REGFSTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 08827297 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1128497 R•pc*1of th• TruBt•08 and Audit￿ FAMnclal Ststements forthfr Year Endod 31st M•r¢h 2024 for Citiz•ns A(fvke Worcester•nd Hgrgfordshir• .Richard¥ SaNly A¢Jdit SwvrRs knmited Istatutory Audrt￿l Thomdoe House 25 B8rt)oume Road WR1 1RU ¢itryeD•Ad¥￿a WoYe•8t•rand H•reforthhire Contents ofth¢ Finoneial Statsm8nts for tho Y•ar Ended 31st March 2024 R•f•Y•nc• and AdmSnlstr•tfve Del•llB Reportofth• Tr￿￿•1 2 trj 13 Report of the IndependontA￿ail 14 tl 16 statement of Flnanckl ActIvI￿o￿ 17 Balance Sheet 18 Ca#h Flow Stat•ment 19 Notss to thè Cash Flow Stat•m•nt Nots# toth• Flnanelal Statemènts 21 to 35 Citizons Ad¥le• Worc•st•T and Hèr•fordshlrè R•tér•nc• and Admini$traliv• D•tsils forthe Year Ended 31st Mar¢h 2024 TRUSTEES S Lister ICha1rl H Fenton Ireslgned 13.12.231 P Y Griffth Grfffrths M E Jenknns R Ty￿r ITreasurer} O T c￿ary Iresigned 17A.241 J C Jones D A Wiltshire S J Fumlval lapwinted 24.1.241 G ThomaB S Reev9S D George A Lir(*ert S Grwy A￿ce Klanag8r 'SmartMove' Se￿￿ m￿89￿r a￿￿AN M Athce Serth Ilaw•r COMPANY sECR￿ARy G R Thomas REGISTERED OFFICE The Hopmarket The For￿le Wor¢8stsr Worcest6rshira WR1 1DL REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER 06827297 IEroland and Wale5) REGISTERED CHARrrf NUMBER 1128497 AUD￿ORs charubon pensh)n. KWJ $tatistic$ For 2023124, Penslon W18e has 125,562 dlenl transa￿0￿$ across the Serv￿ In EThJknd, Walès and NOrth￿n Ireland. u¥ityJ Pansion Wise have remained highty satisfied with the guidante Ihey are receiviig. wth Satisfathon fating8 remaining (£JnsistenUy hNJh. For2023f24. Cthzèns ￿VIce achieved a Satlsfactth score of 94°A. S•r4lc•s for tho Single Homeltsa: CibTrns Advi￿ Worcester prowdes a numbor of thate sector ￿￿esS schemes aimed at the preventK)n of homelessness among singl8 pèopla and chiklless COU￿8$,. these SeN￿S are centr8(r on the "Smartmovg" d¢poslt guarantee sch9m8 and 'SmartLets" social 1gtting5 agency. Thè main f￿uS of this work is in Worcester City but w8 also prowde a3sistsnc8 to slngle homelw3s peoplè in othèr locations in the County. These 8chern88 provlde prdctical assistan￿ and orvJoing 5UPPf*rt to thosè who are horneless or at risk ol homelessness to Secure and ietain sultab accommodation. The main achigvgmgnts and perfomiance ofthès8 schemes over the year a￿ ouvlned below.. 706 iThJiwduals who w*re single eIt￿r l¥)rnd855 or threatened wrfh homatessness were helwl through advice, regarding temporary and long tsmi houslng options. There were 345 applicants ¢0 our prfvate rented sector a¢xe5$ schemtrs last year. All appli(xnts recoived a(fvlce and assistancè rèlating to their housing situation. In total 62 were helped to sècure and sgttb suitat4e aci*>mmodation and 31 of these were housed in wopeiies managed by SmartLets or through Ihè prowsty)n of a deposit guarantee bond. 98.5/0 of appllcants have a ￿e1 of vulnerability in addits'cn to tha rfsk of homelessness. mtsst wth morè than one contributing i5su8. The most Common were.. a history ol homelessness, a history of offending, rn8ntal ill heatth. drug andlor alcthd probl8ms and po(¥ physlcal health. 45 had slept routh in the 12 months b9fore approach￿9 Smartmove The SmartLets sotial ￿ttIng$ agenw had 90 propèrbes 117 HMO'S and 73 seff-ojntained natsl provKling 126 units ol a￿0MModa10n under rnanagemenl atth8 ènd of Marth 2024. In total as at 31 March 2024 there We￿ 178 tenancie51Licenses across Worcestershire bvh9Te Citizens A(fvii W￿ceSter had oAher providad a deposit 9uaranlee ts)rKI to the landlord or was dirèctly managing the propaty through the SmartLets agency Fundral>ing activili•s The charity does not 8ctivaty so[￿t members of Ihe wb¥c for donations, ellh9r direclly or usiro a wofessional lund-raiser. As such the charity is not bound by any voluntary sthe¢rE for regulalln9 fvnd4aisiro. Page 6 Citizens AdvSc• Worcegter and H8rofordshire R•port ofthe Trust••s forthe Year Ended 31st March 2024 FINANCL4L REVIEW Flnan¢lal posltlon Total incorning resourcos for Ihe year were £2,217,856 12023.. £1.744.3811, an In(yeasg In totsl inwm8 of £473.475 compared lo 2022123. Thls musl be darlfied however on tha basis that we rwved a A￿sS lo Justice ￿$trIcted grdnt award of £11JO.CM)O paid In March 2024. lihe first payment of a S year grant agreement to deliver Sp￿la11$1 welfare beneffit adviGe 58rvicosl which will be used for expendituie for 11 months during th8 financial year 2024125 Expertdltur8 Incmased for the year to £1,936.011 from £1,682.193 in 2022r23. Total funds carried forward w8rè £2.Q64,393 12023: £1,782.548} of sthich £1.442,122 (2023.. £1,253,886) war8 unrestricted funds, this Includes £597,126 12023.. £597.126) In fixed assets repres¢nilng three S￿81 investment propeities prowding acwnmodatlon for the sirole homeless. The fLrtur8 15 unc•rtain in relation to 8 nurnb8r of cu￿nt projeca fvndiThJ grants. such as= The Money and Pensigns S•Nlces' Debt Advice Project IMaPSDAP) contract he￿ by cth.zens Ad￿e, whleh wg are sut)¢onlracted by Ctt&ens Athice to dellver this sarvicA in Worcester City and Herefordshire is due to be recommlssioned as our oJrrent contract end5 on 31 March 2025. This contract has already been extended by 3 yeaT8 from 1 April 2023 31 March 2025 and in January 2023 we wère adwsed that the funding to Citvzens Advica from The Money and Pensions Sèrvice IMaPsl would bg Cut by 10Q/ts, this resuhed in a ￿eruitment freeze ènd as one of our caseworkers rth.￿d In May of 2023, h88 resultad M) us pemianenlly loslng funding for 0.5 FTE caseworker. Our Pension Wise (x)ntract was extended for t￿ts years from a April 2022 to 31 March 2024 and again for one year from 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025. At th9 5tsrt of 2023124 we are tharèfora undear whether the Serv￿ wll be rècommissioned or the ¢x>ntract wll be extended Our Maemillan contracts for both Hèidc¥dshl￿ and worce61e￿hir0 ar8 du• to end on 31 DécÉmb8r2024 Our 4-year National Lottèry Community Fund Gr8nl awarded frcffi 1 October 2021 lo meet the v)sts of developing and dèlivarfng Citizens Advie generalist advic& and speciali51 advice sèrvicés at outrèach locathons in the mathet towns and other venues Ècross the County of HerefordshSre is due to end in Sept8mber 2025 . In addition, this fund also meets the costs of Inueasing capacty at our c*ntra1 Hereford offica through the introduclion of open4loor drop4n adwcè sèssions and increasing our capatity to d81Ner specralist Housing Casework and Beneffts C8s8work vAth a focus on H¢￿I￿dShIr8. This has Iherefpre been crurial in us developing and Maintaining our services in Herefordshire Most grants rekb'ng to the provi$KJn of "cKJr8" servicés are 8W8rdod on an annual basis and projact funding hxs been subloct to annual renewal and èxt8ns￿n over Ihe last 12 mnth& These agre8ments will ¢¢me to an end dLrring 2024125 wth no certainty over their Continuation. We were however awarded a five-year Access to JuslKe Foundalton Grant Ilunded by the National Lottery) of £1(X),000 pa from March 2024 to rneel th9 W¥t5 of developlng 8nd delivèring a Speciafist Ben8fits Casework Servt¢e across our organisation. This aims lo fund In the region ofhvo FTE ￿&¢WOrkerS over a fve year period The frjtsre ov8ra11 financial po51t￿n rernain$ ¢halknglng and uncertainty at thè end of 2023124 has bogn Sncreased a5 3 both th8 Ctsvid-19 pandemic and he wst of INing crisis has affected the avalabillty of grants from some local fvjndèrs for ()ur wrè sejvices. In 8ddikn.on thar& is a greatei amount of competition from tharitablè organisations for funding particulady from those eharfties that Provide short tetwn ￿$1S support for indNiduals in need cope with thè cost of living crisis. simi￿rIY running ￿sts are inc¥eaBing as 8 of the cost of living crisis. Trustees have lor a numb8r of year¥ recognised tha drfficulties in sustsining grant funding at Djrrenl levels and have continued thgir strategy ol investment to both reduc• costs and generate income from Charitab￿ ath￿￿88. Most significanfjy thi5 h89 induded invosting in th8 acqupsltEon of suitablé pmpèrtles to provide acwmm¢dation for thè sngle homglgss whlch also gengrate an incomè from rents forth8 Charity to meet the runniry ￿ ofthe project Page 7 Citizens Advlu Worcèster and Herefordshlre R•portoftho Tru•tses forthe Year Ended 31st Mar¢h 2024 FINANCLIL REVIEW Prfn¢lpal fundlng sour¢•J The Ch?rity Is funded from ? V￿1￿ty ofsources both statutory and tharitable. The largosl Sing￿ source of fLndlng was the grant from Worcestgr Municipal Ch8ritiès CIO of £192,W38 12023.. £180.316). Worcester Municipal Charities CIO also provide ￿nt free commerc￿1 premises whh* 13 v*ued at £46,240 12023.. £46,240). In add￿on. 68 unts of accommodation for the homeless a￿ m8nag8d by CNQens Advlce WNc8518r and Herèfordshire on bèhalf of Worc•st8r MunKipal Charities. A management charyè of 15% of the rent received 1$ retalned by the charlty totalling £60,63712023'. £52,538) which conlribuled towards Ihe cost of our work ￿th the singlo homeless. Worcester Municipal Charitses are the mo3t signifitant eontributor to meeting the costs of rhe charitys C￿ acts'wties in Worcester. The Charity woukl like to acknowledge thelr gratitude to the continued support of Worcester MuTh¢ipal Ch8rfUes. The Evoson Trust prov￿aS a fijndlng contributhjn to thè ¢osl of our w¢rt( wlth the single homeless in Worcèstar. Sn addition. The John Martin Chaiity funds similar work in Wychavon. Wyre F4Jest Di5¢rict Councl atso futNJ pyojects working wllh the single hornel98s in Wyrtr ForasL WorcestershSre County Councll also contributed fundiTra to th8 provigion of coro ad￿ce serwces dellvered by thg Charfty as part of the Worcestershife Advice Netsvork (WANI, tNs also included some additK*nal funding to deliver provision for those in need in accordance wlh the Househokj Support Fund and lo provide Money Man8g8m8nt, Debt Assessment and Income maxirni53b.on advire. In addition, Worcesier City Council funded ¢x)rè servlces in relation to the conthbutlc made to prevenb"NJ homelessness in Worcester and specific initi*ivesto provide services to the single horngbss. Substsnty'al grants wèrè also rèeeiv8d vla Citizens Advi￿ from the Money and Pensions S$nA¢e to prowde debt adm(* in Worcester City and H8refcwdshlra and from th6 DWP for the delivery of the f8cg lo fa￿ gbment of the Govemm8nts Pènslon Wis8 sèNice in wOr￿sterShire, Herefordshire and the Che￿enhaM and Gloucester areas of Gloucestershlre. Ouring 2022123 followiw the Cowid-19 pandernic Pe￿10￿ Wisè Guidance was d&livered as part of a nab.onal telephone service, howeverface to tsce 8thc8 was introduc8d ￿thIch wa delivered at ouroffic8s in Worcester¥FKI Herelord. A numb9r of oiganisations prowded fuThJing spec4ficalty for 8dvi<* work with particular client groups. Thèse Indude SL Richards Hosprce in Worcester, for those receivlng their care and Macmillan Cancer Support for tIK)sa with a cancer diagnosrd and their families in Worc95tgrshire and HOr8fordshi￿. We also ￿ntinUed to rècèiv8 payments Irorn the Legal AKI Agency to cover the cost of le9al advice on housing matter3. provided under contract in the two o)untio$. W& also receiv8 a grant from the Lasle￿5 Charity to advisg and pwd8 a bv•l of support and casework to vulnerab dients with oxynplex Fffobbms. Wè wèra also supported by The Trussell Trust and Worcester Fotsdbank who ujrrenlly prowde fvnding in a projecl coMMen￿d in October 2023, to delfver Money Managemonl. Debt Assessment and Ino)me m￿rnI￿ation advice to Worcester Focxjbank Clients. Dglivery gf "cor8. advic& 58rvlc8s In H•refordshire is fvnded From a numbar of sourcés including Ross Town CouncAI. Hereford Cty Council, Bromyard Town Counc41. The Pknpg Cèntre- Bromyard, the Philippa Southall TNst and also other non-reslricted funding from Herefordshirg Coun(il I[￿M Sou￿$ such as Ihe Household Support Fund, HSF for specifi¢ project3 during the yearl. Income ￿ceiVed reL2ting lo the 'core' 88rvice in Herefordshir8 is 'ring-fgnrA' to gr￿U expondibJr& is direcyy related to our actiVi￿S in the County. In addition. in Herefcydshiro, as a resutt of th& endSng of our grant fvnding trom The Henry Smth Charity, {wh￿h had pmvldèd grant funding which supported our CO￿ a¢tiviDgs in Hertfordshire since 20171. we recep￿ an addittonal payment within our National Lottery Community Fund grant for 2023124 of £74,391 to support our Outr•ach Projeci lo help manage mait)lain our core sèrvitss during tha cost of liwng crisis to 8UPPOrt the H￿¢fOr￿Sh5re Outreach Proje¢t fundgd by Th8 National Lottèry Communty Fund. During 2023124 we successfully applied for a grant from the Community Organisations Cost of Uvlng Fund from the National Lottery to SUPPC¥t our SmartMov9 and SmartLets Projects io meet the potential shortrall we had in ow nel rents contribute towards the costs of these projects) after the ffigurgs wè r￿1Ved In Q1 due to the k)ss of som¥ of our prop8rtios. The grant was therefore to ensure ¢h81 we (x)uld tlle8t the costs of delivering at our existiwwj caparity and to meet the cost3 of extra staff capacty to cope with ￿ demand for our seryices. The grant Also indude(I funding for staff time to complgte a r8-COSting of all of our proFerties io ensure we are worknng as 8fficiendy as possible and maxmising our net ￿nts which ￿ntribUte to the costs of the proiert and Ihus malntaln our capacity. AJI of these objecdve were Su￿￿ss[u1IY achieved. This was particularly itnportant because atthough we comW￿n￿d a ngw accommodal*)n project to house Sing￿ 8x-off&nders in Worcester at the start of 2023124 The Accommodation for Ex Offender IAEO Projecti. fundad by ihe Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communitigs. IDLUHCI through Worcester City Council, our other accommodation Project the Single HomÈl8ss - Th8 Rough Sleepers Aco)mnKdation Project IRSAP - also ndgd by DLHUCI 8180 gnded gt the end of 2023124. Page 8 criizens Advle• Worc•stsr and H•rèfordshire R•port of the Trustt•s forth• Y•ar Ended 31st M•r¢h 2024 FINANCIAL REVIEW Rgs•Nes polley Thg Trustee Board ha$ ¢onsid6red the Charitys requirements for resetves in IwJht of thè maln risks to the org8nisal(on and its future plans. It has established a policy that the unrestricted funds not committed. or Invested kn tangible fixed assets h6kl by the Charity should be betr￿8￿ three and six months, operational expendiluT8. Budgeted operational expgndilure for 2023124 was £1,717.443 12023.. £1,462,197) lexcluding STnartL•ls wopety costs),. the level of reserves requir￿ is therefore betsveen £429,361 and £858,722 {2023.' £365,549 and £731,098). Tho Tnjstee Bc)ard rtviewed the levèl of reserves h9kl during the years 2017118 and 2018119. Thi$ rèvtew took into account the unreslwiclgd fixgd assets, consisting of SOL¥al investm¥nt properties. which t*)thd ba sold in th8 event of any safjous ￿￿$tantial thieat to the Charity. As a resutt of the review the Twstee Board decSded lo redu¢tr thé 18v&I of raserves held to ￿e8￿r to the lower, >month figure and Ihey reduegd cash reserves Ihrough the PUTchase of a fijrther 5cKial ywg3tThent property whl¢h was complelgd durin9 2019120. Th9 lower l&v•l of reseNes held is considered by thè Trustee Board to be sufflcfent. In the event of signffieAnt r*1uctiorr6 in funding, to meet any outstsnding ￿Mmi￿nents and maintain 8¢tivities at a ￿asOnable ￿ve1, whib èfforts ¢0 replace lost fvnding andlor Klentify and securtr altemative sources of inc0rn8 are undertaken. This wll allow. rf necessary, ftx a man8gwJ redu¢Uon in seth¢es and resources to minlmisè 1hè impact on tho Charity and its benef￿1￿leS ¥1 the shtsrt to medium lemi. Unrestiicted funds currently $tsnd at £1,442.122 12023., 1.253,8861.. thls Indudes fixed assets of £604,348 12023: £613,872). £20,000 12023.. £20,000) designated for the ￿placement of IT, Ithis fvnd h8s not baan used sin¢a the pandemie as grants ware availabk during the p8ndemie for updating of IT to alk)w mora rèmote working. Howgv*r given that tha organlsation understand that Windows 10 no longer being 5UPPOrteé from Autumn 2025 we anfjeipata thal thi fvnd VAII ba needed in fvturel. In addluon wa have a deslgnated fund of £30.0￿ 12023 £30.0001 to meet the wst" of repa￿ and redecoration of the Charitls P￿mISes. The prgs¢nl levèl of reservas lexcluding fixed assetsl available to the Chwity stands at £837,773 12023.. £640.0141 Icornpfislng the general fund of £525.38912023= £372,892), deslgnated rèdundancy fund of £262,38412023: £217,122> and designated IT and Building5 Funds of £50.000 {2023.. £50,0001 which represents nearfy $ix months b￿*jO18d eypendf(ure, land onty Ihiee mtsnths expenditure if the designated funds are rK)l indudedl. Total rnstrfcled funds as at 31 March 2024 were £622.271 12023.. £528,662), twinging total charlty funds to £2.C64,393 12023- £1.782,5481. The restrictèd fund includes £98K in r818tion to Ihè Acc8SS to Jusli¢e Ftmd which Commenced in Mar-24, together wth £341 K In respect ofthe va￿e of k8as¢hold wjpety. In addition, th8 Charity holds 8pecafic fvnds to cover possible liabil￿e5 in relatbn to the operation of its privots rented sector access schemes. Smartmove and SmartLets to inc4ude potenti81 losses againsl deFM)sit guarantee bonds issued to landlords through Ihe Smarlmovè scharne and meeting leasing commitments and any repairs for whth wg arg responsible in relation trj SmartLets propertiss. The valuo of those funds is reviewed on an annual basis in linè wilh identified possible Ilabilities golng forward. The Trustee Board want lo malntaln h￿lthY reserves in line théir policy. but ￿111 conlinue to monitor the level hekj. giving consideration to how they can be best used to further the Charitys objectThies, btth in th& short and longer tem. Th8 tnJstee5 Started io review Iheir current ReseNos Policy durlng 2022123 in ord8r to.. lil kx)k at the level of cash reSe￿S raquired and lill to aSS8ss whèther some of the organisations wrrent reseNes cO￿d be invested in a form so they can also the charyW$ benefit This review has been stayed at piesenl given the uncertainty fdlowng the CA)vld -19 pandemi¢ and tha subsequent o)sl of living crisi$ Pag• 9 Citizons Advic• Worc•st•r and H•r•fordshire Report of the Tru•tsg¥ forthe YettrEnd•d 31$t Mar¢h 202A PLANS FOR THE FUTURE The dimate of austerity wth ujts In publ* spendirwJ al bott) the Iwl and nauonal level Binca 2010. together wlth the Covid-19 pandemic and future un￿rta￿ due to the cost of Iwing crisis, has ￿n￿nUed to hav& an impact on the Charivs core funding p)s￿on and the cgpaiity to devek¥) new projects and Sern￿. During th8 pandemic we We￿ ab￿ to manage finanaally due to successful applications for additMMal Covid-19 funding for grants relèased to local authoritses and communty foundatrons In 2020121. 2021122 and 2022123 Iha organisation again rwhiv8d additional unrestricted grant Incorne from CoMd-19 fuThJing an¢J funding to support thè cost of liviro. In addibon Sin￿ 2023124 we have also received funding though the Hous8hdd Support Fund from Worcester County Council and H8refordshirè Ctsundl to support Spe￿r￿ projects that are delivered within the seope ol our core service. In addrfion the support we recelved from w0￿Star Municipal Charities Prov￿89 8 Strong core service, and wg ar8 supported by othor local charities in Worcester. However havè rècèNad r8duc6d funding from other supportive local arities due to the difficulties ihey have 8nc4)untsT￿1 in 8ecurlng income sinee Ihe pandernic and cost of I￿ng crfsis. As stsled In tho rèport of the tnstees for 2022123 our plans for 2023124 indudgd seèktng lundlng to Ixjpe with thg ¢x)ntinuod dgmand for phone advlTr - partlcularly for ￿r text and call back seryir9 in Wor￿Ster Iwhith wa introduced at thè start of thè pandemic in 20201211. The organisation was abk to se¢ll￿ fundSng for this from a Cibz9ns Ad1￿￿ Core grmnt availablè for 1 year from Juty 2023, whK* a￿0 a8si8tgd to malniain our o)re services and support th• volunteer service Al thg *art of 2023124 we ￿re aware that our F￿nry Smith Grant that mat ar￿nd 40% of the costs of our cora Herefordshire Se￿￿ in Hereford5hire was eThYiro after ovar 5 Yea￿ ol funding slnce 2017. The (x)ie H•￿f0rdShIre service had been devdoped 5in¢e 2017 and support8d deliv8ry of our swlalL8t projects in H8r6lordshiie (such as Money and Pen5bns se￿ICe Debt A(Mce and Casework Project) and the expansion of our outreach serwce Ihrough Lottery fijndingl. W8 w•r6 ther6fore concemed what irnpact thi5 would have on 58rvices in Herefordshiré gwgn the ffect of the Q)st of Living Crisis. We were however surK8sslul in apptying for a 1 year variation on Our Nat￿nal Lottery Community Fund award of £74,000 for 2023124. In add￿On aftar securiThJ this add￿'Onal grdnt ￿ also received an addthonal Cowid Undersp8nd Grant of £43.000 for 2023124 from Hereford5hire Councll to suprxjrt income maxlml$alion and debt support in aadi￿On to th& eonb.nuad uso of pramlsas to deliver services in Hgrgford. Our plans to seek additional funding In Hereford8hirg have b¢&n 9Jccessful to dato since the end of the Henry Smith Grant and also following the award from th• national Lottery Community Fund for 8 4 year grant fundlng of £495,000 which (xjmmèneed In Octobar 2021, to meet the costs of developing and delivering Crfizens Advi￿ gengr81ist advice and specialist athl￿ ServI￿S at I￿rtreaCh locatwjns in the markot IOWAS and other venue5 acw5S the County of Herefordshire. A8 8 re8Urt of Ihese grants and other grant 8PF4ied fijr and receiwj during tbe year wg ware ablo to maintain our cor& sarvlcas during 2023124. Over the next 12 rnonths th8 Chariws initlal priority ￿11 again continue to be tho rn8int8n8nce of 'core" services at the level during 2023124, and to maintain the increase made during 2023124 of the amixlnt of fa￿ to fa￿ appointsllents and mount of open door advicE* dropin servi￿$ in w0￿ester Ithree days pèr w•8k funded by coro fijndingl and Herefordshire Ithree days perwegkfvnded by Lottery fundingl delivered during 2023124 In addition to the maintenanee of fa￿ to fa￿ ServI￿S the organisation is also commlttèd to ensure thal other channels such as our telepFv)ne advi￿ service ihough Worcesiershire Advicelin9 and our taxt and call ba¢k seme8 in wOr￿ster and Herefordshire {which we introduc4d al th9 Start of the p8ndemlc in 20201211. Our serwce ho￿Ver wll indude a general 88rvice lo tho publi¢ in Worc6stsr City and Herefordshsre and the continuation of the private rèntèd sèctor 8t￿$9 schèmès Smartmove and SmartLets, which aTr focused on preventing single homelessness. W9 Mll also malntaln face to face servlce lor thos8 chgnts that need this to progros5 their problems and prevent homelgssness. Th8 organi58tion h¢)wèver expects fundiThJ for our o)re sorvices to te a thalbnge over lh8 n•xt few years due to fewor grants awailablè followng the Covi(k19 pandemic Iduring which the Gov8mm&nt and other organisaltons raleasad addib.onal grant funding for Ihg ernergen￿ needl. In additson, tha wK1ely wedLted inu8a56 in demand for our services due to an increase in inflation which re￿￿ed in the cost of Il¥Ang' cris¢s for those on low and medium incomes, has >nllnued to be evld8nc8d from our gxpthiertt. Page 10 Cltlzon$ Advlce w0￿eSt•r and Herefordshir• Rep¢)rt of th• Trust••s for the YÈar Endod 31st March 2024 We plan to in¢reasè thè number of properties under management by our SmartLets 80¢ial lethngs agency ov¢r the next 12 months. We managed to sgn new agrpemgnts with landlords in 2022123 as part of our project ftmdéd by Worcester Ctty CounGil for the Rough Sleepers Aec(Mmodation Programme IRSAP) grant to prowde accx)mmodats"on units and support slngle people who are homeless. at risk of homelessness OT vuln&rabty housed, linduding former rtsugh sl99persl, into shared and serf-contained accommodabon. How8vèr othèr landlords have decided tr> sell pr￿8rtIès reduang the nurnber of HMO'S avaipable to us. thi8 initially continued at th& skrt of 2023124 howgvèr during the ygar we identified other propertie5 which we had added lo our SmartL•ts Soaal Lettings agèncy during he year. The project workers providè advicè and support to pgcyle with low care needs to sustain thèir a￿0mMOdatIOn as part of this project. As a ￿sU[l ol a 9ranl from the Comrnunity Organisations Cost of Living Fund from Ihe National Lottery during 2023124 we havè baèn able to increase our cap81ity to assess single horneless disnts hjugng need and provhle practical help Io seek housing and where appropriate. find a￿0MMOdation through our SmartLets Project. In additK)n this funding allowed us lo wmplete a comprèhensive re-costing of all of our properties and reorg8nising of our Smartmove and SrnartLets Proleds to ansure we are worklng as $ffi¢ienUy as possible and maximising our nel rents, {wh￿h contribute to Ihe costs of th8 prolectl and thus maintsin capacity in relation to both our staff sUp￿rt and the 8(thmmodation we manage for the single hornelg85. Vvtr wlll tharafore continue to work wilh local L2ndlords lo increase the number of Sm8rtLets prope￿e$ further a5 we arÈ èxpeeting the incTea5e in dÈffland for prop&lies for the ￿ngle hon*less to (x)nb"nue over Ihe next 12 months. We have aL80 contTrnu8d to review and improve SmartLets admlnlstration, and at the end of the 2023r24 we ￿)Mpleted a transfer lo new Improvgd prop8rty management softwara. It is our aim lo asslst our Project Workers to identfy dients who need assistan￿ to rnaintsin their tenandes Ifor example through ￿1VICe to rnaximise thebr In￿Me and su5tÈin tenanties In th8 bnger leml, al the gartiest oppo￿nIty. We 81s0 anbc*at• that this will also redu￿ rent arwrs In properties managed by Sm8rtLets which help fvnd the prop We also hop& to ra-ongage our prevK)u$ successful patherships with CTiSi$ and Worcesler City Counryl. In order lo look for funding opportunthe5 to sustsin and dev6lop our advice and specialist 60rvices to prevant homelessn85s in W¢)rcester Clty. Hereford5hir8 and surrounding areas. ￿Jth￿gh our contracts fund8d by the Money and Pènsions S8Nices via CrtiZ8ns Advice have been extsnded to Ihe end of 2024125; Pension Wise has been exterKled to 31 March 2025 and the f8e¢ to face debt adw¢x proj&t IMaPSDAPI has bean extended to 31 March 2025, rt wa5 riot ¢￿ar at the end of 2023124 whether Ihese contracts will be extended bayond 2024r25 or r8commissk)ned in Iheir present format. The un￿rtain future of our f8¢9 to face debt adwGg project IMaPSDAPI is a (xJn¢&m give that debt admce aryj casgwoth has been wthin ourt(4) advu issues for many years. Our Macmillan contract to prowdo woware beneffts advice and Ga59work for people affected by cancer li Worcostershlre and Herefordshire has bèèn axtènded to the end of 2024. We wll be working wilh Macmillan and our partners at Citizen5 Wyra Forest in W0￿Stershire, lo ¢xn16nue to suc￿sSfUllY deliver thèsè contracts in ord&r to seek an extensw)n tothese seNices beyond 31 D￿mber 2024, and this work was oThJdng at the &)d of 2cI23124. Sinco taklng responsibility for dgliv*ring local C￿zenS advicÈ sÈN￿s in Herefordshire slnce 1 April 2017. we have re￿iVed premises rant Iree from Herefordshire coun￿1. There is some uncertainly ov9r tha future of these PT•mises and our current promises in Hereford are 5ubjed to a coundl review of thè prop*t"&s wthin the town hall estate owned by Herefordshirè Council. We are currerkuy In discussions wth H8reft>rdshire Council in orllgr to look al possib solutions that mlght be necessary folbwing this review. We thereft)rg intand to develop a nèw pramises policy to secura premlses that are tèntrally I(￿t￿, accessible to our dients and can be provided frèe by one ol our partn¢rs I￿rrentlY the Herefordshi￿ Counall or are affordable over th8 medium to long term. Cantral prenmses ba￿ in Hereford are essential in order to deliver and ¢oordinat8 Our actSvfties acr058 H$refordshw8, parbculaty now that wo have been SUCC8ssftJl in gainlng fvjnding from thè National Lottery Communty Fund to devel)p outre8th 8nd make wr s&rvi¢es MO￿ accessible Ihr¢)ughoui all of Herefordshire. STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE ANO MANAGEMENT Gov•rnlng document The organk8alion is 8 th8ritabl8 company lirnited by guarantee. Inc￿Orated on 23 F8bruary 2009 and registered as a charity on 11 March 2009. The company was estsblished under a memorandum of assoclatbn which 8stablished the oble¢ts s￿1 the powers of the tharllablè company and is governed under its arts.eles of association. New artides were 8doptgd by a speaal resolutson dated 30 January 2014 and New Artides were again adopted by a special rBsduts"on dated 3 December 2020. In a￿d￿On the organlsalion thanged its charitable and company nam8 from Citizens A(Jvice Worcester Bureau & WHABAC to CitBens Advic8 Worcester aThJ Herefordshire by spea81 resolLttion on 15 December 2022. Pag811 Clllzon$ Advie• Worcosl•r and H•r•fordshlre R•port oftho Tru$tsès fortho Y￿r Ended 31•t March 2024 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Rocrultment and appointsnent of new trusteès directors of the Co￿anY are aL￿ charity tmsle&s for thg purposes of tharity law and under the ¢ornpanls articles arè known as mèmbers of the Truslee Board. The maximum number of fwstees is 1S who may be ele(led 8t the AGM r COllOPted by the Trustee Board Providgd the total number of co-opted Irusteas does not exceed onè third of Ihe total nurnber of trustees. Trustees arè èlèctéd or appointed for a period of three years but rnay be re-ele¢ta. New tNstges aro f9fxulted basod on an e¥aluatkJn of Ih8ir skills and experience against criteria set by the organisa¢lon. The TvJstee Boa￿ also seeks to ensure that its ￿mpOsition reflects the dwèrsity of the hxal communty and users of the Organisath)n's Se￿te$. Inductlon and tralnlng of new trustees New Imstees are provid￿ wrth an Ind￿n P&k ts)ntaining: - Guidance on the roye and responsibil￿e$ of Trustee Board rnembers - Th8 fflgmorandum atKI arbcl&s of essociation - Th8 most r8C8nt direciovs re￿1 and avdrted a¢¢>)unts - The Charitys cuThent business p￿n -The most recent annual rewèw mport This is folk)w8d up wilh an Induction meetir#J with thè chlal executive andl¢r chair, v4hich prowdes an ryjporiunty to leam more about the work of the Charity, l¢eus on cuThent board priorities and assess any further Irainiw n6eds. New Tnjstees will also be invited to visit th8 iJffic•s Ythen the Ch8rity is opèn to the public which ￿11 allow them to better under3tand the d•y to day operauon ol the Charity aThY the delivery of Its se￿ceS Oryanlsational struetur• The charity is govemed by a Trustee Board of up to 15 members wh¢ mogt at least quarterfy to conduct normal business. Th9 Trustoa Board Is responsib￿ for tre 5tr*egic diT￿tk)n and policy of the Charity and the Trustees ¢8ry 1h& ultimate responsibility for the conduct of Cit'zens Ad￿￿ Worcester and Her&fordsFdre and for ensuring Ihg Charity satisfie5 tt8 legal contractual obligatior￿. There ￿ a fulktime Chief ExerArtive Offwr who is responsible for ensuring th8 Charlty delivers the seNkes specified and that key perform8n¢e indi¢atr)rs are met. The day to day opèrab.onal managemenl of the organisation and supervisK)n of staff and volunleeTS Is the responsibility of 4 Service Manager8. The Chief Execuhve Officer aThJ Man8g9ment Team are also supported by a part Buslness Administrator and a ftjll Ime Financial Adminlstrator. Quallfylng third party ind8mnlty provlsSong The Articles of Asso¢i81ion states that, to Ihe extent p8rrnitt8d by Companias Act 21)06, th9 Trustee are indemnffied out of the assets of the charity Sn r8lation to any liability inajrred in thelr capacAty as Tru8tee8 of the charity. Related partlès The Charity is a mgrr*>br of Cltlzens halvre, the operating name ol the National Associati￿ of Chlzens Adwce Bureau which providBs a framework for sland?￿S ol adm(￿ and casawork managemenl as well as monitoring progr855 against th&sa standards. Operating policies are irtdèpendent￿ determined by th8 Trustee Board of Citriens Advice Worcester and Herefordshlre th orderto fuffil its charftable obJ8cts and compty wfth thg nthnal membership r￿uirements. Tho Charlty ks aLw a menknr of a Homeless Link. the national membershw) tharity organisations who work directly wllh peopk? who bewme homeless in England. The Iw51ees atso take adive steps lo maintain and devek)p relationships with loral authorfties e.g. Worcester8hire County coun￿[, Worcester Clty Ctsuncll, txher dSslrlct wrthin the W￿¢66t9r$Nre, HerefoTdshSre COU￿11 and towrh councils within Herefordshir8. We also have relationships with 8 number of other organisatsons indu¢*ng the Legal Agenry and other charitles Indudiry Maunlllan Cancer Suppcyt. Crlsis, Maggs Day Centre. SL Pauls Hostd. St Rithards Htsspica and Worcester Municipal Chants'es. We are the lead agency for the Worcestershire Advice Netr￿￿rk ¢onsisling of the 4 Loxal Crbzens Advi￿ ILCAI in Worce8tershire. North aThJ South w1￿81e1$hIra D￿L and 2 Ag8 Concem District org8nisations. Paga 12 Clllz¢ns Advlco Worcoster and H•r•fordshire R•port ofthe TTU$tO•S for th• Y•ar Ended 31st March 2024 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MAf4AGEMENT Risk managèment The Trustee Board consider th8 major risks that the tharity faces on an annual basis when and updating strategic plan. whe￿ awropriate. systems or procedures are in pL2ce to mitigate the risks identified. Intemal control risks are minimised by the implementation of pr[￿d￿re9 for authorisalign of all transactions a￿1 propcts. Procedures are in pla¢a to ensure o)mpliance wtth h9ahh and safety ol stafl, voluntèèrs, dients and visitors to the Chm. Working to th8 Standards to meet the Citizens Advi￿ mambgrship r8quirements, the Advice Qualty Standard IAQSI, tl Comrnunity Lggal Service Spg¢ialist Qualty Mark ISQMI and ¢ther qualty measures onsure a omsistgnt quality of delivery for all operallonal aspects of the Charty. Policl8s and Piocedures are periodically reviewed to ènsure they cC￿lin￿9 to mgOt the neè(Js ofthe Charity. STATEMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL Cibz&ns Advice Worcester and H&relordshYe tsuslee board oveme the informalh)n securlty of all personal infom)ation of our clients, staff. lundtsrs and Strateg￿ partners that is pmc8ss8d. Citizens Advice Worcester and Pler8f0rdShl￿ holj ioint responsbility for client data that is held in cMJr ca$$ management system. with the national Crtlzens Advice Servic8. An information a8Wran￿ management team exists tr> ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availobility of all personal and sensitsva data is maintained to a level which is v)mplrdnt with Ihg r8quiraments of the UK G8n8r81 Dala Pmtect Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. STATEMEKf OF TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILMES The trustees (who are also the direclors of Cthzens Advice Worcester and Herefordshire for (he pury)tss8s ol ￿rnPany lawl are ￿pOnSibl0 for prepafing the R8FK)rt of thè Truste8s and Ihg financial statements in accord8nee with applicab law and United Kingdorn Accounting Stsndords Iunlted Kingdom Generally Accepted Act￿ndn9 Pracknl. Ccfflpany law requirès Ihe trustees to p￿pare thancial slatements lor each financial yaar which glve 8 trug and falr view of the slate of aff8irs of the tharilable ￿)MpanY and of Ihe incoming resour￿8 and application of rèsources, includiwj the ina)m8 and axpenditure, of the eharitable company for that perfod. In preparing those fin8ncial statement4 the trustee$ are requlred to: Se￿ct SUTtabk8 wc¢unting pollcies and then appty them con$Sstsndy, observe the methods and prtnciples in the Charfty SORP.. makejudgements and eskn'mates Ih¥t a￿ reasonable and prudent., and prepare the finaNial statements on the going C￿¢èrn basis unkns il is inappropriate to presumè that the charitable o)mpany wil continue in business. The trust88s Ara resFm)nSib￿ for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with rea50nabl& ￿LuraCY at any ItrN the financAal position of tho ¢lkqritable o)mpany and lo gnablg Iham to ensure thst Ihè financial statements (xjmp wSth ihe Companiès Act 2006. They are also responsible fr>r safeguarding Ihe assets of the charitabl¢ company and h8nce fort8king raMsOnab￿ steps fc( the prevgntitsn and detectkjn of fraud and olher irregU￿ri￿e$. In $0 f8r Ès the tsuslees are awarg.. there 18 no relevant audlt knlom)alon of¥thich the thorftsble companls auditors 4r8 unaware,. and the trustees havè taken all steps Ihal they ought to have taken to mak6 thgmsefves aware of any ralavant audlt inlormation and to establish that the audltors are aware of that informatk)n. Thls rewt has been prepared in aco)rdance wllh the sp8clal provisions of Part 1$ of the Companies A¢t 2006 relati to Small o)rry)anles. 13 26JAk Appmvod by order of the board oftrusiees on .............,......................... . and signed on its behalf by.. S Lister- Trustee Paga 13 R•port ofthe tndepandant Audltors to thè M•mb•rs of Citiz•ns Adv1¢• Wor¢ester and Hw•fon16hlro Opinlon We h8ve audited the flnan¢i81 ststements of Cltszens Advice W0￿$ter and Hèr8fordshlr8 (the 'charftable company'l for th8 y8ar tsnded 31st March 2024 which comprise the Staternenl of Financial Aetrvities, the Balance Sheet. lh8 Cash Flow Statement and notes to the finandal statements. induding a summary of signlficant accounting poliryes. The finanaal reporting frarnework Ihat has applled In thèir pr8paration is applicable law and United Kingdo Ac£ounting Stsndards (United King 13,586) 111,030) 14,4851 15101 11431 683 1,500 199,366 4.269 12,530 10,000 110,000) 1942) 1202,957) 13,452) 19421 9,632 221 212.589 3.673 121.517 {126.509) 14,9921 37,557 139,116) 17,058) 11,000) 11,5591 17.0581 11,0001 (12,3271 112.327) 589,174 {610.154) (20,9801 TOTAL FUNDS 1.744.381 11,682,193) 62.188 DESIGNATED FUNDS Bulldlngs fund The Trustee Board have cJ881gnatsd lunds towards the Intemal redecoration and rspalr costs of Ihg pro￿rt￿S that are leased. Hereft+rdshlre Cltlzens Advkg Burgau This fund rep￿SentS a donation to the charity uwn the dosure of Herefordshire cth.zens Advice Bureau. trustees had de5vJn3ted thi$ donatth for the purposes of delivering CTbzgn¥ Adv￿& SerV￿S in Herefwd. IT fund This fund has been estalAthed to megt tho wsts of replaang hardware $(Alware rela￿9 to the IT system over a 45 year cyde. Redundancy fuTrJ Thi8 is de$v￿al8d to provlde suffiaentfunds to cAJvor the cost of redundoncy. Soclal Invesbment PrO￿rtY This fund has been e&tablish8d to h)Id Ihg sodal Investm&nt properlies. wl¥ch oxists to wovide accLYnmodation for the single h)mele85. Soclal Investsnent propgrty- proposod spond Thls fund had been established to Allow tha purchase of a social investmènt prcp8ty to pyovide 3¢xMimodaUon for the singl8 homeless. The balance had been retained lo fund futurts wpaits and renovalK)n5 li ts properties, Such a5 a ntrw kntchen aThJ this tund has been (xy)gd8rgd spent. RESTRICTED FUNDS Acce￿ to Justleè Foundatlon ILTA- Improvlng Llvos Through Advic• If￿n￿￿ by National Lott8ry1 Funds re￿iVed from the National Lottery but delivered and distrtr)ui8d by Ihè Access to Justice Fokjndation lrnproving Lives Through Advica {ATJF- ILTAI, for ts ddwery ofweware benefits casework. Page 32 Cltlzons Advic• WOre￿•r and Herefordshire Not•s to th• Fln•ncial Stat•m•ntS • continu•d forth• Yèar Ended 31st March 2024 18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS-¢ontlnu•d Accomrnodation tor Ex4hnd•rs Fund FuThls received from Worctster CSty Coun¢S1 for dellvery ofA¢iX)mm￿Jat10n for EK Offender3 (A￿01. ommodatlon for Ex4Thnders- Incontlve5 & Top Ups Funds received under th8 AFEO contract to provide bond payments and in￿ntiVeS lo landlords. Bulldlngs and Offlcg Equlpm•nt Fund Agrant specnlcally made avaiL8ble for Ihè fAlital funding of a new he•dquartets and the purc*a5é of èqulpment. Cltlz•n$ Adviea- CSDF Pot 1 Funds received via Cibzans Adwce Core Service Delivery Fund Pot 1 to 3UPFK)rt or increase dired service dellvery Ca￿e1ty, to help clients through the cost of lfving cdsSs. Citizen8 Advi¢o- CSDF Pot 2 Funds ￿￿1Ved Ma Citizens Advi¢e c￿ SeThlce Delivery Fund Pol 2 to enable tr)e addilitsnal remote ddNery of adwce to more thÈnts vix our tèxt and call back service. Citiz•ns AdvI￿- Penslon Wise Funds recèived via Cthns Advic* from Th8 Monay and Per￿￿1￿$ S¥r￿ce IMaPS} to provide guidan￿ on pensions for those in deffined ci)ntribution schemes. citlzans Advlc•- R4mot• Working Equlpmont Fund This fijnd repr85trnts assets held which werg awuired with funding ￿tely&d vla Chlzens Advicè. to provklo assen￿al ewlpment laptop oNnputers, intemat voipfones and cornplomentary cA)mputer harthY¥r• - to assist staff volunt8ors WTth remolg and home working to continuè d￿￿ering our semces (lurfng the cow&19 Pandemic. Cli•nt W•lfare Fund- Herefordshir8 This fvnd exists to allow small "on8 off. 9rants to bo mads to clignt$ Idenlfiad as In urgent financial need in Htrelordshir8. Coro H•Ygtordshlr• Fund Funds r8caived from Herefordshire Coun(al to fvnd volunteer operation8 Bnd trBlning supeNsor aThJ ben8fils casaworker. Corg SmartMovelSmartLets Fund Funds recolved from The Eveson Charitab10 Trust to b8 spent on SMartMoVè￿rnÈrtLets activthes. Crlsls Voluntser Fund This fund ￿PreSents moniès I￿ a 12- month project fiJnd8d by the national charity CRISIS, to increa8e (Kjr capaThty to meet the ¢hallen9es of finding acGoTnmod8lon for ihe single homg1gs5 duriro the Covld-19 PandemK. This project also provides tsn￿g and support for new tenants who were previousty horneless to help them maintain their tenancaes. Crowd Fundlng I'Advice at Home? A dedicat8d lund obtained through Worcgthrshirè County Council's Sparghivg Crowdlunding for th& purthase of speclfied intemet Voipfone équipment to enable our volunteets deliver advice from thelr homes aTh heV peopb in Worcesterwith thè problems Ihey fa￿ during the Covid-19 pandem￿. Diser•tlonary Client Crisis Fund A r85tricted fund to administer and d91iv$r a Crisis Grant Scherne to provide dlscretionary grants to clients pr8s8nting with an immediate uisis I￿%￿l¢h there a￿ iM￿diate￿ availab￿ ststutory ￿d$. Evg$ham Smartmove Fund. John Martin A ￿t￿¢t&d fuNI lo ￿Ver the ￿$ts.0f Sm8rtsmove servic6s ￿91￿￿r0d in the Evesham area. lund8d by Jo Martins Charlty. Herèford Klnoon Projgct Fund Funds ree•lved from HerefoTdshire Coun(il to provide an outrea¢h wst in TrQngton. Herefordshlro Communlty Foundatign Resili•nc• Fund A reslrided grant to meet the salary costs tsf our benefiis Her8fordshir8 (Ssè wortar and advica Sossion Sup8rvisor In Q2 and Q3 to provide re8il*nce to our core services whilst coming out of the COVKI pandemlc. Page 33 continued... Cltizans Ad¥lc• Worc•stor and Herefordshire Not•s to th• Flnan¢lal St#tèménts- contlnu•d for the Year End•d 31$t March 2024 18. MOVEMENT IM FUNDS- continued Homele￿neSS Fund Funds to allow "one off. payments to dionts in emergencaes, p8rtKxAaty to enable them to sewre or rètsln a￿MModatiOn. Hous•hold Support Fund 4- Support for Famlll8$ wllh Chlldren Under 5 Funds received from Herqford Cty Council frorEh Iho Household S4)port F￿d 4, for pfovKliThJ adw￿ S￿l￿S to famikes wth children under S. MaPSDAP (forniekly MASDAPI. D•bt Advice Project Funds rec8iv8d via Citizens Advice from The Monèy and Pensions Servke IMaPSI {formerfy frcAn tho Money Adviog Swlc• And FIF) to prO￿de debl advice lo c48nts in financial dffKLIty. Mongy and PgrFslons S•rvieè- Incr8aslng Debt Advl¢e Capaclty Funds received via Citizèns Advica from Th& Money and Pgnsions ServKe IMaPSI, to traTn and ¢M￿0Y to Trainee Debt Ca$¢wiYker to increase the ftrture capacity of Debt Caseworfoers particJJlarfy in argas where the Money P$nsion$ Se￿¢6 hav8 assessed that it is 8nb"cipat8d that the balance on this fund due to underspend vrill be retumed to the grant provider in the 2024 accounting peri(MJ. There 18 8 k)w Debt Advi¢e and Casowork Capacity lo meet in demand. Thls was awarded on the ba515 of Ihat H8rèfordshire is a d8signated area with a particularty e2p8city of FCA regulated Oebt Casework Servic¢s available Monoy and Penslons Service- IT Funds re￿iVed for PUTchasing computer equipment to delvery Ihe MaPS Debt Ad￿ Contract ac¥0s5 th$ anbsation. The Natlonal Lottery Communlty Fund. Co$t of Llvlng Crlsls Fund ICCLFI Fvnds received from The National Lottery Communty Organisations Cost of ￿VIng F￿￿ to hew the Smartmo Fund to pay for a wopx)rtion of the project's existing slaff capaoty costs. Th• Natlonal Lottery Community Fund- Hergford Thls is a restricted fvnd to meet the costs of devdoFAng and delNemg Citizens g8n8ralisl athice and speaalist advice servi￿$ at outreach locaoons in the market tovffl3 and other venues across the County of Herefordshire. In add￿on, the fund also meets the Ixsts of iricreasing eapadty al our central Her8ford offi Ihrough the introduction of open-dcN)r drop in advice ￿$SionS And increasing our capacity to dèlivar specialist HousirwJ Casework and Benefits Casewth wth o focus on Herelcfthhire. Rough Slggplng Accommodatlon Programmo This is a restricted lund to meet the costs of project WQTkers to supwrt sngle peop￿ who are ￿)MelesS, at risk of hom•18ssness or vulnerabty housed, Into shared and seifJe In the ye&r frorn the rpsbi*d Crists Vdunteer Fur￿ to trg unreslrictsd Gènèral Fund. This PToJe¢t cÈased in Jun-21 and the balanr* relates to wspent want inttjmè. has bgen Contact￿ regarding this undersporKI but the charity ha5 not a r8quest to re￿rn Ihe unspantfun¢6. A transfvr 01 £45.262 was Ma￿ frcffl Un￿$trI￿￿1 Generdl Fthd to the uwestricted Redundancy Fund in der to reffeetthe ￿dundan¢Y pmi8i¢x a5 at 31 Marth 2024. 19. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES DurirrfJ the year Worcestar MuThcipal Chaiibes CIO prowided the use of prffjprbgs fr)r no or reducèd rèrftal value tothè charity. The value ofthè dona￿ rent L8 £46.24012023.. £46,2401. Paul Gnffith a Twstee of the ch8nty and Gerant Thoma$ Ch￿1 OfficBr and Cornpany SOC￿tary pAe also trust88s of WOr￿ter Munvp81 Ch*ths. S8¥eral proFerties are mana9od by w01￿6ter Citryer* Athce BuTeau & ￿lABAc On tehalf of Worcester Municipal Ch8nties CIO and more tstsils in rvyct of this arrar#Jernent can be louThl •) note 21. FRC ETHICAL STANDARD- PROVISIONS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL ENTMES In comrnon wilh many other trthinesses of our *ze 8NJ nalure wtt use our audrt￿9 to prepare and $ubmit retums to the tax 8uthoni95 and assist wth thtr prép8rth.on oltho finan¢k81 ststsmonts. 21. FUNDS RECEIVED AS AGENT Several prorErties are manawj by w0￿3ter CttEens Buieau & WHABAC on behalf of Wor￿1 Munieipal charit￿s CIO. Th? chatity c(4lectsd btal rent ¢)n t4half ol Worcestsr Municipal CharitEs CIO of £403,31S12023: £349,477). rhe Charity relained a M8n8gtrm$nt Charge cl 15% of rgnt ￿l¥@d £80.637 12023.. £52,538) and rotairEd 0x￿￿S pa￿ by the charity rèlstion to the rurnrng of lhasa wopeities. (including Secuntylalarm costs. utility and cleaning costs for the (x>tntnunal aMs, wndow c￿anIng ¢osts, gardening cost5. ￿nara1 maintenar r8p8irs ané r6d6￿ratIOn1. totsllirg t81,7* 12023.. £71,707), At ts yemr end the charity owed WorcMter Munrapal Ch81itses CIO £58.97112023' £49.9241. Durfng Ihè ￿ar the Charity rnAdÈ applicat￿$ fc( grants from St Marbns in The Fields Vicars Reliel Fund to prevent indiv¥Jual dEnts rent arrears fvom becomirg homeloss. These grant awards wèro not made to indiv¥Jual d￿niS by St Marbn in the Fields but made lo Ch8rity as a direct applicant. on 0)rKI￿on that tt grant atnount Was pawj by the charity to a lalldl¢xd who agreed that thèy would not evict a d*nt rf ￿1r rent arrears were paid in fvll or reduced by an agreed sum, in to pre¥ert homelessness. Th8se grants frcm St Martsn in tre Fi•kts Vicarfs Reliel Fund 8mounted to £10.W 12023.. £13,3￿1. At the end of th8 ye8r the charity £453 12023.. £4531 re￿l￿d as gwnt paymerts frcffj St Maitins in The Fiekls IfiGgrfs Rèlk81 Fund. that had not yèt ￿en paid to laThJbrds. Pa98 35