## TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31st March 2024
Company No. 6349436 Charity No. 1121106
Registered Office: 34 Seaside Avenue, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8BY
## CONTENTS
1. Front Cover and Contents 2-5 Achievements and Performance 6. Responsibilities and Policies 7. Company Information 8. Statement of Financial Activities 9. Balance Sheet 10-11. Notes to the Financial Statements 12. Independent Examiner’s Report
1
## Achievements and Performance
## Overcoming challenges
This has been another challenging year for ESY and local young people. The cost-of-living crisis continued to impact many of our service users and their families, the number of young people with mental health issues has again increased, and we saw a rise in anti-social behaviour and youth violence.
Securing suitable venues became a problem, compounded by the loss of the use of Chesham House and Sompting Big Local Hub. Following loss of access to Chesham House in June 2023, we came up with a new scheme whereby we offered free, activities on a Saturday afternoon. Young people booked onto these in advance and because they change each week and locations are not publicised, there is minimal risk of them being impacted by young people wishing to cause disruption. These activities proved to be very successful and we ran sessions including pottery making and painting, bowling, pantomime trips, board game café trips, social pizza parties and ice skating.
We had hoped to use a building in Monks Rec, used by WBC (an organisation brought in by Lancing Parish Council) however it soon became clear this would not be a safe location for our sessions for several reasons including its isolated location in an unlit playing field and there being no separate break out rooms for us to use.
We continued to use Adur West Family Hub for Thursday Sessions thanks to the support of West Sussex County Council. For Saturday activities needing a local space, we have been using halls at both St Michael’s and St Peter’s churches.
During the period, we have noticed a rise in youth violence, as well as shoplifting and underage drinking. We carried out risk assessments on our various provisions to ensure we are working as safely as possible, and we sought advice from other organisations involved in youth violence. We continued to work with the police, councils and other agencies tackling these issues.
Despite the impact these have had on our service provision, we continued to adapt to the challenges and where necessary, changed modes of service delivery so we can continue to support local young people effectively and safely.
## Increased need
The need for our services continues to rise to levels above what we are currently able to provide. Over the year, we have found that demand for our Young Carers support has increased with new young carers being identified on a regular basis.
During the year we started supplying food (donated by the foodbank for service user families) to families in acute need. We noticed an increase for this need in young people who have left the school and are no longer supported by school systems. We responded by supplying food to these young people and their families.
Mental health problems continued to increase, and we found new ways to adapt to the rise in demand. We increased the number of emergency “acute” sessions our counsellor offers during the week. In addition, through a grant we established a Mental Health Champions programme at the local secondary school where several older students undertook training and became mental health mentors to their young peers.
## Our service provision
At the end of 2023 we had 168 young people registered with us with a good distribution of different age ranges from academic years 7-13 of secondary school/sixth form and college. We met the needs of our service users by running the following provision:
2
Our youth forum continued to meet and play an active role in planning the work we do to ensure that remained relevant and helpful to local young people. Membership covered our service user age range and included young people from our youth Sessions and activities, mental health support programme, LGBT+ and allies sessions and young carers. This representation meant that we ensured our work was truly being youth-led by service users who have experience of the different aspects of our work.
Bolt Hole sessions took place on a Friday after school at the Sompting Big Local Hub until July 2023. This offered young people support and the chance to freely discuss any issues they were having. We also provided drinks and snacks and a warm place for young people which has been important during the continuing cost-of-living crisis.
During the year staff and our safeguarding lead trustee undertook Allyship training through Allsorts Youth Project to better understand the needs of young people from the LGBT+ community. As a result of this training, we begun to run a weekly LGBT+ and allies session at the local secondary academy.
During the year, we started a work experience programme in our charity shop for young people aged 14-18. This programme offered young people a three-month placement where they worked in our charity shop for a couple of hours each week (supervised by a youth worker). Here, they learnt skills such as using the till, decorating shop windows and customer service skills. At the end of the placement, we provided the young person with a report to say what skills they have learnt, and we will also be able to provide references for them for future jobs they apply for.
Our 2023 school summer holiday activities were very successful and well supported and included: Young Carers activities, two Skate Jam events, crazy golf, beach meet ups, sports afternoon, trips to Jump In Fun and Thorpe Park, ten pin bowling and Go Karting.
We also helped at the Space At The Table scheme, a community project providing free hot meals to families in need over school holidays.
We continued to commission a six-week programme of 1-2-1 mental health counselling sessions from Your Space Therapies. In addition, Your Space also provided drop-In counselling sessions for young people who require immediate assistance or do not wish to see a counsellor on a structured regular basis.
ESY youth workers also offered mental health safe space chats, a drop-in service for ESY members run from SRWA where ESY members needing mental health support can drop in to speak to our youth workers. In addition, group support sessions were also delivered.
We provided young carers support through two youth workers based at Sir Robert Woodard Academy. The service took place all-day on a Wednesday and on Friday mornings. Young carers working with us get a chance to talk to our staff on a 1-2-1 basis about their caring duties, how they are feeling and coping, and any difficulties they are facing. We liaised with the pastoral staff at the school where this was required.
Our detached youth work programme has proved extremely effective in reaching young people on their own turf and through it, we have young people who have come to access our other services. During the winter months, we used our detached work as a way of checking in on the welfare of young people who were out and about during the cold snaps. We often have young people seeking out the ESY mobile van for a drink, a snack and a general chat.
Over the course of the year, we ran on average 3 detached sessions each week. We use our mobile provision van for at least two of these detached sessions.
Under our detached banner, we organised two very successful Skate Jams during the Easter and school summer holidays at the skate park on Beach Green. We have had several young people assist us with running these events. We also teamed up with South Coast Skate Club to run these.
3
We maintained strong community ties with Lancing Parish Council, Adur and Worthing Councils, West Sussex County Council, Sir Robert Woodard Academy, the police and numerous other local organisations such as Keep Lancing Lovely and Men in Sheds to enable us to keep up to date with known local hot spots and individuals to look out for and engage with whilst out on detached. When appropriate, we signposted young people to other organisations or reported any concerns to the Contextual Safeguarding Coordinator for Adur and Worthing.
## Working with the community
We encourage young people to take an active interest in their local community. Supported by our community partnership youth worker, young people have taken part in a range of community activities.
In July some of our young people went to the Fabric Community Garden to harvest some of the early vegetables they had been helping to grow for the local community and to used by Space At The Table (SATT)
In August, we participated in SATT, a community project involving seven local organisations, which provided free hot meals in holidays to foodbank users and families who would normally rely on free school meals.
In February, a group of ESY young people visited to the Drumconner residential home to meet with residents as part of our community and intergenerational work. All ESY staff and young people had a great time - thank you to the Drumconner staff and residents for making us feel so welcome.
During 2023, we were Lancing Business Park’s charity of the year were several companies provided practical support or organised fundraising events such as a charity Bake Off. As their chosen charity of the year, we were also invited to their AGM where our community partnership youth worker was asked to speak to local businesses about our work.
ESY staff and young people have also worked hard collecting crisp packets, biscuit wrappers and sweet wrappers which we recycle via Recycling in Lancing, an organisation that recycles these items via commercial recycling streams. Any money that Recycling in Lancing receives from these waste streams is then donated to local community groups and organisations including ESY.
We also met with the leader of a local dementia group to design a dementia friendly garden for members of the group. The young people had some amazing ideas focusing on a multi-sensory experience for garden users with bright flowers, wind chimes and aromatic plants and herbs.
In December we held an intergenerational board game afternoon run in conjunction with ESTEEM at Lancing Parish Hall. ESY and LPC also ran a Christmas community film event that was very well attended.
Other events ESY has participated in are the Lancing village trails, the local coronation celebrations, the SRWA summer fayre and Lancing Remembrance Sunday parade. We hope that by encouraging young people to participate in community events, young people will feel valued in the community. These events are also very important as they show young people in a positive light at a time where there are a lot of negative feelings towards young people due to the problems in Lancing.
## Grant income
As the cost of living is increasing, so is the cost of providing our services. Whilst the majority of our funding is from the Lottery Community Fund. In December 2023, we secured £334,575 funding over three years from the Lottery Community. This will ensure that we will be able to maintain our core youth services.
However, we continued to apply for funding to fill other areas of our work and received grants from Adur Community Grants, Sompting Big Local, Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation, Safer in
4
Sussex Community Fund and Sussex Community Foundation as the tapered elements of the Lottery grant ends
In December we received more than £750 from the Railway in Lancing, following their grand launch party in August.
## Securing the future
From September, in partnership with Adur Voluntary Action, we begun the search for new premises in Lancing which would offer both suitable office conditions for our staff but also central location to run some of our smaller youth sessions.
We also realised the need to development the work of the charity and to ensure that its systems and structures were robust and future-proof. In February 2024, we appointed an Interim CEO who presented an action plan for change which would be implemented during the 2024/25 financial year.
In addition, we continued to search for new Trustees to join our Board of Directors and towards the end of the year we were delighted to welcome two new colleagues.
5
## Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
Law requires the Directors for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, to prepare Financial Statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charitable Company and of the net incoming and outgoing resources of the Charitable Company for that period. In preparing those Financial Statements, the Directors are required to: -
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- Prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charitable Company will continue to operate.
The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charitable Company and enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charitable Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
## Constitution
The Company was incorporated on 21st August 2007 and registered with the Charity Commission on 9th October 2007 (registration number 1121106).
## Objects
The objects of the Charitable Company are to advance life and relieve the needs of young people. This will be achieved by providing recreational and leisure time activities and support which aims to develop skills, capacities, and capabilities to enable young people to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals. The charity will be promoting education and looking for ways to relieve unemployment. This is summed up in our mission statement “Supporting teenagers now, laying foundations for the future.”
## Public Benefit
Electric Storm Youth Limited welcomes all young people (aged 11-19) on an equal opportunities’ basis (regardless of faith, gender, or personal circumstances). We believe in encouraging young people to belong to a community by developing their self-confidence and helping them aspire to achieve in life.
## Tangible fixed asset and depreciation
No tangible fixed assets are held which require depreciation.
## Reserves Policy
As per the Electric Storm Youth Reserves Policy, we are holding 6 months of full running costs in reserve. This figure is reviewed annually at our yearly budget review.
## Risk Management
The trustees are accountable under the Articles of Association, which incorporates company and charity law. The financial liability of individual members of the Charity is limited to the £1 membership contribution. The Directors will prepare and / or approve all relevant policies as becomes necessary as the charity achieves its objectives.
## Appointment of Trustees
The Articles of Association provide for a minimum of two and no maximum number of Directors. Directors do not have a specified time-limit on their appointment.
6
## Company Information
Patron
Mr. Tim Loughton MP
Directors
Mrs Joy Hartley Dr David Peskett Mrs Marion Peskett Mrs Karen Rance (until 31 March 2024) Mr Ian Tout Mrs Sylvia Knight
Business Address
34 Seaside Avenue Lancing West Sussex BN15 8BY
Company Number 6349436
Charity Number 1121106
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and was approved by the Board of Directors on 24 October 2024
Marion Peskett Chair of Board of Directors
7
## **ELECTRIC STORM YOUTH LIMITED (a company limited by guarantee) Registration number 06349436 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (including income and expenditure account)**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
|**Unrestricted**
**Note**
**funds**
**£**
**Incoming resources**
**Incoming resources from generated funds**
Voluntary income
Giving
2,238
Donations
2
2,436
Gift Aid
Legacies
0
Activities for generating funds
Fundraising events
118
Investments income
Interest receivable
2,960
Incoming resources from charitable activities
3
35,383
**Total incoming resources**
**43,135**
**Resources expended**
**Charitable activities**
Youth work provision
4,641
Fundraising
300
Staffing Costs
29,846
Grant funding
Office, printing, postage, stationery and phone
3,093
Training courses
669
Publicity, promotion and website
1,942
Travel and accommodation
0
Insurance
1,630
Shop
23,166
Business Development
236
Professional fees
675
**Governance costs**
Legal registrations
13
Resources and administration
0
**Total resources expended**
**66,211**
**Net incoming resources / (resources expended)**
**-23,076**
**before transfers**
**Transfer**
-23,076
Fund balances brought forward at 1 April 2023
26,605
Fund balances carried forward at 31 March 2024
**3,529**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
0
98,841
**98,841**
19,718
75,643
7,581
1,655
1,100
0
0
**105,697**
**-6,856**
-6,856
157,371
**150,515**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
2,238
2,436
0
0
118
2,960
134,224
**141,976**
24,359
300
105,489
7,581
4,748
669
1,942
0
2,730
23,166
236
675
13
0
**171,908**
**-29,932**
-29,932
183,976|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
2,081
5,311
0
8,993
107
**576**
**102,564**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**119,632**|
||||12,981
6
105,149
0
4,823
698
2,181
0
2,480
22,121
0
167
0
400|
||||**151,006**|
||||**-31,374**|
||||-31,374
215,350|
|||**154,044**|183,976|
8
## **ELECTRIC STORM YOUTH LIMITED (a company limited by guarantee) Registration number 06349436 BALANCE SHEET**
## **AS AT 31 MARCH 2024**
||||**2024**||**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||
|Tangible assets|5||0||0|
|**Current assets**||||||
|Cash at bank and in hand||154,044||183,976||
|Debtors||||0||
|||154,044||183,976||
|**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|6|||||
|**Net current assets**|||154,044||183,976|
|**Total assets less current liabilities**|||154,044||183,976|
|**Net Assets**|||154,044||183,976|
|**Represented by:**||||||
|Unrestricted funds|7||3,529||34,669|
|Restricted funds|7||150,515||180,681|
|**Members' funds**|||154,044||215,350|
In approving these financial statements as directors of the company we hereby confirm:
a) that for the year stated above the company was entitled to the exemption conferred by Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006;
b) that no notice has been deposited at the registered office of the company pursuant to Section 476 requesting that an audit conducted for the year ended 31 March 2024; and
c) that we acknowledge our responsibilities for:
- 1) ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with Section 386; and
2) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the year then ended in accordance with the requirements of Section 393 and which otherwise comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008)
These financial statements were approved by the board and authorised for issue on 24 October 2024
Marion Peskett Chairman
9
**ELECTRIC STORM YOUTH LIMITED (a company limited by guarantee) Registration number 06349436 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
## **1 Accounting policies**
## _Basis of accounting_
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical costs convention and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued in March 2005.
## _Company status_
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. In the events of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity.
## _Fund accounting_
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the directors in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the directors for particular purposes.
Restricted funds are subjected to specific restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donors or through the terms of an appeal.
## _Incoming resources_
Incoming resources are accounted for on an accruals basis, being mainly donated income.
## Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised on an accurals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.
Governance costs are those expended on the governance of the charity rather than those associated with the general running of fundraising activities.
## _Tangible fixed asset and depreciation_
None
|**2 Donations**
Personal Donations
Restricted Donations
Legacies|**Total**
**General**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
2,436
**2,436**
0
**0**
0
**0**
**2,436**
**2,436**|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
5,311
0
8,993|
|---|---|---|
|||**14,304**|
10
**ELECTRIC STORM YOUTH LIMITED**
**(a company limited by guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024**
## **3 Restricted Fund Incoming resources from charitable activities**
|Grants
Residentials
National Lottery Community Fund
Restricted fundraising|**General**
**£**
33,400
0
61,772
0
95,172|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**33,400**
**0**
**61,772**
**0**
95,172|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
18,990
430
47,523
0|
|---|---|---|---|
||||66,943|
## **4 Directors remuneration and expenses**
No remuneration directly or indirectly out of funds of the charity was paid or payable for the year to any trustee or to any person known to be connected to them. The directors also acted as charity trustees during the year.
## **5 Fixed Assets**
|**Cost**
At 1 April 2023
Additions at cost
At 31 March 2024
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2023
Depreciation charge
At 31 March 2024
**Net Book Value**
At 31 March 2023
At 31 March 2024
**6 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other creditors
**7 Analysis of net assets between funds**
**Restricted funds**
**Unrestricted Funds**
General|-
**Tangible**
**fixed assets**
0
0
0
**0**|**Sports**
**equipment**
**£**
0
0
-
0
**0**
-
**Net current**
**assets**
150,515
150,515
3,529|**Computer**
**equipment**
**£**
0
0
0
-
0
0
**0**
-
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
0
0
**Total**
**2024**
**150,515**
**150,515**
**3,529**
**154,044**|**Total**
**£**
0
0|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**0**|
|||||0|
||||||
||||||
|||||**0**|
|||||-|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
0|
|||||0|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
148,378|
|||||148,378|
|||||**35,598**|
|||**154,044**||**183,976**|
11
Independent Examiner's Report
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiners
report on the accounts
Sectlon A
Independent Examlner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
Electric Storm Youth Limited
On accounts for the year
ended
31 sl March 2024
Charity no
(rf any)
1121106
Company reg
06349436
Set out on pages
6t09
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (-the Trust") for the year ended 3110312024
Responsibllities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for Ihe preparatior
basis of report of the accounts in accordance viith the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 ("the Act").
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Aci and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Direclions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5Xb> of the Act.
I have completed my examinalion. I confirm that no material matleis have
come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me
cause to believe that in, any material respect."
accounting records were not kept in accordance wilh section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not aCCd with the accounting re¢d5
Independent
examiner's statement
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
wilh the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enablÉ
proper understanding of the acccwnts to be reached.
Slgned:
Date:
19th October 2024
Name:
Rosanne Nulty CPFA: CMIIA.
Relevant professional
quallficatlon{s) or body
(rf any):
Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy - Full Member
Inslilute of Inlemal Auditors - Full Member
Address:
135 Stamford Road
Kettering
NN16 8YA
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC3
Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for
examiners).
Give here brief details of
any Items Ihat the
examiner wishes to
disclose.
None
13