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2022-03-31-accounts

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REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06517841 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1124031

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022 FOR FORTALICE LIMITED

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FORTALICE LIMITED

CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 12
Report of the Independent Auditors 13 to 15
Statement of Financial Activities 16
Balance Sheet 17
Cash Flow Statement 18
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement 19
Notes to the Financial Statements 20 to 33
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 34 to 35

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2022. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 2015).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The overall objectives and aims of the Charity are

-The relief and protection of those who have been gravely or persistently maltreated by the partner with whom they are or have been living or any member of their immediate or extended family and of the children of such people

-Providing refuge accommodation in Lewis House for women who have been gravely or persistently maltreated by the partner with whom they are or have been living or any member of their immediate or extended family and of the children of such women

-Providing programmes, including early intervention, to raise awareness of domestic abuse and related issues

-To facilitate and assist programmes in partnership with those dealing with perpetrators

The Charity's mission statement is:

'To provide emergency accommodation and a range of support services to assist women, children and young people who have, or are, experiencing domestic abuse and to raise personal and public awareness of the issues relating to domestic abuse and its impact on society'.

Ensuring our work delivers our aims

The Business plan 2020-2025 has been developed and identifies targets and objectives to ensure continuity, improvement and further development of the services we provide for women, men, children and young people affected by domestic abuse. The business plan includes an emphasis on Covid 19 and the issues this is presenting for the organisation ensuring it meets the needs of the victims we work with.

We regularly consult with service users and stakeholders and use this feedback to review services offered by the organisation. We do this through focus groups, questionnaires, weekly house meetings and individual stakeholder feedback. We also have an abundance of cards, letters and feedback forms expressing appreciation and advocating the services offered across the organisation.

Public benefit

We have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our objectives and activities and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set through the use of funds, and we are satisfied that the criteria for public benefit are comprehensively achieved.

The focus of our work

Fortalice has successfully continued to provide a highly effective service for women, men, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

The priorities for the year have focused on

Maintaining and working within Government guidance around Covid

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Strengthening services and support for resident women, children, young people and families with complex needs both within our refuges and the Outreach Support Centre

- We opened a small multiple occupancy refuge in Bury as a pilot. This provided Burys only domestic abuse refuge service until November 2021.

Developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of the organisation for the future

-We have recruited a full-time fundraiser during the year with the aim of increasing our unrestricted income to meet the diverse needs of victims of domestic abuse. This has also helped us raise the profile of domestic abuse and encouraged individuals and businesses to fundraise for us. We are very grateful to everyone who supports us through both financial and in-kind donations.

Securing funding for the continuity of specific projects and core services

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Covid has impacted some of the services throughout the last year but we have adapted all services well and have successfully provided a range of services for all victims of domestic abuse. All the staff from the Outreach Support Centre have worked in a blended way from home and back at the Outreach Support Centre as and when required and in line with Covid guidance. We continue to implement Webchat and various ways of working virtually to enable the much-needed work to continue.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable activities

Our main activities and who we to aim to help are described below. All our charitable activities are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.

Who used and benefited from our services

Refuge Accommodation

The local demand for services is high and although priority is given to referrals in Bolton and surrounding districts, we have provided temporary accommodation and services for women and children from many areas throughout the North West and further afield.

We received a total of 237 referrals which was an increase on last year and accommodated 68 individual women and 85 children in Lewis House, the average length of stay being 18 weeks. A proportion of the referrals were unsuitable for refuge as they were found to be more in line with some housing difficulties, they were referred to housing for support. The complexity of need for a high proportion of our victims has greatly increased over the last two years which has meant more in-depth work needing to be completed on a daily basis. Move on this year has also been difficult, partly due to Covid, which has meant some people have been with us for slightly longer than usual, this has also had a positive impact as we have had more time to work with them in more depth, gaining further improved outcomes.

Occupancy levels averaged 98.3% for the year with the main reason for the voids being the turnover of residents and occasional re decoration and cyclical maintenance of the flats.

Support needs have varied from low to high with a further increase in the number of women needing additional support in relation to mental health, alcohol and substance misuse. All residents are allocated named DAV Recovery Workers and lead with their worker on developing individual person-centred support plans. A number of women have taken advantage of counselling and group work during their stay. All residents are encouraged to work with their support worker to ensure they are able to develop skills to enable them to live independent lives following their stay in the Refuge. They are invited to join in additional activities run by specialist workers and / or volunteers to build their confidence, recover from the trauma they have suffered and increase their skill set. We have seen an increase in the presenting issues and complexity of need for children entering the Refuge and have had to increase the input with children, some children have presented with suicidal ideation, behaviour issues and self-harm. We have also increased our work around the whole family approach to help stabilise the families we work with particularly where children were in the safeguarding arena.

On leaving, 48% secured their own tenancies with Local Authorities, Registered Social Landlords or Private landlords, 8% went into other short-term supported accommodation, 23% went to stay with friends or family members, 19% returned to their previous address as it was safe to do so and 2% had no forwarding address.

The substance misuse recovery role has been in place for just over 9 years. This post was put in place to support women who were not only subject to domestic abuse, but who also had issues relating to alcohol or the taking of both illicit and legal substances. The role has developed, using different styles that support recovery, including motivation interviewing, mindfulness, art work, and relaxation including meditation. Personalised one to one work with residents, partnership work with local outside agencies such as Bolton Integrated Substance Misuse Service and peer support all contribute to the recovery process.

Working closely with the Substance Misuse worker, the Mental Health Co-ordinator has been in place for just over 6 years. Together, they structure support to meet the needs of those residents with additional complex issues. Residents are assessed on admission to the refuge and are offered one to one sessions to ensure their mental health is consistently monitored and their wellbeing is worked with on a daily basis. These posts are currently unfunded, but we recognise the need to maintain these posts and will continue to apply for funding to ensure the posts are an integral part of the service. In order to help improve mental and emotional wellbeing for residents and those leaving the refuge, the Mental Health Co-ordinator carries out research regarding bio-psychological c ommunity resources.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

This ensures the resident has a prescribing GP and pharmacy in place, notifies relevant services as applicable and where possible, the resident is provided with a guide and information on local support resources.

Due to the educational programmes that are now delivered within the refuge once again we had a number of women and young people who have gone on to find jobs in the Community or have accessed Further Education courses in order to sustain their own futures.

The diverse range of additional activities which is currently in place for residents or children enables them to develop new skills and start to rebuild their lives.

Outreach Support Centre

Clients presented with a wide variety of issues ranging from physical, emotional and sexual abuse to legal, housing, child contact and health issues. Clients also presented with a diverse range of mental health issues including panic and anxiety, stress and depression. Where these issues needed specialist help, we were able to signpost to relevant agencies. We referred 37 clients to MARAC for further support and risk management and assessed a further 45 clients who did not reach the threshold for referral.

Demand for the counselling service and The Freedom Programme continues to increase. The benefits of these core services is widely recognised and acknowledged as having a significant impact in relation to women taking steps to escape abusive relationships and to move forward to living a life free from abuse and violence. The Freedom Programme delivered 139 sessions with 152 individual women attending on a total of 1,189 occasions. There were no Next Step sessions due to capacity issues and a lack of specific funding, we aim to put these back in place in the next year . There was two runs of the Recovery Toolkit delivered over 8 weeks, one programme was delivered face to face and the other was delivered remotely, via zoom; a total of 5 clients completed the programme. The Recovery Toolkit is designed to help women recover from trauma related to experiencing domestic abuse and helps them to positively move on with their lives.

The Adult Counselling Service continues to operate to a high standard with the majority of referrals coming through 1Point, a Community Benefit Company. Our Chief Executive is a Director of 1Point which enables some excellent partnership working. 1Point assesses potential clients for talking therapies prior to them going into therapy with a counsellor at Fortalice or one of the other members linked to 1Point. At the year end, we had 37 counsellors, 10 of which were qualified and 27 were students on placement. 1,887 counselling appointments were attended.

Training, Development and Awareness Raising

We have delivered 120 training courses to 1,335 individuals. We currently have 18 courses: including Recognising and Responding to Domestic Abuse, Working with Children Affected by Domestic Abuse, Working with Teenagers Engaged in Abusive Relationships, Stalking Awareness and How to Work with DAV and a Trauma Informed Approach. We have developed three new courses: Working with Victims of DAV with Learning Disability, DAV and Pregnancy and Technology Facilitated Abuse.

Awareness training has been delivered to Adult and Children’s Social Work teams, staff at Housing, DWP, CPS, District Nurses and English Football League clubs DSL’s. We have also developed our training for new Police recruits as well as tailoring courses for specific organisations ensuring staff CPD needs are met. In addition, we continue to provide training for Castle Hill as part of Bolton’s safeguarding training pool and training for Cut It Out initiative.

Due to Coronavirus all our training is being delivered remotely. Going forwards we anticipate offering a blend of face to face training and virtual on our training calendar.

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

DAV Car

The DAV car which provides direct assistance to victims in partnership with the police car was put on hold due to Covid but is expected to start again once we recruit appropriate volunteers and review our objectives for the project.

Children and Young People’s projects at the Outreach Support Centre

The Children and Young People’s projects, funded by a number of sources and our own reserves, has meant that we have a total of eight children and young people’s workers at the Outreach Support Centre during this financial period. Together, these projects have created individual safety plans to ensure children and young people (CYP) know what to do in the event of an emergency/domestic abuse incident, have provided group work, educational modules and one to one support. 604 CYP have been supported and accessed sessions.

Children in Need

Dedicated to Overcoming Violent Experiences (D.O.VE.) is a community-based service for children who have been exposed to domestic abuse and violence. This funding allows Fortalice to complete individual assessments on children directly affected by domestic abuse and provide specialised support based on the child’s individual needs comprising of both one to one support and therapeutic group activities. This project covers both Refuge and the community. D.O.V.E. funding enabled 80 individual CYP to be supported. 274 one to one sessions took place and 245 Breaking Free sessions were delivered.

Thrive

This project offers a range of activities for 8–16-year-olds through Breaking Free and Recovery Toolkit deliveries. These aim to help children and young people express their feelings and provide them with an opportunity to share their experiences in a safe and nurturing environment. As we are part of the THRIVE partnership, we are able to offer a more holistic progression route for children and young people enabling them to sustain the skills and confidence they gain through the Fortalice activities they have attended. There are three elements to Thrive, Thrive Plus worked with 268 individual CYP providing 121 one to one sessions. We were also able to complete educational deliveries to high school children reaching 147 young people. Thrive CCG funding enabled us to support 55 individual CYP who accessed 286 one to one sessions. Thrive Emotional Health and Well Being funding enabled 72 CYP to receive support, advice and guidance by accessing a total of 389 one to one sessions.

ME – Bolton’s fund

This offers a service to young people aged 12 – 19 years with the aim of reducing trauma, understanding healthy relationships and supporting them to rebuild confidence and resilience. This offers a longer intervention than other funders and has a focus on community-based support, meeting young people where they feel the most comfortable. 35 individual young people were support via 309 one to one sessions.

Teams around Schools (TAS)

This is a multi-disciplinary model with resources and expertise from a range of services drawn together into a hubbased model to support schools with early identification, positive change, proactive planning and delivery of early intervention for children, young people and their families. Workers go into schools and work with individuals predominantly on a one-to-one basis but can complete small groups too. 94 individual children and young people accessed 205 one to one sessions and 15 group sessions of breaking free were delivered.

Children's Counselling

The children's counselling service funded through NHS England and commissioned by the local CCG continues to be in high demand. We have 8 qualified Children's Counsellors and 2 student Play Therapists providing Play and Talking Therapies for children and young people aged four to seventeen and believe this to be a unique service within Bolton. The demand for this service is high with referrals coming through a variety of sources where there is a professional working with the family. This year, we have provided 1,244 (a 52% increase) therapy sessions for 212 individual children and young people.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS)

The purpose of the project is to deliver domestic abuse training to clinical and administrative staff within Bolton based GP practices and to work in an advocacy role with any patient who has disclosed domestic abuse. Since the project began, we have trained staff from all of the 50 doctor's surgeries across Bolton on Clinical 1, Clinical 2 and Reception and Administration. We have trained 257 staff this year across these 50 surgeries. We have received 287 client referrals this year from GP’s requesting support from the IRIS team, 27 of these have been identified as high risk and referred to MARAC. Since the Covid-19 pandemic we have identified that patients continue to self-refer back to the service for continued support rather than asking to be re-referred by the GP, this will continue to take some pressures of GP surgeries. As referrals were impacted by the closure of GP surgeries, they are starting to return to previous levels as surgeries reopen. Training has been revisited and continues to be updated in response to attendee’s feedback.

Independent Domestic Violence Advisory (IDVA) Service

This service commenced in January 2020 after we were successful in the tender process. The Independent Domestic Violence Advisor’s (IDVA’s) provide frontline services to victims of Domestic Abuse, supporting those at highest risk and advocating on their behalf. We currently have four IDVAs on our specialist team and a Service co-ordinator who work at the Outreach Support Centre and in the community. A Social Work Student also completed a 100-day placement on the IDVA team which provided additional capacity to manage the increase in the referrals received.

The aim of an IDVA is to keep the victim and any immediate family safe and reduce the risk of further abuse by providing short to medium term crisis intervention. By supporting the empowerment of the client and assisting them in recognising the warning signs of Domestic Abuse, we aim to help them regain control of their lives for positive long term outcomes.

During the financial year, the IDVA service received 929 referrals for 516 individual clients, with all cases heard at MARAC. During the first quarter, the IDVAs were still supporting 117 victims that were referred during the previous financial year.

There has been an increase in the complexity of the cases referred during the last 12 months, particularly around mental health and substance misuse.

Healthy Schools Project

The aim of the project is to educate children on safe and healthy relationships, raise awareness of domestic abuse and other impacting factors which affect relationships. The interactive sessions have clear aims and objectives which are demonstrated in the schemes of work and lesson plans. The delivery is mapped to the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum. Staff who deliver the project have a teaching background or have experience working with children and young people.

Children's emotional well-being and safety remains at the forefront of all of our deliveries and we aim to offer flexibility to meet both the needs of schools and the individual needs of children.

This year we have educated 1,756 children, in 62 classes across 38 schools in Bolton and Bury on Healthy Relationships. The Covid-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to the delivery of the Programme with only 9 schools booking our programme during the summer term in 2021. However, once the new academic year began in September 2021 schools were very keen to book the programme and we have delivered it to 29 schools in Bolton.

The programme has been adapted once again to reflect the needs of the schools as we moved out of the constraints that the pandemic placed on classroom deliveries. The sessions have received excellent feedback from head teachers, teachers and pupils. As a result of the programme some schools have reported that children have been sharing more information about their home lives and seeking out additional support from school staff and other services such as the Children and Young People’s Team and children’s counselling at Fortalice.

Children Services

85 individual children and young people have accessed services at Lewis House during this year. Services include, play sessions, after school, computer and youth club sessions, school holiday activities, family sessions including family activity days, school ready and individual one to one support sessions.

We are still seeing a significant number of children with support plans who are subject to child action or protection plans, these children need additional support from our team of workers on a one to one basis.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The services provided are creative, innovative, structured and supportive, addressing the individual needs of those in their care. The team are continually monitoring demand which enables them to respond to the diverse range of Children's needs in a continually changing environment. In order to keep abreast of emerging trends, demands and needs staff have forged links with many other agencies and service providers, locally and nationally.

Our children's services are registered with OFSTED and meet the standards required. Over the last 8 years the Chief Executive in conjunction with the Leadership Team has been working with Children’s Services to develop and evidence the delivery model for the Early Years Nursery, this resulted in achieving an Outstanding grade at inspection in June 2019. In order to work strategically in further developing services to meet the needs of Bolton children, Fortalice is a member of Bolton Together and our Chief Executive is a Director on the Bolton Together Board.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

This period has again been successful with the Charity generating a surplus of £12,357 compared with a surplus of £442,362 last year. This year’s surplus includes an unrealised gain on investments of £16,000.

Principal funding sources

The principal funding sources for the Charity are currently by way of grant and contract income from Bolton Council (BC). The two main sources are:

Funding received from BMBC in relation to accommodation based housing related support services and Housing Benefits represents 13.45% (2021 – 13.21%) and 29.04% (2021 – 24.19%) respectively of total incoming resources from charitable activities.

Investment policy and objectives

The investment objective of the Charity is to make investments which will provide an overall return on the portfolio, while maintaining the real purchase power of the portfolio over time and providing reasonable growth.

Under the Trustees Act 2000, the trustees have the same full and unrestricted powers of investing and transposing investments as if they were beneficially entitled thereto.

The investment funds held yielded income of £12,071 (2021 - £12,604) and as at 31 March 2022 they had a market value of £520,623 (2021 - £401,000). Details are shown in note 14 to the accounts, a further sum of £100,000 was invested during the year.

Reserves policy

The trustees review the Charity's requirements for reserves annually, in the light of the major risks facing the charity.

As agreed at the management meeting on 30[th] April 2019, the trustees consider that in order to ensure the continuous provision of the Charity's services, they aim to maintain a general fund equal to 9 months of budgeted expenditure. However, to ensure a continuous delivery of services and remove possible constraints, the Trustees have agreed a general fund of between 6 and 9 months of budgeted expenditure with the intention to stay as close to 9 months as practical.

At the year end the Charity's unrestricted and undesignated reserves stood at £1,181,144 which represent just over 8.5 months of budgeted expenditure. During the year an apartment was purchased at a cost of £116,423, this increases our refuge accommodation offer. The finance sub-group is mindful of reserve levels and will endeavour to keep them within policy. It has been agreed that some of the reserves are to be used to purchase a further property, this will increase our office space and will offer a focused base for Children and Young People’s services and training delivery.

The net book value of tangible fixed assets is included in the designated fund, these assets are used by the charity in the furtherance of its objectives and are not free reserves.

Future plans

The Business plan continues to be influenced by reduced funding and an increase in demand for services. Fortalice has continued to develop highly effective ways of working to meet the emerging trends and the needs of the diverse range of victims, children and families affected by domestic abuse.

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

In line with the business plan, we will continue to further develop our core services to meet the ever changing needs of the victims, families, children and young people who access services at the Refuges and Outreach Support Centres. This will include recruiting new volunteers and further developing new ways of working with our team of highly skilled volunteers.

In conjunction with Management, we will monitor and continuously develop the Business Plan 2020–2025.

To secure funding for core services, new projects and projects where funding is due to end to ensure continuous delivery of services.

To further develop services at the Outreach Support Centres and in the Community which will include: new group work sessions, increased opportunities for women, men and children to attend counselling, support and advice sessions and early intervention programmes. To develop a programme of work to be delivered in the Community working with families who are suffering the effects of domestic abuse or relationship issues.

The objective of further developing our services will be to reach a more diverse range of communities and varying issues around domestic abuse. This will include identifying and working with a range of partners to achieve our goal.

To develop more projects within Children’s Services to meet the ever increasing demand, our aim is to continue to expand the number of children and young people’s workers to enable us to manage the demand for the service. We will work with our children and young people to develop a Youth Council specifically relating to domestic abuse and the issues it raises for children and young people.

To work with Bolton Together and the THRIVE partnership in providing and securing better services for children and young people in Bolton.

To continually and develop our education programmes in Schools and in the community, reaching more children with the aim of breaking early cycles of domestic abuse and unhealthy relationships. This development will be done through evaluating the programmes and working with our children and young people’s advisory panels and staff working in educational settings.

Working with the IRIS national team to identify new projects and more innovative ways of working to enhance the delivery, specifically appertaining to more effective ways of delivering training to the GP surgeries enabling easier access for them. This will ensure patients have appropriate routes into DAV services to keep them safe.

The IDVA project will be continually developed maximising opportunities to keep all high risk victims safe and to contribute to the local DAV strategy through feedback from Victims.

To market and further develop our training packages to be delivered nationally thus creating further income generation for the organisation.

To develop new partnerships with the aim of capturing work within the domestic abuse arena currently not being worked with.

Our fundraising strategy needs to be developed with the aim of assisting the organisation in achieving its fundraising target in meeting the shortfall. The Chief Executive will work with the bid writer to identify specific funding for projects.

We will continue to develop new ways of working, giving specific emphasis to new ways of working which have been adopted during the Covid pandemic. This will enable us to enhance the delivery model and reach more victims who might have previously been unable to access services.

New premises have now been found and are currently being purchased, this will enable us to expand the services to meet the needs of victims and their children.

A key focus for all our work will be early intervention, high, middle and low tier domestic abuse, working with adult victims and children.

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The Management Committee together with the Chief Executive and Finance Director will support the above priorities whilst maintaining a high standard of service and will monitor through a series of sub- groups ensuring policy and working practices comply with and surpass the quality standards of regulating bodies and funders.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 28th February 2008 and registered as a Charity on 13th May 2008. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objectives and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees and management committee

There is a broad mix of knowledge and skills represented on the management committee to reflect the client group we serve and to provide the management skills required for the smooth running of the organisation. The Directors are also committee members and hold official positions as Chair, Secretary and Treasurer for the organisation.

All members of the Management Committee, apart from the Chief Executive, give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in the notes to the accounts.

Sarah Collier, Angela Kelly and Sharon Martin retire by rotation and offer themselves for re-election.

Organisational structure

Fortalice is headed by a committee of 12 directors and management members who meet on a regular basis to monitor and give guidance and direction in respect of the services provided by the organisation.

The full committee meets quarterly with additional sub group meetings addressing specific issues in relation to Business development, finance and investment, HR, monitoring and evaluation, health and safety and marketing and publicity.

Day to day service delivery is managed by the Chief Executive reporting back to full committee meetings.

Services are provided across the organisation by three teams:

Adult Residential Services :

-Providing services, support and temporary accommodation at the refuges in Bolton and Bury.

Outreach Services:

-Providing a range of non-residential support services and domestic abuse training programmes, interventions and outreach at the Outreach Support Centre and at external venues within the local community

Children's Services:

-Providing early intervention, crisis intervention and support services; education on healthy relationships and support for children the refuge, the Outreach Support Centre and at external venues within the local community

The teams comprise of 57 paid part-time and full-time workers and a contingency of volunteers working in all areas across the organisation.

Volunteers play a significant role within the organisation and their contribution greatly enhances the quality of services we are able to offer. This creates 'added value' to the service and clearly demonstrates efficiencies in terms of cost and value for money. In return, we offer a high level of training and opportunities to improve skills, knowledge and expertise to enhance their own personal and professional development. Unfortunately, the majority of volunteer roles have been temporarily put on hold due to Covid but we hope to integrate them back into the organisation over the coming months.

Fortalice has provided an increased number of placements for student counsellors, social work students and work experience placements, all of which have gained knowledge and expertise through their time with the organisation.

Our quality assurance processes ensure that we are effectively monitoring and reviewing our working practices, this has ensured that we consistently meet the needs of the client base and work within the constraints of our financial budgets. The continuous evolving working practice with residents has enabled us to measure the success of the service against specific outcomes.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Induction and training of new trustees

A Trustee induction programme is in place and subject to review through consultation with the management team. All members are required to undertake training relevant to their adopted role and to increase their own awareness and knowledge of issues relating to domestic abuse and its effects within society.

All Trustees and committee members are encouraged to visit the project to become familiar with the staff team and the day to day work of the organisation.

Related parties

Services provided by Fortalice respond to both local, regional and national strategies and we continue to be a key member of strategic partnerships within Bolton and the North West. Our association with other voluntary organisations through collaborative partnership working continues and we have undertaken joint training and aim to develop and strengthen the association further in the immediate and long term future.

We have strong established links with mental health and social care agencies to enhance the support we offer to service users to ensure additional needs are addressed and met and the risk of re-victimisation is greatly reduced.

Through training we are able to raise awareness of the effects domestic abuse has on society and this year we have responded to the additional demand for training to a number of agencies throughout the borough.

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurances against fraud and error.

There are strict internal controls in relation to financial transactions and an annual review of external factors that may affect the Charity's viability.

We continually review our policy and procedures in relation to risk factors at all levels and health and safety controls are in place throughout the organisation.

24 hour on-site staff cover at the Refuge sites and minimum staffing levels in all areas has been achieved at all times throughout the year.

Clients are consulted on risk and contribute to the annual assessments.

Policies and procedures are in place to safeguard all clients and in addition to stringent security checks at the point of recruitment; we undertake induction training with all paid staff and volunteers in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

There are procedures in place giving clients the opportunity to raise issues either independently or as a group at house meetings and concerns or complaints can be raised formally or anonymously with a record kept of each issue and outcome. Consultations are undertaken on a regular basis to ensure the resident's needs are met. Residents also help to evaluate the service through questionnaires and discussion groups.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

06517841 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1124031

Registered office

43 Bradford Street The Haulgh Bolton BL2 1HT

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Trustees

Mr K Moores Resigned 02.11.2021 Mrs D M Hawkins Mrs C Greer Resigned 14.06.2021 Mrs A Wilkinson Resigned 02.11.2021 Dr (h.c.) G Smallwood MBE Ms H J Eastham Mrs S Swain Mrs J Smith Ms L Lee Mr P Jones (deceased) Resigned 12.06.2021 Mrs A Brown Ms S Collier Ms S Martin Resigned 08.06.2021 Reappointed 22.11.2021 Reverend I Hepburn Appointed 22.11.2021 Mr Richard Jackson Appointed 16.05.2022 Company Secretary Mrs S Swain

Auditors

Cowgill Holloway LLP Regency House 45-53 Chorley New Road Bolton Lancashire BL1 4QR

Bankers

National Westminster Bank plc 24 Deansgate Bolton BL1 1BN

Solicitors

KBL Solicitors LLP New Mansion House 63-65 Chorley New Road Bolton BL1 4QR

Investment brokers

Chartered Wealth Management The Lightwell 61/63 Brown Street Manchester M2 2JG

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FORTALICE LIMITED

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees (who are also the directors of Fortalice Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Report Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (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 charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to 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.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

AUDITORS

The auditors, Cowgill Holloway LLP, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

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

16/8/2022 | 1:01 PM BST Approved by order of the board of trustees on …………. and signed on its behalf by:

Mrs D M Hawkins – Trustee

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF FORTALICE LIMITED

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Fortalice Limited for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the statement of financial activities including the income and expenditure account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 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:

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 Charity 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.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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

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

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

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

13

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF FORTALICE LIMITED

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.

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

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees Responsibilities set out on page eleven, 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 they 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 Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern, and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative to do so.

Our 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.

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

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, and through discussions with the directors (as required by auditing standards) and discussed with the directors the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations. We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit. The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the company is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation and taxation legislation. We assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the company is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: Companies Act 2006, Charities Act 2011, Health and Safety at Work Act and Employment Law.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Through these procedures we did not become aware of any actual or suspected non-compliance.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material

14

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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF FORTALICE LIMITED

misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of nondetection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

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 the auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' 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.

Alex Hesketh FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Cowgill Holloway LLP Regency House 45-53 Chorley New Road Bolton Lancashire BL1 4QR 17/8/2022 | 9:19 PM BST Date: ……………….

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DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Unrestricted
funds
Notes
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
2
88,810
Charitable activities
5
Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre
454,480
Other trading activities
3
42,136
Income from investments
4
12,071
Total
597,497
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
6
Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre
492,858
NET INCOME BEFORE INVESTMENTS
GAINS/(LOSSES)
104,639
Net gains on investments
21,277
NET INCOME
125,916
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
1,377,982
Transfers between funds
-
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
1,503,898		 Restricted
funds
£
-
830,127
-
-
830,127
943,686
(113,559)
-
(113,559)
230,698
-
117,139		 31.3.22
Total funds
£
88,810
1,284,607
42,136
12,071
1,427,624
1,436,544
(8,920)
21,277
12,357
1,608,680
-
1,621,037		 31.3.21
Total funds
£
126,565
1,485,396
17,652
12,604
1,642,217
1,267,979
374,238
68,124
442,362
1,166,318
-
1,608,680

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

All incoming resources and resources expended arise from charitable activities during the period.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

BALANCE SHEET

At 31 March 2022

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
13
Investments
14
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
15
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year
16
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
19
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies.

16/8/2022 | 1:01 PM BST The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………. and were signed on its behalf by:

Mrs D M Hawkins -Trustee

Ms H J Eastham -Trustee

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FORTALICE LIMITED

CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Notes
Cash flows from operating activities:
Cash generated from operations
1
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment income
Purchase of investments
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Movement in fair value of investments
Net cash used in investing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the
reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of
the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the
reporting period		 31.3.22
£
(177,896)
(177,896)
12,071
(100,000)
(116,423)
(19,623)
(223,975)
(401,872)
993,399
591,527		 31.3.21
£
443,384
443,384
12,604
-
-
(66,453)
(53,849)
389,534
603,865
993,399

18

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

1.
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income for the reporting period (as per the statement of financial
activities)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Investment income received
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase in creditors
Profit on sale on disposal of fixed assets
Net cash provided by operating activities		 CASH FLOW FROM
31.3.22
31.3.21
£
£
12,357
442,362
6,436
6,780
(12,071)
(12,604)
(299,386)
(22,166)
114,266
502
29,012
-
(177,896)
443,384

19

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

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 (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)', 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.

Assessment of going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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.

Grants received from local authorities are credited to income on an accruals basis.

Self-generating income represents monies due as rent and is accounted for on an accruals basis. Monies received in advance are shown as current liabilities and monies owing as debtors.

Income from legacies is recognised on a receivable basis.

All voluntary income is included in income on receipt.

Donated services and facilities are included in income at a valuation which is an estimate of the financial cost borne by the donor where such a cost is quantifiable and measurable. No income is recognised when there is no financial cost borne by a third party.

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.

Allocation and apportionment of costs

Expenditure 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.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation which is provided in annual instalments over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

Leasehold buildings are depreciated to write down the cost less estimated residual value over the remaining useful life by equal annual instalments. It is the trustees' policy to maintain all buildings to such a standard that their estimated residual value is not less than their cost at any given time. Therefore, in the opinion of the trustees, no depreciation charge is required.

Small items of equipment and furniture are not capitalised but are written off on acquisition through the income and expenditure accounts.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates:

Improvements to property - 2% on cost Computer equipment - 33% on reducing balance Motor Vehicles - 25% on cost

Fixed asset investments

Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. The statement of financial activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year.

Realised gains and losses

All gains and losses are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities as they arise. Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sales proceeds and their opening carrying value or their purchase value if acquired subsequent to the first day of the financial year. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the fair value at the year end and their carrying value. Realised and unrealised investment gains and losses are combined in the Statement of Financial Activities.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

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

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

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

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Lease payments under operating leases, where substantially all the risks and benefits remain with the lessor, are charged as expenses in the periods in which they are incurred.

Government grants

Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.

Government grant income received related to the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

A grant that specifies performance conditions is recognised in income when the performance conditions are met. Where a grant does not specify performance conditions it is recognised in income when the proceeds are received or receivable. A grant received before the recognition criteria are satisfied is recognised as a liability.

Financial Instruments

The following assets and liabilities are classified as financial instruments; trade debtors, rents receivable, trade creditors and other creditors.

Trade debtors, rents receivable, trade creditors and other creditors are measured at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received.

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

2.
DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Donations
Analysis of donations received during the period:
Date
Donor
Various
Anonymous donations and amounts less than £1,000
Various
22.11.21
Just giving
Ruth & Toni Pieczonka
Various
Christine Collins
Various
Enthuse
Various
Lynne Leaf Memorial
Various
Oxford Grove CP Primary School
Various
09.12.21
Various
Various
25.10.21
Various
07.09.21
07.09.21
Various
Oliver Stocken
Saving threads
Benefit Mankind
Bradshaw Gass Trust
Fivezero International
Gene Spurr
Kearsley & Ringley Conservative Club
Russell & Russell
Cormar Carpet Co
07.02.22
NEU Bolton District
25.03.22
K3 Capital Group
14.03.22
PMJ Capital Ltd
28.05.21
Capsticks Solictors
10.05.21
Sahil Enterprises (Raja’s)		 31.3.22
31.3.21
£
£
88,810
126,565
88,810
126,565
£
26,058
20,864
1,000
1,000
7,421
1,388
1,489
2,500
1,770
1,000
2,750
1,322
3,939
1,809
1,000
3,000
1,000
1,000
2,500
3,000
3,000		 31.3.21
£
126,565
126,565

88,810

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

31.3.22 31.3.21
£ £
Fundraising events 6,973 878
Other income 35,163 16,774
42,136 17,652
4. INVESTMENT INCOME
31.3.22 31.3.21
£ £
Deposit account interest 3,036 4,690
Investment income 9,035 7,914
12,071 12,604
5. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
31.3.22 31.3.21
Activity £ £
Charge to residents Operation of Women's Refuge & Support
Centre 454,480 419,036
Grants Operation of Women's Refuge & Support
Centre 830,127 1,066,360
1,284,607 1,485,396

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

5. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES - continued

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

BMBC - Vulnerable Children & young people
BMBC - 5-19s Positive Activities
BMBC - Adult services
Other grants
1point
BMBC - Iris Project
FFE Funding
MHCLG Joint bid: Mental health, drugs and alcohol
Bolton Together - Thrive
Children in Need, D.O.V.E.
Bolton CCG - Children’s Counselling
Bolton CCG – Children & young people
Bolton CCG - Teams Around Schools
Bolton Fund – Standing Together
Bolton Fund – Health and Wellbeing
Bolton Fund – Children getting the best start in life
Bolton Fund – Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol
GMCA MoJ Funding
National Lottery Community Fund Coronavirus Support
MHCLG Covid19 Emergency Support Fund
Natwest Circle Fund
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Bolton Together – Emotional Health and Wellbeing
Bolton Together – Thrive Plus
Bolton Together – SME Thrive
BMBC – IDVA
Oglesby Trust
Greater Manchester Police ARIS Fund
Garfield Weston Foundation
Zochonis Charitable Trust
Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust
Bolton CVS
Greater Manchester High Sheriff’s Police Trust
Amazon Community
Duchy of Lancaster
North West Young People’s Development Trust
Lankley Chase Foundation
Sir James and Lady Scott Trust
The Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust
Provincial Walsh Trust
Albert Gubay Foundation
Masonic Charitable Fund
Safenet Bury Refuge
Awards for All
Box Power CIC
Children In Need, Youth Investment Fund
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Arnold Clark
HAF		 31.3.22
£
28,805
-
192,000
-
67,778
70,750
14,950
-
24,950
44,545
20,500
-
23,750
-
-
-
7,371
30,000
-
-
-
-
27,702
10,500
-
127,032
-
-
-
2,500
-
3,674
426
-
-
10,000
-
3,000
-
3,000
30,000
19,973
8,750
9,978
20,000
25,193
1,000
1,000
1,000
830,127		 31.3.21
£
28,805
10,000
217,000
1,247
39,755
70,750
21,993
38,073
20,046
43,396
29,460
25,000
57,000
18,848
12,000
24,612
-
32,979
42,683
34,300
2,500
25,000
15,765
18,000
20,516
127,032
15,000
5,000
25,000
2,500
5,000
3,675
3,500
2,000
5,000
10,000
5,000
2,000
5,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,066,360

24

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FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Restricted income, included in the above, are as follows:

BMBC - Vulnerable Children & young people
BMBC - 5-19s Positive Activities
BMBC - Adult services
Other grants
1point
BMBC - Iris Project
FFE Funding
MHCLG Joint bid: Mental health, drugs and alcohol
Bolton Together - Thrive
Children in Need, D.O.V.E.
Bolton CCG - Children’s Counselling
Bolton CCG – Children & young people
Bolton CCG - Teams Around Schools
Bolton Fund – Standing Together
Bolton Fund – Health and Wellbeing
Bolton Fund – Children getting the best start in life
Bolton Fund – Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol
GMCA MoJ Funding
National Lottery Community Fund Coronavirus Support
MHCLG Covid19 Emergency Support Fund
Natwest Circle Fund
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Bolton Together – Emotional Health and Wellbeing
Bolton Together – Thrive Plus
Bolton Together – SME Thrive
BMBC – IDVA
Oglesby Trust
Greater Manchester Police ARIS Fund
Garfield Weston Foundation
Zochonis Charitable Trust
Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust
Masonic Charitable Fund
Albert Gubay Foundation
Provinical Walsh Trust
Duchy of Lancaster
North West Young People’s Development Trust
Greater Manchester High Sherriff’s Police Trust
Sir James and Lady Scott Trust
Amazon Community
Lankelly Chase Foundation
The Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust
Bolton CVS
Safenet Bury Refuge
Awards for All
Box Power CIC
Children In Need, Youth Investment Fund
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Arnold Clark
HAF		 31.3.22
£
28,805
-
192,000
-
67,778
70,750
14,950
-
24,950
44,545
-
20,500
23,750
-
-
-
7,371
30,000
-
-
-
-
27,702
10,500
-
127,032
-
-
-
2,500
-
19,973
30,000
3,000
-
10,000
426
3,000
-
-
-
3,674
8,750
9,978
20,000
25,193
1,000
1,000
1,000
830,127		 31.3.21
£
28,805
10,000
217,000
1,247
39,755
70,750
21,993
38,073
20,046
43,396
29,460
25,000
57,000
18,848
12,000
24,612
-
32,979
42,683
34,300
2,500
25,000
15,765
18,000
20,516
127,032
15,000
5,000
25,000
2,500
5,000
-
-
-
5,000
10,000
3,500
2,000
2,000
5,000
5,000
3,675
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,066,360

25

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Direct costs
Support costs
(See note 7)
(See note 8)
£
£
Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre
1,417,196
19,348
7.
DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
31.3.22
£
Trustees' remuneration etc.
62,855
Staff costs
975,552
Water rates
10,252
Insurance
8,214
Light and heat
36,818
Telephone
9,317
Postage and stationery
3,509
Sundries
1,631
Cleaning materials
4,170
Window cleaning
1,750
Gardening
2,260
Furniture, equipment and maintenance
43,186
IVHA rent
128,134
Children's activities
8,665
Residents expenses
3,179
Travel & transport
8,981
Computer costs
14,896
Repairs, renewals & maintenance
16,878
Subscriptions
2,158
Training costs
5,821
Refreshments
249
Emergency provisions
59
Outreach Support Centre activities
3,132
Support, supervision and counselling services
3,802
Fundraising expenses
1,584
Publicity and advertising
6,163
Children's counselling
17,955
Bad debt expense
55
Bank charges
Legal and professional fees
1,318
23,320
Depreciation
6,436
Investment portfolio charges
Health and safety
Interpreting
2,276
120
1,999
Profit on sale of tangible fixed asset
502
1,417,196		 Totals
£
1,436,544
31.3.21
£
61,928
825,158
17,650
7,706
27,276
10,132
2,555
1,693
4,458
1,580
170
18,201
124,454
4,323
5,639
4,002
24,996
18,112
2,226
9,800
459
83
1,558
1,916
1,718
10,080
18,885
-
1,140
29,460
6,780
2,091
204
2,332
-
1,248,765

Included within the staff costs is an amount totalling £808,314 (2021: £774,116) which relate to restricted fund expenditure.

26

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

8. SUPPORT COSTS

Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre

Governance costs £ 19,348

9. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

Auditors' remuneration
Auditors' remuneration for non-audit work
Depreciation - owned assets
TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
Trustees' salaries
Trustees' social security
Trustees' pension contributions to money purchase schemes		 31.3.22
£
7,800
1,971
6,436
31.3.22
£
55,146
6,388
1,321
62,855		 31.3.21
£
7,140
1,059
6,780
31.3.21
£
54,330
6,285
1,313
61,928

10. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

One trustee received remuneration during the period. The trustee's remuneration is in accordance with the memorandum and articles of association of the reporting entity.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2022 nor for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Professional indemnity insurance has been taken out on behalf of trustees at a cost of £953 (2021: £867).

11. STAFF COSTS

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs		 31.3.22
£
894,375
64,634
15,943
974,952		 31.3.21
£
757,638
53,766
13,754
825,158

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

31.3.22 31.3.21
Management and administration 7 5
Lewis House and Outreach Support Centre 50 45
57 50

One trustee received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

27

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

12. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted
funds
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
126,565
Charitable activities
Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre
419,036
Other trading activities
17,652
Investment income
12,604
Total
575,857
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Operation of Women's Refuge & Support Centre
370,320
NET INCOME BEFORE INVESTMENTS
205,537
Net on investments
68,124
NET INCOME
273,661
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
Transfers between funds
1,104,321
-
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
1,377,982		 Restricted
funds
£
-
1,066,360
-
-
1,066,360
897,659
168,701
-
168,701
61,997
-
230,698		 Total funds
£
126,565
1,485,396
17,652
12,604
1,642,217
1,267,979
374,238
68,124
442,362
1,166,318
-
1,608,680

28

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

13. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Long leasehold
Improvements
to property
Computer
equipment
Motor vehicles
£
£
£
£
COST
At 1 April 2021
42,541
175,000
44,188
10,995
Additions
116,423
-
-
-
Disposals
-
-
(32,831)
-
At 31 March 2022
158,964
175,000
11,357
10,995
DEPRECIATION
At 1 April 2021
-
27,633
43,127
4,123
Charge for year
-
3,500
187
2,749
Disposals
At 31 March 2022
-
-
-
31,133
(32,329)
10,985
-
6,872
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2022
158,964
143,867
373
4,123
At March 2021
42,541
147,367
1,061
6,872		 Totals
£
272,724
116,423
(32,831)
356,316
74,883
6,436
(32,329)
48,990
307,327
197,841

29

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

14. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS

Market value
2022
£
UK Listed:
Unrestricted
COIF Investment Fund 7,381.54 units
143,744
COIF Global Equity Income Fund 58,690.40 units
156,339
COIF Property Fund 42,673.04 units
55,355
CWM portfolio
165,185
520,623
Market Value
1.4.21
Additions/
Disposals
Interest
UK Listed
£
£
£
Unrestricted
COIF Investment Fund
7,381.54 Units
87,469
50,000
-
COIF Global Equity Fund
58,690.40 Units
99,946
50,000
-
COIF Property Fund
42,673.04 Units
48,165
-
-
CWM Portfolio
165,420
622
401,000
100,000
622		 Cost
Market value Cost
2022
2021
2021
£
£
£
125,000
87,469
75,000
125,000
99,946
75,000
50,000
48,165
50,000
150,000
165,420
150,000
450,000
401,000
350,000
Charges
Gain/
(Loss)
Market Value
31.3.22
£
£
£
-
6,275
143,744
-
6,393
156,339
-
7,190
55,355
(2,276)
1,419
165,185
(2,276)
21,277
520,623
4

15. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade debtors
Rents receivable
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors


16.
CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade creditors
Social security and other taxes
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income


17.
LEASING AGREEMENTS
Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases
Within one year

Between two and five years
Total
 31.3.22
£
60,034
10,201
32,588
291,248
394,071
31.3.22
£
12,308
17,146
2,393
160,664
192,511
31.3.22
£
137,114
24,531
161,645		 31.3.21
£
57,157
11,222
26,306
-
94,685
31.3.21
£
7,534
16,401
3,294
51,016
78,245
31.3.21
£
126,861
24,531
151,392

30

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

18. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Unrestricted Restricted 31.3.22 31.3.21
Funds Funds Total Funds Total Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets 827,950 - 827,950 598,841
Current Assets 749,322 236,276 985,598 1,088,084
Current Liabilities (73,374) (119,137) (192,511) (78,245)
1,503,898 117,139 1,621,037 1,608,680

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Unrestricted funds
Undesignated fund
Designated Funds
Restricted funds
Operation of refuge
TOTAL FUNDS		 At 1.4.21
Net movement
in funds
£
£
1,164,214
16,930
213,768
108,986
1,377,982
125,916
230,698
(113,559)
1,608,680
12,357		 At 31.3.22
£
1,181,144
322,754
1,503,898
117,139
1,621,037

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted Funds
Undesignated Funds
Designated Funds
Restricted Funds
Operation of Refuge
TOTAL FUNDS		 Incoming
Resources
£
597,497
-
597,497
830,127
1,427,624
 Resources
Movement
Expended
Transfer
In Funds
£
£
£
(464,644)
(115,923)
16,930
(6,937)
115,923
108,986
(471,581)
-
125,916
(943,686)
-
(113,559
(1,415,267)
-
12,357		 Resources
Movement
Expended
Transfer
In Funds
£
£
£
(464,644)
(115,923)
16,930
(6,937)
115,923
108,986
(471,581)
-
125,916
(943,686)
-
(113,559
(1,415,267)
-
12,357		 Resources
Movement
Expended
Transfer
In Funds
£
£
£
(464,644)
(115,923)
16,930
(6,937)
115,923
108,986
(471,581)
-
125,916
(943,686)
-
(113,559
(1,415,267)
-
12,357
12,357

31

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

19. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

The accumulated undesignated funds are for the purpose of providing relief and protection of women who have been gravely or persistently maltreated by the partner with whom they are or have been living or by any member of their immediate family and of the children of such women.

The designated fund relates to the net book value of tangible fixed assets used in the furtherance of the charity's objectives and the balance left on various funds designated by the Trustees.

The balance on the restricted fund represents amounts received during the financial year in respect of the following projects;

The Healthy Relationships Project which educates children about acceptable behaviours in relationships. The delivery equips children with the knowledge, understanding and the skills required to develop healthy relationships. The project addresses unhealthy/abusive relationships, how to recognise these and where to get help.

Monies received specifically to purchase radiator covers following a Health and Safety review at Lewis House.

1Point North West, monies received to deliver adult counselling services at Outreach Support Centre.

Children in Need Grants for Children’s Services in the community and the refuge, these monies fund the D.O.V.E (Dedicated to Overcoming Violent Experiences) project, delivering Breaking Free and Just For You sessions.

GM Police Bolton ARIS Fund, monies received to produce a video which will be used as a resource and training tool.

North West Young People’s Development Project, grants towards Children and Young People’s work at Outreach Support Centre.

Bolton CCG Children’s Counselling, additional monies received to increase the number of play and talking therapy appointments in order to meet the increased demand seen during coronavirus lockdowns.

Provincial Walsh and The Sir James and Lady Scott Trust, the provision of advice and support to victims and survivors of domestic violence in Bolton together with Freedom programme and Next Steps.

Lottery Awards for All, provision of activities within the refuge.

Box Power CIC, monies to fund activities and trips for children residing in the refuge.

Masonic Charitable Foundation, this grant supports 5–16 year-olds who move on from the refuge to help them transition to community life and deal with the trauma they’ve experienced. A Project Worker and community volunteers will work with the child to build new networks of support.

Albert Gubay Foundation, funding to run a one year pilot for ‘family cohesion’ assisting families to understand behaviours and learn new coping mechanisms.

The Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust, Duchy of Lancaster and Bolton Street Angels, one-off grants and donations towards the cost of an electronic signing in system at both the Refuge and Outreach Support Centre.

These balances are all budgeted to be expended over the next financial year.

32

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

FORTALICE LIMITED

20. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

KBL Solicitors LLP have invoiced Fortalice £1,590 (2021: £6,480) in the year for services. At the yearend Fortalice owed £600 (2021: £nil) to KBL Solicitors LLP.

KBL Solicitors LLP are a related party by virtue of Sarah Collier being a director & trustee of Fortalice and an Employment Law Partner at KBL Solicitors LLP.

21. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

At the 31 March 2022 Fortalice had paid a deposit of £291,248 to acquire leasehold property, post year end the acquisition completed on the 13 June 2022.

22. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY

The company was controlled by the Board of Trustees throughout the year under review.

33

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Donations
Legacy income
Other trading activities
Fundraising events
Other income
Investment income
Deposit account interest
Investment income
Charitable activities
Charge to residents
Grants
Total incoming resources
EXPENDITURE
Charitable activities
Trustees' salaries
Trustees' social security
Trustees' pension contributions
Wages & salaries (Excl NI)
Social security
Pensions
Water rates
Insurance
Light and heat
Telephone
Postage and stationery
Sundries
Cleaning materials
Window cleaning
Gardening
Furniture, equipment and maintenance
IVHA rent
Children's activities
Residents expenses
Travel & transport
Computer costs
Interpreting
Carried forward		 31.3.22
£
88,810
-
88,810
6,973
35,163
42,136
3,036
9,035
12,071
454,480
830,127
1,284,607
1,427,624
55,146
6,388
1,321
894,975
64,634
15,943
10,252
8,214
36,818
9,317
3,509
1,631
4,170
1,750
2,260
43,306
128,134
8,665
3,179
8,981
14,896
1,999
1,325,488		 31.3.21
£
123,571
-
123,571
878
19,768
20,646
4,690
7,914
12,604
419,036
1,066,360		 31.3.21
£
123,571
-
123,571
878
19,768
20,646
4,690
7,914
1,485,369
1,642,217
54,330
6,285
1,313
757,638
53,766
13,754
17,650
7,707
27,276
10,132
2,555
1,693
4,458
1,580
170
18,405
124,454
4,323
7,971
4,002
24,996
-
1,144,458

34

DocuSign Envelope ID: 4E6ED41C-79A1-4556-8449-B7DC9C4787C6

FORTALICE LIMITED

DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Charitable activities
Brought forward
Repairs, renewals & maintenance
Subscriptions
Training costs
Refreshments
Emergency provisions
Outreach Support Centre activities
Support, supervision and counselling services
Fundraising expenses
Children's counselling
Publicity and advertising
Bad debt expense
Bank charges
Legal & professional fees
Depreciation
Profit on sale of tangible fixed asset
Unrealised/realised (gain)/loss on investments
Investment portfolio charges
Support costs
Governance costs
Auditors' remuneration
Auditors' remuneration for non-audit work
Legal & professional fees
Total resources expended
Net income		 31.3.22
£
1,325,488
16,878
2,158
5,821
249
59
3,132
3,802
1,584
17,955
6,163
55
1,318
23,320
6,436
502
(21,277)
2,276
1,395,919
7,800
1,971
9,577
19,348
1,415,267
12,357		 31.3.21
£
1,144,458
18,112
2,226
9,800
458
83
1,558
1,916
1,718
18,885
10,080
-
1,140
29,460
6,780
-
(68,124)
2,091
1,180,641
7,140
1,059
9,577
19,214
1,199,855
442,362

35