit a Volunteer Development Co- ordinator. This new role was introduced to help us recruit, train and support our volunteers. Janet attended events at libraries in Didcot, Wallingford and Wantage and schools in Grove and Didcot. Janet also attended events at the leisure centres in Abingdon and Thame, often teaming up or networking with partners such as Active Oxfordshire, SODC Active Communities Team and Reducing the Risk. Qrftr*hl Our Januaryvolunteer Preparation Course was one of our most well-attended courses. We also attracted sufficient interest from Janet's buzz-creating hard work to be able to hold another course after Easter. This role also gives us the capacity to hold more volunteer meet-ups, organise further training and ensure our volunteers are taken good care of. Rr Thank you to the Step Change Fund! '1 really enjoyed the course and didn't want it to end! I'm going to miss seeing everybody each week." The heart of Home-start STEP CHANGE FUND 15
OUR GROUPS We held two weekly groups this year which supported 122 families. Home-start Parenting Group This is a small group for referred families who would find attending larger groups difficult. It allows for support tailored to the needs of the individual. Support is provided on topics such as child development, behaviour, diet, weaning, the importance of play, budgeting and meal planning. The aim is to reduce isolation, improve parent-child relationships and increase self-esteem. CASE STUDY A young mum who was living in supported accommodation with a baby boy was experiencing low self-esteem and anxiety. She felt unable to access public transport and was feeling anxious about attending any group. Although initially shy and withdrawn, she attended the group every week. She soon began speaking to the other attendees, took onboard advice and information and even referred the group to some of her housemates! Her confidence grew and she began helping others, referring them to the community larder and offering to meet them there, and even sharingtips for batch cooking! She also began travelling using the bus and the train ! She and her son have now moved into their own place near to family.
11 "The staff are really helpful and friendly. It's been a real lifeline as I was finding being home alone difficult and most othergroups are too expensive" "As the first of our friends to have children, groups like Home-start have been vital for my mental health. Without it, I wouldn't know anyone going through the same things as me right now., - Parent who attended group SOh•M Oxlordshlr• Iiiiiii_lip; I,Iiiiiiiill Home-start Baby & Me First Babies group started the year at Ladygrove Community Centre and then relocated to the District Community Centre at Great Wester Park in Didcot; a new, modern playroom with lots of parking. r2ront Theoldcot Powerhouse Fn ecipie We re-launched the Group as'Baby & Me,. no longerjust for first-time parents. This meant we could welcome back parents who previously attended with their first child. This group continues to offer a safe place for babies to play and give parents and caregivers an opportunity to connect, improving isolation and wellbeing. We welcomed Kath from Didcot Baby Monday who attended 6 sessions and gave advice around feeding, sleep and self-care. We also began holding twins sessions on the first Tuesday of each month. Our two group volunteers, Gill and Helen, continue to be a great support, warmly welcoming parents, carers and babies. 17
FAMILY SUPPORTWORKER During 2024-25 we continued to deliver l-to-l support via our Family Support Worker, Gill, in family homes across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse. The support was flexible and varied to meetthe individual needs of the family. On a few occasions we were able to work with children within their school setting. Support was particularly centred around mental health, providing cognitive behavioural therapy, and family nurturing, using the Family Links Programme. Isolation, low confidence and low self-esteem were also areas of need. Practical help sourcing funds for items such as cookers, washing machines and otherequipment was also given by our Family Support Worker, as well as signposting and making referrals to foodbanks and community larders. Working alongside many other agencies and professionals and attending multi-agency meetings, further ensured that the needs of the families were met. 66Thank you for being a massive part of our lives for the past year, it has made a huge difference to us, and we would not be where we are today without you!?? Supported family "l just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done for us. It really has made a difference to our lives. feel so much more in control of my life and l am able to manage my anxiety a lot better, thanks to your help? support and understanding." Supported family 18
•T4 11 Walt od // // 19
OUR HIGHLIGHTS Anonymous Coffee Co. in Henley raised £180 through donating a percentage of the sales from its Christmas 'Good Will, coffee blend! Thank you! +tP4,M£ ST. 'iRT hlre St Peter's Didcot raised £505 at their quiz night for Home-start Southern Oxfordshire! We gave a 4 talk, entered our own 'Home- Starters for IO, team and even enjoyed some fish and chips! A lovely night- thank you! •CAu Chlldhtsod I C4n'tW• Medlock Grove Didcot Light Up chose us as its charity to support during its Christmas light display! We attended the switching on of the lights on I December and they raised more than £700 for us! Amazing! Thankyou! 20
Tesco in Henley donated new school uniforms and essential household supplies for us to distribute to families in need! Thankyoul li- Thank you to Tesco in Didcot and local charity, Play2Give, who each donated new toys at Christmas to help families struggling over the festive period. 00 The inspirational girls at Didcot Girls, School took part in the school's First Give Project, with one team choosing us as its charityto supportthrough a cake sale and teachers race! Thank you foryoursupport! ause.childhood Can We had a great day at the Abingdon Air& Country Show! Thank you to everyone who came by our stall, donated, picked up a leaflet or took one of ourfree children's books!, 21
ABIG THANKYOU! {:. Thank you to all the grant-giving trusts and foundations; Town and Parish Councils including Didcot Town Council, Abingdon Town Council, Wantage Town Council and Henley-on-Thames Town Council; and individual donors who have generously helped fund Home-start Southern Oxfordshire this year! SUPPORTED BY COMMUNITY FUND NHS CHILDREN IN NEED Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust South Oxfordshire District Council PYE? Hfv.,ME SGN Yaur g••. Out n•t*¢xk. Listening Leaining Leading The Honry Smith Charity VREDROW Thank you to all the families, volunteers past and present, and supporters who donate their expenses, make donations in lieu of birthdays, fundraise andlor make regular donations to the charity often boosted by Gift Aid. Oxfordshire STEP CHANGE FUND Grant WE51EANVALLEY ThwThdcot VETEIiANS FOUNDATION Funtl ecipi¢O IAf'Jr,.'l,l-iiri- COMMUNITY FUND Community We wouldn't be able to support and help struggling families Wlthout people like you. FLiiJfi'. Stronger TESCO Starts• 22
If you would like to donate to or fundraise for Home-start Southern Oxfordshire, we'd love your support! homestart-southernoxfordshire.or .uk fundraise olc SE 23
TRUSTEES & STAFF APRIL 2024- MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES Doreen McNulty, Chair Colin Campbell, Honorary Treasurer Gill Bodey, Vice Chair Helen Conway Caroline Couldrick Abi Reynolds Christine Grandison Jan Rimmer (from December 2024) STAFF Linda Cheong, Manager Anita Davidson, Family Co-ordinator Lydia Davison, Family Co-ordinator Gill Jones, Family Support Worker Faye Golding-King, Development Manager Kelly Summers, Administrator (until June 2024), Family Co-ordinator (from June 2024) and Group Worker Gill Rose, Administrator (from June 2024) Janet Porter, Volunteer Development Co-ordinator (from September 2024) Independent Examiner: Sue Scane, CIPFA 24
HOME-START SAFEGUARDING QUALITY ASSURANCE Home-start Southern Oxfordshire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all trustees, staff, volunteers and members to share this commitment. Our policies on safeguarding children and adults are available on our website. We are proud to be part ofthe Home- Start network. As well as giving us wider publicity and access to specialist support, our membership ensures we are assessed under the Home-start Quality Assurance Standard. This encompasses ten areas of work: Protecting Families; Governance & Leadership; Family Support; Operating a Home-start; Money & Funding; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Quality & Impact; Staff & Volunteers; Brand, Communication & Digital; Partnership & Influence. PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The Trustees have a d,uty to report on the scheme's public benefit. They have taken into account the Charity Comml,ssion's guidance on public benefit in planningthe year's activities. This report demonstrates how Home-start Southern Oxfordshire fulfils its charitable objectives. We are currently submitting self- assessments of our practice in the above areas, for monitoring by Home- Start UK, and all four submitted so far have been approved. RISK MANAGEMENT The trustees have assessed the major risks to which Home-start Southern Oxfordshire is exposed, in particular those relating to finances and operations, and believe that arrangements are in place to mitigate those risks. 25
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire IA company limited by guarantee) Charity information and reference details Reglstered Charity Number Registered Company Number 1113941 05443274 (England and Wales) Trustees (Director5) The Trustees who Served during the year are listed on page 24 Staff The staff who served during the year are also listed on page 24 Registered office 197 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire. OXII 8RU. Website www.homestart-southernoxfordshire.org.uk Independent examlner Susan Scane CIPFA 151 Lydalls Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire. OXII 7EA Bankers CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent. ME19 4JQ, www.homestart.south¢rnoxfordshire.org.uk 26
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Registered Charity No.. 1113941 Company Registration No.. 05443274 Governing document Home-start Southern Oxfordshire is a company limited by guarantee (No. 05443274) and a registered charity (No. 11139411 governed by its articles of association. Previously Home-start Southern Oxfordshire operated as charity number 1006230. The existing charitable company was formed on 4 May 2005. Dirertors and trustees The Directors of a charitable company stand in place of the Trustees for the purposes of Charity Law, and throughout the above pages of the Annual Report and Financial Statement5 are collectively referred to as the Trustees. The Trustees who served during the year are listed on page 24. Charitsble objects The charitable object5 of the Charity are.. to safeguard, protect and presenie the good health, both mental and physical, of children and parents/ca rers of children. to prevent cruelty to or maltreatment of children; to relieve sickness, poverty and need amongst children and parentslcarers of children; to promote the education of the public In better standards of chlld care; within the area of southern Oxfordshire and its environs. Activities The Charity fulfils its objects by means of the actrvities listed on page 2 Achievements and performance For a description of our achievements and performance during the year, and our impact, see pages 3 to 21 Report of the Chair of the Trustees See pages 6 to 7 Treasurer's report and reserves pollcy See pages 8 to 9 Manager's report See pages 10 to 11 Publlc benefit statement, quality assurance, safeguarding and rlsk management See page 25 Plans for the future period The charity seeks to assist increasing numbers of families through home-visits in the coming period, undertaken by its network of trained volunteers. In addition, we aim to help families access groups and resources in their local communities, either providinE these ourselves or through close links with other like-minded organisations. We are aware that some current multi-year funding grant5 will come to an end from 2026127 onward5, and we are making contingency plans to cover projected funding shortFalls. www.home5tart.southernoxfordshire.org.u.k 27
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Registered Charity No: 1113941 Company Registration No: 05443274 Statement of Trustees, responsibilities Cornpany and charity law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the Surplus or deficit of the Charity in that period. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees have: Selected suitable accounting policies and applied them consistently; Made judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,. Stated whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; Prepared the financial statements on a going-concern basis. The Trustees have over311 responsibility for ensuring that the Charity has an appropriate system of controls, financial and otherwise. They are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose wlth reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply wlth the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the detection and prevention of fraud and other Irregularities. This report is prepared In accordance with the speclal provisions of the Companles Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies. This report was approved by the Trustees on l October 2025 and signed on its behalf, by: Robert Fraser Treasurer and Company Secretary www.homestart-sovthernoxford5hire.org.uk >>J> 28
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Registered Charity No: 1113941 Company Registration No: 05443274 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Home-start Southern Oxfordshire I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Home-start Southern Oxfordshire {'the Charity,), for the year ended 31 March 2025. which are Set out on pages 31 and 32. Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examlner As the Charity's Trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act'l. The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 14412) of the Act and that an independent examination is needed. Having satisfied myself that the Charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act follow all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)Ibl of the Act; and - state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Independent examiner's statement The Charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to undertake the examination by beln8 a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFAI. I have completed my examinatton. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which glves me cause to believe that In, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter consided as part of an independent examinatlon. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinatton to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Susan Scane CIPFA Independent examiner Date: 2ty.9.ZS 151 Lydalls Road, Didcot, OXII 7EA www.homestart.5QUthernoxfordshire.org.uk 29
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Re8lStered Charity No.. 1113941 Registered Company No.. 05443274 {England and Wales) INCOME & EXPENDITURE FOR 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2025- £.p Unrestricted funds Restricted fund5 2025 Total funds 2024 Total funds INCOME Active Oxfordshire Youmove Albert Hunt Charity BBC Children In Need Didcot Powerhouse Fund Didcot Town Council Henry Smith Foundation J A Pye Charitable Settlement National Lottery Community Fund OCF Better Mental Health Fund Oxford Health NHS10-191 Oxfordshire Community Foundation POD Charity Grant SGN Fuelling Futures.. Home-start South Oxfordshire District Cou ncil Step Chan8e Fund The Beechln8 Trust The Tambour Foundatlon Veterans Foundation Small Council Grants lu nder £5kl Other Donations & Fundraising 10,584.58 6,000.00 30,000.00 10,584.58 6,000.00 30,000.00 4,157.00 5,518.00 8,000.00 47,200.00 5,000.00 5,250.00 48,100.00 5,000.00 27,409.58 3,520.33 38,086.00 4,256.00 5,250.00 48,100.00 5,000.00 27,4Q9.58 3,520.33 38,086.00 4,256.00 8.033.00 22,994.74 4,302.00 8,227.00 4,302.00 8,227.00 16,500.00 4,166.67 8,227.00 16,500,00 4,166.67 25.000.00 22,500.00 6.095.00 32,294.57 7,500.00 7,500.00 7,190.00 28,118.80 7,190.00 28,118.80 TOTAL INCOME 230.210.96 24,000.00 254,210.96 195.019.31 EXPENDITURE AGM Computtng Home-start UK Consultancy Insurance Rent15ervice Char8e Room Hire Staff Salaries Staff Training Staff Travel & Expenses Stationery / Photocopier / Post / Telephone Volunteers Travel & Expense5 Volunteers Training Other Expenditure 242.67 4,322.65 4,016.10 1,124.61 10.969.78 1,925.30 136,089.55 294.02 3,027.77 3.331.47 1,749.76 375.73 4.740.62 33.82 602.42 559,70 156.73 1,528.80 268.32 18,966.08 40.98 421.96 464.29 243.86 52.36 660.67 276.49 4,925.07 4,575.80 1,281.34 12,498.58 2.193.62 155,055.63 335.00 3,449.73 3.795.76 1,993.62 428.09 5,4Ql.29 501.47 4,845.95 3,306.76 1,469.09 11.676.59 1,099.93 134,156.49 712.33 3,000.00 3,419.11 1,896.33 340.00 2,593.97 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 172,210.02 24,000.00 196,210.02 169,018.02 SURPLUS/IDEFICIT) 58,000.94 0.00 58,000.94 26,001.29 RECONCIUATION OF FUNDS Total fund5 brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 135,661.09 193.662.03 135.661.09 193,662.03 109,659.80 135,661.09 www.homestart-5QUthernoxfordshire.org.yk 30
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire BALANCE SHEET 31 March 2025 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2025 Total funds 2024 Total funds CURRENT ASS5 Debtors and Prep3yments 847.57 847.57 412.10 Cash at Bank and In Hand 244,841.91 244,841.91 171,940.75 245,689.48 245,689.48 172,352.85 CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors, Accruals & Payments in Advance 52,027.45 52,027.45 36,691.76 NET ASSETS/(LIABILITIES) 193,662.03 193,662.03 135,661.09 FUNDS Unrestricted funds Designated reserve to cover bud8eted deficit5 in forthcomin8 years Desi8nated reserve to cover Pension Deficit / Redundancy / Closing Down Free Reserves 41,000.00 152,662.03 41.000.00 94,661.09 Restrlrted funds Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS 193,662.03 135,661.09 For the financial year ending 31 March 2025 the Charity was entltled to exemption from audlt under section 477 ofthe Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. Directors. responslblllfjes,, The members have not required the Charlty to obtain an audit of Its accounts for the year In question in accordance with sectlon 476,. and The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complylng with the requirements of the Act with respect to accountln8 records and the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to cornpanie5 subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on l October 2025. and signed on their behalf by.. Robert Fraser Treasurer and Company Secretary www.homestart-southernoxfordshire.org.uk 31
Home-start Southern Oxfordshire Registered Charity No.- 1113941 Registered Company No.. 05443274 (England and Wale51 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS l. Accounting policies The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime under the Companies Act 2006 and on an accruals basis. 2. Company status The company is a company limited by guarantee with no Sha capital. The liability of members in the event of winding up is limited to £1. 3. Related party transactlons There were no related-party transact5ons during the year requirlng disclosure under the Companies Act 2CK)6. 4. Creditors and accruals Included wlthln creditors are amounts relatln8 to grant income received In advance for the following financlal year and accrued service charge costs relatin8 to the year ended 31 March 2025 but invoiced after the year end. 5. Exemptlons The company has taken advantage of the small companies, exemptions in preparing these accounts. 6. Golng concern The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the Charity. 7. Trustees remuneratlon and expenses No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration or expenses from the Charity durin8 the year. 8. Staff costs The aggregate payroll costs of staff employed during the year were £155,05612024: £134,156) The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows.. 2025 2024 Charitable activities Fundraising & Communications Support services Total All seven members of staff were part-time. The full-time equivalent number of staff wa5 512024." 5} www,homestart-50Uthernoxford5hire.org.uk >>>) 32
ME ST*.RT Home-start Southern Oxfordshire 197 Broadway Didcot Southern OXII 8RU Oxfordshire 01235 511152 HomeStartSouthernOxfordshire homestart-southernoxfordshire.org.uk www Home-start Southern Oxfordshire is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales Number 05443274 Registered Charity Number 1113941