Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd (a company limited by guarantee)
Annual Report
Year Ended
31 March 2025
Company Number 06036050 Charity Number 1122063
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
Self Help Services Ltd
Contents
Page:
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1 Legal and administrative information
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2 Directors' and trustees' report
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7 Statement of trustees' responsibilities 8 Independent auditor's report
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12 Statement of financial activities
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13 Balance sheet
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14 Notes to the financial statements
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Legal and administrative information for the year ended 31 March 2025
Self Help Services Ltd
| Directors and Trustees | |
|---|---|
| of the charity: | M Fitzgibbon |
| F Selvan | |
| E Robinson | |
| S Islam (resigned 21 October 2024) | |
| M Naraynsingh | |
| M Burrows (resigned 1 April 2025) | |
| Secretary: | M Fitzgibbon |
| Principal and | |
| Registered Office: | Zion Community Resource Centre |
| 339 Stretford Road | |
| Manchester | |
| England | |
| M15 4ZY | |
| Company number: | 06036050 |
| Charity number: | 1122063 |
| Website | www.selfhelpservices.org.uk |
| Constitution: | The charity is registered as a company limited by |
| guarantee. The governing documents are the | |
| company's Memorandum and Articles of Association. | |
| Bankers: | Santander |
| Bridle Road | |
| Bootle | |
| Merseyside | |
| L30 4GB | |
| External Auditor: | Menzies LLP |
| One Express | |
| 1 George Leigh Street | |
| Manchester | |
| M4 5DL |
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Directors' and trustees’ report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Self Help Services Ltd
The directors and trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Legal and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting and Reporting by Charities".
1 Structure, Governance and Management
Status
Self Help Services Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Directors and Trustees
The Trustees serving during the year were as follows.
M Fitzgibbon F Selvan E Robinson S Islam (resigned 21 October 2024) M Naraynsingh M Burrows (resigned 1 April 2025)
Recruitment and Training of Trustees
As set out in the Articles of Association, the Chair and other Trustees are appointed by The Big Life Company Limited by sending a notice in writing to the Charity.
The training and induction of new Trustees is the responsibility of the Chair and is tailored to the individual needs of new appointees. All Trustees have an individual meeting with the Chair each year to discuss training and development needs.
The Standing Orders of the charity give details of the decisions which are made at Board level and the powers delegated to the management team.
Organisational Management
The Board of Trustees evaluate and agree the priorities of the organisation as a whole and sub committees of the Board determine the general policies. Self Help Services Ltd works as part of the Big Life Group of social businesses and charities. Each year it agrees a Service Level Agreement with The Big Life Company Limited for the operational management of the charity.
Risk Management
The directors have identified the risks that the charity may be exposed to in the next financial year and have established strategies to mitigate those risks. A risk management process is in place whereby risks are identified and profiled against likelihood and consequence, with actions put in place. Each risk is assigned to a member of the Senior Management Team.
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Self Help Services Ltd
Directors' and trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
Key Management Personnel - Remuneration
Self Help Services Ltd considers its key management personnel to be trustees and senior leadership of the group. Full costs are borne by The Big Life Company Limited and disclosed in those accounts. The costs of the charity’s key management personnel relating to Self Help Services Ltd are paid for as part of an overall service level agreement with The Big Life Company Limited that is annually agreed by Self Help Services Ltd trustees. Remuneration of the senior leadership within the group is set by the group’s Audit & Remuneration Committee based on benchmarking against comparable external organisations.
2 Objectives of the charity
The charity's object and principal activity is to promote the relief and rehabilitation of persons affected by mental ill health by provision of self-help initiatives.
3 Statement of public benefit
The Trustees have given due consideration to Charity Commission published guidance on the operation of the public benefit requirement. Full details of the public benefit provided by the charity are detailed in the review of activities in section 4.
4 Review of activities and future development
Self Help Services Ltd (SHS) is a mental health charity delivering primary care mental health services and selfhelp initiatives. It delivers guided self-help, counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, e- therapy and a range of workshops and peer support groups for NHS Manchester, Stockport, Salford, Trafford, Eastern Cheshire, and Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale. We are lead partner in the Tameside Living Well service. During 202425 SHS worked with 21,488 people across our Talking Therapies services. Treatment was delivered in a number of ways including face to face, telephone, online or via video conferencing. All Talking Therapies introduced an online Choose and Book system and are monitoring its impact.
Talking Therapies Eastern Cheshire implemented a new group first model, which led to a reduction in waiting times. They also implemented a new AI assessment tool (Limbic) which has high satisfaction rates and will be adopted across Talking Therapy services next year. In Manchester TT services have had a 10% increase in self-referrals but has still met its targets. A pilot of a Patient Led Appointment Scheduling approach has started with Manchester University.
It was decided to streamline the legal structures and merge the two charities, Self Help Services and Big Life Centres. From the 1st of April 2025, Big Life Services will be the renamed charity
5 Principal risks and uncertainties
The board identified several inherent risks to the business and approved the controls to manage them. The highest risks relate to changes in contracts, inflationary pressures on costs and risks to clients including death and safeguarding. The financial risks were controlled through maintaining close relationships with commissioners to manage impact of inflationary pay awards, and tight budgetary management. A number of new initiatives have been introduced to reduce costs of energy. The client risk management was enhanced in year by the introduction of a new Incident Management System and the implementation of the new NHS PSIRF incident review approach. Client risk is overseen by the Quality Committee, chaired by the Board Medical Director.
The main Strategic Risk identified related to growth and supporting people to engage through increased use of technology. The Risk and Audit Committee have overseen the areas of business development and scrutinized business plans/investment proposals. The Risk and Audit Committee also monitors the Emergent Risk Register. 14 risks have been mitigated throughout the year including the risk of losing contracts, escalating insurance costs, and risks of transferring data when moving to a new system.
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Self Help Services Ltd
Directors' and trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
In June 2024, following an election, a new government was formed, and it has started to reshape the public sector. The Board recognizes that there are both opportunities and risks for the group in the NHS ten year plan, public sector financial restraints and uncertain economic outlook. The rise of far right extremist groups and election success of political parties that have an ideology of blaming immigration is also a risk to the communities and mission of the Big Life group.
The Board reviews all risks annually and receives reports from Risk and Audit quarterly. The new Business Plan for 2025-30 set new strategic objectives which have been approved by the Board and the associated risks, mitigations and controls identified.
6 Related parties
The charity forms part of the " Big Life Group " of social enterprises and charities. This includes The Big Life Company Limited , a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, of which one of the company's directors, F Selvan, is the sole guarantor.
The group also includes Big Life Centres and Big Issue North Trust Ltd.
Big Life Centres is an independent charity which offers opportunities to people who have had a raw deal in life to change their lives for the better.
Big Issue North Trust Ltd is an independent charity within the Big Life Group and provides services to vendors of The Big Issue In the North magazine; including assistance with access to health care services, accommodation and addiction services.
7 Financial Review
In the year income totalled £14,235,091 (2024: £15,573,264) and expenditure totalled £14,198,564 (2024: £15,604,616). At the year-end total funds amounted to £1,361,754 (2024: £1,325,277) all of which were unrestricted.
8 Key performance indicators
Targets are set and are monitored during the year, and their progress included within the Board Reports. They are categorised under three objectives:
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We will work with more people and places to create opportunities and inspire change
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We will be a good business with our social mission at the heart of all we do
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We will have an organisation that enables us to work in the Big Life Way
9 Reserves policy
At the year end the Reserves Policy is reviewed for all companies in the Group.
The aim of Reserves is to:
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Reduce the risks to service delivery and operations should income levels fall for a period.
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Allow entry into new projects and initiatives that require investment, be paid in arrears or that may not be profitable in the early periods.
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Facilitate investment in capital assets
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Ensure that, should a contract end, funds are available to allow redeployment of staff.
Reserve Level
Target free reserves (Unrestricted Funds less Fixed Assets) are based on one months’ salary level and one month’s non-pay expenditure (excluding non-cash items). The aim is to build up reserves that level where possible. If the level of reserves at the end of a financial year exceeds the target aim, then plans will be made to ensure that excess reserves are utilised.
The current target level of reserves based on 2024/25 costs is £1.2m and the actual level of free reserves at 31 March 2025 was £1.4m (2024 - £1.3m).
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Self Help Services Ltd
Directors' and trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
10 Future developments
The Big Life Group is in the business of changing lives and we fight inequality by working with people and places to create opportunities and inspire change. All our services work with people to support areas of their life and help remove obstacles which are barriers to individuals in changing their life for the better. We help people see the skills and support they already have so that they can build on it and reach their full potential.
Our work is done in the Big Life Way namely:
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Community led : We work with people and communities to change the things they want to change, build on their strengths, and respond to their aspirations.
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First class : We believe all people deserve a first-class service which develops their resilience, is led by them, and responds to their priorities.
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Listen, learn and change : We know that we can always improve. We listen and learn from the people we work with and the world around us to take action to change things that aren’t right.
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Never give up : Everyone has the capacity to change, but we know it’s not always easy. That’s why we celebrate every achievement, and we never give up.
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People not problems : We work with people on all areas of their lives. We see the skills and potential in everyone and value their life experience.
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Tread new ground : We are not afraid to tread new ground and innovate to respond to new challenges.
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Work in partnership : We work in partnership with people and other organisations to achieve more together than we can alone.
The Group’s Business Plan 2020-25 has identified three key work priorities over the next five years which include
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(1) To work with more people and places to create opportunities and inspire change:
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To work with more people to support them in all areas of their life.
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To have volunteer opportunities in every service,
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To increase the opportunities for people to engage with our services through the use of technology, such as online chats, video conferencing and virtual reality.
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To develop place-based plans for every area we work in and develop partnerships and integrated working.
(2) We will be a ‘good’ business with our social mission at the heart of all that we do:
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To grow in our existing geographies to diversify our offer and move into new areas where there is an opportunity to develop significant roots to anchor ourselves in a community.
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To increase feedback to continually improve the quality of what we do.
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To invest in our assets and technology and ensure we maximise efficiency and the quality of our data to drive service improvement.
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To reduce our carbon footprint and implement agile working.
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To ensure we have an appropriate legal structure that works for us and the people we work with.
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Self Help Services Ltd
Directors' and trustees report for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
(3) We will have an organisation that enables us to work in the Big Life Way:
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To have management structures, IT systems and change processes that facilitate staff and services working together.
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To deliver our workforce strategy, ensuring we have diverse, trained and happy staff, as evidenced by achievement of Best Companies 3-Star accreditation.
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To have trained Multi-Modality Practitioners in every service and ensure all staff will be trained in strengthbased approaches.
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To develop tools for people to have control of their own stories and data.
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To ensure Service user engagement shapes our services
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To ensure all our services are informed by research and evaluation, and to measure the impact of our work.
In the year ahead we will review the business plan and develop a new one for 2025-2030.
11 Provision of information to auditor
Each of the persons who are Directors at the time when this Directors' and Trustees' Report is approved has confirmed that:
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there is no relevant information, being information needed by the auditor in connection with preparing their report, of which the company’s auditor is unaware, and
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the trustees, having made enquiries of fellow directors and the company’s auditor that they ought to have individually taken, have each taken all steps that he/she is obliged to take as a director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.
The auditors, Menzies LLP, will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006.
12 Basis of preparation
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. As such, the Company is exempt from preparing a Strategic report.
This Annual Report is signed by the CEO on behalf of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees also approve the Directors’ and Trustees’ report which is contained within this report, in their capacity as Company Directors.
F Selvan Trustee
Date: 10 December 2025
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Self Help Services Ltd
Statement of trustees' responsibilities
The Trustees (who are also directors of Self Help Services Ltd for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual 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 which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS 102);
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make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed; subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity 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 charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Financial statements are published on the charity's website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements, which may vary from legislation in other jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the charity's website is the responsibility of the trustees. The trustees' responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained therein.
F Selvan Trustee
Date: 10 December 2025
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Independent auditor's report
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SELF HELP SERVICES LTD
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Self Help Services Ltd (“the charitable company”) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities (combining income and expenditure account), the Balance Sheet and the accounting policies in note 1. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
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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;
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have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
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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 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.
Emphasis of matter – financial statements prepared on a basis other than going concern
We draw attention to note 1 (a) to the financial statements which explains that the charitable company ceased to actively trade and therefore the trustees do not consider it to be appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on a basis other than going concern as described in note 1 (a). Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter
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 (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the other information. 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 there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Independent auditor's report
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SELF HELP SERVICES LTD
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
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the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ 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
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the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
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 directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
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adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
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the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
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certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
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we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
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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 directors
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities set out on page 7, the trustees (who are also the 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 charitable company 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.
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Independent auditor's report
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SELF HELP SERVICES LTD
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements (continued)
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
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the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
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we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company through discussions with trustees and other management, and from our knowledge and experience of the charity sector.
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we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charitable company, including the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, taxation legislation, data protection, anti-bribery, employment, environmental and health and safety legislation.
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we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence.
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identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
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making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud.
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considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
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performed analytical procedures on income and salaries to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships.
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tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions.
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assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates set out in note 1 were indicative of potential bias.
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investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
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Self Help Services Ltd
Independent auditor's report
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SELF HELP SERVICES LTD
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 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.
[LL?] |[Mew] Signed by:
Sue Hutchinson FCCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of
Menzies LLP Statutory Auditor One Express 1 George Leigh Street Manchester M4 5DL
Date: 16-Dec-2025
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Statement of financial activities (Combining income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Unrestricted | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | funds | 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income and endowments from: | ||||
| Donations and legacies | 2,852 | 2,852 | 3,379 | |
| Charitable activities | 2 | 14,194,672 | 14,194,672 | 15,538,970 |
| Investments | 3 | 37,567 | 37,567 | 30,915 |
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Total income | 14,235,091 | 14,235,091 | 15,573,264 | |
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Expenditure on: | ||||
| Charitable activities | 4,5,6 | 14,198,564 | 14,198,564 | 14,604,616 |
| Exceptional item – cyber cost | - | - | 1,000,000 | |
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Total expenditure | 14,198,564 | 14,198,564 | 15,604,616 | |
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Net income / (expenditure) and | 36,527 | 36,527 | (31,352) | |
| movement in funds | 7 | |||
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Balance brought forward at | ||||
| 1 April 2024 | 1,325,227 | 1,325,227 | 1,356,579 | |
| __ | __ | __ | ||
| Balance carried forward at | ||||
| 31 March 2025 | 1,361,754 | 1,361,754 | 1,325,227 | |
| __ | __ | __ |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All amounts relate to continuing activities.
The notes on pages 14 to 24 form part of these financial statements.
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Balance sheet at 31 March 2025
| Company number 06036050 | Note | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Fixed assets | |||||
| Tangible assets | 10 | - | - | ||
| Current assets | |||||
| Debtors | 11 | 1,028,379 | 2,240,171 | ||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 1,184,857 | 620,095 | |||
| __ | __ | ||||
| 2,213,236 | 2,860,266 | ||||
| Creditors: amounts falling due | |||||
| within one year | 12 | (851,482) | (1,535,039) | ||
| __ | __ | ||||
| Net current assets | 1,361,754 | 1,325,227 | |||
| __ | __ | ||||
| Total net assets | 14, 15 | 1,361,754 | 1,325,227 | ||
| __ | __ | ||||
| The funds of the charity: | |||||
| Unrestricted funds | 15 | 1,361,754 | 1,325,227 | ||
| __ | __ | ||||
| Total funds | 1,361,754 | 1,325,227 | |||
| __ | __ |
These accounts are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act relating to small companies and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
The financial statements on pages 12 to 24 were approved and authorised for issue by the board on 10 December 2025 and are signed on its behalf by:
F Selvan
Trustee, approved and authorised on behalf of the board trustees
Date: 10 December 2025
The notes on pages 14 to 24 form part of these financial statements.
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Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
1 Accounting policies
General Information
Self Help Services Ltd is a private company, limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales under the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011. The address of the registered office is provided in Legal and Administrative Information. Details of the charity’s operations are provided in the Directors’ and Trustees’ Report.
Accounting Policies
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
(a) Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
Self Help Services Ltd meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at their historic cost or transaction value. The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity.
In accordance with their responsibilities, the Board have considered the appropriateness of the going concern basis for the preparation of the financial statements. The current facilities management and supporting contracts ended on 31 March 2025, and Self Help Services Limited confirmed that it would not be renewing the contracts and would instead transfer the services into Big Life Centres Limited at the end of the current contract. Self Help Services Limited is currently in the process of applying for voluntary strike off. For this reason, the directors have determined that the going concern basis of accounting is not appropriate and have therefore prepared the financial statements on a basis other than going concern. In accordance with Section 1A of FRS 102, the charity has taken the exemption from including a cashflow statement, as it meets the definition of a small entity.
(b) Legal status of the Charity
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity.
(c) Incoming resources
Voluntary income is received by way of donations and gifts and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.
Grants, including grants for the purchase of fixed assets, are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which they are receivable.
Services and recharges income comprises revenue recognised in respect of services supplied during the year.
Incoming resources from investments is recognised when receivable.
(d) Resources expended and cost allocation
Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred.
14
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. Certain other costs, which are attributable to more than one activity, are apportioned across the cost categories on the basis of an estimate of the proportion of time spent by staff on those activities.
Costs allocated to charitable activities are the costs associated with achieving the charity’s main objectives.
Governance costs represent expenditure related to the governance of the charity, to allow it to operate and to generate information for public accountability.
(e) Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.
(f) Pensions
Self Help Services Ltd is a member of the Big Life Group’s defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the charity to the fund in respect of the year.
Self Help Services Ltd is also a member of the National Health Service defined benefit pension scheme for all eligible employees.
(g) Corporation taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
(h) Tangible fixed assets
Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £4,000.
Depreciation for office equipment is provided so as to write off the cost on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life (4 years).
(i) Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.
(j) Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
(k) Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
15
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
(l) Financial instruments
The charity has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
(m) Leases
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the profit and loss account on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Any premiums received at the inception of the lease are recognised on a straightline basis over the life of the lease.
(n) Judgements
In preparing these financial statements, the directors have made the following judgements:
- Determine whether leases entered into by the charity either as a lessor or a lessee are operating or lease or finance leases. These decisions depend on an assessment of whether the risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred from the lessor to the lessee on a lease-by-lease basis.
16
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
2 Income from charitable activities
| Unrestricted | Total funds | Unrestricted | Total funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | 2025 | funds | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Contract Services | 13,296,437 | 13,296,437 | 14,325,231 | 14,325,231 |
| Trainee income | 795,733 | 795,733 | 1,159,794 | 1,159,794 |
| Other | 102,502 | 102,502 | 53,945 | 53,945 |
| _____ | _____ | _____ | _____ | |
| 14,194,672 | 14,194,672 | 15,538,970 | 15,538,970 |
Income from charitable activities includes income from government grants, which comprises performance related grants made by local authorities to fund the activities.
| Investment income | Unrestricted | Unrestricted |
|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Bank interest | 37,567 | 30,915 |
| 37,567 | 30,915 | |
| __ | ___ |
3 Investment income
4 Expenditure on charitable activities
| Staff costs (Note 8) General Software licences Room hire Minor equipment Recharges – group companies Cyber costs Governance costs: audit fees Restricted Unrestricted |
Contract services Governance £ £ 8,813,283 - 3,385,401 - 198,269 - 107,842 - 57,259 - 1,628,670 - - - - 7,840 ___ ___ 14,190,724 7,840 _ _ - - 14,190,724 7,840 ___ __ 14,190,724 7,840 |
2025 £ 8,813,283 3,385,401 198,269 107,842 57,259 1,628,670 - 7,840 ___ 14,198,564 ___ - 14,198,564 ___ 14,198,564 |
_ |
2024 £ 9,321,768 3,129,356 117,783 105,287 48,642 1,874,580 1,000,000 7,200 ___ 15,604,616 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ___ - 15,604,616 ___ 15,604,616 |
Recharges from group companies relate to Finance, HR, Payroll and other central support services provided by The Big Life Company Limited.
17
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
5 Total resources expended
| Total resources expended | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff costs £ Services and projects 8,813,283 Governance costs: audit fees - ___ 8,813,283 ___ Summary analysis of expenditure and related income Voluntary Contract services Trainee income for services Other Interest Governance costs: audit fees |
_ | Other costs £ 5,377,441 7,840 __ 5,385,281 __ Income £ 2,852 13,296,437 795,733 102,502 37,567 - ___ 14,235,091 |
2025 Total £ 14,190,724 7,840 ___ 14,198,564 ___ Expenditure £ - 13,193,931 996,793 - - 7,840 ___ 14,198,564 |
2024 Total £ 15,597,416 7,200 ____ 15,604,616 ____ Net £ 2,852 102,506 (201,060) 102,502 37,567 (7,840) __ 36,527 |
| _ | __ |
6 Summary analysis of expenditure and related income
7 Net income / (expenditure)
Net income / (expenditure) for the year is stated after charging:
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Rentals under operating leases | 56,518 | 72,846 |
| Auditor’s remuneration | 7,840 | 7,200 |
| __ | __ |
18
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
8 Analysis of staff costs and the cost of key management personnel
| Staff costs: Salaries Social security costs Pension costs The average full time equivalent number of employees (based on 35 hours a week) and analysed by function was: Services and projects |
2025 £ 7,784,116 682,171 346,996 __ 8,813,283 _ Number 232 _ |
2024 £ 8,279,863 694,232 347,673 __ 9,321,768 |
|---|---|---|
| _ Number 251 _ |
The salary costs are paid by the Big Life Company Limited and recharged to Self Help Services.
The average monthly headcount was 249 staff (2024: 271 staff)
The number of employees whose benefits (excluding employer National Insurance contributions and employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ 60,001 - £ 70,000 | 2 |
1 |
| £ 70,001 - £ 80,000 | - | - |
| £ 80,001 - £ 90,000 | 1 |
- |
| ______ | ______ | |
| TOTAL | 3 | 1 |
Key management personnel of the charity are the Trustees and senior leadership of the group. Costs are borne by the parent company, The Big Life Company Limited, Big Life Centres, and Big Life Schools and are not recharged to Big Issue North Trust Ltd. The total employee benefits paid to key management personnel by The Big Life Company Ltd was £468,919, comprised of salary of £400,227, pension contributions of £19,109 and employer’s national insurance contributions of £49,583 (2024: £478,646, comprised of salary of £408,830, pension contributions of £19,128 and employer’s national insurance contributions of £50,688).
The salary of the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, a Trustee, is paid by The Big Life Company Ltd. Employee benefits of £116,356, comprised of salary of £99,049, pension contributions of £4,894 and employer’s national insurance contributions of £12,414 (2024: £111,807 comprised of salary of £95,350, pension contributions of £4,250 and employer’s national insurance contributions of £12,207) was paid by the Big Life Company Ltd during the year
9 Trustees’ remuneration and expenses
During the year remuneration of £8,000 (2024: £8,000) was paid to E. Robinson, a trustee, by The Big Life Company Limited for her role as chair of The Big Life Company Limited. Costs are borne by the parent company, The Big Life Company Limited, and are not recharged to Self Help Services Ltd.
No other trustee received remuneration from the charity or a related entity during the year (or the prior year) other than disclosed in note 8.
No reimbursement of expenses has been made to trustees during the year (or the prior year).
19
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
10 Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At 1 April 2024 Disposals At 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 Disposals At 31 March 2025 Net book value At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024 |
Office equipment £ 5,062 (5,062) _ - _ 5,062 (5,062) _ - _ - _ - _ |
|---|---|
11 Debtors
| Trade debtors Amounts owed by group undertakings Prepayments Accrued Income Other debtors Social security and other taxes |
2025 £ 679,041 641 152,308 151,170 45,219 - __ 1,028,379 |
2024 £ 1,672,459 19,208 52,997 441,415 54,000 92 __ 2,240,171 |
|---|---|---|
All debtors fall due within one year.
Amounts owed by group undertakings are unsecured and repayable on demand.
20
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
12 Creditors
| Trade creditors Amounts owed to group undertakings Accruals Deferred income (note 13) |
2025 £ 33,377 30,563 255,194 532,348 __ 851,482 __ |
2024 £ 521,179 5,617 215,389 792,854 __ 1,535,039 __ |
|---|---|---|
All creditors fall due within one year.
Amounts owed to group undertakings are unsecured, interest free and repayable on demand.
13 Deferred Income
Deferred income represents services and recharge income received in advance
| Balance at 1 April 2024 Amounts received and deferred in the year Amounts released to incoming resources in the year Balance at 31 March 2025 Deferred income balance includes: Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mental Health in Prisons |
£ 792,852 33,334 (293,838) _ 532,348 _ 526,339 6,009 532,348 |
|---|---|
| 14 Analysis of net assets between funds Unrestricted Total 2025 £ £ Fixed Assets Net Current Assets - 1,361,754 ___ - 1,361,754 ___ Net Assets 1,361,754 ___ 1,361,754 ___ |
2024 £ - 1,325,227 |
|---|---|
| 1,325,227 __ |
21
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
15 Movement in funds
| Unrestricted funds General funds Total funds |
Balance at 1 April Incoming Outgoing 2024 resources resources £ £ £ 1,325,227 14,235,091 (14,198,564) __ _ _ 1,325,227 14,235,091 (14,198,564) |
Transfers Of funds £ - __ - |
Balance at 31 March 2025 £ 1,361,754 __ 1,361,754 |
|---|---|---|---|
General Reserves amounted to £1,361,754 (2024 - £1,325,227).
The reserve level is considered sufficient to satisfy the reserves policy.
16 Related party transactions
In accordance with FRS 102, the charity discloses related party transactions that were recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities. The salary costs are paid by the Big Life Company Limited and recharged directly to Self Help Services, as disclosed in note 8. Remuneration of key management personnel is disclosed in note 8. Trustees’ remuneration and expenses are disclosed in note 9.
The charity is charged for direct salary costs, finance, HR, payroll and other central support services provided by The Big Life Company Limited. Salary costs are recharged based on staff time and other costs are recharged based on estimated income.
Related party transactions with other group entities during the year were as follows:
| Amounts charged to group entities | Amounts charged to group entities | Amounts charged | by group entities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 (restated) | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| The Big Life Company Limited | 167,079 | 3,721,055 | 2,104,543 | 3,842,686 |
| Big Life Centres Limited | 7,878 | 4,911 | 126,100 | 113,683 |
| Big Issue North Trust Ltd | - | - | - | - |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | |
| 174,957 | 3,725,966 | 2,230,643 | 3,956,369 | |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
The following amounts were owed by/to group entities at the year-end:
| Amount owed by group entities | Amount owed by group entities | Amounts owed to group entities | Amounts owed to group entities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| The Big Life Company Limited | - | 17,620 | 30,533 | 5,595 |
| Big Life Centres Limited | 641 | 1,588 | 30 | 23 |
| Big Issue North Trust Ltd | - | - | - | - |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | |
| 641 | 19,208 | 30,563 | 5,617 |
22
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
17 Ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party
The ultimate parent company and controlling party is The Big Life Company Limited, a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales.
The parent undertaking of the smallest and largest group for which consolidated accounts are prepared is The Big Life Company Limited. Consolidated accounts are available from Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ.
The mission of The Big Life Company Limited is to change lives. We fight inequality by working with people and in places to inspire change. Two of the current directors of Self Help Services Ltd are also directors of The Big Life Company Limited. Operational and strategic oversight of Self Help Services Ltd is exercised by The Big Life Company Limited.
18 Commitments
Operating lease commitments
The charity had total future minimum commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as set out below:
| Operating lease commitment at year end: Land and Buildings Not later than one year Later than one year and not later than five years Office Equipment Not later than one year Later than one year and not later than five years |
2025 £ - - _ - _ - - __ - |
2024 £ 20,000 20,000 _ 40,000 _ - - __ - |
|---|---|---|
19 Pensions
Self Help Services Ltd operates two pension schemes:
-
1 Self Help Services Ltd Pension Fund
-
This is a defined contribution scheme available to all employees.
-
2 National Health Service Pension Fund.
23
Docusign Envelope ID: B6920F89-EE94-42D4-B94F-91F6CC7C2A04
Self Help Services Ltd
Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
Past and present employees are covered by the provisions of the two NHS Pension Schemes. Details of the benefits payable and rules of the Schemes can be found on the NHS Pensions website at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions. Both are unfunded defined benefit schemes that cover NHS employers, GP practices and other bodies, allowed under the direction of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England and Wales. They are not designed to be run in a way that would enable NHS bodies to identify their share of the underlying scheme assets and liabilities. Therefore, each scheme is accounted for as if it were a defined contribution scheme: the cost to the NHS body of participating in each scheme is taken as equal to the contributions payable to that scheme for the accounting period.
In order that the defined benefit obligations recognised in the financial statements do not differ materially from those that would be determined at the reporting date by a formal actuarial valuation, the FReM requires that “the period between formal valuations shall be four years, with approximate assessments in intervening years”. An outline of these follows:
a) Accounting valuation
A valuation of scheme liability is carried out annually by the scheme actuary (currently the Government Actuary’s Department) as at the end of the reporting period. This utilises an actuarial assessment for the previous accounting period in conjunction with updated membership and financial data for the current reporting period and is accepted as providing suitably robust figures for financial reporting purposes. The valuation of the scheme liability as at 31 March 2025, is based on valuation data as 31 March 2024, updated to 31 March 2025 with summary global member and accounting data. In undertaking this actuarial assessment, the methodology prescribed in IAS 19, relevant FReM interpretations, and the discount rate prescribed by HM Treasury have also been used.
The latest assessment of the liabilities of the scheme is contained in the report of the scheme actuary, which forms part of the annual NHS Pension Scheme Accounts. These accounts can be viewed on the NHS Pensions website and are published annually. Copies can also be obtained from The Stationery Office.
b) Full actuarial (funding) valuation
The purpose of this valuation is to assess the level of liability in respect of the benefits due under the schemes (taking into account recent demographic experience), and to recommend contribution rates payable by employees and employers.
The latest actuarial valuation undertaken for the NHS Pension Scheme was completed as at 31 March 2020. The results of this valuation set the employer contribution rate payable from April 2024 to March 2027 to 23.7% of pensionable pay, however employers are responsible for paying 14.38% of contributions, with the remaining 9.4% being funded centrally.
20 Post balance sheet event
It was decided to streamline the legal structures and merge the two charities, Self Help Services and Big Life Centres. From the 1st of April 2025, Big Life Services will be the renamed charity.
24