2025-08-31-accounts - Up On Downs ( Hertfordshire)

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] September 2024 Period start date To 31[st] August 2025 Period end date

Charity name: Up on Downs (Hertfordshire)

Charity registration number: 1126111

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	Support for people with Down's Syndrome and their families, helpers and carers within Hertfordshire. To create and develop the conditions which will enable people with Down’s syndrome to attain their full potential and to undertake any other charitable activities in connection with Down’s syndromeintheHertfordshire area

Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	• Support and networking meetings These are a major source of support and wellbeing for families, providing friendships with peers, entertainment for children with DS and their siblings and exchange of information. They also provide opportunities for volunteering and for practitioners to learn more about how to support families. We delivered 11 monthly meetings through the year. Training events and talks These are an effective way for family members, teachers and practitioners to learn how to support children at school and in the community. • Individual advice and signposting This is how we support individuals with specific complex situations that may be blocking their ability to access education and services. Resolving individual issues enables us to promote family wellbeing and inclusion. We also promote awareness of issues families are likely to encounter and how to navigate them. This also includes visiting new families and offering them our parent welcome packs with gifts and information. • Small group speech development and communication work Most families are concerned about having very limited access to ongoing speech therapy. We employ a team of highly skilled
		therapy practitioners who aim to deliver 27 sessions throughout the year to each child enrolled in the scheme. Parents pay a contribution that approximates to roughly half of the cost of their child’s place and the charity funds the rest, occasionally making a much larger contribution for families in financial difficulty. Groups vary from 2-4 children although in some circumstances we also offer 1:1. During the period we trained two new speech therapy co-workers. • Newsletters and information publishing We keep members up to date with a termly newsletter featuring upcoming events and relevant information. We maintain a website which is developed throughout the year and we have stepped up our presence on facebook, Instagram

		and LinkedIn with public pages and private groups for parent members only. • Celebrations and awareness events As our children are often excluded from parties with typically developing peers we hold inclusive seasonal parties for all the family. These fulfil the same function as our regular networking meetings but are more focussed on entertainment improving wellbeing and quality of life generally. Our Christmas party is usually the largest event of the year. We also hold Easter and Halloween events and whenever possible we organise a summer trip to an outdoor animal or theme park. We also hold an event to celebrate World Down Syndrome Awareness Day in March. • Teenage Events The Teenage club enables us to offer a friendship experience for older children who might find our other parties too “babyish”. We have found that meetings in a bowling alley are most successful for this group and they also enable parents to get together in a separate area and go out in a large group afterwards.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	All trustees receive a Trustee Handbook with a copy of the charity’s constitution and guidance from the Charity Commission is referenced and circulated.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	The charity does not have a grants programme and aims to provide most of its services free of charge to members. Where contributions from families are sought towards a specific programme, eg. Speech therapy, the trustees can decide by vote to assist a family in difficulty by reducing or waivingthese.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38

Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	Many members and their close relatives and friends contribute to the charity by undertaking fundraising activities and assisting with the organisation and running of specific events. Occasionally we are also able to involve community volunteers such as students working towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or local business organisations who would like to focus on a particular cause for a limited time. Where volunteers are likely to be regular and are not members themselves, DBS checks are carried out.
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	In the f/y year 24/25 the charity: : • We held regular monthly family meetings, welcome mornings and activities for parents to network online. • We extended our specialist speech development groups from two sites to three and brought our newly Symbol- trained co-worker up to full capacity to include new families in activities to promote better communication skills. • We arranged family days out at Gulliver’s Theme Park and Standalone farm to enable the community to get together over the long school holidays. • We held our annual Christmas party with gifts for all the children. • We improved our new parent welcome packs with new books and toys. • We offered home visits to all new parents receiving their diagnosis of Down’s syndrome • We provided additional support visits to families struggling with aspects of their child’s diagnosis including accompanying families to children’s centres • We continued to provide individual advice on school-based education and to meet with colleagues to discuss local SEND.

We continued to produce our regular newsletters and stepped up our social media presence throughout the period to keep our community in touch and aware of the offer.

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Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	The charity achieved and exceeded the objectives set out in it’s forward plan due to its seizing new funding opportunities for it’s teenage work in particular.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	• The charity brought in sufficient donations to cover the year’s activities and restore our reserves to well above the minimum level set by trustees.
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	NA
Other

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of theperiod	Para 1.21	Accounts submitted separately to the charity commission, available online.

Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The organisation aims to build up and maintain a balance of around £20K to enable it to plan beyond the next school term and anticipate cash flow variations between the beginnings and ends of terms. This equates to around 2/3 of the annual spending and gives security that we wouldn’t have to wind up without providing a full term’s activities with staffing costs. Trustees have agreed levels triggering an EGM and further actions if reserves fall.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	The reserve is not separated within the current balance.
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	The charity has no regular funder and raises its annual income through community fundraisers, grants from companies, charities and foundations and member contributions for specific services.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	NA
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:

Type of governing document	Para 1.25	Constitution, amended 2007
How is the charity constituted?	Para 1.25	Charitable unincorporated association
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Trustees are elected at the AGM by members and trustees.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	A trustee handbook is provided for new trustees.
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	The charity is affiliated with the Down’s Syndrome Association which provides it’s insurance policies and is a member organisation of North Herts Council for Voluntary Services which provides some HR and payroll services.
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname	Upon Downs(Hertfordshire)
Other name the charity uses	Up on Downs
Registered charitynumber	1126111
Charity’s principal address	20A Upper Culver Road St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 4EE

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
Lauren Hartley	Chair	Whole year	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
John Clark	Treasurer	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
Alisande Nuttall	Secretary	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
Arron Hopcroft	Trustee	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
Sarah Stockley	Trustee	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
Dilu Chowdhury	Trustee	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.
Frances Gerber- Hawkins (previously known and Frances Wotton)	Trustee	“	Board and membership of Up on Downs.

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser	Name Address	Name Address
General and Personnel	Julie Evens

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Alisande Nuttall

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) John Clark Arron Hopcroft Date Treasurer Trustee 25[th] March 2026

Up on Downs accounts 2024/2025

Up on Downs accounts
2024/25	Bal b/f	Income	Costs	Bal c/f
Speech development	-	3,608.00	-6,037.37	-2,429.37
Grants, Donations & Other
Expenditure	45,907.40	40,113.21	-16,958.67	69,061.94
Total as at 31st August 2025	45,907.40	43,721.21	-22,996.04	66,632.57
Up on Downs accounts
2023/24	Bal b/f	Income	Costs	Bal c/f
Speech development	-	4,444.00	-5,902.29	-1,458.29
Grants, Donations & Other
Expenditure	24,611.92	47,242.98	-24,489.21	47,365.69
Total as at 31st August 2024	24,611.92	51,686.98	-30,391.50	45,907.40
Up on Downs accounts
2022/23	Bal b/f	Income	Costs	Bal c/f
Speech development	-	4,983.50	-7,284.88	-2,301.38
Grants, Donations & Other
Expenditure	26,821.85	28,307.90	-28,216.45	26,913.30
Total as at 31st August 2023	26,821.85	33,291.40	-35,501.33	24,611.92
Up on Downs accounts
2021/22	Bal b/f	Income	Costs	Bal c/f
Speech Therapy	-	4,037.00	-7,400.08	-3,363.08
Grants, Donations & Other
Expenditure	39,659.85	14,467.23	-23,942.15	30,184.93
Total as at 31st August 2022	39,659.85	18,504.23	-31,342.23	26,821.85
Up on Downs accounts
2020/21	Bal b/f	Income	Costs	Bal c/f
Speech Therapy	-	5,063.00	-7,953.38	-2,890.38
Grants, Donations & Other
Expenditure	39,447.00	29,068.08	-25,964.85	42,550.23
Total as at 31st August 2021	39,447.00	34,131.08	-33,918.23	39,659.85

Balance carried forward has increased by £22,725.17 to £66,632.57.

It can be seen that we have had another good year financially although income generated has dropped by £7,965.77 to £43,721.21 from last year’s income; this reflects the uncommonly high income of the previous year rather than a particularly low income in 2024/45 though.

A decrease in expenditure of £7,365.46 has also contributed to this increase in our balance. This decrease is almost entirely due to our drop in salary spend corresponding to 2024/25 being our first full year with two, rather than three, salaried staff. Salary spend will increase this year, with the current National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance contributions that came in part way through the last financial year.

Whilst this puts us in a solid financial position from which to start the year we should be minded that several of our most significant income streams of the last few years are one time events and so we should remain active in seeking further opportunities. We are now eligible to reapply for National Lottery funding once again and should do this in the first quarter of this financial year.

The cost to the charity of providing the Speech Development Programme is broadly steady, having risen by only £135.28 despite the training costs for two new co-workers; this is due to having slightly fewer children in the programme and a delay in receiving invoices from coworkers.

The balance of our PayPal account is currently £66.65

Grants, donations and funds raised totalled £43,721.21 including these significant revenues as follows:

Christmas Post-box Topper Fundraiser	£13,413.00
Hitchin Property Trust donation	£7,500.00
Championing Social Care Fundraising Ball (nominated by Ruth Patil)	£5,000.00
Rita Donagh donations	£2,989.00
The Grocer’s Charity Grant for New Parent Support	£1,960.00
St Albans Cathedral Congregational Giving Donation	£1,050.00
Statom Group Limited Donation (nominated by Mark Albon)	£1,000.00
Charlie’s Gift Grant for Christmas Party 2024 (nominated by Sarah Stockley)	£851.00
St Albans Half Marathon Sponsorship2	£717.23
Christmas card sales	£591.86
Giles Leather Dragon’s Back Challenge Fundraiser3	£579.04
Radlett Cork Lodge (Freemasons) Donation for teen activities	£450,00
Yung-Challis family donation with Benevity workplace fund matching	£300.00

Outgoings totalled £22,996.04 including this list of the most significant costs to the	Outgoings totalled £22,996.04 including this list of the most significant costs to the
charity:
Staff salaries4	£13,870.60
Cost of providing the Speech Development Programme	£2,429.37
Christmas party 2024 (including presents)	£781.02
Gulliver’s Land Summer Trip1	£542.70
Supplies for New Parent Packs (DSUK books)	£190.00
NHCVS salary services and membership	£179.00
New parent get-togethers at DJ Jungle soft play (x2)	£136.65
Family meetings costs	£134.44
Zoom Annual Subscription	£77.94

Notes

1 Cost of Gulliver’s trip £927.70 less family contributions of £385.00 2 St Albans Half Marathon raised £775.53 in sponsorship less £58.30 costs

3 Giles Leather’s fundraiser raised £579.04 by the close of the 2024/25 financial year – in total the challenge raised £2,453.75.

4 Going forwards staff salaries will total £14,943.84 per annum at the current level of renumeration and employer NI contribution.

We, the undersigned, confirm that these accounts have been circulated to all trustees of Up on Downs and agreed as correct at the charity’s Annual General Meeting on Sunday 12[th] October 2025

Date:06 Feb 2026 Date: Date: 06/02/20206 07.02.2026 ~~es~~ John Clark Lauren Hartley ~~a~~ Sarah Stockley ~~es~~ Trustee – Treasurer Trustee - Chair Trustee

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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Up on Downs (Hertfordshire)

| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Up on downs (Hertfordshire) for the year ended 31 August 2025. |

Responsibilities and basis of report

theAs theaccounts charity trusteesin accordance of Up with on Downs tnettordsnethe requirements of the youCharities are responsibleAct 2011for(‘the theAct’). preparation of

| report in respect of my examination of Up on Downs (Hertfordshire) accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: —.K++

Name: Elaine Hoar FCCA: Fellow Chartered and Certified Accountant Address: 100 Church Street, Langford, Bedfordshire SG18 9NX Date: 23 March 2026