Docusign Envelope ID". 27C13DBF.16D44626-AOD&F25F9AOD0496 SOLA ARTS ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 29TH MARCH 2025 Company No. 06655438 Charity No. 1128459 Docusign Envelope ID. 27C13DBF-16D44626_AOD6_F25FgAOD04g6 VLAANI TH TRUSTEES, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 29 MARCH 2025 The trustees are pleased lo present their report foi the year ended 29th March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's trust deed, Ihe Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended practi￿ applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published {FRS 1021 as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1st January 2019. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES The objects of the charitable Company are.. 1) The advancement of public education by the provision of arts projecls. 2) The relief of persons who have become displaced persons or refugees from the countries of their origin or domicile by reasons of hostilities, persecution, oppression, discrimination, natural distress or other like causes, and their families and dependents who are in conditions or need, hardship and distress. 31 The relief of persons who experience mental destress and their families and dependents who are in conditions or need, hardship and distress, by the provision of Art Therapy (also known as Art Psychotherapy). 4) Any other purposes charitable by law for the benefit ofthe community. In considering the objectives and activities, the trustees have considered Charity Commission guidance on public benefit to ensure that SOLA Arts is meeting its public benefit requirements. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE The 2024-25 Chair's Report continues to bring oplimism for SOLA'$ next 12 months, as well as acknowledgemenl and celebration of our work, and development over the past year. st Remarkably and wonderfully 2025 has brought us into our 21 year of delivering core and key services and support for those most in need in our communities. Through tougher times and fantastic opportunities and of course lots of creative adventures & fun, we have become 21 years old and are super proud of this stage in our growth and next stage in SOLA'S evolution. SOLA provides a unique and specialist programme primarily focusing on support and empowerment for people seeking sanctuary, with Leave to Remain settled status, survivors of lorture, survivors of modern-day slavery or human trafficking and those who have experienced primary and secondary trauma due to oppression and conflict. We have also continued commitment to working with others frorn marginalised context including people with learning difficulties, learning disabilities, elders in our community, and people with enduring mental health challenges. SOLA has continued as the region's leading Art Psychotherapy offer and focused arts & mental health charity with a focus on supporting displaced people and young people with complex trauma at our core. The importance of Art Psychotherapy and Social Support continue to underlying our work, being the and fundamental to beneficiary needs. This past year has proven extremely challenging al times due to tense socio-political and socio-environmental context, namely racist rioting in summer 2024 led by increased far-righl activism and propaganda particularly targeted against refugees and asylum seekers. This has impacted both beneficiaries and our team members directly and enabled us to affirm our commitment to supporting those impacted by this racist and xenophobic rhetoric. We have needed to review and ensure that our safeguarding and risk assessment procedures and protocols as strong and clear, and that at all times we continue to work in a traLJma-informed and empathetic way to best support those we work with and ourselves. It would be naive to say Dcusign Envelope ID. 27CI3DBF-16D￿626-AODS-F26F$ADDo496 VLII I TRUSTEES, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 29TH MARCH 2025 that this hasn't led to some distress whilst It has been recognisable that our team has grown stronger and strengthened in the face of this adversity. We have had change8 in Trustees and are preparing to welcome new staff through this. We have also welcomed new volunteers and reflected on our systems and pro￿$$ to enable quicker access to our programmes and support, as well as make the team experience more digitally based and compatible with a joined up whole team approach. As always and evermore so, our team (trustees, staff fand volunteers) continue lo bring a depth of richness, diversity, empathy, kindness and compassion through a wealth of expertise and dynamism to every aspect of SOLA and our setvices for the community- This year we have focused on reflection, to better understand, acknowledge and integrate the importance of lived experience in our team and the importance for greater equality of opportunity and progression for people with lived experience as a key expertise in our staffing roles. This has also meant exploring a longer-term strategic plan for pay grade and skill recognition levelling up, whilst ensuring that the charity has sustainability and continuity. We continue to be Irauma-informed and mindful ofthe impact ofthe work on both our team and the culture at SOLA, in order lo ensure that staff and volunteers as well as beneficiaries are best served and supported. As a result, we have begun to gain recognition in our expertise of trauma-informed practice, which has in turn led to commissioning of our Clinical Supervision and Reflective Practice offer amongst refugee organisations and therapists across the UK, whilst we remain focused on our local region primarily. We continue to have sound support from grant making bodies, donations and contracting opportunities to directly support 518 people throughout the year and thousands more 12500+} through wider engagement. We have again contracted Momentum Expedite to carry out an Independent Evaluation of our programming and development, and LCVS for Independent Financial Audit and Accounts. An Independent Evaluation Report 2024-25 published July 2025 is available upon request. The past 12 months has lent to dynamic commissioning including an increased delivery of therapy and family intervention for Adoption Support Service funded services. Additionally, we have provided Art Psychotherapy for Alder Hey Children's In-Patienl Psychiatric Unil as well as trauma-informed staff training for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Forensic Psychialric Unit. Donations-based income has redU￿d aligned with less private therapy delivery and whilst we have balanced this through stable contracted service delivery. We conlinue to be supported by. Members of the communily through donations of goods and itèms, as well as having seen past participants return lo contribute funds and expertise towards our emergency support 'pot'_ a true testimony to the generosity of those we support whilst acknowledgement of the impact of our work for those who have benefitted and wish to give back. This 'giving back, by past beneficiaries is something that has particularly noticeable this year including form Karen & Carlos donating towards our Emergency Funds 'pot' to support those most in need through emergency cash contribution, support by Gilbert Toh towards getting our mobile van space up and running smoothly, food made by multiple beneficiaries as contribution to events, and a wonderful humungous croissant from Omed to recognise reaching 21 years this yearl We delivered a full programme weekly including Art Psychotherapy, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, Reflective Parenting interventions, ESOL, Men's Tailoring, Craft Cards Women, Women Who Bake, Art Group, Creative Growing art & nature and the Transitions project supporting social & welfare needs. Our therapy programme and a therapeutic community approach continue to be Ihe foundation Docusign EnvelopÈ ID.. 27c12DBF-1sD4-46￿AoD6-F25FSA0Do496 VLA At< l ¥* TH TRUSTEES, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 29 MARCH 2025 of our delivery and model. This has included individual, group and informally based Art Psychotherapy and family focused Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy., supporting people from 4-67 years old at a vital and vulnerable time in the individual's life journey. Paths lo Prosperity consortia funding, National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund, Feeding Liverpool & Citizens Advice Bureau grants, MPAC & LCVS, Our Liverpool (Liverpool City Council) and have provided financial stability and programming opportunity that has reached all aspects of our programming and delivery, and ensured our sustainability and evolution for another successful year. Our ESOL provision continues to specialise in supporting those who find mainstream learning a challenge and for whom smaller focused learning is important, whilst we have been supported by 2 new volunteers into this essential offer. Additionally, we have been able to support people to develop business start-ups, gain employment and enter external learning courses and training. Feeding Liverpool has continued to support our overall food support offer, whilst grant and practical support from MPAC, Liverpool City Council and LCVS, families we work with have continued to access food support as well as physical activity and creative family bonding through HAF grants. This has been enhanced by Our Liverpool funding which has enabled our continued work with young people awaiting school placement and in a transient experien and prO￿sS of seeking asylum with their family,. supporting young people to be creatively curious, play, enhance a sense of identity and belonging and importantly have fun. Additionally, we have been able lo achieve funding to continue our 16-19 Creative Growing Art Psychotherapy programme for unaccompanied minors, and have continued working with children, young people, carers and forever families and reflective parenting through Adoption Support Funds contracted therapy. Our Creative Calm Van has continued to offer brief Art Therapy and sign-posting intervention al British Red Cross destitution drop-in fortnightly and we have piloted Pop-up drop-in ESOL provision close to initial accomrnodation centres in order to best support those most isolated and vulnerable, due to challenges with social engagement andlor mental health. This year we have achieved Arts Council England funding for Research & Development of Festival 31 towards a 2 10 3 year plan of delivery using the arts and crealivity as a tool to wider conversation around displacement and resettlement. Simultaneously, enhancing this through a new youth strand of the project supported by Our Liverpool and Awards for All to enable young people with lived experience of resettlement as refugees to create a Toolkit to inform greater understanding by peers about their experiences of resettlement. We have continued lo work with key stakeholders including Our Liverpool Schools Provision, Feeding Liverpool, British Red Cross, The Women's Organisation, MOWLL, Heart of Glass, Liverpool City Council Unaccompanied Minors Social Work Team. Active8 Support Service, Flying Seagull Project, Torus Housing ISI Helen's), Deafness Resoruce Centre, John Lewis, Thrive, Vibe, MENCAP, Feelgood Factory, Toxtelh Town Hall, to name a few of those organis8tions and groups we have been privileged to work with this year. Vvhilsl this year has brought us to prepare to say farewell from our Trustee group to our wonderful Roya, whilst we aren't saying goodbye as Roya is preparing to move into SOLA'S staffing team as Finance and Projects Supportl Our search continues for a new Trustee to enhance our governance and strategic planning. As can be seen, SOLA has continued to explore new options for programme delivery whilst enhancing and further establishing our core programme. SOLA continues to be innovative and committed to best support people most in need of support, showing this through our desire to understand, empathy, passion and aclion. Once again, the SOLA team has surpassed any expectation of the quality and benefit of our D