DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Classified: RMG – Internal
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Directors / Trustees
Gün Akyuz Andrew Aylwin Natalia Piaggio Angela Gough Aelene Thorne Ruth Crawford Livia Campello Lang (appointed 4 October 2023) George Hampson (appointed 20 May 2024)
Company Number 6381649
Charity Number 1123045
Registered Office 59 Lyndhurst Grove London SE15 5AW
Bankers
The Cooperative Bank PO Box 250 Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Table of Contents
Directors' Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2023 ...................................................... 4 Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities in Respect of the Financial Statements ..................... 5 Statement of Financial Activities ................................................................................................ 6 Balance Sheet ............................................................................................................................ 7 Notes to the Financial Statements ............................................................................................. 8
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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Directors' Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2023
The Directors present their report and the financial statements of Down’s South London (the “Company”) for the year ended 31 December 2023 (“the period”).
Activities
The principal activity of the Charity is to provide specialist therapy services (speech and language, physiotherapy, occupational therapy) to children with Down’s Syndrome, living in South London. The group is open to all children with Down’s Syndrome and their parents or carers who live locally. There are no formal membership criteria nor fees.
This is supplemented by filling other significant gaps in provision that exist locally and nationally, including:
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a local network for information-sharing and parental support;
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assisting parents to develop strategies that promote their children’s language development, using alternative and augmentative communication aids such as Makaton; and
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social and recreational opportunities for children and their families.
Review of business and future developments
Funds are raised for the activities of the Company by its Directors, other parents of beneficiaries and independent third parties who are inspired by the services the Company provides. It is a key objective of the Company to increase the amount of funds raised year on year, specifically with a view to expanding the range and nature of services provided to members.
Donations in 2023 were £96,939 (2022 £154,436). This is down by £57,497 due to excellent fundraising efforts by parents and Trustees in the previous year returning to a more typical level. Expenses relating to the provision of therapy increased by £24,277 as the Trustees supported a trial which extended provision to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access Down’s South London’s services due to more complex needs. This is being kept under review to ensure it is affordable and effective. Other costs, including fundraising costs, increased by £11,865. As a result, overall costs were up £36,142.
Overall, while expenses were higher than the previous year, and donations were lower, the Company has healthy reserve levels and remains financially strong.
Directors
The names of the persons who served as Directors of the Company throughout 2023 and to the date of this report are as follows:
Gün Akyuz Andrew Aylwin Natalia Piaggio Angela Gough Aelene Thorne Ruth Crawford Livia Campello Lang (appointed 4 October 2023) George Hampson (appointed 20 May 2024)
By order of the Board
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Mr A Aylwin Director 29[th] September 2024
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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities in Respect of the Financial Statements
The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and financial statements in accordance with the applicable United Kingdom law and accounting standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that year. In preparing those financial statements, the Directors are required to:
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a) Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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b) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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c) State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
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d) Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.
The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the 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 Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Statement of Financial Activities For the Year Ended 31 December 2023
| tatement of Financial Activities or the Year Ended 31 December 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Notes Income Donations 1 Expenses on Charitable Activities 1 Specialist therapy provision Therapy resources and other materials Hire of therapy rooms Family Socials Fundraising costs Miscellaneous costs Net (expenditure)/income Interest income Net (expenditure)/ income for the year |
2023 £ 96,939 (100,280) (852) (11,656) (1,711) (13,181) (0) (127.680) (30,741) - (30,741) |
2022 £ |
| 154,436 (76,003) (1,188) (3,311) (438) (10,378) (220) |
||
| (91,538) 62,898 - |
||
| 62,898 |
The notes on page 8 form an integral part of the financial statements.
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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2023
| alance Sheet s at 31 December 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Notes Current assets Cash Debtors 1 Current liabilities Accruals 1 Net assets Represented by: Unrestricted funds at the beginning of the period Net (expenditure)/income for the period Unrestricted funds carried forward |
At 31 December 2023 £ 136,966 - 136,966 (888) (888) 136,078 166,819 (30,741) 136,078 |
At 31 December 2022 £ |
| 175,325 - |
||
| 175,325 (8,506) |
||
| (8,506) | ||
| 166,819 | ||
| 103,921 62,898 |
||
| 166,819 |
The charitable company is exempt from the requirements relating to preparing audited accounts in accordance with section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for
(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 29[th] September 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
Gün Akyuz Chair
Andrew Aylwin Vice Chair
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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – DOWN’S SOUTH LONDON
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2023
1. Accounting Policies
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102,have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements
have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Debtors
Debtors represent monies owing from charity fundraising events that occurred during the year, for which monies have been pledged or raised but for which the cash has not yet been received.
Share Capital
Down’s South London is a company limited by guarantee of the members and has no share capital. The members liability on the winding up of the company is limited to £10 each. The company has seven members.
Funds
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Directors in furthering the general objectives of the Company.
During the year and at 31 December 2023, there were no restricted funds (for use in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donors).
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ElAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent E¥aminer's Report Report to the trustees Charty Nam8 Down's South London On accounts for the year ended 318t De(xmber 2023 Charfty no (if any) 1123045 Set out on pages 1 to8 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity Trust.) for the year ended 3111212023. Regponslbllltles and basls of report As the chantys trustees, you are responslt4e for th8 preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitie5 Act 2011 ('the Act.). I report in r88pect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable D1ctIOnS glven by th8 Charity Commi88ion under sectlon 145(5)(b) of Ihe Act. Independont I have Completed my examination. I confim that no materlal matters have oxamIne8 8tatement come to my attention in connection with the examlnation whlch gives me cause to believe that in, any materfal respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordance sectlon 130 of the Charities Act,. or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not compty with the applicable requirernents concerning the forni 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 falr, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinatlon. I have concem8 and have come aczoss no other matters In connection wtth the examination to which attention should be drawn Sn this report in order to enable a Fyoper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Namo: Relevant professional quallficatlorfs) or body: Address: tr If IER Oct 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Glve hare brlef details of any items that the examlner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018