Forever Hounds Trust
Trustees Annual Report and Unaudited Financial Statements Year ended 31 December 2023
Charity registation - 1131399 Company number - 06985367
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Contents
| Contents | |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 4 |
| Trustees annual report | 5 |
| Objectives and activities | 5 |
| Achievements and performance in the year | 5 |
| Financial review | 9 |
| Plans for the future | 9 |
| Structure, governance & management | 10 |
| Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities | 11 |
| Independent examiner’s report | 13 |
| Statement of fnancial activities | 15 |
| Balance sheet | 16 |
| Statement of cash fows | 17 |
| Notes to the fnancial statements | 18 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
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Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
Legal and administrative information
Charity name
Forever Hounds Trust
Charity registration no.
1131399
Company registration no.
06985367
Registered office and contact details
Chave Lane Brithem Bottom Cullompton EX15 1NE
Trustees
Jan Lake (Co-chair until 23 November 2023) Judy Adams (resigned 19 July 2024) Adina Claire (Co-chair until 23 November 2023) Paul Hoban Rachel Jackson (appointed 21 February 2023) Claire Pearce (Chair from 23 November 2023, Secretary until 14 February 2024) Liz Rodgers (appointed 27 June 2023) Sarah Williamson (appointed 21 February 2023, resigned 15 April 2024)
Patron
Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS
Chief Executive
Caron Lane
Principal bank
Santander UK 2 Triton Square Regant’s Place, London NW1 3AN
Independent examiner
Dux Advisory Limited Kennel Club House Gatehouse Way Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8DB
Accountant
Enaid Accountancy Ltd Units 24 & 25, Goodsheds Container Village Hood Road, Barry CF62 5QU
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Trustees annual report
The Board of Trustees, who are also directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, and Trustees for charity law purposes, submit their annual report and the financial statements of Forever Hounds Trust for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The Board of Trustees confirms that the annual report and financial statements of the Charity comply with current statutory requirements, including the Charity Act 2011, as well as the requirements of the Charity’s governing document and the provisions of the ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) second edition (effective 1 January 2019)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), and the Companies Act 2006.
Objectives and activities
The charity has two principal objects:
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To relieve the suffering of greyhounds and lurchers who are in need of care and protection, in
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particular by rescue, rehabilitation and homing, or by the provision and maintenance, or assisting in the provision and maintenance, of kennels and other facilities for the reception and care of greyhounds and lurchers who are retired and unwanted or who are otherwise in need of care and protection;
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To advance the education of the public in matters relating to the welfare of greyhounds and lurchers
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and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among such dogs.
Alongside the homing of dogs, we also enable dogs to stay in their original homes by providing support to owners, thus preventing the dogs from ending up in rescue; we give advice to those looking to rescue a dog and offer space to dogs with high welfare or behavioural needs who would otherwise not have a safe place to go. These activities have contributed to the welfare of individual dogs and owners in alternative ways, in addition to the homing of dogs.
The charity also seeks to improve the general welfare standards within the greyhound racing industry. Forever Hounds Trust calls for a phasing out of greyhound racing in the UK. We are proud and excited to be working in partnership with other groups to bring greyhound welfare to the top of the agenda.
Public beneft
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit, including the guidance ‘Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)’.
Achievements and performance in the year
2023 was a difficult year, but despite the challenges we kept our focus on our primary purpose to rescue, rehabilitate and home greyhounds and lurchers.
In common with the wider rescue community the year was challenging financially despite the significant amount of work done on reducing the cost base over the last three years. Like many rescue charities the impact of coming out of lockdowns, having to re-build our community fundraising, the slow processing of legacies, the cost-of-living crisis, the challenges of the dogs we take (many of which are physically and psychologically damaged extending their stay with us) and increasing veterinary costs created a point in the Spring of 2023 where cash was significantly depleted.
In the Spring Trustees took the decision that operations had to be consolidated to just one site, and the immediate financial pressures at the time in May 2023 led to mothballing the Centre and focus operations at the rented spaces in Somerset. This was a huge blow for the charity, as owning our own space was a long-held ambition, only realised in 2020.
This gave us time to consider all options, including the sale of the Centre to secure the future of the charity. The Trustees felt it prudent to explore all options. While there was some interest in the site, it did not
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Forever Hounds Trust
lead to a sale. The time working from our rented spaces, did mean we were able to rebuild funds with very tight cost control. Therefore, the Trustees took a decision to focus all operations in Devon and reopen the Centre in November 2023. That sadly meant ending a long and cherished relationship with our partner in Somerset where we had rented spaces and from where hundreds of dogs had found their forever homes.
Despite the uncertainty and change in the year our dedicated staff, volunteers, and supporters continued with our primary work of the rescue, rehabilitation, and homing of greyhounds and lurchers. Volunteers and our staff team continue to be essential to the work we do and the Trustees are grateful for their hard work and commitment. Volunteers support us in every aspect of our work, transporting our dogs, enriching their lives in kennels, providing foster homes, giving behavioural advice and support to adopters, raising funds and awareness, inputting data, site maintenance, graphic design and supporting our volunteer recruitment process.
Homing and kennelling
During 2023 we found homes for 87 greyhounds and lurchers. This is 17% lower during 2022 reflecting the fact that we paused intake for part of the year while we moved between the Centre and our rented spaces to minimise stress to the hounds. This, along with a saturation of dogs having been adopted by the public during the Covid pandemic, has led to less homes for dogs being available. In addition to this we have seen a mismatch between the dogs in kennel and types of home waiting for dogs. Sadly, the demand upon us to take in dogs both from the racing industry, and from homes who are unable to keep their dogs because of the cost-of-living crisis continues to be challenging. Our experiences mirror those of our colleagues in the state of animal welfare and rehoming in this country.
We continue to support as many dogs as we can and reach out to our colleagues in other welfare charities to seek space for those dogs which we cannot accommodate within our care. We helped 29 additional dogs by arranging / transporting them to other charities for their onward journey to new homes.
Once the dogs are in their forever homes, new families continue to receive ongoing support and advice from our qualified behaviourists, for the dog’s entire life. During the year we continued to provide support to families through our Post Homing Support (PHS) team. Many of our dogs have never lived in a home environment and some take time to adapt to a companion dog lifestyle as they have not been treated in this way before. The aim of this service is to support our adopters and to improve the chances of a dog being able to stay in the home that they have been matched to.
• Winston had been adopted from FHT as a 6-month-old puppy, having had a difficult start in life. Winston and his siblings had been found abandoned, and in extremely poor condition. As Winston entered his adolescent phase, his adopter contacted us for help with some reactivity towards other dogs and people. Winston’s reactions had been increasing in severity, and she was struggling to manage him on walks. A behaviourist from our PHS team was able to visit Winston at home, determine the underlying emotions behind his reactivity and discuss a training plan with his adopter. Winston’s case is still ongoing, but he is making great progress, and his adopter has been able to keep him because of our support.
• Missy had been living happily with her adopters for around 6 months, when they contacted FHT for advice. Overnight, 10-year-old lurcher Missy’s behaviour had suddenly changed. She had gone from being an affectionate, confident dog to cowering and yelping whenever her adopters went to touch her around the head and neck. Having discussed Missy’s behaviour in detail, our behaviourist felt certain that there was a medical reason for this sudden change. We were able to discuss our concerns with Missy’s vet and physiotherapist, leading to her referral to a specialist vet and diagnosis with severe spinal pain. Missy’s pain is now controlled through medication, and she is back to her old self.
We continue to build on homing initiatives from recent years that are proving to be successful, such as our Out of Area homing service; whilst our Centre is in Devon, we have homed dogs in areas outside of the South West including Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Suffolk, and Wales. And our Home from Home scheme for people who wish to relinquish their dog to us and can keep their dog with them until the point of homing. This frees up kennel space for other needy dogs and creates a better rehoming experience for those dogs moving to a new family.
• Nessa was a 10-month-old bull lurcher who had already been passed between several homes in her short life so far. Having seen her advertised as “free to a good home” on social media, her new owner had been concerned for Nessa’s wellbeing and had taken her on – but was not able to care for a young lurcher in the long term. Through the Home from Home Scheme, we were able to place Nessa into
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her forever home, with experienced adopters and a new canine brother to play with. She is doing well, and her adopters are delighted with her.
• A change in circumstances left Alfie & Fen’s owner without permanent accommodation. She had no choice but to leave both 8-year-old whippet Alfie and 14-year-old lurcher Fenn alone in a friend’s garage all day, whilst she was at work. We worked quickly to assess both dogs and find suitable permanent homes for them via the Home from Home Scheme. Alfie was quickly adopted and is thriving in his forever home, but poor Fenn was diagnosed with terminal cancer during our veterinary intake check. Despite this, we were able to place her into a loving end-of-life home. Fenn sadly passed away after around 4 months in her new home but was able to spend that time in the lap of luxury.
Welfare
The steady stream of racing greyhounds in need of rescue continues. We are committed to report any evidence uncovered of neglect of racing or former racing greyhounds to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and, where appropriate, to the RSPCA. We will also gather evidence to inform the wider picture of the welfare issues and exploitation of greyhounds by the greyhound racing industry. We continue to support the promotion of improved greyhound and lurcher welfare through our membership of appropriate bodies and are a fully active member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH).
The very nature of greyhound racing and the fact that lurchers are used in hare coursing means that their bodies are put under immense strain. These factors along with the dogs often being kept in poor conditions, as well as injuries being left untreated mean that rehabilitation is a vital part of the work we do.
Following a generous donation to fund a successful physiotherapy trial in 2022, this is now a standard assessment for dogs coming into our care. Until receiving this grant we were only able to take a limited number of dogs to assessment and treatment sessions with a physiotherapist due to costs and time. The trial showed that we could save time and money by seeing the dogs on site at the same time. The dogs were more comfortable being seen for assessment in their familiar environment.
In September representatives from Forever Hounds Trust attended the Greyhound Around the Globe Conference in Edinburgh, the third international meeting of greyhound advocates. Lawmakers and nonprofit leaders assembled throughout the day to discuss the politics of racing and the challenges of rescue in Australia, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. It was a chance to review strategies and joint working, with the continued aim of seeing an end to greyhound racing across the world.
We have attended the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, and in February 2024 we were invited to present at the APDAWG “State of Welfare” meeting. We were able to highlight the plight of greyhounds and lurchers whilst with their owners and trainers, the health issues they are suffering from and the vast numbers waiting for rescue space. Forever Hounds Trust developed a comprehensive submission to the Welsh and Scottish Government’s consultations on proposals to improve animal welfare in early 2024.
Partnership
There are many groups working throughout the UK and Ireland for the welfare of unwanted greyhounds and lurchers. Forever Hounds Trust has a long-established working relationship within this sector. We have a policy of assisting those where there are established links and where the organisation’s aims are in line with our charitable objectives. This often takes the form of accepting rescued dogs from them for homing, especially where those dogs come from areas with a high number of abandoned or unwanted dogs. In addition to this we have developed opportunities for sharing profiles of sighthounds in the care of other organisations, to maximise homing opportunities for those dogs from within our supporter base. This has been a reciprocal arrangement between us and other charities and has worked well.
As well as working with these groups, we also accept greyhounds directly from trainers when we can, and from individual sighthound owners who are no longer able to keep their dogs. We continue to have a good relationship with Police forces; we assist in homing dogs which have been seized during illegal activities (such as coursing).
Administration
The staff team have worked hard in the year to streamline processes, for volunteer registration and homing
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to have better visibility of our work and to enhance the volunteer experience. They have developed helpful toolkits for volunteers covering a variety of topics around fundraising and events.
Fundraising activities and income generation
Our community fundraising activities are back to the same level of activity as we saw before lockdown. We are grateful to our network of volunteers who give their time to give Forever Hounds Trust at local events to raise funds and awareness of greyhounds and lurchers as family pets.
We have a small team who continue to successfully run online auction and fundraising activities that were started out of necessity due to lockdown. This breaks down geographical boundaries for our financial supporters and helps extend our reach.
An intrepid group of Welsh volunteers set themselves the challenge of walking the entire length of Offa’s Dyke, the border between England and Wales. They walked the 177 miles in a series of weekend hikes raising over £2,700 for the hounds in our care.
The types of events our volunteers have been involved in this year includes sighthound social walks, fun dog shows, street collections, running charity stalls, selling merchandise, tombola, raffles, and Christmas fayres. Our Big Give Christmas Challenge focussed on fundraising to support our ‘Born to live .... not to race’ appeal and brought in £15,070.
Members, friends and supporters
Throughout 2023, our members, supporters and volunteers continued to find innovative and effective ways to raise funds and public awareness for our charity and our work. In the year our number of Friends, who support us with monthly or annual gifts was 441, and we had 91 Friends for Life.
Online fundraising
Facebook continues to be our best performing platform, increasing to 32,000 followers this year. The Instagram platform helped us connect with new audiences and drive our merchandise sales at Christmas with 7,800 followers.
Throughout the year we have run online campaigns focussing on individual dogs needs for surgery and treatment to rehabilitate them ready for a home. This included funds for Dasher, abandoned at just fourteen weeks old, along with her brother in extremely poor condition.
Generous supporters have donated unique gifts to online raffles this year including handmade felt models of hounds and a stay in a holiday cottage; we have more donations in the year ahead building on this success.
Charitable trusts and corporate support
We were awarded £8,000 from Petplan Charitable Trust for our ‘Clean Bill of Health’ project; a £3,000 Cost of Living Grant to be used against kennelling costs and veterinary bills from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (supported by Dogs Trust, RSPCA, HSI and Joanna Toole Foundation); £10,000 towards veterinary costs from Pets Foundation; £500 from Valerie White Memorial Trust; £1,000 from The Animal Defence Trust; £1,000 from The Michael and Shirley Hunt Charitable Trust; £1,500 from The Ostacchini Family Charitable Trust towards kennel enrichment; £20,000 from The Arthur Camp Foundation towards veterinary costs; £1,000 from The William Haddon Charitable Trust and £1,000 from The Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust.
The Pets at Home Foundation Santa Paws appeal gave us a presence in the Pets at Home stores in Tiverton and Weymouth raising awareness of what great companions greyhounds and lurchers make as well as raising funds. The stores also donated food to the dogs several times in the year.
Beautiful Joe’s Ethical Dog Treats generously donated treats for the dogs in our care several times during the year and a number of supporters also dropped into the Centre to bring treats and food for the dogs.
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Legacies
Legacies continue to be an important area of income for us, and we are extremely grateful to those who remember our work in their Will. Income credited for the year, including sums accrued, totalled £269,020, 41% of our total income for the year (2022: £318,643). We are very grateful to all of those who left us Gifts in their Wills: Gwen Dow, Patricia Jacqueline Fox, Muriel Cave, Yvonne Ann Barlow, Barbara Lowe, Hazel Patricia Summers, Patricia Mary Wilding, Timothy John Hill, Ann Elizabeth White, Mary Francine Rhodes, Elizabeth Bernadette Green, Gillian Bradnam, Hilary Whatley, Stephen W Turner, Mary Constance Ransome, David Ian Holman, and June Holt.
We have received a number of In Memory gifts, we are grateful that families remember us at such a difficult time. This additional revenue stream is also promoted on our web site, with a specific page of remembrance. We also supply special envelopes to friends and families should they wish to make a collection in memory of one of our supporters.
Financial review
Going concern
After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for at least 12 months from the date of signing this report.
The trustees have confidence the charity will be able to meet its obligations in the coming 12 months. This expectation is made having taken measures to reduce operating costs to a manageable level. The consolidation of operations to the Devon centre provides better certainty on costs and cashflow.
For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies.
Reserves policy
In accordance with Charity Commission guidance, the Trustees’ policy is to aim for reserves equal to at least six months of normal expenditure being c.£240,000. At the end of the period, unrestricted reserves amounted to £694,420 (2022: £514,804) although only £365,215 (2022: £192,598) of this relates to general funds. This represents around 9 months’ normal expenditure. Significant reserves are necessary as the charity depends largely on fundraising and on homing dogs, which can be extremely variable both in time taken and in expenditure related to the welfare of the dogs.
Performance in year
The Charity achieved a surplus of £139,616 within the year (2022: deficit of £106,198); resulting in total funds of £694,420 (2022: £554,804).
In addition to general income from donations of £222,259 (2022: £177,853), homing donations continue to be an important source of income £20,919 (2022: £23,576). These income streams are dependent on the generosity of the public and the hard work of our many vital volunteers; Trustees remain overwhelmed by the kindness and dedication of all the charity’s supporters.
Plans for the future
Our Vision remains a day when every sighthound is free from risk or need. Our future plans are driven by our Vision, mission and values; in our Values we aim to be passionate, compassionate, and professional in everything we do.
Our Mission is to rescue unwanted, abused, or abandoned greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds in any part of the country. We care for them to a high standard at our Centre in Devon, finding loving, permanent
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homes for them all, resources allowing. We strive for and promote improved sighthound welfare.
The Trustees have launched the 2024-2027 strategy “Recovery, Stability and Visibility”. Our approach is to deliver our work through a small number of paid staff supported by a large group of volunteers.
We focus on quality of care and rehabilitation creating an individual plan for every hound to get them to their forever home. We do not focus on numbers – the very nature of the plight of greyhounds and lurchers means that in many cases we take in physically and psychologically damaged hounds therefore cannot put a time on how long it will take to rehabilitate them. Our strategic priorities are:
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Working to a high standard in welfare and homing
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Attracting and retaining the very best staff and volunteers
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Engaging supporters and funders and active in the messaging to phase out greyhound racing
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Secure financial footing
Structure, governance & management
Forever Hounds Trust is registered under the Companies Act 2006 as a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital.
Forever Hounds Trust is a registered charity constituted as a company limited by guarantee under its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The charity registration number is 1131399 (England and Wales) and the company registration number is 06985367 (England and Wales).
Organisational Structure
The management of the Charity is the responsibility of the Trustees, who are appointed and co-opted under the terms of the Memorandum of Association.
Candidates for appointment as new Trustees are interviewed by the existing Trustees and the Chief Executive. If accepted, all candidates are provided with copies of minutes from the previous four Trustee meetings, a copy of the last accounts, an update on the current financial situation and are requested to read Charity Commission documentation on the responsibilities of Trusteeship and Companies House documents on Director’s responsibilities. Candidates must then confirm their willingness to be appointed and attend the next formal Trustee meeting.
Training for Trustees comes mainly from what is gained in the course of service and Trustees are signposted to various online training and workshops for Trustee to fill in any gaps in their knowledge. Matters are discussed in detail at Trustees’ Meetings, the style of which encourages sharing of knowledge and provides an opportunity for exploring the governance of the charity. The Chief Executive also attends these meetings.
At the AGM meeting in November 2023, Jan Lake stepped down as Chair of the Board but continues to be an active and valued Trustee. The Board is grateful for Jan’s leadership, a role she has held through challenging times. Jan will continue to be the lead Trustee for homing, kennelling and welfare and will co-chair the Homing, Kennelling and Welfare Committee. At the same time Adina Claire stepped down as co-chair, and the Board thanks Adina for her support to Jan and the wider Board. The Board elected Claire Pearce as Chair from 23 November 2023.
The full Board and changes in membership in the year or since year end are shown on page 4.
Sinead Crawley was appointed Company Secretary on 14 February 2024 when Claire Pearce stood down from that role.
Forever Hounds Trust operates as a voluntary charity with a small number of paid staff. Overall strategy and policy decisions are made by the Trustees. Trustees meet formally in Board meetings at least five times a year, all online during 2023; and came together for an in-person Strategy Away Day in the year.
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There are also frequent and less formal interactions via sub committees, video conferences, email, and ad hoc meetings. Board sub committees are Finance and Governance Committee, Strategy Committee, and Homing, Kennelling and Welfare Committee At the time of writing the report a Communications and Fundraising and Volunteering Committee are being created.
Operational matters are delegated to the staff body, under the management of the Chief Executive, Caron Lane. Reports on organisational activity are fed through to the sub committees and Board meetings. This approach enables the charity to be run in line with its strategy as well as to manage risk.
Staff remuneration
Staff salaries are set and reviewed by the board in line with other internal roles and similar organisations in the charitable and public sector.
Risk management
The Trustees believe that there will continue to be many unwanted dogs in need of new homes and therefore a continuing demand for the charity’s work in accordance with our objectives.
In pursuing the charity’s objectives the Trustees recognise that there are several risks inherent in the operation of the charity. The Finance and Governance subcommittee is charged with monitoring risk matters on behalf of the Board. The principal identified risks, and the mitigation employed are as follows:
• Kennel and homing issues: the charity ensures that kennels, whether rented spaces or owned meet the high standards required for dog welfare compliant with the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes minimum welfare and operational standards.
• Negative publicity, including the potential threat of social media: the Board and staff are geared up to react and respond to issues as they arise.
• Volunteers, Trustees, and/or staff being overstretched: a staffing structure is in place under the Chief Executive to ensure that all staff are managed effectively; backup HR and occupational health support is in place and can be accessed as required.
• Finance and Reserves: financial stability continues to be a risk with reliance on legacy income. Strenuous efforts are being made to manage expenditure, develop, and stabilise new income streams.
• Fraud, Misappropriation of Assets and Money Laundering: The Finance and Governance Subcommittee is alert to the risks involved, and reports to the Board on a regular basis.
• The increasing risks around Cyber security are a risk to the security of our donor and staff data, business continuity and reputation. Mitigations include selecting software which includes security as a key factor; keeping our software updated, password protection, multi factor authentication and scam/ransomware/fraud alerts regularly.
• The Centre, including unexpected costs and the difficulty of disposal to realise the asset. The Board and staff are aware of the challenges the Centre pose having had the site assessed and are gradually rectifying issues through a costed plan.
• Increase to costs, these are monitored monthly, with management accounts being reviewed quarterly. Budgets are re-forecasted to reflect any changes and to ensure sufficient cashflow.
Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law they are required to prepare the financial statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
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Under company law the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the excess of expenditure over income for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material
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departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and,
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume
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that the charitable company will continue its activities.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and 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. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charitable company and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. In addition, the Trustees confirm that they are happy that the content of the annual review on pages 5 to 12 of this document, as well as the legal and administrative information on page 4, meet the requirements of both the Trustees’ Annual Report under charity law and the Directors’ Report under company law.
They also confirm that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with the Charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011, the ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) second edition (effective 1 January 2019)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees confirm that:
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so far as each Trustee is aware, there is no relevant information of which the Charity’s independent
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examiner is unaware; and,
• each Trustee has taken all the steps that they should have taken as a Trustee/Director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant independent examination information and to establish that the Charity’s independent examiner is aware of that information.
Preparation of the report
This report has been prepared taking advantage of the small companies exemption of section 415A of the Companies Act 2006, and the exemptions available for smaller charities under the Statement of Recommended Practice.
This report was approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 23 July 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
Claire Pearce
Claire Pearce (Aug 30, 2024 14:13 GMT+1)
CLAIRE PEARCE CHAIR
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Independent examiner’s report
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Forever Hounds Trust (charity number 1131399, company number 06985367) for the year ended 31 December 2023 which are set out on pages 15 to 32.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and examiner
The Trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’). The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’) nor under Part 16 of the 2006 Act, and that an independent examination is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under
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section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act; and,
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
This report, including my statement, has been prepared for and only for the Charity’s Trustees as a body. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity’s Trustees as a body for my examination work, for this report, or for the statements I have made.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters.
The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
Since the Company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006
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Act; or,
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or,
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other
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than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or,
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the
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Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
13
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I 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.
BIANCA PERMAL FCA
FELLOW OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES DATED: 30 AUGUST 2024
Dux Advisory Limited Kennel Club House Gatehouse Way Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP19 8DB
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
14
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Statement of financial activities
Incorporating the Income and Expenditure Account & Statement of Realised Gains and Losses
For the year ended 31 December 2023
| Notes Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities 4 Other trading activities 5 Investments Other - proft on sale of fxed assets Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 6 & 7 Charitable activities 6 & 8 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Transfer between funds 14 & 15 Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Funds brought forward 14 & 15 Funds carried forward 14 & 15 |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total funds funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ £ 490,920 49,559 540,479 543,160 40,682 - 40,682 49,639 62,918 - 62,918 88,932 2,838 - 2,838 2 13,333 - 13,333 27,436 |
|---|---|
| 610,691 49,559 660,250 709,169 |
|
| 111,367 - 111,367 112,252 321,908 87,359 409,267 703,115 |
|
| 433,275 87,359 520,634 815,367 |
|
| 177,416 (37,800) 139,616 (106,198) - - - - |
|
| 177,416 (37,800) 139,616 (106,198) 514,804 40,000 554,804 661,002 |
|
| 692,220 2,200 694,420 554,804 |
The notes on pages 18 to 32 form part of the financial statements.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
15
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
Balance sheet As at 31 December 2023
| Notes Fixed assets Tangible fxed assets 10 Current assets Stock Debtors and prepayments 11 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 12 Net current assets Creditors: Amounts falling due in more than one year 13 Net assets Funds of the charity Restricted funds 14 & 15 Unrestricted funds Designated funds 14 & 15 General funds 14 & 15 Unrestricted funds Total funds |
£ 7,428 152,137 225,137 |
Total funds Year ended 31 Dec 2023 £ 630,938 338,359 (274,877) |
£ 14,201 51,116 234,383 |
Total funds Year ended 31 Dec 2022 £ 647,813 186,391 (279,400) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 384,702 (46,343) |
299,700 (113,309) |
|||
| 327,005 365,215 |
322,206 192,598 |
|||
| 694,420 | 554,804 | |||
| 2,200 692,220 |
40,000 514,804 |
|||
| 694,420 | 554,804 |
The notes on pages 18 to 32 form part of the financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with section 415A of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and FRS 102 Section 1A.
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2023, and the members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 under section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
They were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 23 July 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
PAUL HOBAN TREASURER
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
16
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Statement of cash flows For year ended 31 December 2023
| Cash fows from operating activities: Net income/(expenditure) for period (as per SOFA) Adjustments for: Depreciation charges Proft/(loss) on disposal of fxed assets Investment income (Increase)/decrease in stock (Increase)/decrease in trade receivables (Increase)/decrease in prepayments (Increase)/decrease in accrued income (Increase)/decrease in VAT receivable (Increase)/decrease in other debtors Increase/(decrease) in trade creditors Increase/(decrease) in accruals Increase/(decrease) in HMRC payable Increase/(decrease) in bank loans Increase/(decrease) in other creditors Net cash used in operating activities Cash fows from investing activities: Sale of fxed assets Net cash used in investing activities Cash fows from fnancing activities: Investment income Net cash used in fnancing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period |
£ 16,875 (13,333) (2,838) 6,773 - 1,987 (99,444) 6,466 (10,030) (970) (60,219) (6,171) (4,799) 670 |
Total Year ended 31 Dec 2023 £ 139,616 (165,033) |
£ 21,902 (27,436) (2) 6,003 1,427 9,430 23,810 3,249 4,059 (19,420) (15,704) (1,309) (7,212) (3) |
Total Year ended 31 Dec 2022 £ (106,198) (1,206) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,333 | 27,875 | |||
| (25,417) 13,333 2,838 |
(107,404) 27,875 2 |
|||
| 2,838 | 2 |
|||
| (9,246) 234,383 |
(79,527) 313,910 |
|||
| 225,137 | 234,383 |
The notes on pages 18 to 32 form part of the financial statements.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
17
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
Notes to the financial statements
1. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation of the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) second edition (effective 1 January 2019)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), including Update Bulletin 2, and the Companies Act 2006.
The effect of any event relating to the year ended 31 December 2023, which occurred before the date of approval of the financial statements by the Board of Trustees has been included in the financial statements to the extent required to show a true and fair view of the state of affairs at 31 December 2023 and the results for the year ended on that date.
The functional currency of the Charity is sterling and amounts in the financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis as the Board of Trustees have a reasonable expectation that future reserves and future income is more than sufficient to meet current commitments. There are no material uncertainties that impact this assessment, and the ongoing economic environment has had no material impact on this assessment.
Legal status
Forever Hounds Trust is a charitable company registered in England & Wales and meets the definition of a public benefit entity. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member. The registered address is Chave Lane, Brithem Bottom, Cullompton, EX15 1NE.
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 are unrestricted funds which have been designated for a specific purpose by the Trustees.
The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in note 14 of the financial statements.
Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that 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 note 14 of the financial statements.
Income
Income is recognised when the Charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance indicators attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donations are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when entitled, receipt is probable and when the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Gift aid receivable is included when claimable.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
18
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
1. Accounting policies (continued from previous page)
Income (continued from previous page)
Grant income is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier, unless the grant relates to a future period, in which case it is deferred.
Legacies are recognised in the statement of financial activities when there is entitlement, adequate probability and reliability of receipt and their value can be accurately measured. For both pecuniary and residuary legacies this is when probate has been granted and a reasonable estimate calculated for this income.
Income from charitable activities, including contract income and client fees, is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier, unless it relates to a specific future period or event, in which case it is deferred.
Interest is recorded when it is receivable.
Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities.
Indirect costs, including governance costs, which cannot be directly attributed to activities, are allocated proportionate to total direct costs allocated to each project area, as outlined in note 6 of the financial statements.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of expenditure for which it was incurred.
Tangible fixed assets and depreciation
All assets costing more than £500 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 residual value, over their useful life, on the following basis:
| Motor vehicles | 4 years |
|---|---|
| Offce equipment | 3 years |
| Moveable assets | 4 years |
The residual value of the freehold property is estimated to be the same as the original cost and so no depreciation has been recognised in the period.
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash in hand, deposits with banks and funds that are readily convertible into cash at, or close to, their carrying values but are not held for investment purposes.
Debtors and prepayments
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount is applied. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Creditors and accruals
Creditors are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party, and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
19
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
1. Accounting policies (continued from previous page)
Financial instruments
Basic financial instruments are measured at amortised cost other than investments which are measured at fair value.
Pensions
The Charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme which is administered by an external independent pension provider. Contributions are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities as they fall due.
Stock
Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value after making due allowance for obsolete and slow-moving stock.
Operating leases
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the lease term.
Critical estimates and judgements
In preparing financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements. The annual depreciation charge for tangible fixed assets is sensitive to changes in useful economic lives and residual values of assets. In the view of the Trustees in applying the accounting policies adopted, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements nor do any estimates or assumptions made carry a significant risk of material adjustment in the next financial year.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
20
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
2. Comparative statement of fnancial activities
| Notes Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities 4 Other trading activities 5 Investments Other - proft on sale of fxed assets Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 6 & 7 Charitable activities 6 & 8 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Transfer between funds 14 & 15 Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Funds brought forward 14 & 15 Funds carried forward 14 & 15 |
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ 518,360 24,800 543,160 49,639 - 49,639 88,932 - 88,932 2 - 2 27,436 - 27,436 |
|---|---|
| 684,369 24,800 709,169 |
|
| 112,252 - 112,252 647,227 55,888 703,115 |
|
| 759,479 55,888 815,367 |
|
| (75,110) (31,088) (106,198) - - - |
|
| (75,110) (31,088) (106,198) 589,914 71,088 661,002 |
|
| 514,804 40,000 554,804 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
21
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
3. Income from donations and legacies
| 4. Income from charitable activities Donations Legacies Grants Donations Legacies Grants Sales of dog merchandise Homing donations Dog intake fees Homing fees Sales of dog merchandise Homing donations Dog intake fees Homing fees |
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ 218,400 3,859 222,259 269,020 - 269,020 3,500 45,700 49,200 |
|---|---|
| 490,920 49,559 540,479 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ 177,853 - 177,853 318,643 - 318,643 21,864 24,800 46,664 |
|
| 518,360 24,800 543,160 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ 17,596 - 17,596 20,919 - 20,919 64 - 64 2,103 - 2,103 |
|
| 40,682 - 40,682 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ 22,403 - 22,403 23,576 - 23,576 950 - 950 2,710 - 2,710 |
|
| 49,639 - 49,639 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
22
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
- Income from other trading activities
| 50/50 club Raffes and draws Commission Friends subscriptions Sponsor-a-dog subscriptions Sales of non-dog merchandise 50/50 club Raffes and draws Commission Sales of non-dog merchandise |
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ 5,913 - 5,913 18,152 - 18,152 19,016 - 19,016 19,837 - 19,837 |
|---|---|
| 62,918 - 62,918 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ 6,052 - 6,052 6,344 - 6,344 19,125 - 19,125 22,655 - 22,655 10,025 - 10,025 24,731 - 24,731 |
|
| 88,932 - 88,932 |
Following a review of the income categorisation as part of the finance review at the end of 2022, in 2023 friends subscriptions and sponsor a dog subscriptions have been incorporated within donations as they do not meet the definition of trading income within the SORP. The figures for 2023 are £27,573 and £10,501 respectively.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
23
Forever Hounds Trust
Year ended 31 December 2023
Annual report and financial statements
6. Total expenditure
| Raising funds Charitable activities Raising funds Charitable activities |
Direct staff Direct other Support Total costs costs costs funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ £ 59,057 38,157 14,153 111,367 158,267 198,989 52,011 409,267 |
|---|---|
| 217,324 237,146 66,164 520,634 |
|
| Direct staff Direct other Support Total costs costs costs funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ £ 58,207 36,688 17,357 112,252 355,442 238,951 108,722 703,115 |
|
| 413,649 275,639 126,079 815,367 |
Indirect costs, including governance costs, which cannot be directly attributed to activities, were allocated between cost centres proportionate to the direct staff and other costs allocated to those activities.
An analysis of costs of raising funds split between restricted and unrestricted funds can be found in note 7.
An analysis of charitable activities split between restricted and unrestricted funds can be found in note 8.
An analysis of staff costs can be found in note 9.
Support costs includes:
| Management staff costs Other people costs Marketing and publicity Offce premises Professional fees Administration Release of VAT provision (see note 12) Depreciation Governance |
Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 43,788 - 3,993 8,108 2,269 5,299 - 13,317 31,967 42,219 24,155 31,718 (60,447) - 16,875 21,902 3,564 3,516 |
|---|---|
| 66,164 126,079 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
24
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
6. Total expenditure (continued from previous page)
Governance costs includes:
| Independent examination Accounts preparation |
Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 1,980 1,980 1,584 1,536 |
|---|---|
| 3,564 3,516 |
7. Expenditure on raising funds
| Direct staff costs Direct other costs Support costs Direct staff costs Direct other costs Support costs |
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ 59,057 - 59,057 38,157 - 38,157 14,153 - 14,153 |
|---|---|
| 111,367 - 111,367 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ 58,207 - 58,207 36,688 - 36,688 17,357 - 17,357 |
|
| 112,252 - 112,252 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
25
Forever Hounds Trust
Year ended 31 December 2023
Annual report and financial statements
8. Expenditure on charitable activities
| Staff costs Direct staff costs Direct other costs Support costs Direct staff costs Direct other costs Support costs Gross salaries Employer's NIC Employer's pension |
Unrestricted funds Year ended 31 Dec 2023 £ 158,267 111,630 52,011 |
Restricted Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ - 158,267 87,359 198,989 - 52,011 |
|---|---|---|
| 321,908 | 87,359 409,267 |
|
| Unrestricted funds Year ended 31 Dec 2022 £ 355,442 183,063 108,722 |
Restricted Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ - 355,442 55,888 238,951 - 108,722 |
|
| 647,227 | 55,888 703,115 |
|
| Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 239,122 381,645 17,492 24,920 4,498 7,084 |
||
| 261,112 413,649 |
9. Staff costs
The average headcount during the period was 12 persons (2022: 23 persons).
No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 (2022: Nil).
The total employee benefits paid to key management personnel during the year was £56,958 (2022: £59,564).
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
26
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
10. Tangible fxed assets
| 11. Debtors and prepayments Freehold Motor Offce property vehicles equipment £ £ £ Cost As at 1 January 2023 606,404 67,103 1,461 Disposals - (23,387) - As at 31 December 2023 606,404 43,716 1,461 Accumulated depreciation As at 1 January 2023 - 61,714 1,252 Charge for the year - 3,593 209 Disposals - (23,387) - As at 31 December 2023 - 41,920 1,461 Net book value As at 1 January 2023 606,404 5,389 209 As at 31 December 2023 606,404 1,796 - Prepayments Accrued Income VAT receivable Other debtors |
Freehold Motor Offce property vehicles equipment £ £ £ 606,404 67,103 1,461 - (23,387) - |
Moveable assets Total £ £ 69,897 744,865 - (23,387) |
|---|---|---|
| 606,404 43,716 1,461 |
69,897 721,478 |
|
| - 61,714 1,252 - 3,593 209 - (23,387) - |
34,086 97,052 13,073 16,875 - (23,387) |
|
| - 41,920 1,461 |
47,159 90,540 |
|
| 606,404 5,389 209 |
35,811 647,813 |
|
| 606,404 1,796 - |
22,738 630,938 |
|
| Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 1,765 3,752 135,500 36,056 - 6,466 14,872 4,842 |
||
| 152,137 51,116 |
11. Debtors and prepayments
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
27
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 December 2023
12. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| Trade creditors Accruals HMRC payable Bank loans Other creditors |
Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 19,756 20,726 21,395 81,614 - 6,171 4,522 4,798 670 - |
|---|---|
| 46,343 113,309 |
The bank loan is secured via fixed charge against the freehold property held by the Charity in Devon.
Within accruals is an amount of £17,699 (2022: £78,098) relating to a historic error in the VAT returns which has now been resolved with HMRC with a significant reduction in the provision at year end following successful resolution. The amount accrued was paid to HMRC in March 2024 plus costs incurred in resolving this amount.
13. Creditors: amounts falling due in more than one year
| Bank loan | Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 274,877 279,400 |
|---|---|
| 274,877 279,400 |
The bank loan is secured via fixed charge against the freehold property held by the Charity in Devon.
The aggregate amount of liabilities payable or repayable wholly or in part more than five years after the reporting date is:
| Bank loan | Total Total funds funds Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2022 £ £ 252,180 258,608 |
|---|---|
| 252,180 258,608 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
28
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
- Analysis of charity funds
| Unrestricted funds Designated funds Property fund Designated funds General fund Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Support dogs PawPrints Charitable Trust ADCH cost of living Kennel enrichment Polytunnel Various - veterinary fees Restricted funds Total funds |
Balance Income Expenditure Transfers Balance brought for the in the between carried forward period period funds forward Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ £ £ 322,206 - - 4,799 327,005 |
|---|---|
| 322,206 - - 4,799 327,005 192,598 610,691 (433,275) (4,799) 365,215 |
|
| 514,804 610,691 (433,275) - 692,220 |
|
| - 3,859 (3,859) - - 40,000 - (40,000) - - - 3,000 (3,000) - - - 1,500 (1,500) - - - 2,200 - - 2,200 - 39,000 (39,000) - - |
|
| 40,000 49,559 (87,359) - 2,200 |
|
| 554,804 660,250 (520,634) - 694,420 |
Property fund
The property fund relates to the net value of funds caught up within the kennels in Devon. It comprises of the cost of the property net of the outstanding mortgage loan.
Support dogs
These were funds received to support costs of dogs within the kennels.
Pawprints Charitable Trust
These were funds to support a veterinary and physiotherapy suite at the Devon centre.
ADCH cost of living
These were funds to support with kennel and veterinary costs.
Kennel enrichment
These were funds to support kennel enrichment activities.
Polytunnel
These were funds to support construction of a polytunnel at the Devon centre.
Veterinary fees
These were funds received to support the veterinary costs of dogs.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
29
Forever Hounds Trust
Year ended 31 December 2023
Annual report and financial statements
14. Analysis of charity funds (continued from previous page)
| Unrestricted funds Designated funds Property fund Designated funds General fund Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Battersea Animal Partners Grant Co-op Local Community fund Mrs D M France - Hayhurst Foundation - Van donation Jean Salisbury Animal Welfare Trust Support Adoption for Pets - Vet costs LE Andrews - Van donation Battersea Dogs and Cats - van for behavourists Animal Friends Insurance PawPrints Charitable Trust Battersea Dogs and Cats Home Valaries White Memorial Trust Various - veterinary fees Animal Defence Trust Restricted funds Total funds |
Balance Income Expenditure Transfers Balance brought for the in the between carried forward period period funds forward Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ £ £ 314,992 - - 7,214 322,206 |
|---|---|
| 314,992 - - 7,214 322,206 274,922 684,369 (759,479) (7,214) 192,598 |
|
| 589,914 684,369 (759,479) - 514,804 |
|
6,984 - (6,984) - - 161 - (161) - - 2,813 - (2,813) - - (241) 5,000 (4,759) - - 3,246 - (3,246) - - 3,125 - (3,125) - - 2,500 - (2,500) - - 2,000 - (2,000) - - 40,000 - - - 40,000 10,000 - (10,000) - - 500 - (500) - - - 18,800 (18,800) - 1,000 (1,000) - - |
|
| 71,088 24,800 (55,888) - 40,000 |
|
| 661,002 709,169 (815,367) - 554,804 |
Battersea Animal Partners Grant
These were funds towards the Home from Home cabin at Midsomer Pet Lodge.
Co-op Local Community Fund
These were funds received to support beds, vet sundries, and other costs in the eastern region.
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
30
Year ended 31 December 2023
Forever Hounds Trust Annual report and financial statements
14. Analysis of charity funds (continued from previous page)
Van donations
These were funds received to support the purchase of new vans.
Animal Friends Insurance
These were funds received to support the costs of food for dogs at the Devon centre.
Battersea Dogs and Cats
These were funds to support safety and comfort enhancements at the Devon centre.
Valarie White Memorial Trust
These were funds to support enhancements at the Devon centre.
Animal Defence Trust
These were funds to support installation of CCTV at the Devon centre.
15. Analysis of net assets
| Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Non current liabilities Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Non current liabilities |
General Designated Restricted Total funds funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 £ £ £ £ 24,534 606,404 - 630,938 382,502 - 2,200 384,702 (41,821) (4,522) - (46,343) - (274,877) - (274,877) |
|---|---|
| 365,215 327,005 2,200 694,420 |
|
| General Designated Restricted Total funds funds funds funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 31 Dec 2022 £ £ £ £ 41,409 606,404 - 647,813 259,700 - 40,000 299,700 (108,511) (4,798) - (113,309) - (279,400) - (279,400) |
|
| 192,598 322,206 40,000 554,804 |
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
31
Forever Hounds Trust
Year ended 31 December 2023
Annual report and financial statements
16. Analysis of net debt
| Cash at bank and in hand Bank loans due within one year Bank loans due within more than one year Cash at bank and in hand Bank loans due within one year Bank loans due within more than one year |
At 1 At 31 January Cash Other December 2023 movements movements 2023 £ £ £ £ 234,383 (9,246) - 225,137 (4,798) 276 - (4,522) (279,400) 4,523 - (274,877) |
|---|---|
| (49,815) (4,447) - (54,262) |
|
| At 1 At 31 January Cash Other December 2022 movements movements 2022 £ £ £ £ 313,910 (79,527) - 234,383 (7,595) 2,797 - (4,798) (283,817) 4,417 - (279,400) |
|
| 22,498 (72,313) - (49,815) |
17. Trustee remuneration
During the year, no trustee received any remuneration (2022: £Nil). No members of the Board of Trustees received reimbursement of expenses (2022: £Nil).
18. Related party transactions
During the year there were no related party transactions (2022: £Nil).
Charity number 1131399 Company number 06985367
32
FOREVER HOUNDS TRUST Mothing greyhwrds ond lurchers b hoppy homes