For every woman, no matter her story.
Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
Choices
A charity registered in England as Choices Islington Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Our vision
For every woman to find hope, support and compassion in her journey.
Our mission
To provide professional and compassionate support for all women through pregnancy, loss and parenthood.
Our goal
To work with our clients to improve their resilience and ability to: cope with a pregnancy crisis, pregnancy loss or parenting pressure; to make their choices healthily, and to have confidence to face the future with hope. We do this by equipping them practically and with counselling.
Our values
Empathy: Resilience: Professionalism:
Standing alongside each other with warmth, care and respect Helping each other to build resilience and have hope for the future Working to the highest professional standard
Our ethos
Choices is a Christian organisation, and so we believe that all people deserve to be treated with care, compassion, and respect, regardless of their faith, race, income, sexual orientation or employment status. We are not a campaigning organisation, and we do not have a political agenda. Rather, we offer a safe, hopeful, and empowering space to our clients, our partners and each other.
We work with women and families facing pregnancy crises – from unplanned pregnancy to pregnancy loss, child separation, and parenting under challenging circumstances – and we recognise that these can be sensitive issues. Abortion, particularly, can become a controversial issue that divides people in a polarising debate. We choose instead to unite people by meeting our clients at their point of need, and never passing judgement. Our goal is to provide counselling and practical support so those in crisis can reach a place of resilience and hope for the future.
All Choices staff and volunteers are appropriately trained and supervised to reflect our ethos. We’re committed to working at the highest standards of excellence that we can and practice within all national legal frameworks and professional guidelines, including safeguarding and anti-discrimination legislation. We are organisational members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to the BACP ethical framework. We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe space for our clients. Many of them have already experienced coercion and we will never be another coercive voice in their lives.
As a faith-based organisation, Choices reserves the right to apply occupational requirements to key counselling and leadership roles, to preserve the Christian ethos of our organisation in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Our name
We are now known as Choices and use the URL choicescharity.org . Our registered name remains Choices Islington. This change was made in 2024 to provide clarity for clients and referrers and to demonstrate the expansion of our services across London and sometimes further afield.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
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Legal and Administrative Information
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Company/Charity Name
Choices Islington (formerly Choices Confidential Pregnancy Advice) Registered Charity Number 1124209 Registered Company Number 6517231
Registered Office Email 390 Caledonian Road info@choicescharity.org London N1 1DN Website Telephone www.choicescharity.org 020 7700 4475 Trustees/Directors Hannah Carter Chloe Selby Matt Davis (Treasurer) Diana Squires (appointed in 2025) Elizabeth Dulley (Chair) Celia Wyatt Damilola Makinde (resigned in 2025) Company Secretary Sophie Guthrie-Kummer Bankers Charities Aid Foundation Bank National Westminster Bank PLC CCLA Investment Management Limited Independent Examiner Christopher Clarke
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Welcome from the CEO
Choices would not exist without our donors, supporters and volunteers. They are the backbone of this work and they ensure we are able to meet all the women, and their families, who need our support. Everyone who has supported Choices over the last year – and some have been supporters since the charity was established in 1999! - can take pride in being part of something special. The more I, and the dedicated, motivated and highly professional staff team, do this work, the more connection we feel to it, to how important it is, to the difference it makes in people’s lives. I am increasingly in awe of our clients for choosing to share their lives with us. Some are at their lowest moments when they come to us and show such courage and honesty as they seek hope and strength for the future. I am so encouraged by the feedback we regularly receive that tells us we provided much-needed and valuable support.
Here are some comments we’ve received recently that have encouraged me. Please enjoy reading more from our clients through this annual report:
“I feel really hopeful for the future thanks to having the space to talk”
“ I really wish more people knew about Choices. It was so much easier than waiting for the hospital to get back to me and they got in touch so quickly. Lots of kind caring words made me feel very comfortable and that my feelings were valid.”
We also ask our clients for feedback that can guide us to re-shape our services where we need to better meet their needs. And we value hearing from all who engage with our work, so I hope you get a flavour of the different voices of our clients, volunteers, staff and partners through this annual report.
I look back on 2025 with enormous gratitude and pride. I am grateful for our supporters, for the good work we have been able to do, for our clients for trusting us and for the Choices team. Every single one in the team gives so much energy, thought and care to their work, as well as good humour despite being faced with new challenges every year.
This past year has seen more and more clients reach out for help in each of the prisons we work in, in the community following pregnancy loss, through pregnancy and following child separation (an innovation in the past year which has proved much-needed among a client cohort including those who are leaving prison or known to criminal justice services.). With this growth, we find ourselves recruiting new counsellors at regular points through the year. Where in 2024 we welcomed 12 new staff and volunteers, in 2025, that number was 35 new staff and volunteers!
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
With this additional resource, we are seeing more clients and the final quarter of 2025 was our busiest yet, with 208 clients being seen for 720 sessions across all Choices’ services. We have seen growth across the unplanned pregnancy service, with more clients finding us and then going through to our other services, including the perinatal counselling, which is encouraging as this was the intention of that service to meet a need we were seeing for those feeling pressure in pregnancy to have somewhere to receive support.
2025 was also a turning point for Choices – our growth has meant we have to shift our way of operating to ensure a larger team still feels like a team, and that the correct procedures and safeguarding are in place to meet a greater, and often more complex, client load. The work we put into our brand and how we communicate shows our development as a charity, and our investment into building and growing new partnerships with churches and individuals with the appointment of a new Partnerships Manager, is an indication that we are ready to grow in London and further afield. Finally, the Trustees made the key decision that we will move out of our office of 15 years in September 2026. We will move to a new way of working that enables us to see more clients in person, and better suits our staff team that is already spread across three prisons and is experiencing growth that isn’t limited by geographical location.
I’m encouraged that those who need Choices’ professional, empathetic and compassionate support through pregnancy, loss and parenthood are finding us. I’m aware so many more might need us and we continue to aim to grow to meet that need where we can, where partnerships emerge and where we are able to continue to grow sustainably.
Sophie Guthrie-Kummer CEO
“Thanks to my counsellor so much for the last few sessions, they've been my lifesaver getting me through a tough patch.”
Building change/move - in September 2026
o Ensuring structures and procedures are in place to support teams with the change and to prepare us for further, future growth
-
Locating new counselling rooms
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oLocating new office / desk space and space for meetings with team
o Establishing processes and structures to manage more remote working and higher client loads
Internal communications: establishing stronger lines of communication between and within teams to ensure efficient working and good team dynamics as we grow.
Pursuing New Opportunities – in Partnership
-
Boutique Service moving to a new day in conjunction with a ‘family focus’ in the building
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oNew partnerships with churches and individualsoExploring expansion of services in new locations with the support of local churches
Best Practice: an ongoing focus on ensuring all clients have a trauma-informed experience at Choices and that all supporters and volunteers have a professional and high-quality experience.
Our charitable aim
Is to support every woman no matter her story, through pregnancy, loss and parenthood. We aim to help women build resilience to face the challenges they experience and find hope for the future. We offer professional counselling and compassionate practical support, in prison and in the community.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
How we accomplish our goal
Our counselling and practical services focus on empowering our clients as they build their own resilience to handle adversity and face the future with hope. We have two main outputs: a counselling service for women in prison and in the community, and practical support for parents in the form of our Boutique – a baby clothes and equipment service – and the Circle of Security ParentingÔ course. Where needed or requested, we then signpost all clients on to other statutory and charitable services.
Public benefit
We have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
About our clients
Choices sees clients in all our services from across all London boroughs, with the majority – more than a third - telling us they are based in the London Boroughs of Islington, Camden and Hackney, which reflects our traditional geographical base, with Choices’ office being based in Islington and seeing clients from these neighbouring boroughs since the beginning. Interestingly, while another 21% came from across London, 19% came from outside of London entirely. The remainder did not disclose where they came to us from. Our clients tell us they are from a mix of ethnic backgrounds, with no one dominant group represented. The biggest group (at 20%) identified as ’white British’, followed by those who identified as ’Black, African and Caribbean’ and other (9%). Another 11% as ‘other’ or ‘mixed/multiple ethnic backgrounds’, 7% identified as ’white other’ and 5% as ’Black British‘. Finally, 8% of our clients identified as ’Asian’ (Bangladeshi, British, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani or other). We do know that 17% identify as Christian and 5% as Catholic (which might be higher than other mental health charities and indicate the perceived need people of faith feel to be able to express their faith in counselling with a counsellor who has a framework for faith). Another 14% expressed another religious background (the highest constituent being Muslims at 12%) and 7% said they had no religion, and a further 2% identified as atheist. The vast majority of our clients are women but we do sometimes see men in our counselling services (men come with a partner and on their own for an appointment to discuss an unplanned pregnancy) and in the Boutique. Our clients come to us across all ages, with the majority being aged between 20 and 45. As part of our commitment to being a trauma-aware organisation, we continue to explore which groups are under-represented in our services, and how we can address this.
Safeguarding
We take safeguarding very seriously and have a dedicated safeguarding team comprised of two leads and two deputies, and includes the CEO. This team meets monthly to assess and respond to ongoing cases. All reports of concerns are recorded confidentially and responded to as soon as possible after being reported on an ongoing basis. All staff and volunteers complete mandatory safeguarding training once a year. Working with women in the community with often complex mental health needs and especially for those known to social services and criminal justice services, we are conscious of the potential safeguarding risks many of our clients face and so aim to ensure our services are robust in our response to safeguarding needs.
Trauma Awareness
We have worked hard this year to continue to be trauma aware – receiving our bronze quality mark in January 2025. This work has been focused on a few different areas including updating our evaluation framework and putting in place a structure for hearing from our clients specifically on how effectively we put the trauma-aware principles into practice: safety, trustworthiness, choice, empowerment, collaboration, and cultural consideration. We have also identified training for staff to extend our understanding of specific client groups, and are creating a new in-house training for all staff and volunteers on our trauma-informed model of working. Finally, we started to update all of our policies to ensure they were written from a trauma-informed lens.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
788 510 320 190
2025 in numbers:
788 Service Users 510 Unique Individual Clients 2656 Total Sessions
Counselling Clients (in prison and the community) Boutique and Parenting Course Clients
Total Clients Supported
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Befriending
Parenting Course
0%
4% Perinatal Counselling
4%
Unplanned
Pregnancy
Support
9% Pregnancy Loss
Counselling
10%
Boutique
33%
Child
Separation
9%
Prison
Counselling
31%
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Cynthia’s story
Cynthia* (not her real name, to protect her identity) has always felt she didn’t have a voice and that she has been easy to manipulate. Her time in prison meant she couldn’t help or protect her children, and her decisions in the past led them to have complex lives themselves. Cynthia carried a lot of guilt and remorse about causing pain to her children - through her absence and her choice of partners. Cynthia was referred to Choices for counselling during her time in HMP Bronzefield, due to her challenging separation from her youngest daughter who had left her official care relative, was refusing school and was selfharming. Cynthia’s helplessness and frustration were the hardest things for her to deal with.
Choices was able to offer Cynthia 26, one-to-one counselling sessions in Bronzefield, and upon her release she was referred to Choices’ community counselling team where she has been continuing sessions with her counsellor.
Amazingly, especially given everything she has been through, Cynthia now feels she has a voice. She has refused to enter back into the abusive relationship with her ex-partner and has gained a greater degree of self-awareness in relation to the abuse she experienced in the past and the decisions she had made throughout her life. She now speaks of having a greater sense of self-worth, is advocating for her youngest daughter with more authority and is making time for herself and her self-care. She is also being supported positively by her probation officer and her allocated key worker and as a result is feeling more heard – perhaps for the first time. Cynthia is back in touch with all of her children, and is finally able to have positive communication with them.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Our Services and their Impact
The goal in Choices’ work is to support our clients to be able to harness and use their own resilience to respond to the challenges with pregnancy, loss and parenthood that they face. As a result of the counselling and practical support we offer, we expect that they are better equipped to understand their feelings, accept their reality and face the future with hope. All our services are monitored using a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Clients are asked at the beginning and end to evaluate their agreement to statements using this scale. We then monitor how many give a score of 5 or 6 (a high level of agreement) at the end of counselling in response to key statements. These results are shared as a percentage for each service in the following pages. For the ongoing counselling services, we also use NHS-approved psychometrics which indicate levels of anxiety and depression in clients before and after counselling. We measure the percentage change from beginning to end of all clients’ scores cumulatively.
About Choices’ Counselling Services
All of our counsellors are qualified or are completing their training (registered with an accredited provider). All staff are fully qualified and volunteers are usually on placement while training but some volunteers are qualified and offer their time in support and commitment to the work (usually staying on after a placement). Choices is an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling Our vision is for anyone facing the dilemma of an unplanned pregnancy to be offered immediate, free, compassionate and non-judgmental support with a trained counsellor to express and understand their thoughts and feelings about their situation. Over the years, the feedback we get from those who use our service tells us how valued and valuable this space is. Clients say they couldn’t find anything similar elsewhere and that it was often the first place they felt listened to and were able to listen to themselves without feeling any coercion. This is why we offer them the space and ensure it is a free and responsive service. 47 Clients supported 74 One-off sessions
Our vision is for anyone facing the dilemma of an unplanned pregnancy to be offered immediate, free, compassionate and non-judgmental support with a trained counsellor to express and understand their thoughts and feelings about their situation. Over the years, the feedback we get from those who use our service tells us how valued and valuable this space is. Clients say they couldn’t find anything similar elsewhere and that it was often the first place they felt listened to and were able to listen to themselves without feeling any coercion. This is why we offer them the space and ensure it is a free and responsive service.
“ I felt understood by my counsellor. She was very kind and understanding. It reassured me hugely. My biggest concern was I am alone and nobody would understand me. I felt relieved after talking to the counsellor. Thank you very much."
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
We endeavour to respond rapidly (within 24 hours) to every query and offer an appointment within the next day or so. We also work hard to ensure clients are reassured they will be given space to explore their own feelings and thoughts and will not be judged or coerced to make a decision. Choices is conscious that many will bring biases and judgments about an organisation with a faith ethos operating in the area of unplanned pregnancy and abortion, and we are always clear that it is our faith ethos that underpins our compassionate and non-judgmental response to our clients.
This year, we saw an increase in the number of clients coming to this service, likely a response to the promotion we have done among local healthcare providers. We have also seen an increase in the take up of those coming from this service into ongoing counselling, particularly for those seeking support through pregnancy and beyond.
“My counsellor was fantastic, I felt completely welcome and safe. I came away from the session with a refreshed outlook on my current circumstances. Thank you.”
“My counsellor has been brilliant. I felt cared for and heard without judgement , and she helped me see more perspectives I wasn’t taking into account. Cannot thank her and the whole Choices team enough!!”
100%
felt equipped to face their situation and make a decision
100%
felt able to identify their feelings
100%
felt confident about their next steps
“You've been really good, you have allowed me to explore some very difficult things and as there are layers to this, you've given me a chance to talk about all of them.”
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Pregnancy Loss, Perinatal and Child Separation Counselling
Choices has been offering a service supporting women (and sometimes men) who are facing difficulties processing their feelings, thoughts and responses following a pregnancy loss, particularly an abortion since we started. This established counselling service, which operates on a low-cost model, offers 24 weekly sessions and we work online and in person. The service is supported by trainee counsellors who have chosen to have their clinical placement with Choices, as well as members of staff.
“ My therapist is one of the best I’ve had and knows what I need and how to work with me. I just feel I can be honest with her more so than I have before in any therapy.” - Loss Client
“In the beginning I saw myself as a complete disaster, now I see myself working towards a different version of myself. ” - Pregnancy Client
Over the last few years, we developed our Perinatal Counselling service, supporting expectant parents and in some instances very new parents who are dealing with birth trauma or perinatal mental health concerns with low-cost counselling throughout pregnancy until around 37 weeks where our counsellors negotiate a break. We then offer around six sessions of counselling in the first four months after birth. The offer is bespoke for each client, in recognition of the different experiences faced by each individual. We aim to operate this service without a waiting list as pregnancy is already such a limited time and we don’t want clients to wait any longer than absolutely necessary to access support.
In the last year, we brought a service that used to sit under the ‘prison counselling’ service into this one: we now also offer counselling to those who have been separated from their children, through voluntary relinquishment for adoption or removal. All of these services are also open to women who have been in prison, or are known to criminal justice services. Each of these strands of our community counselling services is growing rapidly and we have a growing team of nearly 20 volunteers. Training and support is offered to all counsellors throughout the year to ensure the professionalism of the service and a warm connection within the team. We have begun to recruit new counsellors every six months, working together with the prison team to recruit at the same time to ensure efficiency.
The pregnancy loss service has seen referrals grow three-fold from the first quarter of the year to the last. Session numbers for both the loss and the pregnancy counselling service doubled and rose by 40% respectively. Our increasingly close connections with NHS services and growth in the counselling team have led to this rise.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
29
Post-Abortion clients supported
20
Post-Miscarriage clients supported
21
Perinatal clients supported
44
Child Separation clients supported
973
Sessions held in total with all clients
“It’s been brilliant, just right for me. Find it easy to talk to you, not lots of psychobabble. You’ve helped me to understand – to do it myself, not told me.
- Child Separation Client
“ Thank you, it's hard to put into words. I'm grateful for the provision of this form of counselling and that it's affordable. There was not really any offer of aftercare from the
hospital services and it could have been very different.” - Loss Client
“ My counsellor taught me to believe I'm good enough. I have caused trauma for myself and my children, but I am doing my best now and I am good enough for my children. The cycle stops with me. ”
- Child Separation Client
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
“ I’m proud to volunteer at Choices, a space free from judgement where women are met with care and can feel seen, heard, and supported. ” - Community Counselling Volunteer
Many of our counselling clients experience complex life situations, including relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, financial pressure and pre-existing mental health diagnoses. These are alongside stresses caused by pregnancy, pregnancy loss and child separation. Most report experiencing high depression and anxiety levels when they come to Choices and most see those levels fall dramatically at the end of counselling.
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Community Counselling Psychometrics - Anxiety
50%
44%
40%
38%
40%
30%
20% 20% 20%
20%
13%
10% 6%
0%
None Mild Moderate Severe
Before After
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Community Counselling Psychometrics - Depression
60%
50%
50%
40%
33%
31%
30% 25% 25%
17%
20%
13%
10% 6%
0% 0%
0%
None Mild Moderate Moderately Severe Severe
Before After
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Using NHS-approved psychometrics – GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scales for Anxiety and Depression respectively – we saw that from the start of counselling, the majority were experiencing some form of depression or anxiety. Looking at those in the ‘moderate to severe’ category for both, we see a 21% fall in those experiencing anxiety and a 31% fall in those experiencing depression. Those experiencing moderate to severe anxiety fell from 40% at the start to 19% at the end and 50% were experiencing moderate to severe depression at the start of counselling while only 19% were at the end. These figures cover all of our community services and it must be noted that for some, particularly those who have very complex lives following prison, or who have chosen to parent under difficult circumstances with poor mental health and financial pressure, these gains represent an enormous change in their lives. This is borne out by the average number of those experiencing ‘no’ depression or anxiety rose by more than half by the end of counselling.
Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
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“I have had a fantastic experience. Ultimately, it has provided a lifeline for me when I felt desperate .”
- Pregnancy Client
“I have been able to regain confidence back in myself , obtain closure on the situation and find myself in a happier space.” - Loss Client
Felicia’s Story
This story is told by Felicia’s counsellor.
I met Felicia* (not her real name) last April for an initial Unplanned Pregnancy session, following a referral from her perinatal psychiatrist. Felicia, in her early 40s, was approximately 10 weeks pregnant at the time. Although the pregnancy had been carefully planned through IVF, she presented in crisis once it was confirmed. She described feeling unable to access her previous sense of wanting the pregnancy and instead felt overwhelmed and uncertain about how to move forward.
Felicia had been out of work for several years. While she was in a committed relationship, she and her partner had never lived together, and she reported ongoing difficulties within the relationship. She also had a history of bipolar disorder and had previously taken medication for depression over many years.
Over the course of three Unplanned Pregnancy sessions, Felicia began to reconnect with more positive feelings about the pregnancy and to develop an understanding of her initial response.
Following this, she continued to receive support as a pregnancy counselling client. Throughout her pregnancy, the work focused on identifying triggers that led to spiralling anxious and negative thought patterns, and on developing effective coping strategies. Over time, she reported an increased ability to manage these responses, gaining a sense of control, confidence, and relief from her anxiety.
In Autumn 2025, Felicia gave birth to a healthy baby. She had felt very anxious about the possibility of struggling to bond with her child and experiencing postnatal depression. We continued sessions during the postpartum period, focusing on supporting her through this transition. In practice, she experienced no difficulties bonding with her baby and expressed surprise at her own strength and resilience.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Choices Prison Counselling supports female prisoners facing pregnancy loss, child bereavement and child separation concerns – abiding issues for women in prison. This service is sub-contracted by the Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Trust and we are overseen by the Mental Health Teams at HMPs Bronzefield, Downview and Send. This project has also been funded by two major grants by the National Lottery and City Bridge Trust which both agreed to fund us for an additional five years and one year respectively.
Women in prison are universally traumatised from experiences throughout their lives, and including being in prison. In addition, they have experienced multiple losses, including of pregnancies and children through separation and often adoption.
This work is complex and challenging but every year we hear clients tell us what an enormous difference the support has made and given the level of trauma our clients have experienced, any gains at all are to be celebrated. And our evaluations show that even after three months, our clients give scores of 5 or 6 out of 6, showing that they feel more confident about the future, have higher self worth and can understand their feelings better.
The service across the three prisons is supported by around 20 volunteer counsellors, a number of whom stay on following qualification. As the popularity of the service grows, receiving referrals from Mental Health, other prison services and word of mouth, we have moved to a regular rhythm of recruiting new counsellors twice a year with both prison and community counselling services working together on this. Regular meetings for volunteer teams have helped to develop a sense of belonging.
Clients Supported
67
Bronzefield 57
Bronzefield Downview 35 Send 1364 Sessions
Referring Problem
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Stillbirth Abortion
3% 8%
Child
Adoption
12% Child Bereavement
5%
Child Separation Miscarriage
57% 15%
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Of the clients who disclosed a referring problem, child separation is by far the largest referring issue we work with in the prison service (57% of clients). At least 39% of the women we work with have experienced adverse childhood experiences such as sexual and domestic abuse and 64% have experienced abuse as an adult. The work that our service offers works directly with the consequences of these experiences.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
“Being able to speak to someone without judgement has helped me understand my grief and loss and move past those feelings.”
100%
feel they can now be honest with themselves about their emotions
100%
feel the counselling has improved their self-confidence
100%
feel that counselling has helped them identify their strengths and good qualities
“Choices Prison Counselling is one of the best services in the prison .”
Prison Counselling Psychometrics - Anxiety
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60%
53%
50%
40%
30%
30% 28% 27%
25%
20% 18%
16%
10%
4%
0%
None Mild Moderate Severe
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Before After
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Prison Counselling Psychometrics - Depression
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40% 38%
35%
35%
30% 28%
26% 26%
25%
20% 18% 18%
15%
11%
10%
5%
2%
0%
0%
None Mild Moderate Moderately Severe Severe
Before After
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The psychometric evaluations our clients filled out before and after counselling demonstrated a very positive experience of counselling. 80% of clients scored as having moderate and severe anxiety before and only 43% after, while 87% of clients had moderate to severe depression before - a figure that fell to 46% after. It is notable that only 2% scored as having ‘no’ depression before and 4% had no anxiety. But that figure rose to 18% and 28% respectively after counselling. And no clients at all had severe depression at the end of their sessions. For such a vulnerable cohort, these gains are very significant.
“I'm grateful for the connection , the consistency , the helpful support to make me feel valued and think about things differently.”
“It's been good to have someone to listen to my problems as not many people do; thank you for giving me a safe space to cry as there is no other place I can do it.”
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Sinead’s Story
This story is told by Sinead’s counsellor.
Sinead (not her real name) came into counselling experiencing extremely high levels of anxiety and significant emotional distress. She was struggling to come to terms with her offence, her time in custody, and the impact of being separated from her daughter.
Throughout our work together, Sinead demonstrated remarkable commitment and resilience, engaging fully both within sessions and in the work she undertook independently. Over time, she was able to process these experiences more openly, gaining meaningful insight into herself, her behaviours, and her emotional responses.
Sinead shared that the support she received was instrumental in helping her through an incredibly dark period, and that she would not have been able to cope without it. As therapy progressed, she developed a stronger sense of self, reporting increased confidence, independence, and emotional awareness.
It was a privilege to work alongside Sinead and to witness the significant progress she made through her dedication and willingness to engage in the therapeutic process.
Following her release, Sinead called Choices to share her thanks with her counsellors.
I’m now outside of prison and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have made it through the darkest of times. I am eternally grateful. They are amazing professionals and I would just like to give my thanks.”
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Rebekah’s Story
This story is told by Rebekah’s counsellor.
I worked with Rebekah (not her real name) for 21 sessions, up to her release. When we started working together, she had come from a world of coercion, and abusive relationships and was in denial about this and therefore lacking accountability. Throughout our sessions we worked on exploring her sense of self, her values and how what she had been involved in fit within these.
Rebekah found herself on a journey of freedom from her past, saying that prison and our work together had given her space to grow and the confidence to be herself. I found this to be a very humbling experience to see such a huge shift in an individual to meet themselves with truth and determination to make better choices.
When we ended our sessions, she presented me with a card with the following message:
"Words will never be enough to say how grateful I am for you. I am so proud of the woman I've grown into , and I couldn't have done it without the support and kindness you've given me".
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Our Partners in Prison
The prison counselling service is hosted in all three prisons by the Mental Health teams in those prisons, and part of the Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Trust. We work closely with the Heads of Healthcare, psychologists and teams who care for the women and have good relationships with other sub-contractors too.
“Choices have been a great partner organisation to work with in HMP Downview. Our psychology team have benefited from completing joint assessments which have enabled us to develop pathway plans that best support women's needs in relation to child separation and other mental health needs.”
- Senior Clinical Psychologist at HMP Downview
“Choices offer an outstanding service that complements the wider mental health team and provides essential support to the therapies service as a whole. The team members are lovely, engaging, compassionate and provide
excellent care to the women in custody. [Choices’ Prison Service Manager] is very highly regarded by the wider mental health team as well as the women she works with. She is
approachable, kind and thoughtful about each case we refer, and her efforts to embed the service within the team
have helped us refine our own referral processes. An invaluable service all round, and the team are fab to work alongside .” - Senior Clinical Psychologist at HMP Bronzefield
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Counselling Volunteers
Choices is hugely reliant on a team of dedicated volunteers. We now have around 40 volunteer counsellors on placement or following qualification working with our counselling clients in prison and in the community. They comment that the placement is rewarding, constructive and well organised and we work hard to ensure we train, support and enable them to feel part of a team. We hope to give our volunteers as much as they give to us – you can read below what they have to say.
“Being part of Choices is a hugely rewarding and humbling experience , not just for what it represents, but also for being part of a team that truly honours and values the vital work they do. I feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by people who are so kind, supportive and deeply committed to improving women's lives . Everyone brings such compassion and understanding to their work. Being a volunteer counsellor
strengthens my sense of purpose and it is so important to me to contribute in a way that helps the women I work with feel truly heard, supported and less alone, particularly given the complexity of the challenges they are facing.”
“I've found the work with the women in prison to be challenging at times, frustrating at times, but always extremely rewarding. The courage the women have shown me in sharing their
experiences and emotions has been humbling. I hope in some
small way to have helped them understand themselves a little more and it's an experience that will stay with me always.
Choices as an organisation has been supportive and kind to me as a volunteer and the work you do is absolutely invaluable . The professionalism and humanity I've experienced in the
organisation has been affirming and positive at all times.”
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
This service exists to support those who are parenting in adverse circumstances, including on low income, in insecure housing, and single parenting. We offer a baby clothes and equipment service – the Choices Boutique – and well-regarded attachment-based parenting courses.
Boutique
The Choices Boutique offers pre-loved baby clothes and equipment to those who need them. We are in our fourth year running Boutique from a community building called King’s House run by a partner church (KXC). The Boutique is open one day a week for appointments and we receive and sort donations on another day. This service has continued in its popularity and a number of clients come more than once, for instance when children grow out of clothes, or when they need something new or additional.
Sharing this community space at King’s House means we can refer on to the KXC Little Haven baby and toddler group which also runs on the same day, and to Growing Hope, a charity which supports families with children with additional needs, as well as a service for refugees and asylum seekers which we have partnered with more this year.
166 Clients Supported
210 Appointments
“Instead of feeling desperate going to a baby bank I felt like I was part of a community .”
“I am very grateful charities like this exist as it gives a huge support to parents on a low income .”
Most of our Boutique clients are on low income, single parent families or struggling with mental health issues. A number speak English as an additional language and struggle to access support and we are increasingly seeing more people who also attend the refugee and asylum seeker service at Kings House. Many of our clients are referred to us by Family Support Workers in Islington and Camden, or from further afield, but a number self-refer. In 2026, we will be changing the day this service is offered on to continue to run on the same day as Little Haven baby and toddler group, and will be recruiting more volunteers, to help to run the service. We value our Boutique volunteers who tirelessly sort baby clothes, work out how to make equipment such as buggies and cots work properly and meet clients with professionalism and warmth.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
100%
felt accepted and supported by their Boutique advisor
100%
feel more able to provide their child/ren with the clothing and equipment they need
100% know where to turn for further support
“Choices has been an invaluable resource to me and I hope to be able to donate pieces back when my baby outgrows them.”
Parenting Courses
We continue to run Circle of Security Parenting[TM] courses three times a year, two in person and one online. And this year we ran one course as a pilot in one of the prisons (HMP Downview) as well as one in a new local church partner and one online. Our counselling manager also ran the course material in a one-to-one setting with a counselling client. Based on attachment theory, the course encourages parents and caregivers to consider how to support their children’s emotional needs.
Running the course in partnership with local churches has worked very well, as the church partner has hosted the space and promoted the course. We have continued to ask for a paid contribution towards the costs of the course from those who attended as a way of subsidising those who cannot pay.
In prison, the course was received very well, and there has been interest in us running it more, which we aim to do but do require more funds to do so as a regular service.
“ . This course has made a huge difference to my parenting
It has helped me to reflect more on how I was parented as well as giving me the knowledge and confidence to parent my children differently than how I was parented. I have learnt the importance of following and responding to my child's needs, the need for me to take a 'time out' when I am feeling
overwhelmed, and the importance of being with my child when they are sad, upset, anxious or feeling shame , rather than trying to distract them or make them feel happy.” Those who completed the course this year told us:
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
“I feel more confident and equipped in responding to both my girls’ needs. It is still in process but when my eldest daughter is dysregulated and having a meltdown I am learning to pause more, to take time to gather my thoughts and consider how best to help her and I am learning to be uncomfortable so she can know comfort. I feel I have especially grown in learning to ‘repair’ afterwards as well.”
100%
feel more able and equipped to understand and manage their child/ren’s emotions
100%
feel they can think about what their child’s behaviour is telling them before reacting
100% feel more able and equipped to cope with challenges in parenting
“ I feel equipped to parent better , I have points of reference now and more understanding and patience.”
“It has made me understand how I can support my child and respond to his needs and has made me more confident that I can do a decent job as a mum .”
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Finance and Support
Total incoming resources amounted to £421,984 for the year to 31 December 2025 (2024: £366,263). Total resources expended over the same period were £380,507 (2024: £350,328). The net position for the year amounted to a surplus of £41,477 (2024: surplus of £15,935). Net resources at the end of the year were £276,828, of which £15,387 is restricted and £11,646 is designated. Further details are found later in this report, including details of the grants we gratefully received in the year.
Choices is reliant on gifts from grant-making trusts and foundations, as well as individual and major donors. We would like to thank the following donors for their support in 2025:
AKO Foundation, The Anchor Foundation, Benefact Trust, Borrows Charitable Trust, City Bridge Trust, Joan Ainslie Trust, KXC (Kings Cross Church), M & H Maunsell Charity, National Lottery Community Fund (Awards for All), National Lottery Community Fund (Reaching Communities), Save the Children, Stillwaters Pregnancy Centre, Souter Charitable Trust, St Augustine’s Highbury, St Mary’s Hornsey Rise, St Mary’s Islington, St Saviour’s Finsbury Park. And Tesco Stronger Starts.
The charity holds its reserves in a current bank account and in a CAF deposit account which generates interest on monies invested. Last year we opened a further interest yielding account through CCLA. It is the policy of the Trustees to maintain a minimum of six months’ expenditure in reserve and up to nine months where it is deemed necessary. The financial management of the charity is supervised and monitored by the Finance Subcommittee of the Board and the Trustees.
Over the course of the last few years, we have received some unexpected large gifts from much-valued donors, some of whom have chosen to remain anonymous. We have also made some savings when, for instance, recruitment for key roles took longer than expected, or due to natural staff movement we have been able to restructure more efficiently. As a result, we have built up reserves which the Trustees have chosen to designate towards much-needed improvements to the structure of the charity. In 2025, some of these funds were put towards a salary for a new Partnerships Manager. However, we continued to raise more than expected as we reached a higher target on our Christmas Appeal, secured a new major donor and received a one-off gift from another charity which closed down. We are aware that a major grant comes to an end next year (City Bridge Trust) and reserves might be needed to cover a shortfall. We will also designate some funds for a potential expansion currently being discussed by the Board, which would involve recruiting to a new role in Oxford.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
The people who make it happen
Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction, finances and policies of the charity. The Trustees, who are also Directors of the charitable company, meet every three months to review progress and performance, monitor the financial position, monitor risk and make strategic decisions. The Trustees/Directors who served during the year and up to the date of this report are listed on page 3. New trustees are appointed by existing trustees of whom there should be a minimum of three. Trustees are selected for their individual skills, knowledge, passion for the work of Choices and vision. New trustees are appropriately trained and inducted.
Team
Choices is run by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is accountable to the Board. The CEO manages all the project managers (who run our services) as well as an Operations Manager, Partnerships Manager and a Fundraising Manager. Other than the Partnerships Manager, all staff are part-time, and each service is supported by volunteers. Over the course of 2025, we also worked with freelance consultants, namely our bookkeeper of several years (and her maternity cover at the beginning of the year) and a grant fundraiser. The staff team has grown considerably in the last few years and now numbers 16 (including maternity cover personnel who joined for the past year).
Volunteers
Choices continues to benefit from talented and committed volunteering and we have grown considerably this year. More than 55 volunteers give time across all our services. Choices’ goal is that volunteers should derive as much benefit from their work with the organisation as we derive from them. All of our counselling volunteers who are not fully trained use Choices as a placement opportunity as part of their counselling/psychotherapy training at reputable institutions accredited with registered professional bodies.
Governance
-
The Trustees maintain a Risk Management register, which is reviewed at least annually, and is operationally reviewed quarterly. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces.
-
Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects.
-
Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with the health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity.
-
The Trustees oversee Choices’ compliance with GDPR legislation at every meeting, and adherence to the Charity Commission’s Governance Code on an ongoing basis.
-
A smaller finance sub-committee, which includes the Treasurer, Bookkeeper and CEO, meets before each meeting of the Trustees, and examines financial progress on a monthly basis.
-
The Trustees have been particularly concerned with exploring inclusion and broad representation at all levels of the organisation – from the Board, through staff and volunteers. We have brought in a new way of including user voice in programme development.
-
No trustees claimed expenses this year.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Statement of trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
-
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-
State whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and with the applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
-
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. In determining how amounts are presented within items in the statement of financial activities and balance sheet, the Trustees must have regard to the substance of the reported transaction or arrangement, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice.
Small company provisions and independent examination
For the year ending 31 December 2025, the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime. The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011) and that an independent examination is needed. The Trustees have appointed Christopher Clarke ACA as Independent Examiner for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by;
Sophie Guthrie-Kummer
Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary
21 April 2026
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on pages 29 to 36.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
-
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
-
To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
-
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
-
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
-
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Christopher Clarke, ACA
22 April 2026
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Statement of financial activities
(incorporating the income and expenditure account)
for the year ended 31 December 2025
| for the year ended 31 December 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes Income and endowments from: 2 |
Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Total Funds 2025 £ |
Total Funds 2024 £ |
| Donations and legacies Other fundraising activities Income from investments Income from charitable activities Other income |
185,839 14,986 7,358 83,834 1 |
129,966 - - - - |
315,805 14,986 7,358 83,834 1 |
259,051 20,664 2,329 83,503 716 |
| Total income and endowments Expenditure on: 3 |
292,018 | 129,966 | 421,984 | 366,263 |
| Expenditure on Raising Funds Expenditure on Charitable Activities |
8,047 243,899 |
1,832 126,729 |
9,879 370,628 |
34,796 315,532 |
| Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Opening balances brought forward Total funds carried forward |
251,946 | 128,561 | 380,507 | 350,328 15,935 219,416 235,351 |
| 40,071 | 1,405 | 41,477 | ||
| 221,369 | 13,982 | 235,351 | ||
| 261,440 | 15,387 | 276,828 | ||
All activities are continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses for the year and therefore no statement of total recognised gains and losses has been prepared.
The notes on following pages form part of these accounts.
29
Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Balance Sheet
for the year ended 31 December 2025
| Notes Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 4 Current assets Rent deposit 5 Accrued income and prepayments 5 Debtors 5 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities Creditors-amounts falling due in 1 year 6 Net current assets Total net assets Funds of the charity 7 Unrestricted Designated Restricted |
Unrestricted Funds £ - |
Restricted Funds £ - |
Total Funds 2025 £ - |
Total Funds 2024 £ - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - 4,000 10,867 19,291 237,398 |
- - - - 82,255 |
- 4,000 10,867 19,291 319,653 |
- 4,000 2,667 20,449 236,658 |
|
| 271,556 (10,116) |
82,255 (66,868) |
353,811 (76,983) |
263,775 (28,424) |
|
| 261,440 | 15,387 | 276,828 | 235,351 | |
| 261,440 | 15,387 | 276,828 | 235,351 | |
| 249,795 11,646 15,387 |
201,302 20,067 13,982 |
|||
| 276,828 | 235,351 | |||
The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2025 and the members/guarantors have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The trustees/directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 21 April 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Elizabeth Dulley
Chair of Trustees
30
Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Notes to the Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 December 2025
1. Accounting Principles
The principal accounting principles are summarised below and have been applied consistently throughout the year.
Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Charities SORP (FRS 102), and in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
Basis of preparation of accounts
These accounts have been prepared on the going concern basis.
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 limited purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Incoming resources
Incoming resources are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy and where it is confident that it will be received.
Performance related income is only included in the SoFA once the related services have been provided.
Deferred income
Grants and donations received in advance and specified by the donor as relating to specific future periods or subject to conditions which are still to be met, are deferred to the period to which they relate.
Tax reclaims on donations
Gift aid tax reclaims on donations are included in the SoFA in the same period as the donations to which they relate.
Volunteer services
The value of volunteer services received is not quantified in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ report.
Investment income
Income from investments is included in the accounts in the period it is receivable.
Liability recognition
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.
Operating leases
Operating lease rentals are expensed on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
Notes to the Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 December 2025
2. Income and Endowments
| a Donations and legacies |
Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Total Funds 2025 £ |
Total Funds 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 159,273 | - | 159,273 | 102,687 |
| Grants from trusts Gift Aid Grants received, included in the above, are as follows: Anchor Foundation Anton Jurgen Arsenal Foundation Arundell Trust Benefact Trust Borrows Charitable Trust City Bridge Trust Garfield Weston Henry Smith Foundation Joan Ainslie Trust Morris Trust National Lottery Community Fund Save The Children Souter Charitable Trust Tesco Stronger Starts b Other fundraising activities Donation for office space Fundraising events c Income from investments Bank interest d Income from charitable activities Education practitioner training Community counselling Prison counselling income Parenting course income e Other income Total incoming resources |
17,000 9,566 185,839 7,000 10,000 17,000 14,986 - 7,358 - 7,236 75,794 804 1 106,179 292,018 |
129,966 - 129,966 10,000 5,000 53,320 54,164 6,357 1,125 129,966 - - - - - - - - - 129,966 |
146,966 9,566 315,805 10,000 - - - 5,000 7,000 53,320 - - 10,000 - 54,164 6,357 - 1,125 146,966 14,986 - 7,358 - 7,236 75,794 804 1 106,179 421,984 |
149,029 7,336 259,051 5,000 1,250 500 5,000 49,908 5,000 3,500 5,000 3,000 67,871 3,000 149,029 14,925 5,739 2,329 300 7,122 75,006 1,074 716 107,211 366,263 |
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
3. Expenditure
a. by fund
| Expenditure on Raising Funds Event costs Publicity and marketing Fees and subscriptions Expenditure on Charitable Activities Bank charges Bookkeeping costs Charitable donation - Centres Network Fees and subscriptions Freelancer costs Independent Examination costs Insurance Office expenses Premises costs Publicity Resources Staff costs Staff development/training Supervision costs Telephone and communication Volunteer expenses Total Expenditure |
Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Total Funds 2025 £ |
Total Funds 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 973 220 6,854 8,047 Unrestricted Funds £ 60 7,382 - 4,542 - 150 368 5,247 28,091 6,247 2,231 171,578 3,821 12,773 1,128 282 243,899 251,946 |
32 - 1,800 1,832 Restricted Funds £ - 234 - - - - 547 419 4,361 116 643 117,233 - 2,417 594 165 126,729 128,561 |
1,006 220 8,654 9,879 Total expenditure 2025 £ 60 7,617 - 4,542 - 150 915 5,667 32,452 6,362 2,873 288,811 3,821 15,190 1,722 447 370,628 380,507 |
5,457 29,339 |
|
| 34,796 Total expenditure 2024 £ 66 7,252 1,000 3,743 14,400 150 936 4,886 20,547 70 1,420 237,936 7,539 13,978 1,200 411 |
||||
| 315,532 | ||||
| 350,328 |
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
b. Expenditure on Charitable Activities - by project
| Community Counselling Charitable Activities Bank charges - Bookkeeping costs - Fees and subscriptions - Independent examination costs - Insurance - Office expenses - Premises costs - Publicity - Resources 7 Staff costs 62,211 Staff development/training - Supervision costs 6,092 Telephone and communication - Volunteer expenses 100 Total Expenditure on Charitable Activities 68,410 Expenditure by project: previous year comparatives Community Counselling Charitable Activities Bank charges - Bookkeeping costs - Charitable donation - Centres Network - Fees and subscriptions - Freelancer costs - Independent examination costs - Insurance - Office expenses - Premises costs - Publicity - Resources 10 Staff costs 42,165 Staff development/training 73 Supervision costs 4,370 Telephone and communication - Volunteer expenses - Total Expenditure on Charitable Activities 46,619 |
Parenting Support - - - - - - - - 1,519 15,939 - - - - 17,458 Parenting Support - - - - - - - - - - 1,167 14,874 73 - - 20 16,135 |
Prison Counselling - - - - - - - 116 348 74,328 - 9,098 - 65 83,953 Prison Counselling - - - - 3,150 - - 1,259 4,056 50 243 111,867 877 9,608 - 110 131,220 |
Central costs 60 7,617 4,542 150 915 5,667 32,452 6,247 1,000 136,334 3,821 - 1,722 282 200,807 Central costs 66 7,252 1,000 3,743 11,250 150 936 3,627 16,491 19 - 69,029 6,515 - 1,200 281 121,559 |
Total charitable expenditure 2025 60 7,617 4,542 150 915 5,667 32,452 6,362 2,873 288,811 3,821 15,190 1,722 447 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370,628 Total Charitable Expenditure 2024 66 7,252 1,000 3,743 14,400 150 936 4,886 20,547 70 1,420 237,936 7,539 13,978 1,200 411 |
||||
| 315,532 |
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
c. Employees
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salaries and wages | 265,870 | 220,104 |
| Employer's National Insurance | 16,918 | 12,682 |
| Employer's pension contributions | 6,023 | 5,149 |
There are no employees who received emoluments in excess of £60,000 (2024:nil). Key management personnel: Sophie Guthrie-Kummer, CEO.
4. Tangible fixed assets
None to report.
5. Current assets
| Rent deposit Accrued income Prepayments Debtors Gift aid recoverable |
2025 4,000 8,200 2,667 19,291 - 34,158 |
2024 4,000 - 2,667 19,231 1,218 |
|---|---|---|
| 27,116 |
6. Creditors
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Amounts due within one year | 563 | 2,571 |
| Tax and pension contributions payable | 5,607 | 5,853 |
| Wages payable | 290 | |
| Deferred income and accruals | 70,523 | 20,000 |
| 76,983 | 28,424 |
£66,868 was deferred as grants from City Bridge Trust, National Lottery Community Fund, and Benefact Trust due in January 2026 were received early.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231
7. Movement of Funds
| Unrestricted general funds Designated funds Total unrestricted funds Restricted funds Boutique Counselling Parenting Support Prison counselling Total restricted funds Total funds |
Opening balance 201,302 20,067 221,369 9,542 - - 4,440 13,982 235,351 |
Income 292,018 - 292,018 27,469 15,000 - 87,497 129,966 421,984 |
Expenditure (248,525) (3,421) (251,946) (21,624) (15,000) - (91,937) (128,561) (380,507) |
Transfers 5,000 (5,000) - - - |
Closing balance 249,795 11,646 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 261,440 15,387 - - - |
|||||
| 15,387 | |||||
| 276,828 |
£5,000 was transferred out of designated funds into unrestricted funds as it was previously designated for a short-term increase in the Parenting Support Manager role, which is now funded.
8. Related Party Transactions
Total donations made by trustees were £4,610 (2024: £1,525). Sophie Guthrie-Kummer, CEO, paid Choices Charity £1,036 (2024: £989) as a donation for use of office space.
9. Trustee Expenses
None claimed.
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Choices Registered charity number 1124209 Company limited by guarantee number 6517231