Annual Report and Financial Statements
For the year ended 31 March 2025
2024 2025
NOWANS
COMMUNITY TRUST
Cover photo by Superdry: Fabrics of Colour photo shoot 2023
© 2025 Nowans Community Trust
Charity registration No: 1137971
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Table of contents
| 01 | Reference and administrative details | p3 |
|---|---|---|
| 02 | Our purpose | p4 |
| 03 | 03Vision, mission and values | p4 |
| 04 | Our public benefit, aims and objectives | p5 |
| 05 | Our theory of change | p6 |
| 06 | Structure, governance and management | p7 |
| 07 | Year summary | p8 |
| 08 | Achievements and performance | p9 |
| 09 | Plans for next year | p16 |
| 10 | Safeguarding | p17 |
| 11 | Financial review | p17 |
| 12 | Statement of trustees’ responsibilities | p18 |
| 13 | 13Thank you | p19 |
| 14 | 14 Independent Examiners’ Report |
p20 |
| 15 | 15Financial Statements | p21-23 |
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The trustees present their report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. The reference and administrative details set out below, form part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the trust deed and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
Reference and administrative details
Registered charity name Nowans Community Trust Charity registration number 1137971 Other names the charity uses Lives of Colour
Charity’s principal address Nowans Community Trust (Lives of Colour) Hub8 MX Building, Chester Walk, Cheltenham. GL50 3JZ. Trustees Moira Kathryn William Appointed 20 Jan 2022 Femi Omisore Appointed 20 Jan 2022 Left August 2025 Dr. Feyi Atinuke Tayo Appointed 01 Feb 2022 Left September 2025 Dr. Lauren Denkins Appointed 04 Apr 2023 Left November 2025 Hilda Gillingham Appointed 08 Aug 2023 Sarah Pickering Appointed 09 Nov 2023
Independent examiner
Abbas Shapuri ACA Third Sector Accountancy Ltd Holyoake House Hanover Street Manchester, M60 0AS
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Our purpose
Sadly, deep-seated inequality of all types - spanning gender, religion, age, disability, ethnicity, and sexuality, remains a persistent and painful reality. We believe that ignoring these disparities simply allows them to fester - breeding fear, resentment and misunderstanding that tear the fabric of our society.
In a world defined by diversity, many organisations are failing to adapt, missing out on innovative opportunities to engage new audiences. We believe that only by acknowledging the power of diversity – by embracing differences in experience and thought, will we root out inequality and foster a harmonious environment in which organisations can create new and powerful narratives, realise their full potential and thrive.
Nowans Community Trust was initially founded to support orphans, young people, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and other marginalised communities in both the UK and Kenya. Over the past 11 years however, recognising the need to promote inclusivity in the UK, we decided to pause our work in Kenya and dedicate our efforts to developing and refining our UK programme. Lives of Colour was therefore established to lead this work. It collaborates with businesses and statutory agencies to champion diversity and educate organisations on the importance of diversity and inclusion. And, through its community initiatives, it seeks to amplify the narratives of ethnically diverse communities.
Our vision
“To create a world of curiosity that allows everyone to learn, celebrate and embrace differences”
Our mission
“To elevate the voices of ethnically and culturally diverse communities through education, events and training with a focus on creating equitable futures in Gloucestershire”
Our values
| Curiosity Opening the door to different points of view, facilitating insights and understanding, inviting involvement and inspiring greater inclusivity. |
Collaboration Groups and individuals who truly collaborate see the value in working together. |
Candour Honesty and trust are about creating a culture of openness. They are rooted in interactions between us all, as well as the principle of acting in the best interests of others. |
Courage Courage requires an ability to understand societal inequality and its impact (both positive and negative) on yourself and others. It requires us all to remove obstacles to inclusiveness. |
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Our public benefit
Established as a registered charity in 2010, Nowans Community Trust (Lives of Colour) serves the public interest by supporting orphans, young people and marginalised groups, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, in both the UK and Kenya.
Our aims and objectives
The charity strengthens communities culturally, socio-economically and through education by focusing on the following areas:
a) The prevention and alleviation of poverty - prioritising the welfare and wellbeing of young people by ensuring access to safe, affordable housing, skills, training and employment opportunities which are needed to build sustainable futures
b) The advancement of education - establishing an academy in the UK and a school in Kenya, complemented by the development of educational resources to empower young people and communities
c) The advancement of community development - delivering workshops,
forums and advocacy to guide young people and their families towards achieving financial independence, exploring entrepreneurship and acquiring digital and leadership skills
d) The advancement of arts, culture and heritage - providing platforms through the Lives of Colour initiative, to celebrate cultural heritage, share knowledge, and acknowledge the lived experiences of minority ethnic communities in the UK
e) The promotion of racial harmony, diversity and inclusion - establishing a
race equity institute in the UK to promote research, development and initiatives that foster inclusion and equity
f) Relief for those in need - supporting individuals facing age-related challenges, ill health, disability or financial hardship through advice, signposting and partnerships to ensure access to the resources necessary for full participation in society.
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The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity's aims, objectives and activities remained focused on its stated purposes.
The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.
Our theory of change
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Structure, governance and management
Company information
The Nowans Community Trust (also known as Lives of Colour) is a charitable company registered on 5[th] September 2010 under charity number 1137971. It is constituted as an unincorporated association, under a trust deed, which outlines the charity’s purposes, powers, governance and management.
Organisational structure, management and decision-making
Working under the direction of the board of trustees, the charity is led by its founder and director. A staff team of three (as of 31/03/25) provide day-to-day delivery functions. The staff team and overall management of the charity is overseen by the board. The board of trustees meet monthly to discuss the charity’s strategic direction and ensure its aims, objectives and legal obligations are being met. They are also responsible for ensuring the charity has strong and effective governance arrangements, including a sound system of internal control.
Recruiting and appointing new trustees
Nowans Community Trust has an active and productive board of six trustees, comprised of a chair and five other trustees. Recruitment of new trustees is transparent and based on candidates’ skill, knowledge and experience. All trustees are appointed for an initial term of 3 years. No trustee may serve more than 9 years, unless in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement from the board. From the year 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025, there were no appointments or retirements.
Appointment of our chair
Our chair is usually appointed from amongst our existing trustees. If no trustee is willing to stand for appointment or if it is determined that there are no suitable candidates from within the existing pool of trustees, an appointment committee will be convened and candidates will be sought through open advertisement.
Related parties
There are no subsidiaries or charities controlled by the same trustees.
Risk management
Identifying and mitigating risk is a key task for the CEO in consultation with the board of trustees. A risk log is used to monitor organisational risks and is regularly reviewed and updated.
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Year summary
2024/25 has been a transformative year for Nowans Community Trust – one marked by significant growth, expansion and celebration.
Funding received from the National Lottery in April 2024, has enabled us to build our internal capacity and shift from being volunteer led to employing paid staff, which has increased our capacity to deliver on our strategic objectives. With a larger staff team, we’ve been able to deepen our partnership working, explore new and potentially game-changing stakeholder engagement opportunities, roll out new programmes and consider new fundraising avenues.
The funding will also enable us to provide enjoyable and empowering afterschool education and mentorship to ethnically diverse students and to step up coordination of Cheltenham Alliance for Race Equity, which aims to address racial injustice and promote systemic change across Gloucestershire.
We were also the grateful beneficiaries of funding from the Diocese of Gloucester this year, which has enabled us to start exploring the cost of securing and refurbishing a new premises for our organisation.
In October 2024, we hosted an event to celebrate ten years of Black History Month in Cheltenham. Convening stakeholders, community members and businesses together, we enjoyed an evening of music, delicious food and powerful exhibitions that showcased the incredible work and achievements of Gloucestershire’s Black community.
During the same month, at the Sporting Equals Awards, we were delighted to receive the prestigious Swim England Aquatics Champion Award in partnership with Swim Design Space for our Swimmers of Colour programme. The award recognised our efforts to drive up participation in aquatics amongst ethnically diverse communities by creating and implementing inclusive, affordable and culturally sensitive sessions.
Our move in January 2025, to Hub8 MX, a prime co-working space in the heart of Cheltenham has helped us to elevate our presence in the community and accelerate our networking and relationship-building opportunities. Although only a temporary home, it has provided us with the physical space, support and connections needed to start broadening our reach.
And finally, in February 2025, recognising the importance of nurturing our relationship with Kisumu, the Kenyan town with which Cheltenham is twinned, we presented at the Nyanza International Investment Conference, in Kisumu. Attracting professionals, government officials, ambassadors and diaspora community from Kenya and across rest of the world, the conference provided us with an invaluable platform to highlight the work of Lives of Colour and strengthen both regions culturally, socioeconomically and through education.
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Achievements and performance
The charity's main activities and beneficiaries are described below. All our charitable activities focus on elevating cultural voices and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the benefit of the public, in line with the Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice): FRS 102.
We have grouped the performance of our activities and programmes under our organisation’s five pillars: 1. community voices, 2. racial justice and system change, 3. health and wellbeing, 4. advice and guidance and 5. community engagement.
Community voices
At the heart of our work lies the voices of our community. We recognise that only by elevating and listening to the voices of those most affected by hardship and inequality, will we be able to achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
We therefore do our utmost to create space for these perspectives and actively encourage those with lived experience to guide our priorities and shape the solutions.
Ongoing engagement and dialogue are key to ensuring that our projects are both co-produced by those the community and responsive to their needs.
Let’s Speak On It
In January 2025, we hosted, ‘Let’s Speak On It’, our annual community consultation which drew together around fifty individuals of various ages from across Cheltenham, to share their thoughts and feedback about our organisation’s activities and upcoming projects. The event was an important space for community members to come together and discuss their challenges and opportunities and for Lives of Colour to reinforce our vision, highlight our achievements from across the year and introduce new members of staff.
We also discussed and received feedback on new and upcoming projects, including an after-school club offering a range of fun, inclusive and educational activities for African and Afro-Caribbean students and, ‘Mothers of Colour’ a community-based support group that aims to empower ethnically diverse mothers during their perinatal journey by addressing the specific challenges they face.
We’re thrilled that our consultation created a safe space for community members to come together, voice their perspectives and feed into our work. However, we know that having a dedicated meeting space would encourage even more connection, collaboration and discourse, which is crucial to ensuring our community feel seen, heard and empowered.
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Racial justice and system change
Racial inequality continues to persist and affect the lives of so many ethnically diverse communities. From education and employment to housing, healthcare and the justice system, people of colour continue to face prejudice, discrimination and stubborn disparities that adversely affect their life experiences and outcomes. These challenges are not simply the result of isolated, individual actions - rather they are systemic - deeply embedded into the systems and practices that shape our daily lives.
Racial justice is not simply a social goal; it’s the bedrock upon which we create fair and thriving communities. By prioritising racial justice and system change, we work towards a future that’s more inclusive, equitable and sustainable for all.
Mothers of Colour
Between September 2024 and January 2025, we undertook a scoping exercise focusing on the mental wellbeing of Black women during their perinatal journey.
Our findings revealed that Black women experience the highest risk of adverse birth outcomes. Compared to women of other ethnicities, Black women experience worse outcomes in a range of areas, including being three times more likely to die during childbirth than White women.
The findings also identified two main gaps. One is the lack of adequate access to culturally competent healthcare provision for Black women and the other was the lack of a sufficient evidence base around how to address these challenges in rural and semi-rural areas.
From these findings, our project ‘Mothers of Colour’ was born, which aims to create a community-based support group that addresses the specific challenges faced by women from African, Caribbean and mixed heritage, during their perinatal period. It focuses on boosting their psychological wellbeing and providing support around a range of topics including maternal health, mental wellness and newborn care.
Following the scoping project, in February 2025, we had the opportunity to present our findings at the NHS perinatal infant mental health marketplace event. Organised by the local maternity and neonatal care team and the health visiting team, the event provided health and care professionals from across the public and voluntary sectors with vital networking opportunities and information on the various types of mental health support provision available during pregnancy and early parenthood.
As well as enabling us to connect with like-minded organisations around women’s perinatal journey, the event also allowed us to showcase the work we’re doing more broadly to support ethnically diverse communities.
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Health and wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of our community is of paramount importance to us and therefore a key priority within our work. By raising awareness of the various avenues to psychological and physical wellbeing that are available, our community will begin to feel supported and empowered to access services and activities that may not have considered before.
Beyond supporting individuals, our health and wellbeing work also helps to advance equity and racial justice within our community. We use our programmes and initiatives to tackle deep-seated disparities and break down barriers.
Swimmers of Colour
Swimming is more than simply a sport or leisure activity; it’s recognised as a lifesaving skill and a transformative pathway to wellness, confidence and social connection.
However, historically Black communities have faced systemic exclusion from swimming spaces, driven by segregation, socioeconomic disparities and cultural barriers. Such exclusion has resulted in generational gaps in water safety knowledge within the Black community, which in turn has contributed to disproportionately high drowning rates. In fact, the 2023 National Child Mortality Database trauma report stated that the risk of drowning was 3.5 times higher for children of Black or Black British ethnicity than White.[1]
Therefore during 2024/25, as part of our commitment to promoting and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our community, we launched our third season of Swimmers of Colour. This project aims to reverse the legacy of exclusion and fear handed down through the generations and provide ethnically and culturally diverse communities with safe, inclusive and empowering aquatic experiences. We want all participants to be able to swim, connect with others and be safe in the water by improving their water
Between October 2024 and May 2025, 20 Black and Asian women from across Gloucester and Cheltenham participated in our swimming initiative, with each bringing their own unique fears, aspirations and motivations to the pool. Some opened up about their fear of water, linked to past trauma or family experiences of drowning. Others sought a culturally safe and supportive community or were keen to improve their physical wellbeing.
1 https://www.ncmd.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NCMD-Trauma-Thematic-Report.pdf
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Supported by Sport England and delivered by Swim Design, using a traumainformed and community centred approach, the event was launched online with participants welcomed and their upcoming journey outlined. Weekly sessions were then held over 26 weeks at two venues with three certified instructors, providing swim instruction grounded in Swim England’s Adult Framework. Throughout the programme, participants developed foundational swimming skills (floating, freestyle and backstroke) and were supported to overcome their fear of deep water.
Following completion of the programme, we were delighted with both the intended and wider outcomes achieved. All participants achieved stage 1 of the programme - to be water confident, 16 then progressed to stage 2, to be a swimmer and four participants reached stage 3, to be a better swimmer. All are now safer, stronger and more confident both in and outside of the water and have overcome generational and cultural barriers to swimming. In addition, they’ve built new friendships and support networks in a culturally affirming space.
As an organisation, Swimmers of Colour has helped us to strengthen our knowledge and expertise of inclusive programme delivery and deepen ties with underrepresented communities. And, for the community, our swimming initiative has helped inactive women, approximately 70 % of whom were from lower-income households, access enjoyable, safe and inclusive physical activity. It has also tackled gender and racial disparities in swimming participation and established the foundations for a sustained network of Swimmers of Colour alumni.
We’re proud of what the programme has achieved and excited to explore how, with further support and refinement, it could reach and positively impact even more people across African and Afro-Caribbean communities and create new and lasting legacies of health, inclusion and belonging.
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Advice, guidance and support
Key to all our programmes is advice, guidance and support, in whichever form that takes – awareness-raising, information-dissemination or mentorship. By providing such services, we are better able to empower our community - enabling them to understand their rights, options and available resources, make more informed decisions and ignite positive change.
Rising Stars After-School Club
In March 2025, as part of our advice, guidance and support offer, we designed and launched a two-year mentorship programme, aimed at supporting 50 children of African and Afro-Caribbean heritage from schools across the county and shaping their personal and academic development. We worked in partnership with the Church of England and the University of Gloucestershire, from where we sourced volunteer mentors and All Saints Academy, that provided us with a venue to host the pilot programme.
A key driver of this initiative was concerning data around school exclusions in Gloucestershire, which shows that African and Afro-Caribbean students are 5.6% more likely to face multiple fixed-term exclusions, compared to their White British peers.
This insight inspired us to research and design a 16-week structured curriculum, which would offer participants a range of diverse enrichment activities aimed at enabling children to build self-esteem and develop new skills.
Key to the success of this mentoring programme was ensuring the curriculum supported bespoke and individualised student development across a range of personal goals. Such goals included building personal confidence, improving academic progress and attainment, the development of social and emotional skills and engagement in physical activity and general wellbeing.
During this reporting year, we have launched two after school clubs and reached about half of our student target of 50, with strong retention and engagement. In addition, nearly every student on the programme has set personal goals. Of particular note has been the number of students engaging in physical activity or school sport, which is beginning to have noticeable effects on confidence and energy levels, academic motivation and projected outcomes, teamwork and collaboration skills and overall maturity and responsibility.
We have also achieved additional outcomes including the formation of new, strategic partnerships with key public sector and voluntary and community sector organisations and increased recognition and visibility of the programme which could potentially pave the way for future programme expansion.
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Community engagement
We know that if we are to empower communities, enhance social cohesion and improve people’s life experiences and outcomes, we need to build a strong and lasting network of people and partnerships that together can collaborate, resource-share and provide support. To enable this, much of our work centres on engaging and connecting organisations and communities together, raising awareness of the strengths, passions and assets that exist within a place and harnessing this energy to solve challenges that arise.
Collaboration with Gloucestershire County Council
Since August 2024, Lives of Colour has been working in collaboration with Gloucestershire County Council, education providers and other relevant partners, to develop a race equity framework for schools in Cheltenham. Its aim is to promote racial equity across the town’s schools and improve the educational outcomes of ethnically diverse students.
Historically, data and research have shown that in comparison to their White peers, Afro-Caribbean and African students typically experience poorer learning and wellbeing outcomes whilst at school. These findings along with discussions held by the Southwest Equality Action Group between 2021 and 2024, prompted the Cheltenham Alliance for Race Equity (a project led by Lives of Colour), to address this disparity and home in on education as a focus area.
The framework will be informed by the views and experiences of Black and ethnically diverse young people across the county, good practice guidance on promoting race equality and equity in education, the legal requirements of the Equality Act and the lived experience of parents, teachers and students. We are continuing to shape the framework alongside our partners and are excited to see how it will develop over the course of the next year. In particular we look forward to working with the Cheltenham Education Partnership during the next academic year.
Lectures at the University of Gloucestershire
In March 2025, we had the opportunity to deliver two lectures to students at the University of Gloucestershire. One focused on how degrees in humanities are used in day-to-day life and the other, delivered to education students, raised awareness of our after-school mentorship programme and encouraged students to think flexibly about how they might use their degree beyond a career in teaching. Following both lectures we provided students with information on how they could volunteer with us. In delivering the lectures, we hope to have highlighted the value of these degrees and specifically, the role they can play in addressing social justice issues. We also hope to have raised awareness of the work we do and explored some capacity-building opportunities.
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Operational achievements and performance
This year, Lives of Colour underwent significant organisational development and expansion.
In January, we moved to Hub8MX, our new home in the heart of Cheltenham. This vibrant space provides us with invaluable opportunities to collaborate, network and establish new strategic partnerships within the community.
Additionally, during 2024/25, following receipt of National Lottery funding, we built capacity within the organisation by expanding our staff team. We now have on board a coordinator, a fixed-term researcher, a role focused on developing children and young people in school and two further roles which will support the Mothers of Colour project and wider Lives of Colour activities. We have also recruited a freelancer to support with organisational development and help the charity comply with its governance requirements.
Furthermore, we have been working with an exceptional human resources (HR) consultant who has provided us with professional and practical support around our organisational development. We’ve received support with advertising, recruitment and appointment processes, contract requirements, salary queries, policy development and general advice and consultancy as and when the need has arisen. This additional capacity has enabled us to strengthen our processes, unpick and work through any sticky HR issues and map out our longer-term vision and goals.
Through our HR consultant, we’ve also been introduced to two individuals who have experience of partnership building, strategic research, fundraising and business development which could add huge value to our organisation, particularly with regards to our plans to secure further investment and broaden our reach.
We also strengthened our partnership with the Diocese of Gloucester this year. Seed funding received from them, enabled us to work with the Social Research Builders, to explore relocation opportunities - specifically the move to a new hub in the heart of Cheltenham. Currently our community services run across three different sites in the town, leaving our resources and capacity stretched. Having a hub would enable people from our community to convene, connect and share experiences, help us strengthen our work with local partners and create a more inclusive and connected community to which everyone feels they belong.
In the last couple of years, we have reached over 3000 residents within Gloucestershire. Our ultimate goal is to have the capacity and resources to reach 100,000 residents by 2028. To achieve this, our organisational development will remain a top priority. We will continue to strengthen our internal systems and governance, build capacity and amplify our fundraising.
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Plans for next year
2025/26 is set to be another exciting and busy year for us.
We hope to finalise discussions with Cheltenham Borough Council to secure a building in the town centre – a larger central hub that will enable us to bring our community together, strengthen local partnerships and expand our reach.
Following the success of ‘Swimmers of Colour,’ we’ll be exploring the feasibility of expanding this programme regionally. We want to ensure that as many people from African and Afro-Caribbean heritage have access to safe, inclusive and culturally appropriate swimming sessions, so that they too can access the health and wellbeing benefits that swimming has to offer.
We’re also excited to be working more closely with the Cheltenham Education Partnership. Over the course of the next academic year, we’ll be supporting them with several planned events including:
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Horizons Council – which will bring together secondary school pupils, experts and policy makers to discuss contemporary issues facing young people today
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Young Designers - a competition encouraging young people to think of race equity through the lens of creativity, specifically wearable art
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a model United Nations event - enabling students to simulate UN debates and tackle global issues
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the co-curation of a Voicebox event at the Cheltenham Literature Festival which will explore inclusivity.
Our work to develop the race equity framework for schools in Cheltenham will also continue and we hope it will have a ripple effect - encouraging other schools across the county to consider the experience of ethnically diverse students at school.
Other projects such as Mothers of Colour and our Rising Stars after-school club will expand and develop too and we look forward to reporting on the impact from these projects in next year’s report.
Looking further afield, after a 10-year hiatus, we will be re-establishing our collaboration with organisations in Kenya, in an effort to meet our charitable objectives of strengthening both regions culturally, socioeconomically and through education.
And finally, we’re excited to embark on a new learning partnership with Elizabeth Pfeister, an expert in equity driven organisational change and building collective action to change systems. We look forward to working with her to develop our impact and evaluation framework, so that we can better capture and measure our work and its effectiveness.
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Safeguarding
At Nowans Community Trust, we take our commitment to safeguarding seriously. All staff and trustees at the charity have undertaken safeguarding training and we have in place a safeguarding policy which is reviewed consistently.
Financial overview
Financial Performance
During the year ended 31 March 2025, the trust received total income of 142,914 and incurred total expenditure of £114,721.
Income and Expenditure
Income was derived mainly from grants and donations and was applied in furtherance of the trust’s charitable purposes. Expenditure comprised charitable activity costs and governance costs. The trustees confirm that funds have been applied in accordance with the trust deed and the charity’s objects.
Restricted Funds
At 31 March 2025, the trust held £21,107 in restricted funds, representing unspent grant income held on trust for specific purposes. These funds will be applied in accordance with the terms of the relevant grants.
Financial Position and Going Concern
The trustees have reviewed the trust’s financial position and cash resources and are satisfied that the trust has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The accounts have therefore been prepared on a going concern basis.
Reserves policy
The aim of the reserves policy is to ensure that the charity’s ongoing and future activities are reasonably protected from unexpected fluctuations in its income and expenditure. The board reviewed the reserves policy and agreed that a minimum level of unrestricted general funds, also known as free reserves of £30,000 would be appropriate given the risks faced by the charity and the sustainability of its different income streams.
The trustees define free reserves as unrestricted funds available for general use, not designated for specific purposes or invested in fixed assets.
The trustees’ policy is to maintain free reserve equivalent to approximately three months of normal expenditure. At the end year end, the trust held no free reserves, as unrestricted funds were fully applied to delivering charitable activities in line with the trust’s objects.
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The trustees are confident that this approach is appropriate for the trust’s current operations, as the trust primarily receives income on a project-by-project basis and applies it immediately to its charitable work. The trustees review income and expenditure regularly and are satisfied that the trust has sufficient resources to continue to operate effectively in the coming year.
Statement of trustees’ responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the report of the trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable group for that period.
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
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observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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state whether applicable UK accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charity, and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the governing document. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregularities.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on: 28 / 01 / 2026
and signed on their behalf by
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sarah Pickering Dr. Lauren Denkins (Chair of Trustees)
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Thank you
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We thank you for your continued support of our programmes
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Nowans Community Trust
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31/03/2025.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
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 – emphasis of matter
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
In carrying out my examination, my opening balances testing highlighted errors in the prior year accounts. The prior year accounts did not agree with the accounting records. In the current year, the prior year has been restated, with testing performed to ensure accuracy and completeness.
I confirm that there are no other matters to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Abbas Shapuri ACA Third Sector Accountancy Limited Holyoake House Hanover Street Manchester M60 0AS
27 / 01 / 2026
Doc ID: cbad85f9b7db1557982aaaae04dfe67acf38521a
|||||||1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
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Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
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To
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from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
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To
For the period
from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
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To
For the period
from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
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For the period
from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
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Charity Name
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ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
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ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
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ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
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ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
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Receipts and payments accounts
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from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
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Charity Name
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from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
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from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
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from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
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For the period
from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
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For the period
from
ee ee ee|1137971
Nowans Community Trust
01/04/2024
31/03/2025
No (if any)
Charity Name
Receipts and payments accounts
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ee ee ee||CC16a
||CC16a
||CC16a
||CC16a
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Section A Receipts and payments|Section A Receipts and payments||||Section A Receipts and payments|||||||||||||||||||||
|||||||Unrestricted
funds|||Restricted
funds||||Endowment
funds||Endowment||||Total funds|||||Last year||
|||||||to the nearest £||to the nearest £|to the nearest £||||to the nearest £||||||to the nearest £|||||to the nearest £||
|A1 Receipts||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|Donation Income||||||8,355|8,355||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||8,355|8,355|||22,096|22,096||
|Trading Income||||||8,000|8,000||-|-|-||||||||8,000|8,000||||||
|Grant Income||||||11,550|11,550||114,770|114,770|114,770||-|-|-|-|-||126,320|126,320|||34,140|34,140||
|Contract Income||||||-|-||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||2,000|2,000||
|Interest Income||||||239|239||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||239|239|||63|63||
|||||||-|-||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||-|-||
|||||||-|-||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||-|-||
|||||||-|-||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||-|-||
|||||||-|-||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||-|-||
|Sub total(Gross income for|||(Gross income for
AR)|||(Gross income for
AR)28,144|28,144||114,770|114,770|114,770||-|-|-|-|-||142,914|142,914|||58,299|58,299||
|A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total -
-
-
-
-
Total receipts
28,144
114,770
-
142,914
58,299
———_~~——~~—||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|A3 Payments||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|Accountancy Fees||||||650|650||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||650|650|||650|650||
|Consultancy fees||||||8,648|8,648||18,142|18,142|18,142||-|-|-|-|-||26,790|26,790|||1,220|1,220||
|Freelance and Contractors||||||4,126|4,126||1,164|1,164|1,164||-|-|-|-|-||5,290|5,290|||30,512|30,512||
|Insurance||||||1,287|1,287||456|456|456||-|-|-|-|-||1,743|1,743|||1,078|1,078||
|IT costs||||||475|475||9,271|9,271|9,271||-|-|-|-|-||9,746|9,746|||-|-||
|Marketing||||||-|-||2,450|2,450|2,450||-|-|-|-|-||2,450|2,450|||600|600||
|Project Delivery Costs||||||2,642|2,642||34,538|34,538|34,538||||||||37,180|37,180|||11,293|11,293||
|Rent and Property Costs||||||-|-||1,800|1,800|1,800||||||||1,800|1,800|||-|-||
|Room Hire||||||275|275||3,050|3,050|3,050||||||||3,325|3,325|||191|191||
|Salaries and Wages||||||6,111|6,111||15,435|15,435|15,435||||||||21,546|21,546|||-|-||
|Stationery and Admin||||||23|23||70|70|70||||||||93|93|||-|-||
|Subscriptions||||||48|48||-|-|-||||||||48|48|||292|292||
|Training||||||-|-||395|395|395||||||||395|395|||1,600|1,600||
|Travel, Subsistence and Transport Costs|Travel, Subsistence and Transport Costs|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|||||||2,245|2,245||112|112|112||||||||2,357|2,357|||1,415|1,415||
|Volunteer expenses||||||826|826||482|482|482||||||||1,308|1,308|||586|586||
|Other expenses||||||-|-||-|-|-||||||||||||408|408||
||||||||||-|-|-||-|-|-|-|-||-|-|||-|-||
|||||Sub total ||27,356|27,356||87,365|87,365|87,365||-|-|-|-|-||114,721|114,721|||49,845|49,845||
|A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total -
-
-
-
-
Total payments
27,356
87,365
-
114,721
49,845
SSS~~S—~~||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|Net of receipts/(payments)||||||788||788|27,405|27,405||27,405|-|-|-|-|-|-|28,193|28,193|28,193|||8,454|8,454|
|A5 Transfers between funds||||A5 Transfers between funds||-|-|-|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -||-|-||||-|-|
|A6 Cash funds last year end|A6 Cash funds last year end||||A6 Cash funds last year end|16,491||16,491|- 6,298|- 6,298||- 6,298|-|-|-|-|-||10,193|10,193||||1,739|1,739|
|Cash funds this year end||||Cash funds this year end||17,279||17,279|21,107|21,107||21,107|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386|- 38,386||||10,193|10,193|
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
24/01/2026
1
Doc ID: cbad85f9b7db1557982aaaae04dfe67acf38521a
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
==> picture [456 x 663] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Bank balances 17,279 21,107 -
- - -
- - -
Total cash funds 17,279 21,107 -
(agree balances with receipts and payments
=== account(s)) OK == OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets - - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
=—===
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
===
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the - -
charity’s own use - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
====
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities -
-
-
-
-
===
Signed by one or two trustees on Date of
behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approval
Sarah Pickering 28 / 01 / 2026
Section C Notes to the financial statements
We noted that the figures in the prior year accounts were incorrect therefore the prior year figures
C1 Prior year adjustment have been restated to ensure correct comparative figures.
—
----- End of picture text -----
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
24/01/2026
2
Doc ID: cbad85f9b7db1557982aaaae04dfe67acf38521a