Charity registration number 1126170 (England and Wales) Company reglstration number 06655221 AGE CONNECTS NORTH EAST WALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 AGE CONNECTS NORTH EAST WALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Trustees Mrs M Thomson Ms K Smilh Mr P R Harris Ms EA Ogilvy Ms A Ledsham Ms J Langley Secretary Mrs K Crane Charity number (England and Wales) 1126170 Company number 06655221 Reglstered office Lewis Hous8 Swan Street Flint CH6 5BP Independent examlner DSG Caslle Chambers 43 Castle Street Liverpool L2 9TL AGE CONNECTS NORTH EASTWALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) CONTENTS Page Trustees, report Independonl examln&ls report Slalement of flnanclal activltles Balance shéet Not8S to the finandal stalements 8-16 AGE CONNECTS NORTH EAST WALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The trustees present Ihelr annusl report and financial slalements for lh6 y6ar ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements have bèen prepared In a¢¢ordance with th8 accountlng policies set out In note 1 to tho financl81 statements and comply wilh the charitable companvs Memorandum and Artides of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounling and Reporting by Charilies.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance wilh the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republlc of Ireland IFRS 102)° leffecilve 1 January 2019)- CharSty Information Age Connects North East Wales {ACNEWI was s61 up in 2001 originally as Age Concern North East Wales and has now bean established for over twenly years. In Ihal lime ACNEW has grown lo m8et the needs of th8 Increasing numbors of older people over 50 in Wrexham County and Flintshire. Oblectlves and activltles ACNEW'S misslon Is to support older people and their carers in having the best possible quallty of Ilfe. The charlty operal8s as a non-profit organisallon for the benefit of people who are 50+ liv5ng in Flinlshire and Wrexham County Borough. ACNEW alms lo achleve Ils mission by- ProvidSng responslve, person centred seNices to older peo￿8 and their carers Promoting safe and healthy living for 05der people Ralslng the image and profile of older people's lif6 issues Working in participation and co￿0p@ratIOn with olher likeminded organisalions Contlnuou81y developlng the organisalion In a suslain8ble. efficient, and effective way. The charity has specific obj8clives that enable it to achleve Ihese aims - To provlde timely and accurate Informallon, advlce. and other approprtala support on the r8ng8 of goods and seNIc8s available to older people and their carers. To advocate on behalf of older people and actlvely seek to promote Ih8ir views al slratagic commlltees of all statutory and other government bodiés. To Maxlmise the Income avallable lo and for older people and Iheir carers. through close and co-operatlve worklng wilh partner organisallons when approwiate. To research, Idenllfy and raise awareness of the unmat needs of older p80ple and Ihelr carers locally, To develop a volunteer-base where appropriale lo complement the delivery of servlces. To promote the safely and security of older peo In day-to-day living. To support the good health and wellbelng of older people through promoting physlcal acllvlly, the consumptlon of a health promoting dlel, and any olher activity thal can contribute la good mentallphysical health in older age. To promote the development of a wide range of leisure and social opportunities for older people, especlally any whlch help to bulld communily coheslon and brcak down the barrlers betwe8n generalinns. To promote, initiate, support, and develop a variety of melhods to ensure Uiat older people ar8 consult8d and Included in declslons that are made about services and olher matters that affeGI their lives. Publlc benefSt The trustees have paid due regard lo guidance i68ued by the Charity Commission in deciding what aclivities the charilabla company should underlake. AGE CONNECTS NORTH EAST WALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) {CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Achievements and performance 2024125 was a good year for ACNEW wllh all services well received and a net surplus generated from operating acllvilies. ACNEW was pleased with Ils achievements and performanc6 across all Se￿iCe areas which included - Delivering a total of £1,394,833 in benefit gains for older people in Flintshir8 and Wrexham County Borough assisting with applications for entittemont lo benefits such as Atlendanc£ Allowance, Penslon Credlt and Housing Benefit. Asslstlng over 290 clients weekly, fortnlghtly or monthly by dellvaring 13,082 hours of support over 8,529 appolnlmenls through the Home Solutions service. This support covered cleaning, shopplng, assisted visits and companionship, which anabled older people lo remain independent and remain in thelr own homo. Provtdlng 58 Toenail Cutting clinics during 2024125 with 30 new clienls registering for Ihe seryic8. S8tting up a Winter Assistance Fund wilh donalions from local employerslorganisations to support vuln8rable older people slruggling to keep warm du8 to increasing energy Gosts alongsld8 the impacl of the new eligibility criteria for Ihe Winter Fuel Payment. Developlng new partnerships and joint working wlth Alrbus UK, Amazon Facllitl88 Deeslde, Dunelm Wrexham branch, Ableworid Moblllly & Stairlifts Queensferry, and Flintshlre Counly Coun¢il's Welfare Reform Team. Securlng additional fundlng from FCC'S Warm Hub monles and from Castl8 Gr88n Hom88 Ihrough the Mlsslon Green scheme. ACNEW'S older people support sethcés asslsled a total of 155 servlce users every we8k, meetlng performance largels and helplng to prevent homelessness for older people. Donatlons of £3,506 were received durlng the year. Flnanclal revlew Income for the year was £684.413 {2024: £579,658) and expenditure was £678.955 <2024: £544,947). Thls resulted In a sury)lus for the year of £7,458 {2024'. £34,711). As at th8 31 March 2025 the tolal unrestricted reseryes of the charlly (Including the In-year wrlte4own transfer of £1,985 from the Revaluallon Reserve) amounted to £367,450 {2024: £358,007). Wllh the conllnulng backdrop of a depressed economy and slgnificant cost of Ilving pressures, donatlons and legades Income of £3,506 for Ihe year was well down on Ihe £13,091 received In 2023124 and the lowest annual lotal recelved in the last decadè. The conllnued grovAh of the Home Solutions s6Nlce however. toge.ther wlth some reduced employee cost expenditur6 and energy cost savings enabled ACNEW to post an overall surplus of £7.458. Reserves pollcy 11 is the policy of the charilable company that unrestricled funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be main18ined at a level equivalent lo belwean three and six monlh's expenditur8. The Irustees consider that reserves 8t this level will ensure that, in the event of a slgnificant drop in funding, Ihey will be able to continue Ihe charitable company's current activities while consideration is given to ways In which additional funds may b8 ralsed. This level of reserves has b8en mainlained Ihroughoul Ihe year. The trustees have assessed Ihe major 11sks lo whlch the charitable company Is exposed, and are satlsfied that systems are in place to mitigale exposure to the malor rfsks. Plans for future periods ACNEW'S Review and Strategy meeting was held on 21 January 2025. The meellng was attended by Staff and Trustees and focused on the Toenail Cutting Social Enterprlse, revlewing Its slrenglhs, weaknesses, opportunllies and threats. Actions were agreed lo be completed during 2025126. AGE CONNECTS NORTH EAST WALES (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES. REPORT {INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) {CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Structurei governance and management The charitable company is 8 company Ilmited by guarantee. Th8 trusleos, who ar6 also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who seNed during the ye8r and up to lh8 date of signature of the financial statements were: Ms M Pickering {R8slgned 24 September 2024} Mrs M Thomson Ms K Smith Mr P R Harris Ms E A Ogilvy Ms A Ledsham Ms J Lanoley ACNEW'S AGM on the 24 September 2024 was attended by Staff and Trustees. After the Annual Accounts were presented by Kale Srnith (Treasurer) they were approved 2nd Ihen signed by Mail0ri8 Thomson {Chairl. Maryorie Thomson was re-elected as Chair, Mabyn Pickering resigned as Vice-chair and as a Trustee, and Kale Smith was re_elected as Treasurer. Jennifer Langleyi Ann Ogilvy and Ann Ledsham were ra-alected, and Paul Harris was newly electéd to the Board. .ACNEW wishes lo acknowledge that all Trustees giv8 their time wthout remunerallon and thank them for théir valuable conlributlon, None of th8 Iruslees has any beneflclal Interest In the ¢ompany. All of the Iwsl8es are members of th8 company and guarantee lo conlrlbute £1 in Ihe evant of 8 windlng up. Our staff Two new st8ff members lolned ACNEWS older people support seNI(%s durlng 2024125 includlng an apprentl¢e Community Offl¢er on the Wrexham seNice. Durlng 2024125 ACNEW supporied both a firsl-year and a SeC￿nd-yOar sludent sodal work8r through Ihelr work placemenls. Our volunteers Most of ACNEW'S volunteers support the telephone befriending seNce and the Coffee Club on a Monday aft6rnoon. Tho charfty currently has 6 volunteers. Acknowledgéments The Board would like lo Ihank the following org8nisations and indlv]duals wilhoul whom it would not have been possible for the activities and successes described in Ihis annual report to have been dellvered- Flinlshlra County Council Wroxham County Borough Council Welsh Government Volunteer Bureau at FLVC and AVOW Wales Councll for Voluntary Action IWCVA) The Department for Work and Pensions Watkins Smllh