2024-03-31-accounts

Trustees’Annual Report and Financial Statements 2024-25

Supporting people experiencing poverty, homelessness, displacement and disadvantage across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

caritassalford.org.uk

“I didn’t think I would be able to have the confidence to cook again for other people, but now I do.” Person accessing our homelessness supported accommodation who now volunteers in the kitchen

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Contents

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Welcome from our chair and director 4
An introduction 5
Our Caritas vision, mission, values and objectives 6
Did you know...? 7
Our work and impact 10
Supporting children, young adults and families 12
Our School Service in action 13
Our young parent accommodation: 14
Supporting homeless people 16
Supporting refugees and people seeking asylum 34
Energy advice service 36
Formation, animation and advocacy 42
Volunteers 48
Fundraising 51
Future direction 56
Governance and management 58
Finance 68
Independent auditor’s report 68
Notes to the financial statements 78
Legal and administrative information 116
Thank you 117
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Welcome from our chair and director

Welcome

to respond to their increasing needs.

I am pleased to introduce the annual report of Caritas Diocese of Salford. While so many people will be greatly saddened by the death of Pope Francis, there is so much to celebrate in his teaching and example and Pope Leo has spoken of similar priorities of care for the poor and marginalised people.

At Pope Francis’ invitation, we continue to celebrate a Jubilee Year of Hope. And Hope is so urgently needed in a time when we face so many challenges, locally, nationally and globally. Many areas of change are unfolding before us at Caritas, but in this Jubilee Year we are called to continue to be pilgrims of Hope and that is a special part of the mission of Caritas in our diocese.

There are many people in our communities who continue to face significant and persistent difficulties, and Caritas Salford has been strong in our efforts

We may feel overwhelmed by the vast array of global issues with which we are confronted. But the key lies in the small, individual steps each of us can take. If we all reflect on how we can help a neighbour, support a friend, or direct someone in need to Caritas for assistance, together we can make a profound difference.

Caritas Salford’s work in engaging with parishes and schools and their encouraging response in speaking out for justice, taking action, and raising funds continues to have an immense impact on the lives of those who need us most. Of course, like many other charities, we continue to face financial pressures. However, we are deeply grateful to all those who think of us and contribute to our mission.

While Caritas’s work spans a broad range of services, what underpins everything we do is the belief in the inherent dignity and wellbeing of every person.

Everyone deserves a safe, secure place to call home and the opportunity to live a full, healthy, and happy life.

Rt Rev John Arnold, Bishop of Salford and chair of Caritas Salford trustees

Pope Francis 1936-2025

We commemorate in this report with deep gratitude the life and ministry of Pope Francis, who died in April 2025.

As the universal shepherd of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis inspired Catholics and people of good will from across the globe with his unwavering commitment to social justice, compassion for those experiencing poverty and marginalisation and care for our common home.

His teaching encyclicals, especially Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, profoundly shaped the mission and work of Caritas agencies worldwide, including Caritas Salford in our work in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. He inspired us to help build a society that stands in solidarity with the most vulnerable.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

An introduction

Every day our teams working across Greater Manchester and Lancashire meet and accompany people experiencing the most difficult times of acute crisis.

From poverty to homelessness, displacement to disadvantage, there are lots of ways our charity supports people as they transform their lives with dignity.

It’s important to us all that we’re part of that journey not just at that vital time of urgent need, but also for the long-term too.

As demand for the outreach and community-based services we provide across Greater Manchester and Lancashire continues to grow, we can’t be complacent.

In order to be there for those who need us both now and in the future, we have to be flexible, to adapt, to be resourceful, and – most importantly – to listen.

Our services are developed, shaped and delivered alongside people who access them, coproducing activities and support to make sure it remains fit for purpose and goes above and beyond to help.

That’s why I’m so pleased to introduce our Annual Report for 2024-2025. It’s just a small snapshot of some of the work our charity has carried out in the last year, but hopefully gives readers

the chance to see the huge scope of the work we do and some of our recent achievements too.

We’ve continued to make great progress against our strategic aims, though it’s still a challenging time to operate a charity. The world remains uncertain and unsettled in many ways. There continues to be turmoil in the political, social, health and economic landscapes, and fundraising too is challenging. As costs rise it is especially difficult to secure grant or trust funding and service commissioners are also needing to review their budgets as they too are stretched.

But, we’re also incredibly fortunate that generous, thoughtful people from our parishes, schools and local communities think of us and support however they can. Whether by making donations, remembering us in their Will, joining an event or activity in aid of local people, volunteering their time, or taking action in the community to help bring about change, the wider Caritas community is amazing.

This support means we can continue to deliver. That people we work alongside can have a chance for a safe, secure place to call home. That children know they will get three meals a day and a bed to sleep in at night. And that those alone or

excluded have a way to connect with others again.

As always, there’s still so much more to do. We’re continuing to plan ahead, ensuring efficiency and value for money remain central while never losing sight of what’s most important. Keeping the people we work alongside at the heart of every decision we make – in fact to make those decisions together with them where we can.

Thanks again if you’ve been part of our journey over the last twelve months and beyond. And, if you haven’t and are reading about us for the first time, we look forward to you being part of the Caritas Salford community in the future.

With your help children and adults really can transform their lives with dignity for the longterm. Thank you.

Patrick O’Dowd, Director of Caritas Salford

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Our Caritas vision, mission, values and objectives

Our Caritas vision, mission, values and objectives

We’re the principal domestic social action charity of the Catholic Diocese of Salford and we work alongside people of all faiths and none. Our services span Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Our vision:

Our vision is for a society where there is justice and equality, and where the voices of people experiencing poverty, disadvantage and/ or discrimination are heard, valued and acted upon so that all people can live in peace and dignity.

Our mission:

Love in Action: our mission is to help people across the Diocese of Salford experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination to transform their lives with dignity.

We provide a practical response to those in crisis, suffering hardship or who are at risk. We rebuild lives for the long-term, enabling people to live in a safe, healthy and secure environment.

We call for a better, more just world, where the voices of people experiencing poverty are heard and acted upon and we positively influence the systems, decisions and resources that affect people.

Our objectives:

• To reduce poverty, disadvantage and discrimination in our diocese to enable people to ‘live life to the full’.

• To become the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, empowering people and advocating for justice and social change.

• To become a sustainable – and more visible and effective – catalyst for change.

• To increase awareness and understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and animate the diocesan community to take practical action.

Our values: Our values shape our work and underpin everything we do:

Respect

valuing the worth of people; colleagues, volunteers and the people in our communities we work alongside.

Integrity

honesty, truthfulness, straightforwardness and forthrightness.

Ambition

positive desire to achieve things for the common good.

Collaboration

exploring opportunities for partnership and mutual cooperation while remaining faithful to our core mission.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Did you know…?

Our charity was created in 2008 but has since incorporated the work of individual charities created over more than a century?

We’re proud of our rich heritage and experience and grateful to everyone who has paved the way before us too.

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Our Caritas vision, mission, values and objectives

Despite our name being Caritas Salford, our work reaches much wider, spanning communities across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

86 members of staff deliver our work.

217

incredible volunteers support us. We couldn’t do what we do without them.

We support thousands of adults, young people and children every year.

“All my hard work paid off and I did well in my GCSEs - even better than I had expected, especially in maths. I don’t think I would have been able to do this well if it wasn’t for our sessions, so thank you so much for everything you did for me, I really appreciate it.” Young person supported by our services

“My life changed the second I walked through this door. Without this place, I would have done nothing with my life. Thank you.” Person accessing our services

“This food will help so much, my family are going through a really hard time at the moment… so we’re really grateful for the help you provide.” Person accessing our services

“My life has changed beyond recognition since coming… without the support I would not have been housed, fed or going to university. Your support gave me hope and confidence in me and I give thanks for all the help and advice to me, my husband and my boys.” Person accessing our services

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

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“Poverty is linked with so many other issues that build significant barriers to learning - children have no headspace for learning because there are often so many other things going on in their lives.” > = School leader

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Our work and impact

Our work and impact

Everyone in our charity works towards achieving the same strategic goals. These include:

Delivering excellence:

we will deliver services that are ambitious and strive for excellence in the quality of support we provide, and are recognized as highly credible by our peers and supporters.

Working safely:

we will ensure our work is safe, where the dignity and welfare of people who access our services, our staff, volunteers and anyone engaged in our activities is promoted and protected.

Respecting people and having shared values:

as a Catholic charity upholding and promoting human dignity is central to our values and mission. We will create an environment where every individual is valued, heard and empowered, and through mutual respect and open communication we will build a welcoming, inclusive environment.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Delivering efficiently and effectively:

we will achieve high levels of efficiency and effectiveness across our charity to ensure the best outcomes and impact for people needing our support.

Enhancing skills to ensure excellence:

we will build a skilled workforce of staff and volunteers committed to delivering services of the highest quality.

Building our fundraising:

we will secure the necessary financial support for our mission to deliver excellent quality services.

This report outlines just some of the ways our different service teams have achieved progress against these goals.

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Our work and impact

Supporting children, young people and families:

We work with families, children and young people across many of our services, assisting them at times of crisis and for the long-term too - providing accommodation, advice, safety and support, and managing opportunities for development as they transform their lives.

In this part of the report are just a few of those core services working alongside children, young people and families in Greater Manchester and Lancashire…

Our school service:

Our school service team, which includes social workers, counsellors and art therapists, has decades of specialist experience providing support across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

The team aims to remove barriers to learning and participation, nurturing development of children young people and their families and enabling and empowering them with new skills and knowledge.

The support we provide is tailored to the needs of each individual, providing bespoke packages that can address a range of areas including behaviour, supporting bereavement, emotional wellbeing, anxiety, confidence and much more.

This year our school service has continued to reach thousands of children across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, with a combination of specialist group interventions, one to one direct work, group sessions, workshops, home and family support visits and other tools to help at a time of crisis and beyond.

We supported them through a wide range of issues such as anger, anxiety, bereavement and loss, behaviour, relationships with peers, trauma, low self-esteem or confidence, identity, self-harm, and emotional wellbeing.

NSPCC Pants and Transition workshops were delivered to 1,052 children this year. In the last year the team also supported five local schools who required assistance following the death of a member of staff, parent or child.

Our team also continues to safeguard children, young people and families by managing

safeguarding concerns in partnership with schools and local authority children’s social care effectively and efficiently. This year, 61 safeguard reports were completed, including addressing concerns around abuse and neglect, wellbeing, suicide/ideation or self-harm, and other issues. Where we have received or suspect concerns or allegations about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult these are always referred to the appropriate statutory agency, in line with our safeguarding policies and procedures.

This year the team also implemented the use of a new recording system, INFORM, which has allowed greater progress against our strategic goals, enabled more efficient reporting, and ensured feedback can be recorded more effectively. Feedback is regularly sought from people who access the service to ensure continued development and evolution of the offering to schools.

Partnerships with Salford University have also led to the placement of social work students within the team and our school service is also on the list of approved providers for counselling services and support for Salford Local Authority.

We’re proud to support schools in maintaining their focus on education by providing targeted interventions and additional help where a child is struggling emotionally or behaviourally.

We support children to overcome barriers to fuller participation and learning in school, to give a greater sense of achievement and enjoyment in all aspects of school life.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Some of this year’s School Service headlines in numbers:

293 people attended sessions delivered for parents, teachers and other school staff

51 home visits carried out

668 children and young people supported

26 adults supported

136 family support sessions delivered

1,052 workshops delivered for children and young people

4,296 one to one sessions delivered with children and young people

61 safeguarding reports completed

1,608 children were supported through the delivery of targeted group interventions for a range of identified needs i.e. anger, anxiety, low selfesteem/confidence etc.

Our School Service in action:

A young person was referred to the school service team following low mood and suicidal ideation. This was also impacting their self-esteem and confidence.

The team supported the young person through family and one to one sessions, assessing risk and supporting with mental health first aid.

They also attended a Super Skills for Life group to help reduce anxiety and empower them with the tools they need to manage emotions, set goals and achieve them.

The child engaged well with all of the sessions,

receiving good feedback from parents and school too. They were happier and more engaged both at home and at school and were no longer expressing any suicidal ideation.

They also joined groups they had previously disengaged from, including drama.

A team member reported walking past the hall and hearing a child singing in an audition. When they stopped to look the child was on stage singing with a microphone and they smiled and gave a thumbs up to our Caritas staff member. They were happy and engaged in the moment and making the most of opportunities that were coming their way at school.

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Our work and impact

Our young parent accommodation:

Our young parent accommodation service provides support, safety and security, and a period of stability to young parents and their children at a time when they have experienced crisis or distress in their lives. The services helps to prevent them from experiencing homelessness or going into care.

The service provides support to vulnerable young parents, giving them the skills needed to live independently, and creates a safe and nurturing environment where they can grown in confidence creating a family where their babies can thrive.

The parents served by the team at the young parent accommodation have often been at risk of, or have experienced, multiple vulnerabilities, such as family breakdown, domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness, financial difficulties and physical or mental ill health.

The accommodation is in Blackburn and in the last year has provided supported accommodation for 20 local families, including 17 children. This year we have refurbished the accommodation including a new skills kitchen where young parents can learn cookery, and a garden makeover with new play equipment

Each resident has a key worker who meets them each week for one to one support where they set goals and work together to enable the person to

achieve them. These sessions are designed to help the young people improve their parenting and independent living skills to prepare them for moving into the community with their children – and to help ensure the family flourishes.

Staff facilitate a wide range of activities, including story time every evening to show parents the benefits of reading, encourage bonding and help development. A range of play sessions also help parents better understand ways to use play to help their child develop and reach their developmental milestones.

Other activities at the young parent accommodation include wellbeing sessions, budgeting, and how to cook healthy meals. There’s also a garden space which has been developed in the reporting year, creating a safe, relaxing space where parents can play with their children and all can relax.

The service has been operating in Blackburn since 1988/1989 and works closely with – and is part funded by – Blackburn with Darwen children’s services. We have a strong multi-agency approach and work collaboratively with a range of statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure we’re delivering a joined-up, comprehensive, safe and effective service for the young people and their families.

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our young parent accommodation service in action:

A young local mum was living a chaotic life without any stability for her and her son. She moved to the young parent accommodation and lived with us for 14 months.

During this time she learned ways to improve her parenting skills and built up her confidence to live independently. She joined all the service’s activities and her son particularly enjoyed storytime sessions each evening.

When she was ready to move out, our team supported her with grant applications for furniture and other elements involved in moving into your own tenancy.

She has come back to visit and to share with staff how things are in her new home. The family has settled in and are getting on well with neighbours. They are part of the local community and she is looking forward to settling her son into nursery and looking at doing something for herself while he attends.

“Living here has given me so many opportunities to be the best mum I can be to my son…a wonderful support network and you always make me feel heard and seen.”

Mum supported by our young parent accommodation team

Some of this year’s young parent accommodation service headlines in numbers:

20

families, including 17 children, supported in the accommodation this year.

28

young parents and children attended group work sessions to improve their skills and wellbeing.

20

young parents prepared for independent living.

7

families supported to move on to independent tenancies.

377 activity sessions run

37

young parents and children with improved health and wellbeing.

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Our work and impact

Supporting homeless people:

Our homelessness services aim to ensure that people in local communities have the support they need to prevent them from becoming homeless, that people who do become homeless are helped to secure, safe accommodation with the help they need to make a new home, and that no one has to sleep rough.

We also aim to enable people to improve their health and wellbeing, access specialist support services, and take up education, training, volunteering and employment opportunities, as a means of sustaining positive housing outcomes. In the last year, 103 people who use our services have volunteered to help run the services, enabling them to gain skills and confidence and to give something back to others.

Health and wellbeing remains a key priority and our Caritas Ramblers group has included a range of special health walks from all of our Manchester services and in Bury. We have also produced a booklet of walks to promote wellbeing.

Our homeless health hubs have been developed in Manchester, Bury and at Loaves and Fishes in Salford and aim to increase access to health services and address health inequalities for people experiencing homelessness. As part of this work, 612 people have attended 188 health promotion sessions in the last year, with 307 people attending 196 health clinics run by health professionals at our hubs.

We work with people in our community to design, deliver and evaluate our services to ensure they are meeting their needs and to enable people to have a voice in advocating for policy and other change where needed. In the last year we have run 197 service planning sessions with people in our services, attended by 226 different people.

We also work in partnership with other organisations in the statutory, voluntary and faith-based sectors to deliver work, maximise the impact on the community, increase our effectiveness and ensure value for money. We’re

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

involved in a range of meetings and partnerships including Manchester Homeless Partnership and Bury Homeless Partnership. We’re also an active member of Homeless Link and through them contribute to the development of national policy and practice.

This year our teams have aimed to embed personcentred, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice into all of our services, helping to create psychologically informed environments which are high quality and where – most importantly – people feel safe and can build trusted relationships with staff.

In the reporting year we have also continued to improve the quality of our buildings, such as opening a brand new accessible accommodation project Caritas House; creating emergency

rooms at our Morning Star hostel to enable us to accommodate additional people at times of very cold weather; creating a new activity and education space at our Cornerstone day centre to enable us to run classes and creative activities to help people improve their skills.

Whilst improving the physical spaces of our services we have also responded to the climate crisis in small ways, including promoting cycling at Cornerstone day centre and installing a bike rack there, installing an electric charging point at our Denmark Road site for our electric van, replacing the boiler at our young parent accommodation, and setting up compost bins in our allotment gardens at Red Door and Cornerstone.

Some of this year’s homelessness services headlines in numbers:

1,676 people supported through our homelessness services.

253

people were involved in meetings to help us plan our services and 79 volunteered to help us deliver the services

174

people provided with high-quality, supported accommodation.

615

specialist health and advice drop-ins hosted, including GPs, nurses, chiropodists, opticians, drug/alcohol/mental health workers, immigration advisors, welfare rights and housing advisors

206

housing outcomes achieved (including helping people move off the streets, helping people in temporary accommodation find permanent homes, and preventing people losing their homes)

865

different people attending the specialist health and advice drop-ins

1,079

activity sessions run to improve people’s confidence, skills and wellbeing.

196

service planning sessions attended by 222 people aimed at planning and evaluating our services together

541

different individuals attended activities

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Our work and impact

Cornerstone:

At Cornerstone, our Manchester day centre, we provide a whole range of services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The people who come to Cornerstone are like all of us. They aspire to have a safe place to live and a decent quality of life which includes good health and wellbeing, positive friendships, secure finances and a purpose in life.

More than 1,000 people have accessed and received direct support from the service this year, coming from many different communities.

These people have also helped shape our service and the activities and support we provide, as part of our work dedicated to increasing levels of coproduction. 121 of these planning sessions took place over the year and were attended by 120 different people who access Cornerstone.

Our work with people experiencing homelessness includes a range of health, wellbeing and other activities. 89 people who access the service have registered as volunteers with us, enabling them to gain skills, increase their confidence and give something back.

We have continued to develop the volunteering programme, including the provision of Caritas aprons and kitchen uniforms, food hygiene training courses, and providing bus passes to enable the volunteers to travel to our centre.

We’ve also created the Physical Health Action Group as part of the Manchester Homelessness Partnership, including the organisation of a homelessness health information fair for people who access the services, as well as professionals working with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Our homeless health hub includes an on-site health link worker and a wide range of drop-ins with health and wellbeing professionals, experts and advisors. 405 people have attended 62 health promotion sessions this year, and 266 people have attended one of 721 health clinics hosted at Cornerstone.

The Cornerstone team regularly hosts visits and gives talks to other organisations, community and faith groups, businesses and schools.

We have also maintained and expanded our partnerships with a whole range of services that deliver regular support sessions at Cornerstone. We are grateful to Boaz, Change Grow Live, Cornbrook Medical Practice, the Department of Work and Pensions, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, Shelter, Urban Village Medical Practice and Vision Care for Homeless People who provide regular on-site drop-ins and also to Fareshare GM, Home Manchester, Manchester Homeless Partnership, Reach out to the Community, the Poetry Library, Streetwise Opera, The Whitworth and many other organisations who support our work.

Our Cornerstone centre in action:

An individual came to Cornerstone because he was rough sleeping. He was employed and sleeping on the streets near his work. Our team supported him for a referral to an accommodation where he lived for eight months. He has now moved into his own house.

He said: “You saved my life. The day you referred me to the accommodation, they rang that afternoon and took me in…that’s down to your work. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t come here, it was the lowest time of my life. But you saved me and I can’t thank you enough.

He also enquired about how to support Cornerstone and is hoping that, with his experience and skills in the field of customer service, he will be able to join our volunteering team soon.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our Cornerstone centre in action:

An individual came to Caritas through our energy advice service drop-ins at Cornerstone. She has issues with chronic pain and is disabled and as a result can find it difficult to cook, with tasks such as dressing taking a while. She was therefore on benefits and struggling with money. The issues were having a negative effect on her mental health and she felt that there was no-one who could help her.

The team provided her with financial support including energy vouchers and also conducted a home visit to show her how to use her boiler more efficiently, giving her low-energy light bulbs and draught excluders. She also received health support from staff with a referral to a food bank and she accessed many other support services such as help from the Department for Work and Pensions who helped her with her benefit claim.

She is still struggling with many of the health problems but has said that her mental health state has significantly improved with the knowledge there is a place she can get support. She was initially nervous about having lunch at Cornerstone, but now attends on occasion and appreciates it gives her a break from cooking – something that can be a real struggle for her health.

She said: “I feel really listened to here, you are all such good people.”

Some of this year’s Cornerstone Centre headlines in numbers:

1,068 people supported

298 different people attended activity sessions

302

activity sessions held to improve people’s skills, confidence and wellbeing

67

people accessing the service became community volunteers to help run Cornerstone

297 specialist health and advice drop-ins held attended by 511 different individuals

121

planning sessions held with people accessing the service to evaluate and plan what the service should look like. These were attended by 120 different individuals

56

housing outcomes achieved including supporting people who are rough sleeping to move off the streets and helping people in temporary accommodation find permanent homes, or preventing people from losing their homes.

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Our work and impact

Morning Star:

Morning Star, adjacent to our Cornerstone centre in Hulme, Manchester, provides high quality, safe, supported accommodation for local men. This is a positive alternative to people who are homeless being placed in private bed and breakfast accommodation which is unsupported and can be unsafe.

People are referred to Morning Star by Manchester City Council where they have been assessed to be in ‘priority need’ due to their physical or mental health or complex trauma. 93 per cent of people living at Morning Star have mental health problems.

We provide them with a period of stability where they can work on an individual plan with a key worker to address the reasons they became homeless and to build on their independent living skills.

The team at Morning Star works alongside them to help build self-esteem, confidence and the skills to move to new homes, and helps them establish or re-establish relationships with family members where possible. Support plans are established with each resident and a balance of encouragement, supporting, challenging and focusing on skills helps each resident to achieve their goals.

The health and wellbeing of people at Morning Star is also a priority and we aim to help individuals access specialist support services, and take up education, training, volunteering opportunities and employment as means of sustaining positive housing outcomes. Referrals are also made, where relevant, to addiction services or other services that people may require.

Morning Star is one of our Caritas health hubs, and residents are also supported to access the onsite GP, optician, mental health nurse, drug and alcohol workers.

Two new emergency rooms at Morning Star created this year have also allowed us to accommodate additional people who are experiencing homelessness at times of very cold weather.

We work closely with Manchester City Council who commission the service.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our Morning Star accommodation in action:

A man came to us after being homeless for seven years, sofa surfing. He had lost his job as a general manager and became depressed.

His last known address was living in a friend’s garage and sleeping in a car, which he did for three months. He previously took crack cocaine daily because of his anxiety and depression and had never fully dealt with his past family trauma. He has since been diagnosed with PTSD.

On arrival at Morning Star he was very nervous and was happy to know all the support he could access. He made appointments to see all of the support agencies on offer to help with his mental health, drug use, general health and problems with his eyes, and attended all appointments.

Support was given to him to register for Manchester Move and he is now in Band 2 and can bid for available properties. He has now moved onto a private rented shared house but will continue to bid for his own property where he will be able to have his family to visit.

He said: “Being at Morning Star with all the support available to me really help me to build up my confidence and focus on the future.”

Some of this year’s Morning Star headlines in numbers:

91

people supported

A Z 71

different people attending 130 activity sessions to improve their skills, confidence and wellbeing

20

“I want to get my own accommodation and be able to support my son who is ten years old and living with his grandmother. I want to get a job as I’m a qualified joiner. I want to change for the better.”

Person accessing our Morning Star service

high quality rooms and 2 emergency rooms, with support on site 24/7

21

people got involved in meetings to help improve the service

21

Our work and impact

Caritas House:

Caritas House, which opened in February 2025, provides high quality, supported accommodation for 19 single homeless men in Manchester. The accommodation is accessible and so can accommodate people with mobility and other access needs.

Residents are helped to develop their independent living skills and improve their health and wellbeing before being supported to move into independent tenancies and make new homes in the community.

As with our other homelessness services, the team aims to ensure that people in our community have the support they need to prevent them from becoming homeless, that people who do become homeless are helped to secure safe accommodation with the support they need to make a new home, and that no one has to sleep rough.

They also aim to enable people to improve their health and wellbeing, access specialist support services, and take up education, training, volunteering opportunities , and employment, as a means of sustaining positive housing outcomes.

The team also works with people in our community to design, deliver, and evaluate our services to ensure they are meeting their needs

and enable people to have a voice in advocating for policy change where this is needed.

Support plans are established with each resident and a balance of encouragement, supporting, challenging and focusing on skills helps each resident to achieve their individual goals. Referrals are also made, where relevant, to addiction services or other services that people may require.

This year we have transformed Caritas House from an office building into a high-quality supported accommodation. This included making adaptations to ensure it is accessible to people with mobility access needs, including two fully accessible bathrooms, a low-level kitchen and evacuation chairs.

We have also developed a welcoming and psychologically informed building, including creating a new reception area and creating a relaxing garden courtyard for residents.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our Caritas House accommodation in action:

A man came to the UK following a traumatic event in Iran where he experienced a severe leg injury meaning he needed to use crutches to aid mobility. He was placed in various temporary accommodations which were unsuitable for his physical needs, before being referred to Caritas House.

Our team provided him with a ground floor accessible room with shower facilities. He made positive friendships with other residents and was involved in the various activities.

The team supported him to register with a new GP in the area and make appointments, and also helped him through a period following surgery in hospital.

He has now reunited with his family and they have been placed in a temporary family house together. He maintains contact with our team, including phone calls to staff for advice and support, and is looking forward to his children starting school and his wife beginning English lessons.

He said: “Thank you so much for looking after me and helping with connecting with my family too. I am so happy and appreciate it so much. You are amazing.”

Caritas House service - a few headlines from the first month of operation in this reporting period:

19 fully furnished bedrooms

5

activities a week including gardening, cookery, an internet cafe and a health walk

20

“This place is really nice and tidy too. I can wash my clothes with ease now. I’m not used to this quiet environment because I’ve always lived in a very noisy neighbourhood, but now I can focus and relax well. I like it here thank you.” Person accessing our Caritas House accommodation os '

support sessions per week

12

people have been involved in planning the new service

23

Our work and impact

Red Door centre:

Red Door is our day centre for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Bury.

The team aims to provide a warm welcome to anyone aged 18 or over, providing holistic personcentred support. The range of services offered at the centre include helping with housing, finance, benefits, and health and wellbeing support. The team also delivers a wide range of activities, including creative sessions, access to education, volunteering, employment opportunities, health promotion support and much more.

People can also access free nutritious meals and a warm place where they can socialise.

In addition to supporting people sleeping rough or sofa surfing, the team at Red Door also support people struggling with finances, in need of help to maintain their tenancy, those living in social isolation, people experience mental or physical health difficulties, those with drug and alcohol dependency and people with no recourse to public funds.

In the last year the team has seen an increase of 65 per cent in the number of people accessing Red Door for support. This increase has been largely due to an increase in people being adversely affected by the cost of living crisis, and an increase in people seeking asylum or refugee status who were rough sleeping, following receiving their settled status. There has also been a significant growth in the number of people new to poverty or hardship who have never claimed welfare benefits or support before and are unsure how to navigate these services.

Red Door has adapted through the year to meet current trends and demands locally. This has seen the team reach many in need of support who had not previously been aware of the service, and also attracted a number of externally support agencies who we have now partnered with and who attend various drop-in sessions. We are grateful to Achieve, BIG in Mental Health, the British Red Cross, Bury Adult Learning, Bury Adult Services, Bury Council Rough Sleepers Team

Bury Council Rough Sleepers Team Clinical Psychologist, Bury Council Private Rented Team, Bury Council Immigration Team, Bury GP Federation, Bury Live Well Team, Bury Samaritans, Bury Works, Calico, Citizens Advice Bureau, Dentist on the Rock, the Department for Work and Pensions, First Vision Eye Care, Greater Manchester Police, Hepititus C Trust, Horizon Primary Care, Ingeous, Next Steps Community Substance Misuse Recovery, NHS Quell, NHS Rapid Diagnostic Team, One Step, Project Free, Ribblesdale Medical Practice, Rock Healthcare, and Supporting Sisters.

The team regularly holds sessions with people accessing the service to help jointly shape how Red Door develops and continues to meet their needs. We have also developed the presbytery with our visitors to make the spaces we occupy

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

more user friendly and trauma informed. We have created a large outside yard with outdoor seating, tables, pergola and plants.

Several members of the local community who access the service have also become community volunteers – people who help run the service as a way of giving something back and learning new skills.

In the last year, the team has also carried out a range of health and wellbeing activities and has been redesigned to accommodate the new health and homelessness hub. This includes a successful Caritas Ramblers walking group. The group gives people the opportunity not only to be out in the fresh air and take some exercise, but also enables them to meet new people and reduce isolation. A special booklet of walks has also been produced

and shared via a range of organisations locally to help reach an even greater number of people from a wider variety of local communities.

A brand new allotment garden was also created this year, and as well as supporting people’s physical and mental wellbeing, enables the growing of organic produce as well as an area to compost suitable waste food and garden waste.

Our Red Door team is also part of the Bury Homeless Partnership and steering group, helping influence and drive change for people experiencing homelessness locally. As with all of our services, working in partnership with with others helps the team ensure that the needs of individuals and families locally are met and accommodated.

Some of this year’s Red Door headlines in numbers:

454 people supported

139 different people attended activity sessions

65

per cent increase in the number of people accessing the service compared with the previous year

270

specialist health and advice dropins held attended by 283 different individuals

241

activity sessions held attended by 139 people improving people’s skills, confidence and wellbeing

53

people involved in planning and evaluating the service

285

health outcomes achieved for 101 people through our Health Hub.

25

Our work and impact

Our Red Door centre in action:

A man came to Red Door seeking support with rising debt from council tax, utilities and rent arrears. He had also been issued a warning from his landlord that he was at risk of eviction.

The team at Red Door supported him with phone calls to Bury council and his energy provider and affordable repayment plans were put in place. He was also assisted in applying for a discount to council tax that he was unaware he was entitled to. Staff liaised with his landlord and explained the situation and a repayment plan for arrears was also set up, removing risk of eviction.

He was able to reduce his debts and as a result his immediate risk of homelessness was removed. The team also supported him to create a budget to ensure his monthly repayment plan was met comfortably each month.

He said: “Thanks for helping me…I’ve been burying my head in the sand with all this debt but you’ve helped to show me that I can get myself out of it with a bit of support.”

“I came in because I needed to speak to the rough sleepers team, I never intended on staying and doing gardening! It really helped quiet the noise in my head and if you ever need a hand doing more, I’ll definitely be up for it.”

“Thank you so much for getting me a doctor. I think I would have carried on like this without getting looked at. I didn’t think doctors would see homeless people.”

Our Red Door centre in action:

An individual came to Red Door because he was rough sleeping and struggling with alcoholism – he explained to the team that he was: “…sat around all day with nowhere to go and nothing to do.” which made his drinking worse.

The Red Door team introduced him to Bury Council’s Rough Sleepers Team who were on site that day. They were able to complete the necessary referrals and arrange for a homelessness assessment. This resulted in him being found to be in priority need and he was accommodated that same day. He was also encouraged to attend the Red Door recovery activities programme, to give him something purposeful to be part of, and a referral was also made to Achieve.

He attended one of the Red Door health and wellbeing walks to Manchester Natural History Museum and, having thoroughly enjoyed the session, became a regular attendee of many of the activities at the centre. These activities have also helped with his time and routine, and his alcohol intake has reduced as a result. He engages regularly with his support workers and has been dry for three months.

He said: “I would be sat somewhere now with a can in my hand but coming out on this trip, I haven’t even thought about having a drink and I’ve learnt so much. I will definitely be coming again next week and I might even try the arts and crafts too.”

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

In the last year, the number of people accessing Red Door has increased by 65%

“I just wanted to say thank you. It’s been really nice to come in and have a brew and something to eat – to feel like a human being again if you know what I mean.”

27

Our work and impact

Supporting our wider communities through social action services:

The Lalley Centre, Community Pantry and Allotment

The Lalley is a vibrant community centre, food pantry and allotment where people can get help to transform their lives. The team supports people with practical needs in areas such as housing, health, employment, poverty and isolation.

Our community allotment provides a space for local people to learn about growing organic produce and to experience the wellbeing benefits of being outside and around nature. Fruit and vegetables grown on the allotment are shared with people visiting the food pantry, which also provides long-life and supermarket surplus items for people who need them.

One to one work is at the heart of much of the Lalley centre’s work. This includes support for people to prevent homelessness or improve their housing situation, ensuring people are getting all the income they possibly can, ensuring someone’s debts are not overwhelming them, and supporting families and individuals to thrive. The team also assists with people’s right to personal safety and safeguarding, as well as supporting those who have no recourse to public funds, those who have overstayed visas, those who need access to health care and a range of other services.

There are also drop-ins at the centre for a range of areas, including for energy advice, accessibility support and English language lessons with our Aspire team.

The community food pantry aims to provide more dignity and choice to people accessing the service. The pantry stocks a wide range of foods to suit different diets. Display fridges and shelving have helped to create a shopping-style provision service and people typically contribute a small amount of money for each visit. This helps to keep the pantry running for everyone, including those who aren’t able to pay due to no income or benefits.

It has been accessed 1,888 times this year, illustrating the high need for food support

amongst people in our community. This year the pantry has maintained its five star food hygiene standards rating and people accessing the service have influenced it positively again this year. This includes the suggestion to start using shopping trolleys. Purchasing an additional freezer has increased the frozen food storage capacity meaning that the team can safely store more valuable meat items and do not run out. Any food waste from the pantry is composted on our allotment, increasing circularity in our operation as food grown there is subsequently supplied to the pantry.

Our community allotment is a friendly and welcome space for all. The allotment supports people living across Manchester, particularly in the local area, to access and engage with quality greenspace. This boosts physical and mental wellbeing and also provides nutritious food for the pantry, providing an example of addressing social and environmental issues together.

This year the team has increased wellbeing visits to the site by 15 per cent, welcoming more than 150 new people to the allotment. They have also reduced requirements for buying compost by 90 per cent. The allotment manager has given talks at the RHS Urban Show, drafted an article for publication on the Royal Horticultural Society website about the team’s prison growing scheme, and completed features for a range of other platforms too, including MCRActive and Hubbub online.

The allotment has also hosted visits from local charity Back on Track, each ending with reflections and suggestions. This included ideas put into

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

practice such as painting of fences on the plot. A new polytunnel and water collection system (developed in partnership with Sow the City) has promoted accessibility and sustainable growing practices, reducing distances needed to travel for watering and including a raised bed which makes gardening easier for many.

A new pond has also been built to increase biodiversity, particularly insects and birds, and is an attractive feature of the garden. The team has also created a ‘Library of Gardening and Nature’ with text, pictures and identification guides that can be used by anyone in the allotment. These have been helpful for identifying species on site and also on local nature walks which start at our site.

The Lalley has a significant impact on the people who access the service and the team is always working to find new ways to deliver activities and support. A new regular timetable was introduced in the reporting year and the centre has become a much busier local hub as a result.

The team works in partnership with many agencies, other charities, local schools, businesses and a wide variety of specialists to deliver its support for local people. We are grateful to Thrive, FareShareGM, Costco, local primary schools St Patricks, St Malachy’s and St Edmunds, Health Navigators, St Patricks, St Dunstan’s, Hidden Gem and St Malachy’s churches, Greater Manchester Police PCSOs, Age UK, Mood Swings, Causeway, Housing Solutions Manchester City Council, Manchester Move, FareShareGo, Morrisons Picadilly, Sow the City, HMG Paints and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Lalley team also hosts events and corporate days were businesses can come in and volunteer across all three areas on the site.

This year the team has also grown the number of volunteers supporting their work, generously giving their time and commitment to help operate the services across the Lalley, something we are hugely grateful for.

29

Our work and impact

Some of the headlines from the Lalley Centre, Community Pantry and Allotment in numbers:

433 adults accessed the Lalley centre service this year

1,732 children were supported by the Lalley centre service

36 friendship group sessions were held and attended by 242 people

1,888 The community food pantry was accessed 1,888 times

146 9.7 allotment portions were tonnes of compost was given out in the community produced on site with 8.7 food pantry = tonnes of food waste recycled 6 11 cooking sessions were run wellbeing sessions were with 46 individuals attending delivered and attended by 61 individuals 1,358 110kg attendances at the centre’s of food were grown tea and toast sessions on the allotment e« 950 683 children visited adults visited the the allotment

tonnes of food waste recycled

683 adults visited the Lalley allotment

23

57

people at risk of becoming homeless were supported with applications to housing providers and 37 more were supported via internal and external agencies

people were assisted in claiming appropriate benefits with 24 more receiving help with budgeting or debt agency referrals

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our Lalley centre, community pantry and allotment in action:

A female, married with four children came to us for support. Her dad died very suddenly and, though he lived quite far away, had two young children from his second marriage. When she was informed the children were about to go into care, she travelled and brought them to live with her.

She had no financial support in place and could not claim benefits for them. They had little in the way of belongings an she used her savings to urgently provide clothing, footwear and school uniforms.

The Lalley centre team supported her to apply to access our Bishop’s Fund to buy beds and other essentials to support the family with their financial crisis.

Her and her husband have feedback that they were extremely grateful for the support of our charity at a time when they needed it the most.

“The food selection today has been amazing. Thank you so much for what you do. When I get a job soon I’m going to try to donate to the Lalley to give back for how you helped my family.”

“Fantastic. It was so nice to see the kids getting involved too. They will be the next generation of recyclers and make the world much better than we have.”

A female came to the Lalley allotment who was not confident doing gardening activities and struggled with her mental health due to addiction.

She attended gardening sessions with a group from charity Back on Track, two hours each week. As part of these sessions, she learned to grow plants from seed, looking after them and harvesting them.

She is more confident when approaching gardening activities and finds that coming to the community allotment helps reduce her anxiety levels. She is considering joining the allotment more regularly outside of the Back on Track sessions.

A person came to the UK as a refugee fleeing war in Ukraine. Having heard about the Lalley centre after her arrival, she accessed a range of different types of support, including the food pantry.

As a single mother, she was struggling financially to support her family. After visiting the pantry for a number of months she expressed an interest in volunteering and has since begun the application process for this.

She said: “It’s kept me off my addiction and I’ve got more confidence…it’s my favourite day of the week, I feel like real calm and my anxiety goes. I don’t have all that tension and I’ve noticed each time it seems to be more and more lush here…I’m more confident with gardening. At first I thought I was going to do a lousy job but now it’s like I know what I’m

doing!”

She said: “You have given me huge, critical support in that every week this place can save my family from their hungry strugglings.”

31

Our work and impact

St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People:

St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People recognizes the rights and needs of Deaf people. We believe and acknowledge that Deaf people are a cultural and linguistic (sign language users) minority group.

There are still many people who have very little understanding about what it is like to be Deaf; essential communication is often taken for granted and we take every opportunity to try and educate the public and reduce the isolation of people in our local communities.

The team is committed to providing for the spiritual and pastoral needs of Deaf people, particularly those who are profoundly Deaf. People of all faiths and none are welcome and we ensure that access to services and pastoral support is available and delivered in a language that is suitable. We also recognize the temporal challenges which more forcefully impact on Deaf people and widen our brief across our services to embrace the social welfare concerns of our community.

One of the obstacles Deaf people face is often the lack of awareness of their rights and needs. Lack of communication can lead to isolation, misunderstanding, and marginalisation.

It is often difficult to quantify our work with Deaf people. Sometimes it is straightforward such as

translating letters or filling in forms, other times it’s a chat or the opportunity to receive more information or clarification and reassurance. Advocacy is tailored to individual needs, as with every person we support in our services, so time spent with people could range from a few minutes or hours to several days.

This year events and services have been opened up to the wider public to gain more involvement and interactions with the wider community. This would include hearing people or deaf/oral people who are involved in other ways. A range of presentations, walks, visual faith and information sessions have also been delivered.

Pastoral support has continued to be a priority, including visiting of people in hospitals or at home as needed. The service, which is volunteer led, is reactive and responsive, empowering people to take the appropriate actions for themselves as we support them.

We are grateful to the Catholic Deaf Association, the Diocese of Salford Chaplain to the Deaf Canon Paul Daly and St Joseph’s Club.

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People service in action:

A person was introduced to our team and at the time were only involved in one group and one activity as they felt they were unable to communicate with people outside of this. They did not understand what they had to offer or how they could help.

With some discussions they realised some staff at Caritas could sign British Sign Language, while others adjusted communication to include written or gestural communication.

As a result they began to volunteer, including at our Lalley centre, food pantry and community allotment. They are now on the path to becoming a fully registered volunteer with our charity.

“I’ve never been to a place where such strong efforts are made to ensure that communication across language and culture is respected and held as the highest priority. It’s not easy but it’s so important and great to see.”

Some of this year’s St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People headlines in numbers:

105 adults accessed the service

12 signed Masses held in Burnley

148

appointments with people to support language translation

7

individuals completed the visual faith course

52

signed Masses held each Sunday

28

people attended walking tours of history and the Deaf history of Manchester

33

Our work and impact

Aspire – supporting refugees and people seeking asylum and safety:

Aspire, which comprises our specific services supporting the welcoming, protecting, promoting and integration of refugees into life in the UK since its foundation in 2016, has assisted many people fleeing war, famine and poverty.

Many wish to learn English as a means of continuing the work and employment they had before being forced to leave their country.

Legal processes in the UK are long and complex and can be challenging to navigate. Most people seek legal help but their lives are put on hold for months or sometimes years. In that time our services support people to live as best they can.

We also support parishes and wider local communities in joining practical action, aiming to improve the lives of families and help them resettle and thrive.

Our services and activities are informed, personcentred and able to respond to the individual needs of people who come to us.

The Aspire Education team supports people who are learning English as a second language, in all levels from pre-entry to IELTS level. Learners are

supported in a holistic way including assisting them to grow in confidence, wider skills and language.

Digital skills sessions are also accessed by those learning English helping them to positively

integrate in the UK. The ESOL learners engage in a range of events and activities at key times of year to celebrate their progress and share experiences which each other and other projects. The purpose is to ensure that learners are ready for integration into UK life and are prepared for further education, employment and positively integrated experiences.

Our learners provide us with feedback for the year as well as their hopes for the future. We collect this information through conversations but also through written feedback forms which are usable in English, Farsi, Arabic, Polish and Cantonese to ensure learner views are truly included.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Integral to our services is the offering of a welcoming and inspirational community in which refugees can pursue their aspirations integrate into their new communities, and rebuild their lives.

Volunteers support the services and are integral to their effective delivery. We’re extremely grateful to them for their time and support.

Through our community sponsorship scheme, volunteers are supported to safely resettle, welcome and support a family of refugees in their community over the first two years. As the lead sponsor, we provide capacity and professional supervision, acting as guarantor of the scheme and providing the framework for safeguarding, training and mentoring. We also evaluate the programme.

The scheme enables families to pursue their aspirations and allows parishioners to live faith through action.

“I would like to thank my teacher for the useful lessons. They provide them in an excellent, clear and easy way of conveying information to the recipient.”

We are grateful to RESET, Homes for Ukraine and St John of God matching services.

Our Aspire services in action:

93.9

per cent of students feel that they have gained confidence in using English

93.1

per cent of students feel that they have gained new skills from classes or volunteering

70.1

per cent feel more ready and prepared to answer and complete forms for medical or employment purposes

Some of this year’s Aspire headlines in numbers:

157 students have been through an assessment to start learning English at an appropriate level

1,300 hours of teaching delivered in the academic year

15

3

families from Ukraine supported to challenge decisions facing eviction or supported hosts to establish formal tenancies and ensure support needed is delivered

12

adults and 15 children supported to settle in the UK by community sponsorship volunteers

students successfully completed level 1 and level 2 ESOL examinations, including more than one with 100% pass rate

35

Our work and impact

Energy advice service:

The energy advice service aims to increase energy awareness and help alleviate fuel poverty, including amongst groups often not able to access mainstream energy advice services such as people who use other languages including British Sign Language, Arabic and Farsi.

The team provides free energy awareness dropins at many of our service locations and also in third party organisations, schools, workplaces, and community hubs such as libraries.

Appointments can also be made for one-to-one advice sessions or home visits to discuss mitigating energy related debt, and also consider providing energy vouchers and other small intervention measures to reduce the effects of fuel poverty.

The service team also delivers education and support on many issues including:

• Proper utilisation of heating and hot water systems

• Identification of damp and mould and developing strategies to treat it

• Guidance on energy consumption and how to minimise costs

• Helping consumers choose the most suitable methods for settling their bills

• Guidance on recording gas and electricity consumption and calculating associated costs, empowering individuals to track their usage patterns and manage expenses effectively

The team also supports people moving into accommodation for the first time, such as those who have recently experienced homelessness or are moving out of Home Office accommodation. This group generally benefits from early intervention, to help with understanding as well as providing practical support such as contacting energy suppliers.

Energy advice service volunteers also support local people and five volunteers have been recruited this year. This has enabled two sessions per week being aided by volunteers. We are really grateful to them for their support.

We are also grateful to:

The Energy Saving Trust Torus Group Afro-Caribbean Care Group Chorlton Good Neighbours Oasis Denton Community Centre Stretford Public Hall Yaran Longsight Salford Deaf Centre Feed My City

Irwell Valley Housing Association

• Identification of causes of condensation dampness, strategies to prevent it, and remedies to address existing issues, ensuring a healthy indoor environment and protecting properties from moisture-related damage

• Ensuring the efficiency and proper utilization of heating and hot water systems along with understanding control functions, which are crucial for minimizing energy wastage and optimizing comfort levels in homes

• Locating and providing information on Government and other third-sector initiatives

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Our energy advice service in action:

A man first came into contact with our charity through his family’s use of the Lalley community food pantry. He lived with his wife and four children and worked as well as receiving some universal credit. Their situation was challenging as they received deductions from their benefits for the parttime work and support only being received for three of their children. This had put them in a budget deficit of more than £300, which was limiting their ability to pay for necessities such as electricity and water.

He was not confident in interacting with utility companies and had been left in difficult circumstances with many of his household bills. He had an outstanding debt of £1,110 for his prepaid gas meter and a further £1,800 for his water bill.

Our team contacted the gas supplier regarding the debt and quickly discovered that he had been incorrectly paying debt for a period of time before he was liable. This led to £1,110 of false debt being cleared as well as a cheque for £1,269.

The family have found that as they are no longer paying incorrect debt payments the top-ups necessary to keep their home warm have reduced. They are also more confident in their ability to deal with the energy companies,

They are hoping to use what they have learned from our team to switch supplier and our team will also be assisting them on managing their outstanding water bill debt.

“The voucher you gave me lasted two months on my meter and I don’t have to worry about going cold this month thanks to you.”

“Thank you so much for helping us. This cheque has been a great Christmas present.”

Some of this year’s energy advice service headlines in numbers:

1,481 face to face sessions with individuals

85 energy home visits carried out

65

energy workshops or events held

396 energy phone appointments achieved

901

individuals attended workshops and events

131

energy vouchers provided to those in crisis

37

Our work and impact

Accessibility service:

The accessibility service works across different Caritas services and projects, as well as within parishes across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, creating a positive atmosphere for dialogue about accessibility, disability and inclusion.

Accessibility is a basic requirement to honour human dignity. No person should be unable to participate because of an unmet access need.

Our teams strive to ensure that all people are recognised as equal and worthy of respect. We encourage people to share and develop ideas so that everyone is empowered to take aprt in a way, and to an extent, that suits them best.

This includes people who access our services, employees and volunteers. We seek to welcome, integrate and support the participation of all people by making our projects accessible. If people do face barriers because of a physical, mental, emotional, learning, sensory and/ or communication need we endeavour to work alongside them to find inclusive ways of working.

Our accessibility coordinator leads this work, a role which is part-funded by the Catholic Fellowship.

Universal design has been promoted into the ethos of our charity, increasing the awareness of accessibility needs and promoting a culture of asking what is needed, recording and (with

“As an autistic person, this session was excellent to share knowledge and understanding and spread awareness. It was done excellently and was not complicated. I had a wonderful experience being around other people that have difficulties and I found it very interesting with the sign language and the person interpreting was very interactive. Thank you for the time and effort.”

permission) sharing appropriate knowledge. There is clear evidence that policy and procedure has been influenced and change is occurring.

Dialogue around accessibility has continued to increase this year, with people gaining confidence in discussing the topic and sharing ideas, opinions and needs.

We continue to consider accessibility from the planning stages of project and service delivery. Increasingly, projects, advertising, events and funding applications are being designed with specific accessibility needs of people known to the project in mind, but also considering other potential needs.

This year the service team worked with the Lalley community allotment team to provide a walking and wheeling project that included nature and routes around the area.

A range of resources such as a parish guide to accessibility have been prepared and are proving popular with local church communities.

The team also delivers a range of events and training sessions to help upskill people in parish communities, Caritas staff and volunteers and more. 539 adults and 166 children attended these events in the last year.

When required, efforts are made to provide written communications confirming to clear print standards, with further adjustments such as BSL/ English interpretation, specific lighting, text style, font size and paper colour considered. Options also include face-to-face, audio telephone calls, email and whatsapp/SMS messages with further information presented in posters, leaflets, on our website and visual boards. Employee contact information at times adds ‘text only’ after a mobile contact number, demonstrating the access needs

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

of the employee but reinforcing that Caritas is always ready to connect with people in a direct way.

We have also introduced volunteer accessibility advocates who support people in their parishes and work under the supervision of the Caritas accessibility coordinator. The team has also begun working even more closely with local schools to increase accessibility and empower Caritas student ambassadors to support others in their community.

We are grateful to Bridge College, Caritas Social Action Network, Catholic Disability Fellowship, Laudato Si Centre, Seeability, Oldham Mencap and Sacred Heart Choir.

Our accessibility service in action:

A person came to us having just finished university. They did not feel ready for the world of work, in most part because of difficulties faced through having autism, but also a physical disability.

Our team met with him on a number of occasions and discussed options for volunteering. He also spoke in detail with our Lalley allotment manager and a plan was agreed to ensure that his volunteering was meaningful and successful, especially around his communication needs linked to autism.

With his permission, a family got in touch and said: “…this volunteering at the centre that you kindly helped get is so important to him and to me. He is so proud of himself that he mastered the van driving. He is managing that for now. I told him to walk slowly and with care while carrying boxes and he assured me that he is okay with that too, at his own pace. Thank you.”

Some of this year’s accessibility service headlines in numbers: 312 539 8 adults and 181 children adults and 166 children accessible paths through nature accessed the service this year attended accessibility sessions delivered, attended by awareness sessions 68 adults and 3 children

138 1 disability hate crime event held, accessibility service attended by 88 adults and drop-ins delivered 15 children 53 12 accessibility awareness parish advice sessions held sessions delivered

12

volunteer accessibility advocates supported our work in local parishes 296

accessibility adjustments made in Caritas services

39

Our work and impact

Caritas Bishop’s Fund:

The Caritas Bishop’s Fund primarily supports individuals and families across the diocese facing significant financial hardship.

During this reporting period, the majority of those accessing the service were either receiving welfare benefits or were engaged in low-paid employment.

Many were single parents managing household responsibilities alone or individuals experiencing crisis situations such as sudden unemployment, domestic breakdown, or health-related challenges, including those long-term or life-limiting illnesses.

The needs presented were diverse but showed clear patterns. A significant portion of applications requested assistance with essential household items, particularly white goods (such as fridges and washing machines), beds and general furniture. Basic necessities like clothing, school uniforms for children, food vouchers and contributions towards travel costs were also among the most common requests.

These requests reflect the deepening cost-ofliving pressures faced by vulnerable groups in our communities. Our service aimed to provide timely, dignified support to help bridge these material gaps and ensure a basic standard of living for those most in need.

Over the past year, we have also significantly strengthened our ability to respond quickly and compassionately to individuals and families in crisis, with a particular focus on those in low-paid work, on benefits or facing serious life challenges.

By promoting dignity, inclusion and sustainability in all interactions, we ensured that the service remained welcoming and accessible.

Through better data collection and impact reporting, we demonstrated the tangible outcomes of our work to stakeholders, while also engaging more actively in fundraising and innovation efforts to ensure future growth and resilience. These developments have allowed us to meet urgent needs more effectively and to build a foundation for continued excellence and service improvement.

Our Bishop’s Fund in action:

A family were housed in a refuge after they fled domestic violence, leaving their previous life with nothing. They moved to a different accommodation but had no appliances such as an oven, washing machine or refrigerator. The youngest child told school staff that they would leave their milk on the back doorstep to keep it cold and that she washed her school uniform in the bath. Mum was buying items when she could and was hoping to save enough to buy a fridge. The school contacted the Bishop’s Fund to arrange a crisis grant to support the purchasing of a washing machine and oven for the family.

We improved the speed and quality of our support, streamlined the application process, strengthened safeguarding and data protection practices and enhanced collaboration with partner agencies.

49 This year, families were supported with Bishop’s Fund crisis grants 11 individuals also received a grant

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

A local woman recently became a single mum to her four children and was no longer receiving support from her children’s father. Due to the two child benefit rule, she was struggling to support and feed her family.

She was extremely worried about feeding her family in the summer holidays as she had been using the school food bank daily, and her children had been surviving on their free school meals and on tins from the food bank for the last two months.

Mum’s sister had recently died by suicide and mum, as next of kin, had to pay for funeral costs, which depleted her finances. Due to the breakdown in her relationship the children’s father took the electrical appliances from the house, including the cooker, fridge and freezer so the family struggled to cook and store food at home.

The school worked with the Bishop’s Fund team to secure a grant to help the family out of the acute crisis.

Training service:

As part of our work, which we will continue to develop in the coming year, is the provision of specialist training to individuals and organisations.

The purpose of this training delivery is to share skills and knowledge to help people in the community, other charities and individuals improve their ability to respond to incidents and issues in the community.

In the reporting period we delivered a range of training sessions including accessibility topics, workshops to challenge and act against poverty, emergency first aid at work, first aid at work, and mental health first aid.

Catholic family care:

Originally established under the auspices of the Catholic Needlework Guild to provide new and reusable clothing to children and families experiencing crisis and hardship, this service continued its mission within Caritas Salford throughout the 2024-25 financial year.

Sadly and with regret, due to the retirement of our lead volunteer, this volunteer-led initiative ceased formal operations at the end of the financial year. Remaining garments and school uniforms were distributed as planned and essential activities have been seamlessly transferred to our Lalley Community Centre.

We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the unwavering dedication of the numerous volunteers who over the years have tirelessly coordinated and supported those in need, especially through the provision of school uniforms.

Special recognition goes to Teresa Burns our recent volunteer lead, who has retired from her role after years of selfless service. We extend our deepest gratitude to Teresa and all volunteers involved for their profound impact and commitment to our community. Their compassion and practical action has touched countless lives, exemplifying the spirit of solidarity that defines Caritas Salford.

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Formation, animation and advocacy

Formation, animation and advocacy Caritas works to form and animate our parishes and school communities with the necessary tools to help them put the Church’s commitment into practice, in accordance with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Our aim is for a positive, transformative impact on the lives of people experiencing poverty, homelessness, discrimination and disadvantage across the diocese, and within the wider community.

We have continued to build relationships, visibility and credibility across the diocese through mutually collaborative engagement in shared projects and initiatives, and have continued to connect well with our diocesan school community.

Our team has continued to provide school staff with an opportunity to refresh their knowledge and understanding of Catholic Social Teaching, how it links to the mission of their school, and has supported them as they identify where any gaps might be and how they might bridge them.

This year our positive relationship with many of our diocesan schools has continued to grow through the delivery of pupil Caritas ambassador training and the ‘Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching and how to embed it’ module for school

staff. We also receive regular requests to deliver ad hoc assemblies, information sessions and mission day sessions from schools which we accept as often as possible.

Kath has been assisted on occasion when delivering Caritas Ambassador training by a Caritas volunteer who has brought her valuable experience of volunteering at Red Door to the session.

The Caritas Love in Action trophy which was introduced in each diocesan school has also proved to be a great success in helping schools to embed and celebrate within their wider community social action, rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

In addition to school support, many of our parishes have also continued to accept the invitation to appoint a Caritas representative, allowing us to continue to keep in touch with local practical social action projects and provide additional support as required.

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

We have created a range of resources and toolkits to help parishes support people in their community. Examples include a ‘how to’ parish guide for setting up a warm hub, plus three further resources developed to signpost and support the provision of community meals, community sponsorship and election hustings. Deanery signposting resources have also proven popular and parishes are now able to refer to these if a parishioner is concerned about a person experiencing, for example, food poverty, alcohol or drug issues. We also delivered a ‘Are you General Election ready’ session in a local parish to help support parishioners and provide them with guidance on practical issues such as encouraging voter registration.

We also ran a Modern Slavery Awareness training session which was held in Cathedral Centre and attended by more than 50 people. The training brought together the Santa Marta Group, Greater Manchester Police and the Medaille Trust with feedback from attendees extremely positive.

Our charity website also includes a diocesan social action map, an interactive resource that can be used to search for projects in specific areas of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

In this special Jubilee year, the team has created a range of resources including supporting parishes in increasing accessibility, one regarding the Jubilee for Older People and Grandparents, and one for people experiencing poverty.

with a view to continual improvement. The team has also participated in the Caritas Social Action Network’s online Catholic Social Teaching programme.

Across Caritas the formation and animation team has also continued to work to increase engagement and understanding. People who access our services were offered the opportunity to have their voices listened to as part of the Diocesan Synod’s Big Listen, and our induction sessions for staff are extremely helpful in sharing more on our organisational mission and values.

Or parish Caritas representative programme has continued to develop with 27 active reps across the diocese. A new starter pack has been developed and is provided to representatives, including a checklist of recommendations around initial actions, key social action dates, maps of Caritas services and the Caritas prayer. Representatives are also invited to attend the half day induction programme with other new staff and volunteers.

We also bring together various Catholic charities from across the diocese in the regular Diocesan Social Action Network meetings. This gives focus to sharing news, resources and hearing from relevant guest speakers as well as encouraging collaboration and idea-sharing.

The team is also part of two Citizen’s UK chapters in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

The team proactively seeks feedback and reviews all resources and events on an ongoing basis

Some of this year’s formation and animation work in numbers:

12

parishes supported with advice regarding social action and signposting

27

parish representatives volunteer their time to support and drive social action in their community

38

Caritas ambassador training sessions held in local schools

individuals accessed the digital resources provided via our website

498 school staff received the ‘Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching’ sessions

399

new Caritas ambassadors trained and now active in their school community and beyond

1,016

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Formation, animation and advocacy

Our formation and animation work in action:

Following the completion of our Catholic Social Teaching and Social Action training sessions at a parish locally, five members of the young adults group successfully applied to volunteer with Caritas.

They were inspired by hearing about the work of our charity and are now involved in supporting us in a range of ways. The parish is also exploring what additional grass-roots social action they can further engage in.

A local head teacher contacted Caritas after recognising that they needed to better embed the principles of Catholic Social Teaching for school staff and beyond.

We delivered Caritas ambassador training to a cohort of pupils, followed by an ‘Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching session for staff. The team also began the school’s Mission Week on Catholic Social Teaching, presenting to each year w&|j group on day one.

Four months after the session, the head teacher informed our team that they had received ‘outstanding’ across all areas in their CSI and thanked us for our contribution.

“You’ve given us the confidence and enthusiasm to move our plans forward and inspired us to develop our plans further and have the confidence to be present in our local community. This means the children will be able to see more first-hand the issues within our local community and support with combating them.”

A school Caritas ambassador team leader

“The Synod listening session was cathartic. Great meeting up with people and sharing ideas as part of a network.” Person taking part in the diocesan Synod exercise with Caritas

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Advocating for change:

Through our advocacy work we aim to call for a more just world where the voices of people experiencing poverty, homelessness, displacement and disadvantage are listened to, and acted upon. We want to support and empower people to positively influence the policies, structures, decisions and resources that affect them.

Our policy and advocacy work has built in strength this year, and our team has continued to use the ‘see, judge/discern, act’ principles to research, gather and share information and knowledge in a manner which protects human dignity, especially from the lived experiences of the people we work alongside.

We advocate for change to address the underlying causes of social problems in our communities and lead appropriate campaigning activities to act upon these and achieve tangible positive outcomes.

We also seek to engage with decision makers to call for change and carry out research to best understand the challenges people face, including meeting with local MPs, councillors and other key decision makers.

We have been ready and able to respond to opportunities when they arise and have contributed to a range of Government consultations, providing evidence as new legislation is debated. Members of our team also attended two events in Parliament – a reception by Homeless Link and an MP event hosted by CSAN.

This year we carried out exclusive research, surveying school leaders across the diocese on the topic of child poverty, mental health needs and support services in schools. The responses were

rich with stark insights into how child poverty and mental health needs have increased significantly for local children, and all the many ways schools are responding, despite not being adequately funded. With more than three quarters of local authorities in the area covered by our diocese having more than a third of children living in poverty, our school service continues to work alongside local schools to help support children, families and others in their community. We will also continue to campaign and shout loudly to help drive much-needed change.

A range of blogs and regular policy and advocacy updates have proven popular on our charity’s website, helping to update people locally on our work while also encourage them to take action in their communities.

Working in partnership with others has remained an important part of our advocacy work. We have participated in a wide range of local and national events and meetings on key topics including child poverty, homelessness and migration.

This year we have seen two key changes based on our policy asks. The Government announced in the Autumn Budget a reduction in debt deductions from Universal Credit. This change, implemented from April 2025 onwards, makes a tangible

Some of this year’s advocacy work in numbers:

3,695 individuals have viewed the monthly policy updates on the Caritas website

7 78 11 written submissions school leaders took joint letters signed with have been made part in a special report other organisations to Government we delivered on child to call for change in consultations poverty and mental policies or decisions health in local schools which affect people in our communities

45

Formation, animation and advocacy

difference to more than a million households across the countrys receiving Universal Credit, who will be better off by an average of £420 a year.

In addition, the Home Office announced a temporary extension to the move-on period from asylum accommodation and support when someone is granted refugee status, from 28 to 56 days. This change reduced the risks of homelessness for people newly granted refugee status, and we will continue to call for it to be made permanent for all refugees.

“This sessions highlighted really well the complexity and sensitivity of the issues of poverty.” Person attending poverty training and information session

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

“I won’t be worrying about putting my heating on this winter, thank you.”

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Volunteers

Volunteers

Our volunteers support our services and departments across Caritas and this year we are, again, hugely grateful to every one of them. We simply couldn’t carry on working alongside people in our local communities without their fantastic support.

This year we welcomed 83 new volunteers and are really grateful to all of them for their kind help. In addition to winning the Kings Award for Voluntary Service in 2023, we were also nominated in this reporting period for the Spirit of Manchester Volunteering Team of the Year award.

In the reporting period we have continued to review our policies and procedures relating to volunteering, and have managed and created various new volunteering roles to help support our various charity’s departments and services. All volunteers also complete mandatory adult safeguarding, child protection, health and safety and modern slavery awareness training, and are invited to take part in our regular inductions for staff to further increase their awareness and understanding of our charity, our mission and how it is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, and how their role fits into the bigger picture.

Through collaborating with two local SEND colleges, we have created a new volunteering role this year, ‘supported volunteers’. These are individuals referred from a trusted partner who will be supervised at all times by a support worker (they do not have responsibility for sensitive data and are not involved in offering regulated support to other people). These new volunteers, like our others supporting across the organisation, play an invaluable role in helping deliver our charity’s core mission and are a fantastic asset to our services.

ways of working together, pledges for additional support, and a wide-range of other opportunities too.

Volunteers are regularly communicated with via email, in person and via the news section of our management system Assemble. This helps ensure the volunteers stay involved and informed with important updates and events – and most importantly helps share the amazing impact their volunteer has on the lives of people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

The value of our volunteers and their impact is also formally recognized in our annual Volunteer Week celebrations. We held a special event this year in which we recognised and honoured longserving volunteers and invited all members of our volunteering team to join us Mass celebrated by Bishop John Arnold, refreshments and celebrations. This was attended by more than 60 volunteers and events such as this are always wonderful occasions and help foster a sense of community as the team comes together and highlights the invaluable contributions of our volunteers.

We also regularly benefit from corporate volunteering groups who attend our services to give their time. This not only proves valuable in terms of assisting in the delivery of our services, but also helps to raise awareness of our work. It opens up new conversations and leads to other

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Some of this year’s volunteering work in numbers:

217 volunteers support our work

3,434 people viewed our volunteer opportunities online

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Our volunteers in action:

One volunteer came to the UK knowing a little about Caritas International’s humanitarian work in their home country. They volunteered in a number of our services and proved to be a much valued and reliable volunteer for two years.

This year they left us as they secured paid employment, but thanked the team for providing them with the opportunity to volunteer and help others when they were new to the country. They fed back that volunteering with our charity was a stepping stone to them moving their new life in the UK forward.

new volunteering opportunities were created

In May, two long-standing Caritas volunteers attended Buckingham Palace on behalf of our charity, for the Kings Award for Voluntary Service ceremony and garden party.

At the event they met and spoke to many people from all walks of life who have volunteered in a variety of roles. And, most importantly, they were able to explain to others about Caritas Salford, our ethos, and examples of the support that they deliver in our services.

It was a very well-deserved award truly earned by all our volunteers.

“To anyone considering volunteering…try to visit the various services and decide which best fits your own skills and interest. For example, my own role as a parish representative is very different from some of the more ‘hands on’ volunteering roles in Caritas. It draws on my skills of communication and organisation so it really suits me. You’ll definitely find a volunteer role at Caritas to suit you – go for it!”

Volunteer

49

Fundraising

eee ot) “I think it’s absolutely amazing for people to be able to access such a range of fresh produce for such a low price. It’s also really great that you offer more ways to support people than just the food.”

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Fundraising

Raising funds to continue the important work of Caritas Salford – already detailed in this report – was particularly challenging again this year, as economic, political, social and other factors in the external landscape continue to affect our work.

However, in this Jubilee Year, as pilgrims of hope working together for God’s kingdom of justice, peace and love, we wish to express our gratitude for the generosity of so many during this past year.

Caritas - putting love into action - is more than just an act; it is the very heart of our faith in action, the living embodiment of our call to love God and our neighbour, not just in words, but through real meaningful actions.

When we offer our love through practical and financial support, we bring to life the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45)

In doing so, we don’t just serve those in need; we also enrich our spiritual lives and strengthen the bonds within our community.

Community and event fundraising:

This year we asked communities locally to join our staff, volunteers and people using our services by taking on an Every Step personal challenge to raise funds for families and individuals experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage. They didn’t let us down, with challenges ranging from bake-a-thons, read-a-thons, monthly step challenges, even exercising in a 12-hour gym-athon and taking part in Big Sleep Outs.

Walking and running challenges were also popular, with charity places in the Manchester 10k and half marathon, and dozens of hiking enthusiasts on our Caritas organised walks around Pennington Flash, up to Peel Tower in Bury, and the first in our annual Lancashire sponsored walks.

Together, participants raised an incredible £39,000 to help local people. We were thrilled with the support, creativity and enthusiasm shown and for ensuring Every Step becomes a firm fixture in the Caritas calendar.

#BeeThere:

We are incredibly proud of the engagement of our diocesan schools in putting their love into action. Inspired by the bee characters featured in Caritas appeals and animations, the young people in schools, their teachers and their families pledge to #BeeThere for others with their acts of love and service.

Over seventy-five per cent of schools participated in the Caritas St Joseph’s Penny appeal, fundraised during Advent, collected items at harvest, or held a sponsored Every Step challenge or Big Sleep Out and we’re incredibly grateful for their kindness and support.

We are extremely and sincerely grateful to all of our supporters for their kindness and support both in this reporting year and longer term too. We couldn’t help so many local people to transform their lives with dignity without you.

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Fundraising

Parish support:

With just a small network of parish representatives to help us in making our charitable appeals, our charity relies on keeping good channels of communication open about how their support is making a difference, and how Caritas can support parish social action. We introduced some new resources during the year and committed to sending these by post as well as electronically. As a result, we saw parishes engaging in Every Step challenges, making gift catalogue donations at Advent, and sharing our ‘Love in Action’ newspapers for the Caritas Sunday appeal.

We welcome feedback on how we can better serve our Catholic parishes to support local people in poverty.

Gifts in wills:

Caritas has been blessed to receive a number of final gifts from individuals who chose to ensure our vital work can carry on into the future.

This year, gifts in wills represented over a quarter of total voluntary income raised.

Charitable trust and foundation fundraising:

This area of generating income continues to challenge charities across the country, with fierce competition and most funders receiving far more applications than they have funds available.

It is good to have secured funding for the conversion and opening of our new supported accommodation, Caritas House, in light of this difficult environment, along with good relationships that resulted in repeated funding for the sustainability of our well-known projects and services.

Looking to the future:

For the sustainability and continuity of Caritas services, it is vital that we grow the numbers of organisational and individual supporters who have an affinity to the cause and the ability to give so that – together – we can end poverty in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, enabling people to live life to the full. We look forward to hearing from anyone able to help in the year ahead.

One of the ways that anyone can help, even during hard times, is to pledge a gift in their will to Caritas Diocese of Salford, no matter how small.

Corporate volunteering team days:

This year, we have formalised arrangements for small groups to experience a day of volunteering with us as part of their company’s social and ethical responsibility.

By committing to fundraising or making a donation to support us to operate our services, we have been delighted to see an increase in financial support and engagement from businesses as a result.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Your fundraising in action:

A parish priest from Bolton completed a huge challenge last summer as part of our Every Step campaign, which calls on people to take on a sponsored physical or mental challenge that pushes them out of their comfort zone.

Father Chris Gorton, from the Parish of St Cuthbert in Bolton, ran the Camino de Santiago in aid of our charity. The feat saw him take on a distance of 924 kilometres, which is the equivalent of running from Manchester to Dundee and back again.

Such an amazing achievement!

He was also joined by Bishop John Arnold, who is chair of our charity, during the last week of the challenge. The Bishop walked several stages of the Camino.

Local school children also joined in spirit by taking on their own challenges, running or walking a set distance each day he was running to help raise awareness and much-needed funds.

Lots of other people in local communities, and those accessing our services also took part in Every Step last year, taking on a challenge of their own.

Father Chris said: “My aim was to run the Camino from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela via St Jean Pied Port along the Camino Frances. It is a distance of 924 kilometres and I wanted to raise money and awareness for Caritas Salford.

----- Start of picture text -----
The Every Step Camino Challenge with Fr Chris Gorton
Route / itinerary
Start at Our Lady’s Shrine in Lourdes
Week 1 Travel to St Jean Pied-de-Port = 149km
Week 2 Jean Pied-de-Port to Najera/Navarette = 189.9km
Week 3 Najera to Villalcázar de Sirga= 171.7km
Week 4 Villalcázar de Sirga to Molinaseca = 192.4km
Week 5 Molinaseca to Santiago = 221km
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Pied-de-PortSt Jean
on Sets aseee Pamplona Lourdes (
Santiago
oe Molinaseca Leon Burgos ~ ene Pied-de-Portto St JeanLourdes
Your total weekly= kilometres:to SantiagoMolinaseca221km Villalcázarde Sirga VillalcázarNajera tode Sirga Najera Your total weekly= kilometres:149km
“a®as}yfr Your total weekly= to Molinaseca kilometres:192.4kmVillalcázarde Sirga Your total weekly= kilometres:171.7km vs Your total weekly= Pied-de-Portkilometres:189.9kmto Najera St Jean vy
----- End of picture text -----

“I had the very special opportunity of visiting some of the different services in the diocese run by Caritas Salford and this gave me real people to think of and encourage me to train for this challenge. Also I knew that if there was going to be a chance to complete it then I would have to train hard!

“When I was there and actually doing it, on a number of occasions I had to say to myself: ‘This is it now, not training now, this really is happening.’ I was nervous and excited. The

adrenaline was there at the start but that doesn’t keep you going for thirty four days! I realised that I had to just concentrate on each day, each part of the day and sometimes the next step. It was very exciting and also very challenging and sometimes a grind!

“A number of times I thought that I never imagined that I would be one of those people who would take on a challenge like this.

It taught me about having a dream, a challenge that would stretch me and with lots of people helping me making that a reality.

“For me it was very important that I was part of a bigger community all taking on different challenges with everyone doing something that took them out of their comfort zone so that they were thinking of and helping other people. It certainly kept me going at times. So a big thank you to everyone who took part.

“And to others thinking of taking on their own Every Step challenge in the coming year, I’d say ‘Do it!’ Make it something that you enjoy doing and at the same time will be a challenge – train for it, prepare for it and persevere. You can do it!”

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Fundraising

Jo, owner of local health and wellbeing store Amaranth Wellbeing, nominated us to receive a special donation from one of her suppliers, Viridian. She said: “As our business is rooted in compassion and wellbeing, I wanted our support to go to a charity that was making a real difference to the wellbeing of others.

“Caritas reflects the values that are important to us — dignity, hope, and support for those facing extremely difficult circumstances...I feel passionate that everybody should have the opportunity for these. Supporting people who are facing poverty, homelessness, or disadvantage is vital if we want to create healthier, more hopeful communities.

“Our visit to Caritas Salford allowed us to truly understand the work that is being done. The thing that struck me the most was the respect with which everybody is treated. We are all people and should be treated in the same way, despite the disadvantages that life has given.

“At Caritas, you offer people choices, the opportunity to create a purpose and to be part of a community. You offer a holistic approach. You don’t just offer supplies and aid, you also walk alongside people for the long term, helping them rebuild their lives with dignity and selfworth.

“Your work is grounded in love, respect, and genuine care. That’s rare and incredibly valuable.

“If you’re looking to make a real difference, look no further. Supporting Caritas Salford means helping people at some of their most vulnerable moments and you can be sure that your contribution will be used thoughtfully and impactfully. It’s a meaningful way for businesses to live their values and give back to the community.”

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Every Step fundraisers raised an incredible £39,000 to help local people.

“As a local business, we are committed to helping charities like Caritas to grow as they provide much-needed services to vulnerable individuals and families within our local community. The mission of our Charitable Foundation is to make targeted donations which create meaningful change, and we are confident that Caritas is helping us to fulfil and deliver on that mission.”

Financial Options

55

Future direction

Future direction

In 2024/2025, Caritas Salford has continued to build on the foundations laid out in our previous three-year strategic cycle. We are now well underway in shaping our next phase of strategic development, with a renewed focus on ensuring our work remains relevant, impactful and sustainable in a challenging and complex external environment.

Over the past year, we have made steady progress towards achieving our organisational objectives, ensuring our services continue to be a place of safety and hope for people in crisis. We have strengthened our approach to delivering highquality services that reflect our core values of dignity, inclusion and compassion, while improving our internal systems and processes to enhance effectiveness and sustainability.

A key area of development has been the in-depth review of our capital estate and service delivery locations. The trustees, supported by the senior leadership team, have prioritised the assessment of our buildings and physical infrastructure to ensure they remain fit for purpose and aligned with our long-term vision. This review is fundamental to our aim of delivering services in spaces that are not only safe and welcoming but also reflect our commitment to sustainability and the inherent dignity of every person we support.

As part of this work, we are actively progressing plans to redevelop our Red Door site in Bury, which remains a priority for capital investment and transformation. Additionally, we are seeking to expand or redevelop the facilities for our Young Parent Accommodation in Blackburn, to better meet the evolving needs of young families and improve the quality of support we can offer.

To enable this, we are also exploring opportunities to release under-utilised assets, with a view to reinvesting in and expanding the number of supported accommodation places available across our services. These strategic capital decisions are guided by a clear commitment to long-term impact, sustainability and the wellbeing of those we serve.

We are extremely grateful for the continued pro bono support from Muse Developments and OMI Architects, whose expertise has been invaluable in helping us shape and advance our capital planning.

Throughout this year, we have also continued to embed our core objectives across all services, ensuring every part of the organisation is aligned with our mission and strategic goals. Our work remains guided by four foundational commitments:

• Delivering Excellence in service quality and innovation,

• Working Safely to uphold the dignity and welfare of all,

• Respecting People and Shared Values by fostering inclusivity and co-production and

• Delivering Efficiently and Effectively to ensure good stewardship and maximum impact.

Each of these objectives is underpinned by localised service plans and initiatives, with regular review mechanisms to track progress, share learning and celebrate achievements.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to bold and compassionate action, responding to the needs of our communities with creativity, care, and a deep sense of purpose. By strengthening our infrastructure, investing in our people and expanding our reach, we aim to build a stronger and more resilient future for Caritas Salford and those we are privileged to support.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Core Objective	Description	Key Initiatives(2025)
Delivering Excellence	Striving for excellence in service quality and being recognised as credible by peers and supporters.	• Continued implementation of high service standards across all sites. • Ongoing use of outcome-based metrics to measure and report impact. • Strengthened feedback loops from people who use our services to shape delivery. • Identifying innovation opportunities in homelessness, family support and outreach services. • Aligning new capital developments with quality-of-care objectives. • Enhanced safeguarding audit and training processes. • Enhanced safetyaudit and training processes.
Working Safely	Promoting and protecting the dignity and welfare of people who use our services, staff, volunteers, and anyone involved in our activities.	• Continued improvements in physical safety and building compliance as part of estate reviews. • Strengthened cyber security protocols and GDPR compliance. • Embedding trauma-informed approaches across staff teams. • Renewed organisational commitment to co-production and lived experience leadership.
Respecting People and Shared Values	Upholding human dignity as central to our values and mission, creating an inclusive and respectful environment.	• Active promotion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within recruitment, policy and service design. • Delivery of climate action initiatives aligned to property reviews and sustainability goals. • Supporting the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of staff and volunteers. • Strengthened brand and identity communications as services grow. • Strategic release of under-utilised assets to reinvest in priority services. • Capital planning for redevelopment at Red Door (Bury) and YoungParent Accommodation(Blackburn).
Delivering Efficiently and Effectively	Ensuring high efficiency and effectiveness for the best outcomes and impact.	• Expanded use of digital tools for monitoring performance and service delivery. • Strengthened financial planning and scenario modelling to ensure sustainability. • Transparent reporting on outcomes and exploring means to improve evidence of social return on investment.

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Governance and management

Governance and management:

Caritas Diocese of Salford is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association from our Incorporation May 2008. This document outlines our charitable objects which are primarily to further the general charitable objects of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Salford by providing services and facilities for the relief of poverty, advancement of education and promotion of social justice, and other charitable acts which promote individual and community development for the public benefit, for people of all faiths and none.

The charity’s work is directed to children, young people and adults, as well as those with disabilities, access needs or people who are vulnerable including individuals and families, communities and groups in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Good governance is fundamental to the success of any charitable organisation. It enables and promotes a clear structure that not only ensures compliance with the law and relevant regulations but most importantly promotes a culture in which everything we do works towards fulfilling our mission.

With this in mind, the trustees have adopted the latest Charity Governance Code (2020).

The trustees of Caritas Salford support the incorporation of the code into their collective behaviour and where this is not possible will explain why this is not possible. The trustees ensure Caritas Salford’s compliance with the law and relevant regulations and promoting a culture where the charity works towards fulfilling its vision and mission is the rationale for the trustees practice and governance.

There is a continual process of training for trustees from induction to safeguarding and health and safety. Appointment to the Board of Management is by election of the members by a simple majority. All nominations must have first been approved by the Bishop who is a member of the board and its chairperson. New trustees

undergo an induction process to brief them on their legal obligations under Charity and Company Law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the committee and decision-making processes, operational structures, the strategic plan, the financial projections and the recent financial performance of the charity.

During the induction process new trustees meet with key operational employees. Trustees are encouraged to attend training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role. Each trustee takes an area of special interest in the work of the charity.

Structure

The trustees of Caritas Salford are committed to ensuring that the charity is able to deliver its charitable mission effectively for the public benefit.

They recognise and understand their roles and legal responsibility and are committed to ensuring the charity is governed effectively and support continual improvement. To ensure this trustees support the strategic direction of the charity and monitor performance through regular meetings of the board of trustees.

The trustees meet four times per year and, through the creation of a smaller, dedicated Caritas Committee which acts as a general purposes sub-committee, trustees meet a further

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

four times. This group of trustees receive regular reports during the year where they work to closely monitor and oversee strategic and operational performance, in partnership with the director and leadership team.

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This group is supplemented by the coopted membership of the Bishop’s Delegate, an Episcopal Vicar, Father Gerald Murphy, who has pastoral oversight of charitable works in the diocese. In addition to the general matters discussed at the Caritas Committee meeting, the trustees have established a Health and Safety Committee which meets each quarter to review safety strategy and performance.

The charity’s senior leadership team meets routinely with a formal extended meeting each month to look at overall organisational performance and have particular attention on matters regarding to safety and safeguarding. Regular reports on all aspects of the charity’s work are provided to trustees both in advance of formal meetings and on an ongoing basis.

Management

The director is appointed by the trustees to manage the day to day operations of the charity. To preserve the mission, ethos and values of the charity, the trustees have determined that the post of director retains the occupational requirement that the individual must be in sympathy with the teachings of the Catholic Church as enunciated by the Bishop of Salford.

The director is charged with the duty of accounting to the board and making recommendations on plans and policy, the director is assisted by the senior leadership team. The charity’s leadership and management is supported by the following team: head of resources and

support services – overseeing all aspects of finance, HR, property and central administration roles, head of homelessness, head of school service, and head of social action.

In addition to these senior leadership positions, a wider team of other leaders across the organisation from formation, HR, fundraising and communications attend the leadership team meetings to contribute to discussions and provide direct input. Ongoing supervision and appraisal is at the heart of the operational management system of the charity.

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Governance and management

Managers and service coordinators from across the organisation meet on a monthly basis through the ‘Leadership Forum’, which discusses standing items such as health and safety, safeguarding and other compliance issues alongside issues which affect the whole organisation. We hold an annual whole staff conference where the vast majority of our staff are able to meet, understand the services they contribute to as part of the whole organisation and work together addressing broader matters for the future.

In addition, staff are invited to take part in regular pulse surveys where they indicate how they are feeling and provide direct feedback (anonymously if they wish). The reports are reviewed by the senior leadership team and, as far as practicable, build on the areas identified for action.

All employees and volunteers are required to complete mandatory training which is relevant to their role as well as being offered other opportunities for personal development, further training, promotion and career development opportunities within their roles. Every member of staff has an annual appraisal based on their performance throughout the year. In addition to induction to their specific role and service, all new staff also attend an organisation-wide induction. The purpose of this is to give staff and volunteers the opportunity to learn more about the underpinning values, mission and strategy for the charity, understand about their role and how it fits into our wider work and learn about other services and how this contributes to the whole of Caritas Salford’s work.

Governance information, training opportunities and good practice seminars are available to trustees, staff and volunteers; senior staff members have direct links to other charities to promote information sharing and ensure that good practice and new ideas are brought into the charity. From time to time consultants may be employed for specific independent advice.

Commitment to be an employer of choice for staff and a rewarding voluntary experience to people

who support the charity’s mission and values remains a high priority for the organisational culture. The following are examples of this:

• Flexibility in working hours

• Low sickness rates

• Improved access for disabled people into employment

• Investment in staff and volunteer training

• Commitment to the Living Wage and nationally recommended inflation uplifts to salaries

Public Benefit Statement

The trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under sections 4 and 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have regard to the public benefit guidance published by The Charity Commission. The annual report includes a detailed description of the activities undertaken by the charity during the year to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit. The board has referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing its strategy and objectives and in planning Caritas’ future activities. All trustees complete an annual declaration of conflict of interest.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and have planned Caritas’ activities to avoid the granting of any private benefit other than one that is purely incidental to carrying out Caritas’ objectives.

Related Parties

The subsidiary trading company, Caritas Diocese of Salford Trading Limited, is a related party. The Bishop of Salford, by virtue of his right to trustee membership as chairperson and to appoint trustee members, is a related party of the company.

The trustees of The Diocese of Salford (also known as the Salford Diocesan Trust, Registered Charity Number 250037) are also the trustees of Caritas Diocese of Salford and by virtue of this are a related party.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Pay Policy for Senior Staff

The board of trustees is responsible for directing, controlling and overseeing the operations of the charity. All trustees and committee members volunteer their time freely; no trustee or committee member received remuneration or reimbursement of expenses during the year.

Staff pay is reviewed annually and, subject to affordability, a cost-of-living increase is awarded. While the trustees retain full discretion, they have traditionally taken into account the recommendations of the National Joint Council (NJC) when considering uplifts.

In light of the significant financial pressures caused by high inflation and rising utility costs, the trustees decided, to award cost-of-living increases to staff salaries.

Safeguarding

Caritas has an established safeguarding policy and is regularly reviewed to reflect ongoing practice. From September 2025, Trustees have commissioned the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to undertake a full review of safeguarding policies and procedures and organisation-wide audit as part of our commitment to transparent accountability and to ensure continuous improvement and development. Under a two-year agreement, SCIE will also provide ongoing support and independent professional advice to leaders and staff.

The charity follows robust recruitment and selection processes for all paid and volunteer roles, seeking to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that shortlisted and appointed candidates possess the appropriate skills, experience and level of disclosure relevant to their roles. Suitability is assessed through a detailed application form and a formal interview.

All new staff appointments are subject to a probationary period and supervision, with confirmation dependent on satisfactory performance. Following appointment, staff members are supported through ongoing

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supervision, mandatory training and an annual appraisal process.

Caritas obtains Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for all staff and volunteers whose roles involve unsupervised work with people or where eligibility criteria apply. We continue to use online systems for recording safeguarding concerns, compliments, complaints, incidents and accidents. Enhanced oversight by senior managers, combined with the data produced, enables a clearer understanding of outcomes for people experiencing crisis and vulnerability.

Trustees receive regular safeguarding reports, which include information drawn from the live safeguarding dashboard. This highlights the support and assistance provided to people who use our services. Reports are subject to close scrutiny by the General Purposes Committee, ensuring strong oversight of safeguarding arrangements.

The charity’s safeguarding arrangements are subject to regular review, and Mr Edward Nally continues to serve as the designated trustee for safeguarding.

Health and safety

The health, safety, and welfare of our staff, volunteers, and—most importantly—the people who access our services remains a top priority. As with safeguarding, we have continued to invest significantly in this area over the past year to ensure our environments are safe, supportive, and responsive to the needs of those we serve.

Essential improvements to the condition of our properties have been a central focus, with ongoing work to meet immediate compliance requirements while also embedding best practice approaches. Our health, safety, and welfare policies and procedures were last updated in 2023 and are currently under review by our appointed external safety consultants, Safety Toolbox. Our arrangements and safety performance remain subject to regular review by the designated trustee, Mrs Elizabeth Lilley.

Though a longer term project, we continue to explore opportunities to look at capital redevelopment projects, led by trustee Mr Eamonn O’Neal, which is tasked with shaping the longterm vision and use of Caritas buildings.

During the year, we have continued to advance plans to enhanced or facilities thanks to our continued partnership with Muse Developments and OMI Architects. Our current main priority is for a new purpose-built facility in Bury for the Red Door project which will be subject to planning later in 2025/early 2026. Longer term we continue to explore the redevelopment of Cornerstone and Morning Star on Denmark Road, Manchester, into a combined day centre and residential facility. While we retain an ambition to consider improved facilities for the Lalley Centre around its current location, we have paused further exploration at this time due to uncertainties caused by wider redevelopment in the area.

All projects and services are focused on reflecting the best standards in trauma-informed and psychologically informed care, while also prioritising environmental and economic sustainability. The combination of immediate improvements, ongoing oversight, and strategic planning ensures that our buildings not only meet compliance standards but also reflect our commitment to best practice and to the dignity and wellbeing of those who use our services.

Concern for the Environment

Bishop John Arnold is the lead Bishop in England and Wales for advocating for Care for Creation and as such encourages Caritas to be bold in thinking about reducing our carbon output and minimising our environmental impact.

As well as seeking to increase the amount of recycling of waste, we continue our steps to improve the environmental performance of our services and reduce energy consumption. We have increased the number of electric vehicle charge points by one (at our site on Denmark Road) and are currently progressing with a project to explore

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

the installation of solar panels to our service and office at Caritas House in North Manchester. This will not only dramatically reduce our carbon footprint but also reduce the cost of utilities which has remained volatile over the period.

Our commitment to effective stewardship of creating remains absolute and we are continuing to take practical steps to deliver this including:

• Recycling of general and confidential office waste.

• Significant recycling of household goods and clothing through charitable outlets

• Redistribution of foodstuffs to people experiencing hardship from supermarket, food warehouses and local shops

• Using new technologies to reduce the need for service visits or in-person meetings where appropriate.

• Education of staff, volunteers and people who access our services on the environmental impact of the charity.

At the same time, we are also mindful that some of the buildings we operate now need major investment to reduce the carbon footprint and we are working with specialist advisors on how we can deliver this in the future.

Living Wage

Caritas is and remains deeply committed to being an accredited Living Wage employer, recognised by the Living Wage Foundation. Paying the real Living Wage continues to strengthen our commitment to fairness and dignity in work and contributes to improved staff wellbeing, reduced absence, and a stronger organisational reputation.

Over the past year, we have continued to deepen engagement with contractors and suppliers around their wider ethical approaches. In line with our modern slavery approach (see below), we have continued to ensure that all partners sign up to our code of conduct, which requires them to work towards adopting the real Living Wage for their employees. Progress is monitored through ongoing dialogue and review, reinforcing our expectation that ethical employment standards are upheld across our supply chain.

Modern Slavery

Research indicates that modern slavery exists in the supply chain of nearly every business and organisation and through our on the ground services we are often confronted by the reality of this as we respond to those who are experiencing or at risk of modern slavery.

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All staff receive training on how to identify, respond and record instances of modern slavery and through investment in new, unified recording systems, we are able to quickly provide appropriate support and referral. We have also proactively worked to identify and eliminate risks in our supply chain, and carry out additional activities and initiatives to raise awareness and influence positive change in this area, as outlined elsewhere in this report.

Building on the existing work of Caritas staff and volunteers to tackle human trafficking, our partnership with the Medaille Trust, we have encouraged parishes to take proactive steps to end modern slavery and raised awareness of how to report concerns or seek advice.

Trustees continue to opt for ethical investments through the Catholic Fund operated in line with Catholic moral and social teaching by CCLA and we are pleased to be closely associated with their ‘Find it, Fix it, Prevent it’ initiative which is focused on eliminating the risk of modern slavery in investment funds which support the charity’s revenue. We intend to continue this work over the coming year to ensure that people at risk are protected and supported.

Fundraising Regulation

Caritas is a member of the Fundraising Regulator - the independent regulator of charitable fundraising. As such we comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and agree with its Fundraising Promise to be open, honest, fair and legal. Every two years, Caritas Salford reviews its policies for Fundraising, including for Fundraising and People in Vulnerable Circumstances, and Fundraising and the Acceptance and Refusal of Donations. These policies outline the day-to-day procedures that need to be adhered to, including when a complaint is raised, and that fundraising is in support of the charity’s strategy and objectives.

Our policies and procedures comply with the Code and supporter contact is in line with data protection legislation. The charity does carry

out fundraising activities requiring disclosure under the Charities Act 2011. Caritas employs a fundraising manager who delivers against an approved fundraising strategy. Any person acting on behalf of the charity will be subject to an undertaking to be bound by the voluntary scheme for regulating fundraising as set out by our membership to the Fundraising Standards ethical code. The activities of the person will also be monitored and the person will be required to comply fully with the scheme and standards.

How we protect vulnerable supporters:

As part of our professional practice and reflection of safeguarding each month, fundraising staff refer to the Fundraising Regulator’s (FR) Code of Practice, with close attention paid to 1.3.9 of the Code, i.e. does a person lack capacity to make a decision to donate or is in vulnerable circumstances, which mean they are not able to make an informed decision?

We discuss and document and refer, where appropriate, any concerns whatsoever about a donor’s support and/ or behaviour. For example, if an individual is making extraordinarily large gifts, or gifts that are little and often without a clear pattern and any contact we have had with that person (in person, over the phone, in writing) and if there is anything that indicates any vulnerability i.e., forgetfulness, distress, vagueness, mention of illness, multiple donations in the same day/week. Where we consider a person to be vulnerable, we will ensure they no longer receive communication from Caritas that might be perceived as solicitation of further financial support. If we consider a donation to be received while without capacity, we would arrange for this to be refunded.

Data protection

To ensure that the personal and sensitive data of people who use our services alongside our staff and volunteers is protected, we have continued

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

a comprehensive review into our data protection policies, procedures and practices to ensure that these are consistent across the organisation.

With effect from January 2023, we appointed an external provider, Hope and May (an NCVO trusted supplier) to provide professional advice and act as our data protection officer and are a considerable way through reviewing and updating our policies and practices.

Risk Management

The trustees are committed to maintaining a strong risk management framework. Their aim is to ensure that the charity makes every effort to manage risk appropriately by maximising potential opportunities while minimising the adverse effects of risks. A risk management policy and risk register ensure that all governance, strategic, operational, financial and regulatory and compliance risks, regardless of whether they are internally or externally driven are considered and mitigated to avoid adverse affect on the quality and financial stability of the charity.

Principal risks and uncertainties that the trustees see as facing the charity are identified, assessed and recorded in the charity risk assessment which also summarises detailed actions that are necessary for the charity to take to reduce, mitigate or control those risks. Financial pressures caused by the current cost-ofliving crisis is a key risk demands on our services and high levels of inflation. Also, with increased use and dependence on technologies, the potential for cyber-crime or data loss. Trustees are taking steps to ensure the long-term financial stability of the charity by engaging with funders including statutory commissioners to ensure that funding remains available and where this is not possible to take appropriate action early to prevent the charity being exposed to vulnerability. We are similarly working with our suppliers and professional advisors to ensure that systems are as secure as possible.

Designated Funds and Reserves

The trustees are aware of the need to maintain adequate reserves to ensure that the charity’s work can continue. Designated funds are set aside to enable the trustees to develop specific areas of charitable work and to meet potential future obligations. In addition, the Board has to ensure that adequate resources are available to avoid disruption to any of the charity’s services, when impacted by the volatile and uncertain nature of the charity’s income.

To ensure that services can be maintained in the short term, the trustees have unrestricted and undesignated general funds of £1,430,225 (2024 - £1,696,627), which represents approximately 4.6 months (2024 – 6.0 months) running costs, based on revenue costs of £3,764,453. It is the trustees’ intention to maintain this fund at between three and six months’ running costs. This equates to a target of between £941,113 and £1,882,227 and hence we are within this target range.

In addition, the trustees have set aside a designated fund of £2,211,532 (2024 - £2,277,830), which represents the net book value of fixed assets and a designated fund of £5,158,051 (2024 - £5,340,918), which represents the net book value of investments funded from unrestricted funds at the year-end. The Trustees do not have a designated timeframe for the expenditure of this fund on the basis that the revenue generated is used to support ongoing services.

The trustees have also decided that it is prudent to set aside a designated fund that represents accrued obligations to staff for redundancy. The balance on this fund of £535,206 (2024 - £452,010), represents the fully accrued obligation.

The consolidated free reserves as at 31 March 2025 are £1,430,266 (2024 - £1,696,627). This is calculated as unrestricted reserves less restricted reserves and designated reserves (including an amount for tangible fixed assets) and is in effect the available resources the charity has.

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Ethical Investment Policy

Caritas trustees intentionally invest in line with the values and principles of the charity while still earning a just and sufficient return on investment to help fund the charity’s work. Caritas policy is also informed by the UK Stewardship Code of the Financial Reporting Council and the United Nations Principals for Responsible Investment. The charity has adopted a comprehensive Reserves and Investment Policy Statement was drawn up, ratified by the Board and implemented.

The policy, reviewed annually, describes the financial position and objectives of the board at the time of writing with the stated intent that they will be reviewed regularly. The investment policy target return is CPI plus 5% (gross of fees) per annum. Having considered their financial position, the board is agreed that part of the available cash in excess of the required statutory reserves should be assigned to investments. To this end the board has invested with CCLA Investment Management Limited in their pooled funds on an execution only basis.

The assets within the Funds are managed by CCLA and, since the launch of their Catholic Investment Fund in April 2021, the trustees determined to transfer assets into this fund in line with the ‘faith consistent investment policy’. This fund and the associated policies have been designed to reflect the teachings and mission of the Catholic Church. The policy is made up of a combination of ethical restrictions, that are targeted to avoid investing in companies whose activities contradict Catholic teaching and activities conducted by CCLA (such as corporate engagement) that seek to promote the common good.

The performance of the portfolio is measured against a composite index set by the Investment Manager in agreement with the Caritas Committee and quarterly reports will be provided to the Committee. The board considered the possible risks of investing and agreed that monies invested (although not required by the charity in the short to medium term) should not be placed in highly illiquid securities and investments and that the

Funds met their needs. The underlying holdings of the Fund may be invested in illiquid assets, but not to the extent that it would restrict withdrawals if needed. The board agreed that a moderate risk balanced asset allocation profile be adopted but with the monies intended to be held for the long term. Ethical constraints were considered and the Fund(s) chosen were made to best suit the charity’s ethical stance.

The performance of the Catholic Fund for the year to the end of March 2025 was -2.63% (net of fees) which was behind the target (CPI+5% gross) at 7.63%. In the prior year to March 2024 The Catholic Fund achieved 13.23%. This performance was mainly due to CCLA’s absence or underweight positions in the “Magnificent 7” which dominated market returns in the period. They were also absent the US banks at a time when they performed strongly. There was also weakness in Healthcare due to several factors which CCLA believe to be short term.

CCLA remains focused on delivering long term returns and making investment decisions with a 10 year view. CCLA believes their preference for a well-diversified portfolio of good quality companies that can grow their earning over time, will serve investors well in the long term.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees (who are also directors of Caritas Diocese of Salford for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and UK Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the 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 these

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently

• Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

• State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

• Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business

• Keep proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006

• Safeguard the assets of the charitable company and take reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Financial Statements comply with current UK statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (FRS102).

The trustees’ gratitude therefore extends to our individual donors and funders who continue to show their confidence in our work through their support. In addition, the trustees extend their gratitude to the employees and to the volunteers whose professionalism, commitment and personal values have enabled the charity to achieve so much during the year.

Provision of Information to auditors

Each of the persons who are trustees at the same time when this trustees’ report is approved has confirmed that, so far as that trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware, and the trustees have taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a trustee in order to be aware of any information needed by the charitable company’s auditors in connection with preparing their report and to establish that the charitable company’s auditors are aware of that information.

Auditors

Crowe U.K. LLP have indicated its willingness to be reappointed as statutory auditor.

Approval

This report, which incorporates the Strategic Report, was approved by the trustees on 30th October 2025 and signed on their behalf by

The Trustees’ Appreciation

The trustees express their appreciation of the devotion and commitment of individuals, parishes, schools and religious communities to give, learn about, pray and take action to promote the mission of the charity.

The trustees are grateful for the generosity of all supporters. This voluntary activity is the bedrock of all Caritas’ work and much of this activity is sustained by our network of dedicated volunteers, Each year, Caritas benefits from the generosity of the people of the Diocese of Salford and beyond who support, organise fundraising events and who make individual donations and bequests,

Right Reverend John Arnold - Bishop of Salford

~~-~~ Edward Nally Trustee & company secretary

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Independent auditor’s report to the members of Caritas Diocese of Salford

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Caritas Diocese of Salford (the “charitable company”) and its subsidiary (the “group”) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, Charity Statement of Financial Activities, Consolidated Balance Sheet, Charity Balance Sheet, Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including 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:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.

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 group 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 group’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 contained within the annual report. 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.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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 the work undertaken in the course of our audit

• the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the charitable company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.

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

• the charitable company has not kept adequate accounting records; or

• the charitable company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

• the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies exemption in preparing the Trustees Annual Report.

Responsibilities of trustees

We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with the Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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.

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Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charitable company and group operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011 together with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charitable company’s and the group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charitable company and the group for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context for the UK operations were Employment Legislation.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the completeness

and cut off of recognition of grant, contract and legacy income

and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance. Our audit procedures in relation to income included sample testing of source documents to nominal ledger of legacy, grant and contract income.

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

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

2006, and to the charitable company’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members and trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company, the charitable company’s members as a body and the charitable company’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Michael Jayson

Senior Statutory Auditor

For and on behalf of

Crowe U.K. LLP 3rd floor, St George’s House, 56 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 3NQ 12 November 2025

Finance

Consolidated statement of financial activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted Unrestricted Total funds Total funds
Notes funds 2025 funds 2025 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
INCOME
Donations and legacies 2 484,827 774,245 1,259,072 783,963
Other trading activities 3 - 12,363 12,363 32,292
Investment income 4 - 229,980 229,980 207,079
Other Income 6 1,911 311,510 313,421 231,963
Charitable activities 5 1,482,030 920,401 2,402,431 2,631,816
TOTAL INCOME 1,968,768 2,248,499 4,217,267 3,887,113
EXPENDITURE
Raising funds 8 - 399,918 399,918 331,306
Charitable activities 7 2,214,644 1,154,640 3,369,284 3,452,598
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2,214,644 1,554,559 3,769,203 3,783,904
Net gain/(loss) on investments 13 - (182,867) (182,867) 408,625
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (245,876) 511,074 265,198 511,834
Transfers 93,444 (93,444) - -
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (152,432) 417,630 265,198 511,834
FUND BALANCES AT 1 APRIL 2024 412,361 9,767,386 10,179,747 9,667,913
FUND BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2025 16 259,929 10,185,015 10,444,944 10,179,746
----- End of picture text -----

All activities relate to continuing operations.

The notes on pages 78 to 115 form part of these financial statements.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Charity statement of financial activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted Unrestricted Total funds Total funds
Notes funds 2025 funds 2025 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
INCOME
Donations and legacies 2 484,827 774,245 1,259,072 796,181
Other trading activities 3 - 12,363 12,363 3,710
Investment income 4 - 229,980 229,980 207,079
Other income 6 1,911 311,510 313,421 231,963
Charitable activities 5 1,482,030 920,401 2,402,431 2,631,816
TOTAL INCOME 1,968,768 2,248,499 4,217,268 3,870,749
EXPENDITURE
Raising funds 8 - 399,918 399,918 311,974
Charitable activities 7 2,214,644 1,154,640 3,369,284 3,452,598
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2,214,644 1,554,559 3,769,203 3,764,572
Net gain/(loss) on investments 13 - (182,867) (182,867) 408,625
NET INCOME/ (EXPENDITURE) (245,876) 511,074 265,198 514,802
Transfers 93,444 (93,444) - -
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (152,432) 417,630 265,198 514,802
FUND BALANCES AT 1 APRIL 2024 412,361 9,754,877 10,167,238 9,652,436
FUND BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2025 16 259,929 10,172,507 10,432,436 10,167,238
----- End of picture text -----

All activities relate to continuing operations.

The notes on pages 78 to 115 form part of these financial statements.

73

Finance

Consolidated balance sheet

Registered Number: 06594417 As at 31 March 2025

Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~ao~~ ~~a~~ ~~es~~ ~~ee ee~~
	Tangible fixed assets	11	2,190,764		2,246,678
	Intangible fixed assets	12	20,768		31,152
	Investments	13	7,308,051		6,340,917
				9,519,583		8,618,747
	CURRENT ASSETS
	Debtors	14	241,081		406,128
	Cash at bank		1,358,349		1,260,721
			1,599,430		1,666,849
	CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one
	year	15	(674,069)		(105,850)
	CURRENT ASSETS LESS CURRENT
	LIABILITIES			925,361		1,560,999
	NET ASSETS			10,444,944		10,179,746
CONSOLIDATED FUNDS ~~a~~
	Restricted Funds	16		259,929		412,361
	Unrestricted Designated Funds	16		8,754,789		8,070,758
	Unrestricted General Funds	16		1,430,225		1,696,627
				10,444,944		10,179,746

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Members of the Council on 30 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Right Reverend John Arnold	Edward Nally
Bishop of Salford
Trustee	Trustee

The notes on pages 78 to 115 form part of these financial statements.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Charity balance sheet Registered Number: 06594417 As at 31 March 2025

Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~	Note 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS ~~Lo~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee eee eee eee~~
Tangible fixed assets		11	2,190,764		2,246,678
Intangible fixed assets		12	20,768		31,152
Investments		13	7,308,052		6,340,918
				9,519,584		8,618,748
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors		14	241,081		406,128
Cash at bank			1,355,347		1,257,720
			1,596,428		1,663,848
CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one
year		15	(683,576)		(115,358)
CURRENT ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES				912,852		1,548,490
NET ASSETS				10,432,436		10,167,238
CHARITY FUNDS
Restricted Funds		16		259,929		412,361
Unrestricted Designated Funds		16		8,754,789		8,070,758
Unrestricted General Funds		16		1,417,718		1,684,119
				10,432,436		10,167,238

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Members of the Council on 30 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by

October 2025and signed on their behalf by ~~ifFEA~~	~~o-~~
Right Reverend John Arnold	Edward Nally
Bishop of Salford
Trustee	Trustee

The notes on pages 78 to 115 form part of these financial statements.

75

Finance

Consolidated cash flow statement For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by operating activities 1,243,172 255,585
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property plant and equipment (11,500) (21,600)
-
Purchase of intangible assets (31,152)
- -
Disposal of investments
Purchase of investments (1,150,000) -
Interest received 15,956 10,734
- -
Disposal of fixed assets
Net cash provided by investing activities (1,145,544) (42,018)
Change in cash and cash equivalent in the reporting period 97,628 213,567
Cash and cash equivalent at beginning of the period 1,260,721 1,047,154
Cash and cash equivalent at end of period 1,358,349 1,260,721
NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
2025 2024
£ £
Net income 265,198 511,834
Unrealised loss/(gain) on investments 77,866 (131,740)
Unrealised loss/(gain) on revaluation of fixed assets 105,000 (276,885)
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 77,798 68,627
-
(Loss)/gain on disposal of fixed assets 8,071
(Increase)/Decrease in debtors 165,047 130,189
(Increase)/Decrease in creditors 568,219 (43,777)
Interest received (15,956) (10,734)
NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 1,243,172 255,585
----- End of picture text -----

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

For the year ended 31 March 2025

ANALYSIS OF CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

				2025	2024
				£	£
Cash in hand				1,358,349	1,260,721
RECONCILIATION OF NET FUNDS			At 1 April	Cash flow	At 31 March
			2024		2025
			£	£	£
Cash at hand and in bank			1,260,721	97,628	1,358,349

The notes on pages 78 to 115 form part of these financial statements.

77

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

1.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Caritas Diocese of Salford meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

information and have the view that the charity has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future and consider that there were no material uncertainties over the charity’s financial viability. The level of liquidity and reserves of the charity give confidence that we will be able to operate fully beyond the next 12 months. Caritas continues to operate in a difficult funding environment and services will be adapted to operate with the funds available. Caritas will continue to review our reserves policy taking into account the current risks.

1.4 Consolidated financial statements

These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its subsidiary undertaking. The consolidation has been undertaken on a line by line basis.

The charity has taken advantage of the exemption available to a qualifying entity in FRS 102 from the requirement to present a charity only cash flow statement with the consolidated accounts.

1.2 Company information

The charity is a company limited by guarantee (registered number 06594417) which is incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The address of the registered office is Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP.

1.5 Company status

The Charity is a company limited by guarantee. The members of the company are the trustees named on page 84. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Charity.

1.3 Going concern

Planning for the future in such uncertain times has created significant challenges, however the forecasts, budgets and cash flow projections have been amended for the expected impact on the charity. The trustees have reviewed the financial

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

1.6 Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

1.7 Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the Charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the Charity being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received.

Gifts in kind donated for distribution are included at valuation and recognised as income when they are distributed to the projects. Gifts donated for resale are included as income when they are sold. Donated facilities are included at the value to the Charity where this can be quantified and a third party is bearing the cost. No amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers.

Intangible income, which comprises donated services, is 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 where there is no financial cost borne by a third party.

Finance

Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the investment income is receivable.

1.8 Resources expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular activities they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.

Fund raising costs are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the charitable activities. Support costs are those costs incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the Charity and include project management carried out at Headquarters.

Support costs have been allocated to charitable activities on the basis of time spent. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with governance and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.

1.9 Investments

Fixed asset investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. Where investment assets are subject to restrictions on sale, appropriate discounts are applied to their market values. The SOFA includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year.

1.10 Investment properties

Investment properties are included in the balance sheet at their open market value and are not depreciated.

1.11 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

All assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised.

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following bases:

Motor vehicles 20% straight line Equipment and tenants improvements 20% straight line Freehold buildings 2% straight line

1.12 Intangible assets

Intangible assets are initially recognised at cost. After recognition, under the cost model, intangible assets are measured at cost less any accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses.

All intangible assets are considered to have a finite useful life. If a reliable estimate of the useful life cannot be made, the useful life shall not exceed ten years.

1.13 Operating leases

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the SOFA as incurred.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

1.14 Financial instruments

The Group has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic Financial Instruments are initially recognised at the transaction value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using an effective interest method. Financial assets are held at amortised cost, comprising of cash and bank in hand, together with trade and other

debtors. Financial liabilities held at amortised cost comprise bank loans and overdrafts, trade and other creditors.

1.15 Donated services and gifts in kind

Donated services and gifts in kind are included in the statement of financial activities where their value is ascertainable and material. The value

of the contribution to Caritas is based on either market value or the amount Caritas would have paid for equivalent goods or services. Income is included under donations and legacies. An equal amount of expenditure is included under the relevant category, as determined by the nature of the goods or services. The net impact on the net income or expenditure for the year is nil. Volunteers’ time has not been valued and is not included in the accounts.

Finance

1.16 Critical accounting judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the entity’s accounting policies which are described above, the Trustees are required to make judgments, estimates, assumptions about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an on-going basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects the current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are described in the accounting policies and are summarised below:

Fair value of investment properties

When assessing the fair value of investment properties management have taken into consideration the market value of similar properties and the current state of the properties.

Deferred income

When assessing whether income should be deferred, management have taken into consideration whether the income has performance-related conditions or other conditions attached that limit its recognition.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

1.17 Pension costs

The Charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to wages and salaries in the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable. The assets of the scheme are held separately from the assets of the Charity.

83

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Group

Group
Group		Restricted	Unrestricted		Total Funds
		Funds 2025	Funds 2025		2025
		£	£		£
Donations
		217,818	316,044		533,862
Legacies		65,312	397,475		462,787
Appeals and collections
Caritas Sunday and Annual Appeal		45,223	-		45,223
Lent Appeal		19,783	-		19,783
St Joseph’s Penny Collection		-	- 47,137		47,137
Every Step Appeal		11,565	11,565 13,499		25,063
Summer Appeal		23,532	-		23,532
Advent Appeal		95,408	95,408 -		95,408	95,408
Other events		6,186	91		6,277
		484,827	774,245		1,259,072
Charity
Donations
		217,818	316,044		533,862
Legacies		65,312	397,475		462,787
Appeals and collections
Caritas Sunday and Annual Appeal		45,223	-		45,223
Lent Appeal		19,783	-		19,783
St Joseph’s Penny Collection		-	- 47,137		47,137
Every Step Appeal		11,565	11,565 13,499		25,063
Summer Appeal		23,532	-		23,532
Advent Appeal		95,408	95,408 -		95,408
Other events		6,186	91		6,277
		484,827	774,245		1,259,072

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Group Donations Legacies
		Restricted		Unrestricted		Total Funds
		Funds 2024		Funds 2024		2024
			£		£		£
			100,637 9,937		231,318 183,957		331,955 193,894
Appeals and collections
Caritas Sunday and Annual Appeal Lent Appeal St Joseph’s Penny Collection Every Step Appeal Summer Appeal Advent Appeal Other events			1,818 18,540 - - 11,843 25,689 44,834		18,626 19,641 67,370 733 140 47,917 962		20,444 38,181 67,370 733 11,983 73,606 45,796
			213,298		570,664		783,962
Charity Donations Legacies Gift aid from trading subsidiary			- 100,637 9,937		12,218 231,318 183,957		12,218 331,955 193,894
Appeals and collections
Caritas Sunday and Annual Appeal Lent Appeal St Joseph’s Penny Collection Every Step Appeal Summer Appeal Advent Appeal Other events			1,818 18,540 - - 11,843 25,689 44,834		18,626 19,641 67,370 733 140 47,917 962		20,444 38,181 67,370 733 11,983 73,606 45,796
			213,298		582,882		796,180

85

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

Restricted Unrestricted Total ~~| OE i~~ Funds ~~a~~ Funds Funds 2025 2025 2025 Group and Charity £ £ £ Trading activities - book sales - 12,363 12,363

• 12,363 12,363

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES Group
		Restricted	Unrestricted	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds
		2024	2024	2024
		£	£	£
Tradingactivities
- book sales - charity shops		- -	3,710 28,582	3,710 28,582

		-	32,292	32,292

OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES Charity
		Restricted	Unrestricted	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds
		2024	2024	2024
		£	£	£
Tradingactivities
- book sales		-	3,710	3,710
		-	3,710	3,710

87

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

4.	INVESTMENT INCOME		Restricted	Unrestricted	Total
	Group and Charity		Funds 2025	Funds 2025	Funds 2025
			£	£	£
	Investment Bonds Income		-	60,170	60,170
	Dividend income		-	40,851	40,851
	Bank interest		-	15,956	15,956
	Rents receivable from investment properties		-	113,003	113,003
			-	229,980	229,980

4.	INVESTMENT INCOME		Restricted		Unrestricted		Total
	Group and Charity		Funds 2024		Funds 2024		Funds 2024
			£		£		£
	Investment Bonds Income			-	47,116		47,116
	Dividend income			-	40,048		40,048
	Bank interest			-	10,734		10,734
	Rents receivable from investment properties				109,181		109,181
				-	207,079		207,079

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

5. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

		Grant	Contract	Other	Rent	Total	Total
		income	Income	income	2025	funds	Funds
Group and Charity		2025 £	2025 £	2025 £	£	2025 £	2024 £
Homelessness		532,836 405,007	532,836 405,007	532,836 405,007 2,588	2,588 502,596	502,596 1,443,027	1,541,477
Social Action		326,081	326,081 -	- 5,787	5,787 -	- 331,868	499,707
Social Work and Social Care		81,988	370,120	12,891	-	- 464,999	442,710
Formation and Animation		162,538	-	- -	- -	- 162,538	147,922
		1,103,443	443 775,127	21,266	502,596	2,402,432	2,631,816

89

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

6. OTHER INCOME

Group and Charity

	Grant	Other	Rent	Total		Total
	income	income	2025	funds		Funds
	2025	2025		2025		2024
	£	£	£	£		£
Other Income	-	96,131 217	131 217,290	313,421		231,963
Total	-	96,131	217,290	313,421		231,963

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

7. RESOURCES EXPENDED

7. RESOURCES EXPENDED
			Activities		Support		Total	Total
			undertaken	undertaken	costs		2025	2024
			directly		2025
Group and Charity			2025 £		£		£	£
Charitable activities
Homelessness			1,729,117		414,742		2,143,859	2,038,603
Social Action			366,799		167,358		534,157	611,954
Social Work and Social Care			422,358		112,763		535,120	644,890
Formation and Animation			123,244		32,904		156,148	157,151
			2,641,518		727,767		3,369,284	3,452,598

91

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

Support costs Salary costs Training and recruitment Travelling expenses Repairs and maintenance Office service charge Insurance Telephone Household expenses Printing, postage and stationery IT support Professional fees Bank charges and interest Books and subscriptions Depreciation Miscellaneous costs Profit/Loss on disposal of fixed assets Rental Expenses (Donated service)	Support costs Salary costs Training and recruitment Travelling expenses Repairs and maintenance Office service charge Insurance Telephone Household expenses Printing, postage and stationery IT support Professional fees Bank charges and interest Books and subscriptions Depreciation Miscellaneous costs Profit/Loss on disposal of fixed assets Rental Expenses (Donated service)	Support costs Salary costs Training and recruitment Travelling expenses Repairs and maintenance Office service charge Insurance Telephone Household expenses Printing, postage and stationery IT support Professional fees Bank charges and interest Books and subscriptions Depreciation Miscellaneous costs Profit/Loss on disposal of fixed assets Rental Expenses (Donated service)			2025
					£
					504,065 12,119 5,268 24,278 2,012 27,527 6,662 8,707 4,843 23,297 26,553 1,210 16,411 10,815 52,493 - 152,054
					878,314
Governance costs Wages and salaries Professional Fees					31,162 18,953
					928,429
During the year the charity made grants totalling £26,175 (2024: £20,831) to individuals.

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Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

7. RESOURCES EXPENDED (continued)

7. RESOURCES EXPENDED (continued)	7. RESOURCES EXPENDED (continued)	7. RESOURCES EXPENDED (continued)
					2024
					£
Support costs
Salary costs Training and recruitment Travelling expenses Repairs and maintenance Office service charge Insurance Telephone Household expenses Printing, postage and stationery IT support Professional fees Bank charges and interest Books and subscriptions Depreciation Miscellaneous costs Profit/Loss on disposal of fixed assets Rental Expenses(Donated service)					592,463 8,820 5,297 7,546 4,786 22,176 14,730 5,683 7,035 24,473 47,183 2,454 8,654 432 50,137 8,078 96,000
					905,947
Governance costs Wages and salaries Professional fees					26,367 19,837
					952,151

93

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

8. EXPENDITURE ON RAISING FUNDS

		Direct		Support	Total
		fundraising		costs	Funds
Group & Charity		costs 2025		2025	2025
		£		£	£
Appeals and collections
Publications		12,922		3,450	16,372
Fundraising and communications		184,273		49,198	233,471
Expenditure on rental properties		118,451		31,624	150,075
		315,646		84,273	399,919

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

		Direct	Support	Total
		fundraising	costs	Funds
		costs	2024	2024
Group		2024
		£	£	£
Appeals and collections
Trading activities – charity shops		19,332	-	19,332
Fundraising and communications		142,258	48,162	190,420
Expenditure on rentalproperties		90,810	30,744	121,554
		252,400	78,906	331,306
		Direct
		fundraising	Support	Total
		costs	costs	Funds
Charity		2024	2024	2024
		£	£	£
Appeals and collections
Fundraising and communications		142,258	48,162	190,420
Expenditure on rental properties		90,810	30,744	121,554
		233,068	78,906	311,974

95

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

9. NET INCOME

This is stated after charging:

Depreciation of tangible fixed assets:

owned by the charity Auditors’ remuneration – audit fees Auditors’ remuneration – non-audit fees Staff pension contributions

2025	2024
£	£
77,797	68,627
13,126	17,237
2,600	2,600
77,581	85,514

96

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

10. STAFF COSTS, STAFF NUMBERS AND THE COST OF KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

	2025	2024
	£	£
Staff costs were as follows:
Wages and salaries	2,128,514	2,370,827
Social security costs	194,060	213,384
Other pension costs	77,581	85,514
	2,400,155	2,669,725

The number of employees whose emoluments amounted to more than £60,000 during the year was as follows:

		2025		2024
			No		No
£70,001 - £80,000	£70,001 - £80,000		1		1

There were no Directors to whom retirement benefits are accruing under money purchase schemes in respect of qualifying services.

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the senior management team and are listed in the legal and administration information on page 116. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £353,314 (2024: £309,922). There were settlement payments in the year of £Nil (2024: £5,942).

During the year, no Members of the Council received any remuneration, benefits or reimbursement of expenses. (2024 £Nil).

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

	2025		2024
		No.	No.
Administrative staff		7	22
Management staff		17	17 8
Project / service staff		62	72
		86	102

97

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

11. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

	Group and Charity	Freehold	Equipment	Motor	Total
		land and	and tenants’	Vehicles
		buildings	improve-
		£	ments
			£	£	£
	Cost
	At 1 April 2024 Additions Disposals	2,730,698 - -	68,004 11,500 (46,406)	16,014 - -	2,814,716 11,500 (46,406)
	At 31 March 2025	2,730,698	33,098	16,014	2,779,810
	Depreciation
	At 1 April 2024 Charge for the year Disposals	523,713 54,614 -	41,122 3,203 9,597 3,203 (46,406) -		568,038 67,414 (46,406)
	At 31 March 2025	578,327	4,313	6,406	589,046
	Net book value
	At 31 March 2025	2,152,371	28,785	9,608	2,190,764
	At 31 March 2024	2,206,985	26,882	12,811	2,246,678

98

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

12. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

	Group and Charity
							Website	Total
							£	£
	Cost
	At 1 April 2024 Additions Disposals						31,152 - -	31,152 - -
	At 31 March 2025						31,152	31,152
	Depreciation
	At 1 April 2024 Charge for the year Disposals						- 10,384 -	- 10,384 -
	At 31 March 2025						10,384	10,384
	Net book value
	At 31 March 2025						20,768	20,768
	At 31 March 2024						31,152	31,152

99

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

13. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS

			Investment	Investment	Unlisted		Total
	Group		Property £		securities £		£
	Market value
	At 1 April 2024		3,885,000		2,455,917		6,340,917
	Additions		-		1,150,000		1,150,000
	Disposals		-		-		-
	Revaluations		(105,000)		(77,866)		(182,866)
At 31 March 2025			3,780,000		3,528,051		7,308,051
At 31 March 2024			3,885,000		2,455,917		6,340,917

100

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

13. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS (continued)

	Charity	Investment	Investment		Unlisted	Investment	Total
		Property			securities	in Subsidiary	£
		£			£	£
	Market value
	At 1 April 2024 Additions Disposals Revaluations	3,885,000 - (105,000)			2,455,917 1,150,000 - (77,866)	1 - - -	6,340,918 1,150,000 - (182,866)
	At 31 March 2025	3,780,000			3,528,051	1	7,308,052
	At 31 March 2024	3,885,000			2,455,917	1	6,340,918
	Investments at market value comprise:
	Investment property Unlisted investments		Charity 2025 £ 3,780,000 3,528,052		Group 2025 £ 3,780,000 3,528,051	Charity 2024 £ 3,885,000 2,455,918	Group 2024 £ 3,885,000 2,455,917
	Total market value		7,308,052		7,308,051	6,340,918	6,340,917

The carrying value of investment properties was updated to current market value as at 31 March 2025 as assessed by local independent estate agents.

All the fixed asset investments are held in the UK.

Unlisted investments are made up of £1,378,051 in the Catholic Investment Fund and £2,150,000 in the COIF deposit fund.

101

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

13. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS (continued)

INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKING

Caritas Diocese of Salford Trading Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Caritas Diocese of Salford with registered number 08717793. The results of Caritas Diocese of Salford Trading Limited are as follows:

	2025	2024
	£	£
i) Profit and loss account for year to 31 March 2025
Turnover	-	28,582
Cost of sales	-	(1,952)
Gross Profit	-	26,630
Administration expenses	-	(17,380)
Profit for the year	-	9,250
Gift Aid Distribution	-	(12,218)
ii) Balance sheet as at 31 March 2025
	2025	2024
	£	£
Amounts due from Intercompany	9,508	11,504
Cash in hand	3,001	3,001
Creditors falling due within one year	-	(1,996)
Net Assets	12,509	12,509
Share capital	1	1
Profit and loss account	12,508	12,508
Shareholders surplus	12,509	12,509

102

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

14. DEBTORS

				2025	2024
Group and Charity				£	£
Due within oneyear
Trade debtors			94,333	94,333	296,712
Prepayments and accrued income			93,217	93,217	93,326
Other Debtors			53,530	53,530	16,090
				241,081 ~~——~~	406,128

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

15. CREDITORS:

	Group Due within one year Trade creditors Other creditors Accruals and deferred income			2025	2025	2024	2024
					£		£
					43,593 62,951 567,525		27,582 12,859 65,409
					674,069		105,850
	Charity
					2025		2024
					£		£
	Due within oneyear
	Trade creditors Other creditors Accruals and deferred income Amounts due to subsidiary undertakings				43,593 62,950 567,525 9,507		27,008 12,859 63,987 11,504
					683,576		115,358

Deferred income Deferred income at 1 April 2024 Resources deferred in year Amounts released from previous years	Deferred income Deferred income at 1 April 2024 Resources deferred in year Amounts released from previous years	Deferred income Deferred income at 1 April 2024 Resources deferred in year Amounts released from previous years		2025	2025	2024	2024
				£			£
				39,758 531,464 (39,758)			75,294 39,758 (75,294)
	Deferred income at 31 March 2025				531,464		39,758

As at 31 March 2025 the charity was holding funds received in advance for work that will be undertaken in 2 years to 31 March 2027.

104

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS

Charity DESIGNATED FUNDS Fixed assets fund Long term investments fund Reserve fund Capital fund	Brought	Incoming	Resources	Gains/				Carried
	Forward	Resources	Expended	(Losses)				Forward
							Transfers
	2025							2025
	£	£	£	£			£	£
	2,277,830 5,340,918 452,010 -	- - - -	- - - -		- - - -		(66,298) (182,867) 83,196 850,000	2,211,532 5,158,051 535,206 850,000
	8,070,758	-	-	-			684,031	8,754,789
GENERAL FUNDS General Funds	1,684,119	2,247,963	(1,554,022)	(182,867)			(777,474) 1,417,718
Total unrestricted funds	9,754,877	2,247,963	(1,554,022)	(182,867)			(93,443)	10,172,507
Charity DESIGNATED FUNDS Fixed assets fund Long term investments Reserve fund
	Brought	Incoming	Resources	Gains/				Carried
	Forward	Resources	Expended	(Losses)				Forward
							Transfers
	2024							2024
	£	£	£	£			£	£
	2,649,901 4,584,178 475,100	- - -	- - -	- - -			(372,071) 756,740 (23,090)	2,277,830 5,340,918 452,010
	7,709,179	-	-	-			361,579	8,070,758
GENERAL FUNDS General Funds	1,450,381	2,767,561	(2,628,683)	408,625			(313,765) 1,684,119
Total unrestricted funds	9,159,560	2,767,561	(2,628,683)	408,625			47,814	9,754,877

105

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

		Brought Forward 2025	Incoming	Resources	Gains/			Carried
			Resources	Expended	(Losses)	Transfers		Forward
								2025
		£	£	£	£	£		£
	RESTRICTED FUNDS Caritas Aspire St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People Maryvale Blackburn Morning Star Hostel Lalley Centre and Community Allotment Refugee Response Catholic Family Care Bury Red Door Caritas Bishop’s Fund Cornerstone Day Centre Capital Developments	- 25,854 - - 30,963 75,334 1,092 41,881 57,516 50,349 129,372	75,161 (55,630) - 20,494 (33,423) - 374,429 (358,295) - 632,762 (584,005) - 185,024 (180,916) - 8,214 (35,843) - - (1,092) - 163,605 (185,187) - 15,681 (32,393) - 441,383 (473,029) - 52,015 (274,831) -			- 19,531 - 12,925 - 16,134 - 48,757 - 35,071 - 47,705 - - - 20,299 - 40,804 - 18,703 93,444 -
	Subtotal	412,361	1,968,768	(2,214,644)	-	93,444		259,929
	Total of Funds	10,167,238	4,217,267	(3,769,203)	(182,867)		-	10,432,436

106

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

		Brought Forward 2024	Incoming	Resources	Gains/		Carried
			Resources	Expended	(Losses)	Transfers	Forward
							2024
		£	£	£	£	£	£
	RESTRICTED FUNDS Ukraine Crisis Service St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People Morning Star Hostel Lalley Centre and Community Allotment Refugee Response Catholic Family Care Connecting Older People Bury Red Door Caritas Bishop’s Fund Cornerstone Day Centre Capital Developments	40,288 58,577 98,672 20,282 143,465 2,741 6,555 41,477 80,819 - -	6,046 (17,710) 48,569 (81,292) - (98,672) 133,739 (162,466) 63,717 (77,268) 780 (2,429) - - 166,790 (166,386) 8,248 (31,551) 530,547 (482,735) 144,752 (15,380)		- - - - - - - - - - -	(28,624) - - 39,408 (54,580) - (6,555) - - 2,537 -	- 25,854 - 30,963 75,334 1,092 - 41,881 57,516 50,349 129,372
	Subtotal	492,876	1,103,188	(1,135,889)	-	(47,814)	412,361
	Total of Funds	9,652,436	3,870,749	(3,764,572)	408,625	-	10,167,238

107

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

Transfers are made to restricted funds from general funds where expenditure exceeds restricted income.

Group DESIGNATED FUNDS Fixed assets fund (includ- ing revaluations) Long term investments Reserve Fund
	Brought	Incoming	Resources	Gains/		Carried
	Forward	Resources	Expended	(Losses)	Transfers	Forward
	2024					2024
	£	£	£	£	£	£
	2,649,901 - - - (372,071) 2,277,830 4,584,178 - - - 756,740 5,340,918 475,100 - - - (23,090) 452,010
	7,709,179	-	-	-	361,579	8,070,758
GENERAL FUNDS General Funds	1,465,857 2,783,925 (2,648,015) 408,625 (313,765) 1,696,627
Total unrestricted funds	9,175,036	2,783,925	(2,648,015)	408,625	47,814	9,767,385

108

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

|Group
DESIGNATED FUNDS|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~|Brought
Forward
2025
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains/
(Losses)
Transfers
Carried
Forward
2025
£
£
£
£
£
£
~~| ||~~
~~|| fj~~| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Fixed assets fund||||||||| |(including revaluations)|2,277,830|-|-|-||(66,298)||2,211,532| |Long term investments|5,340,918|-|-|-||(182,867)||5,158,051| |Reserve Fund|452,010|-|-|-||83,196||535,206| |Capital Fund|-|-|-|-||850,000||850,000| |Sub total|8,070,758|||||684,031||8,754,789| |GENERAL FUNDS||||||||| |General Funds|1,696,627|2,247,963|(1,554,022)|(182,867)||(777,475)||1,430,226| |Total unrestricted funds|9,767,385|2,247,963|(1,554,022)|(182,867)||(182,867)
(93,444)||10,185,015|

109

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

SUMMARY OF FUNDS

		Brought Forward		Incoming Resources	Resources Expended		Gains/ (Losses)		Transfers		Carried Forward
		2025									2025
		£ £ £ £ £ £ ~~aes~~
Designated Funds		8,070,758		-	-		-		684,031		8,754,789
General Funds		1,696,627		2,247,963	(1,554,022)		(182,867)		(777,475)		1,430,226
Subtotal		9,767,385		2,247,963	(1,554,022)		(182,867)		(93,444)		10,185,015
Restricted Funds		412,361		1,968,768 (2,214,644)			-		93,444		259,929
Total of Funds		10,179,746		4,216,731 (3,768,666)			(182,867)		-		10,444,944

110

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

Trustee Policy Statement on Reserves and Designated Funds

As trustees of Caritas Diocese of Salford, we are committed to ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the charity in accordance with best practices, legal requirements and our charitable mission. Our approach to managing reserves and designated funds is integral to our duty of care in safeguarding the charity’s resources and fulfilling our objectives with transparency and accountability.

The purpose of this policy is to define the Charity’s approach to managing and designating its funds to ensure financial stability, support future growth, and address the needs of the people who use our services. It reflects our commitment to financial resilience, allowing us to respond to both immediate and long-term challenges, and to maintain our ability to deliver high-quality services to the most vulnerable members of our community.

In line with good practice, we have established a clear framework for managing both restricted and designated funds, as well as reserves. This ensures that the funds are used for their intended purposes, that we can meet future liabilities, and that our charitable activities are sustainable in the face of changing circumstances.

Our reserves policy reflects the prudent

management of resources, providing us with the flexibility to manage risks, including unexpected events, disruptions and potential funding gaps. It also ensures that we are in a strong financial position to meet the ongoing and future needs of the individuals and communities we serve.

and meets the evolving needs of our stakeholders. By adhering to this policy, the trustees are reaffirming their commitment to the charity’s financial integrity and to upholding the trust placed in us by donors, supporters, and beneficiaries alike.

Details of funds DESIGNATED FUNDS:

Fixed Assets Fund

This fund represents the net book value of tangible and intangible assets. It ensures resources are allocated for maintaining and upgrading physical and intellectual property essential to our operations.

Reserve Fund

The reserve fund is designated to cover unforeseen expenses and contingencies, including notice and redundancy costs, should the charity cease its charitable activities. This fund aims to provide financial stability and continuity during transitions.

Long Term Investments Fund

This fund includes long-term investments that generate revenue to support ongoing charitable activities. It excludes short-term investments and focuses on maintaining and growing financial resources for future sustainability.

Capital Fund

Designated for enhancing and developing our facilities, particularly those critical to delivering key services. This fund ensures our buildings remain high-quality, sustainable assets benefiting the community we serve.

This policy is regularly reviewed by the Board of Trustees to ensure that it remains aligned with Caritas Diocese of Salford’s strategic priorities, complies with legal and regulatory requirements,

111

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

RESTRICTED FUNDS:

Catholic Family Care

Dedicated to providing clothing and footwear to families in need, funded through annual subscriptions net of expenditures aligned with charitable objectives. Following the cessation of activity by the service and distribution of funds this restricted fund will cease in 2025/26.

Bury Red Door

Supports the Red Door drop-in service for homeless individuals in Bury, ensuring continuity and expansion of services as needed.

Caritas Bishop’s Fund

Provides immediate crisis support to families or individuals facing urgent situations, ensuring swift and effective assistance.

St Joseph’s Mission to Deaf People

Supports the D/deaf and hard of hearing communities within the Diocese of Salford, providing essential services and support.

Morning Star Hostel

Funds dedicated to providing safe and supported accommodation for single homeless men, ensuring ongoing quality of care and support.

Cornerstone Day Centre

Provides essential services to homeless women, men, and adults marginalised due to mental health or disabilities, funded by designated donations for these specific services.

Capital Developments

Reserved for specific projects like the redesignation of Caritas House into homeless accommodation and redevelopment of other key sites, funded by government and trust sources to ensure clear accounting and project execution.

Caritas Aspire

Caritas Aspire supports refugees and asylum seekers by providing high-quality ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tuition, helping them integrate into their communities and access essential services, education, and employment opportunities.

Maryvale Blackburn

Maryvale provides supported accommodation for young parents and their infant children in Blackburn with Darwen, offering a stable environment and essential support to help families build a better future.

Lalley Centre and Community Allotment

Supports the Lalley Fund, which addresses local deprivation and poverty through community initiatives.

Refugee Response

Coordinates support for refugees within the Diocese of Salford, in alignment with appeals and other Caritas services.

112

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

17. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Group Tangible fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Fixed asset investments Current assets Creditors due within one year		Restricted	Unrestricted	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds
		2025	2025	2025
		£	£	£
		- - - 272,528 (12,599)	2,190,764 2,190,764 20,768 20,768 7,308,051 7,308,051 1,326,901 1,599,429 (661,470) (674,069)
		259,929	10,185,014	10,444,944

Group Tangible fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Fixed asset investments Current assets Creditors due within one year		Unrestricted Funds 2024
			Total
	Funds
			Funds
	2024
			2024
	£	£	£
	- 2,246,678 2,246,678 - 31,152 31,152 - 6,340,917 6,340,917 424,960 1,241,889 1,666,849 (12,599) (93,251) (105,850)
	412,361	9,767,385	10,179,746

18. OPERATING LEASE COMMITMENTS

At 31 March 2025 the group had future minimum lease payments under noncancellable operating leases as follows:

Within 1 year Between 2 and 5 years	Land and buildings	Land and buildings	Land and buildings	Land and buildings				Other
	2025		2024			2025		2024
	£			£		£		£
		- -			- -		1,364 -		1,819 1,364
		-			-		1,364		3,183

113

Finance

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

19. COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

The Council of the Charity guarantees to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up.

20. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Caritas Diocese of Salford, over several years, has been working closely with the Diocese of Salford to ensure that the charitable purposes of both charities complement their shared mission. To effect this a convergence of governance and a planned transition of Trusteeship occurred so that the trustees of Caritas Diocese of Salford are now the same as those of the Diocese of Salford.

The charity has benefited from the rent free provision of premises from the Diocese of Salford. The value of market rent was estimated at £152,054 which has been recognised in rental expenditure. A corresponding amount of £152,054 has been recognised in income, representing the donated services received from the Diocese of Salford.

Dr O’Neal became a Trustee of Francis House Charitable Trust, a charity which rents space from Caritas. The total value of rent charged in the year was £160,255 (2024: £152,305). The total amount outstanding as at the reporting date is

£Nil (2024: £77,214). The rental agreement was in place before he was appointed as a Trustee of the Caritas. Should there be any review of

the current rental agreement, Dr O’Neal will not have any involvement in any discussions on the agreement due to the potential conflict of interest arising from the common trusteeship.

There were no other related party transactions that need to be disclosed.

114

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

21. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Group 2025 2024 ee £ £ ~~ee~~ Financial assets measured at amortised cost 1,515,718 1,573,523 Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost 152,054 66,940

Group

Financial assets consist of cash, trade debtors and other debtors

Financial liabilities consist of trade creditors, other creditors and accruals

23. POST BALANCE SHEET EVENT

There have been no significant events affecting the Company since the year end.

115

Finance

Legal and administrative information For the year ended 31 March 2025

Charity name:

Caritas Diocese of Salford

Senior management team:

Director: Patrick O’Dowd

Governing documents:

Memorandum and articles of association

The trustees:

Chair of trustees: Right Reverend John Arnold - Bishop of Salford

Trustees:

Rev Canon Michael Cooke Rev Christopher Dawson Mr Michael Devlin (resigned 20 July 2024) Sir Peter Fahy Rev Peter Hopkinson Mrs Mary Hunter Rev Canon Michael Jones Mrs Elizabeth Lilley Mr Brendan McCafferty Mr Edward Nally LLB Dr Eamonn O’Neal

Head of Finance and Resources: Angela McCormack

Head of fundraising: Rachel Taylor

Head of human resources: Sue McVeigh. Communications manager: Claire Briscoe Formation and animation coordinator: Kathryn Ansley

Head of children and families: Rebecca Underdown (from April 2024 until February 2025)

Head of social action: Craig Savage

Head of homelessness: Amanda Croome

Head of school service: Helen Chambers (from June 2025)

Company registered number: 6594417

Charity registered number: 1125808

Principal and registered office: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford M3 6DP

Secretary: Mr Edward Nally LLB

Auditors:

Crowe U.K. LLP, 3rd floor, St George’s House, 56 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 3NQ

Bankers:

The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc,

PO Box 320, St. Ann’s Street, Manchester M60 2SS

Handelsbanken, 4th Floor, Kabel House, 15 Quay Street, Manchester M3 3HN

Investment managers:

CCLA, 1 Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB

116

Caritas Diocese of Salford | Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

ou! y Thank

From supporting people experiencing homelessness to working with those who are displaced or seeking asylum, from helping families living through a time of poverty to working alongside children and young people to improve their mental wellbeing – our services have a huge remit but it’s one we are committed to continuing to deliver as we strive to support people to transform their lives with dignity.

We can only do that thanks to everyone who supports our charity and has been part of our community over the last twelve months.

Taking action in your local community to drive change and help people at a time they need it most, making much-needed donations, giving your time or sharing our news and appeals…

However you choose to give your support, thank you so, so much. You really do help change lives.

“I felt embarrassed coming to ask for help like this and anxious being around other people but this support has been amazing…you’ve helped me change my life and I don’t know what I’d have done without it because I felt I had nothing otherwise.” Person accessing our services

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CARITAS DIOCESE OF SALFORD 0161-817 2250 [e-mail]