Company registration iiuinbei.: 07?935?1 Chai'ity registration nuinbei.: 1138908 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre (A company limited by guarantee) Annual Report and Financial Statements foi. the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Contents Refei'ence and Adin inistrative Details Trustees, Repoi't ?to5 Siatenienc ofTI'u51ees' Responslblliiies Independent Exainiiier's Repoit Statement of Financial Activities Stat¢inent of Financial Position Notes to the Finaiicial Statements Ioto 17 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Reference and Administrative Details Trustees P S Walton D E Whitakei- (resigned 14 November 2023) P Humphries F Woolley S Lewis S Freeinan K Paddan Z Boyko V Marsh Principal Office 3-5 Fredei'ick Street H indley Wigyan WN2 3BD Registered Office 3-5 firdei'ick Street 14 iiidley Wigan WN2 3BD The ¢h8rily is incorporated in England. 07293521 Company Registration Number Cliarity Registration Num ber 1138908 Solicitors Stephensons Solicitors LLP I st Floor Sefton House North&yate Close Horwich Bolton BL6 6PQ Accountants PAHull&Co Beecli l.louse 23 Ladies Lane Hindley Wigan WN? 2QA Page I Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Trustees, Report The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law. present the annual report together with the financial statements of the cliaritable company for the yeai. ended 31 March 2024. Vision To ci'eate a carer-friendly Wigan where evely cai'er is eiiipowei'ed. respected, and suppoited to lead a fulfill ing life. balancing their carin(r I'esponsibilities with personal aspirations and well-being. Mission At Wigan and Leigh CaiErs Cents'e, we are dedicated to Inalcing a positive diffei'ence in the lives of carers of all ages. Our In ission 19 to.. Em power carers with a l-ange of support and life opportunities Re5pettr and prioi'itise the wislies and choices of carers in how they receive support Provide individual ised support Ihal focu5¢s on what is important to eacli carer Ensure cai'ers have a voice in shaping the services they I'eceive. recogn ising ihem as experts in care Raise awai'eiiess of the vital role of carers within tlie coimmiin ity and work collaboratively with local organisalions to build a supportive environment Objectives, Strategie5 and Aetivitles Wigan and Leigh CArers Centre (WLCC) is dedicated to supporting cai'ers of all ages in the Wigan borou&FII. Wigan and Leibvh Carers Ceiith'e provides support, gTuidance and advice lo people who air idenlified as uiipaid cai'ers aiid live withiii Ilie Wigan boi'ougli and surrouiiding area. Tlie cai-ei-s we support play a crucial IDle in holdiiig faniilies togetlier. enabliiig tliose they care foi. to live fulfillii)g l ives. Tlie cai'ei's we suppoi'l are aci'oss all ages iiicluding, Youiig Cai'ei's aged 5-17 and Young Adult Carers aged 18-25. Carei's Inalce an eiiorinous coiitributioii to society and save tlie econoiny bi Ilions of pounds. However, many unpaid cat'ers al'e stretclied lo Iheii. liinits, juggl ing cal'e with work and faini ly l ife. struggl ing to Inake ends Ineet. dnd often battliiig poor hcaltli tl)¢niselves, For young7 carers. thc I'esponsibility of caring for a fam ily member can sigiiificanily impact iheii. mental health and wcllb¢ing, as well a5 Iheii. ability lo leai'n and their futur¢ lif¢ clianc¢5, Mc1ny yoiing carcrs feel they ar¢ Inissingj out on large parts of Ilieii. ch ildliood and edlication. "fhey often feel overwhelmed by their responsibi lilics and strliggle lo build friendships, frequently sacrificing their social lives to care for a parent or sibling, WLCC is a member of the Carers Trust national network and works in partnership with colleagues across the network to enhance, quality. innovation and shared leaming. WLCC is a Public Benefit entity, aiid the Ti'u5tees have considei'ed the Cliai'ity Coiiiin ission piiblished guidance on the operation of the Public Benefit Itquireinent. Purpose Our purpose, 01- 'WH Y,, is to ensure Ihal all aged cai-ei's are recogiiised, valued, and suppoited in their roles. By offei'ing support, 5igiiposting and solution5 to the obstacles they face, we aiin to i'elieve soine of tl3e pressul'es their cai'ing roles briiig. Key facts PopLilation of Wigan 3?0.000 _ I OO/D or l in l O are prov iding unpaid care Nulnber Over 32,000 Number of adult 12.452 UJ]paid Carers and young carers in Wigan registered with WLCC Number carer5 known WLCC of not to c20,000 Page 2 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Trustees, Report The niimber of carers is continually increasino and we likely don't have an accurate count as many individuals don't recognise themselves as carers unlil ihey reach a crisis point and can no longer cope. Oiir goal is to make Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre services available and accessibl¢ to all carers of all ages aci'oss WiLiaii. We aini to achieve this by fostei'ing connections in local hubs within comimunities and neiolibourhoods. The following information outlines the sei'vices and activities the charity undeitoolc to further its purposes. 2023-2024 Services to meet our sti'ategic aims In May ?023 we held a staff away day wliich involved all staff and trustees facilitated by CSL to ensure that we contiiiued to focus on thc right prioi-ities and for fundraising We had siipport with our. fuiidi'aising fro1￿ both Ilugby LeagLie teains. Wigan Warriors aiid Leigh L.eopards. Th is involved the 3 matches tliat took place between both teains, known as the Battle of the Borough. Tliey provided fr¢e tickets foi. car¢i's, gave access to iheii. Irainii)g days before the game. signed sliirts, ba115, etc. wliilsl allowing us to have access to the fan zones. hold collections before the game and make presentations lo ihe V IP l Hospiiality areas durinb7 half lime. They specifically went out of their way to raise money lo support our youn&y carei's sei'vice5 Dui'ing the year we conducled separ8te SLirveys on behalf of Yoiing and Adult carcrs and fed the results back 10 the coiincil. These are also a key eleinent when applyingj for funding? because they provide useful reedback regTardin&v wlial wc are doiiiL7 well and wliat we could be doingv to improve oui. service I n Deceinber we reciuiLed a Young CaiEI'S School Liai50n Support Workei. to reach out to local scliools, offei'ing suppoit, advice aiid raisiiig awai'eness In Deceinber our Carer Coinpaiiion Respite Sei'vice was extended foi. a further l-year contract fuiided by Wigan MBC, tliis service lielps suppoit Cai'ei's with Inuch needcd Irspile, so they can take a break and I'echarge oi. attend tlieii. own pei'sonal or health appoiiitinenls WLCC appoiiited Christine Aspin as Cliief Officci- in Januai'y ?024. Chi'istine bi-islS7s will) liei. a wealth of elperieiice OF working with C1< rers, building ¢liai'ily Sl1?tegies, with nearly 30 yeai's working with anothei. Carers Trust National Nelwoi'k Panner In March we siiccessfully bid for a Carers Connect service funded by tlie National Lottery, the aim of the service is to expand our reach to even more Cai'ers across the Wigan Borough Early in the year w¢ held siaff consultalions and restructured oui. Young Carers Service, the aim to be cfficient and effective ai delivering Young Carers services in lin¢ with our contract with wigan MBC We continue to support Wigan MBC Carers Development Officer in the of the Carers Voice project We are actively involved in the Young Carers Steering gi'oup facilitated by Wigan MBC Young Carers Oui. Young Cai'ers Service pixTrvides assessment and Ineaningfiil aclivities to young carei's aged between 5 and 25. (We currently liave circa. 700 Young Carei's registered) Youngy Cai'ers gain I'espite fiDni their caringF rol¢ at a wide a varied range of activities. which includes 5 respite groups spi'ead across Wigan Borough, We also enhanced our relationships with key instilutions iii ihe boi'ough includiiig Create, Wigan Rotary, Leigh Rotaiy, Wigan AthleLics and Wigan Soi'optiinisls. Dui'ing the financial yeai. we recruited tlie Young Carers School Liaison Siipport woi'ker to expand our support and awareness to Carers in Schools During ihe current financial yeai., we are working closely with Wigan Council to develop a strategy for Young Carers. as part of Wigans A15 Age Carer5 Slraiegy due to be piiblished by March 2025. As part of the sti'ategy plaiining. we have created a Younts Carers forum whei'e a collection of young people with lived experiences will be instrumeiilal in the development of the strategy Page 3 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Trustees, Report Carers Case Officers Support Carei's Case Officers and OLir reception leam welcome and engage newly registered carers, They undertake a rang7e of interventions io help carers rnanage Iheii. role, adapt lo a chaiige in lifestyle and gain access lo the suppoit they need These intei'ventions Inay include support to claiin benefit entitleinent,. access to professionallexpert advice. access to social support and peer gi'oup. signposting to other groups and organisations aci'oss the Borougli Carer5 Assessment and Revlew Oiii. teain of Assessors woi'k aci'oss tl)e Boi'ough, linlciiig into local coininun ity hubs aiid health care facilities. They woi'k closely with the local authority AdLIII Social Care iiianagyeinent teain to ensiire that waiting times foi- Carers Assessrnent and Review are manaved and the needs of carers and Iheii. family remain at the forefiY)nt of any intervention The team continues to refer carers for My Time and other carer breaklrespite opportunities Activities and Engagement A prograinnie of activities is planned acros5 Ihe Borough io support carers remain resilient and indepeiident whilst Inanaging their cariiig role. The prograinme of activilies is designed in partnership willi carei's aiid suppoited by local partiiei's in tlie public, pi'ivate aiid voluntary sectoi. -rhe activities include a wcekly wall role, whilst also raising awareness of Carers thi'oughout the communities On 31" March 2024 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre total reserves amounted to £181,924 with a total undesignated unrestricted fund of £7,306. More details on the type of funds al'e set out below. Page 4 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Trustees, Report Restricted Funds Restricted fuiids include unspent grai)t and coiitract income that can only be used on specific aclivities and where any 5uI-plus funds woiild have lo be repaid to the grant pi'ovider if unspent after the end of the project to which the funds I'clate. Tliei'e al'e no such funds at tlie pirsent tiine. Unrestricted Designated Fu nds In l ine with the Resei'ves Pol icy, operational and sts'ategic fuiid5 have been d¢5ignat¢d to support the 01-ganisation's strategy, operational needs and working capital I'equii'cments The dcsignaied strategyic and operational funds were reviewed in 202? and comprise.. The cost of notice and redLindancy payments in ilie event of the Ios5 of WBC £49.588 contracts providing 3 months, notice Necessary Imaintenance work to the leasehold prem ises. £50,000 The developineiit of the project woi'lcei. I'ole witli a view to secui'iiig additional £25,000 longy-lei'in fuiidiiig Pi'oject Dev¢lopinent fund (for project continLiation, Inalclied funding and the £35,000 development and desigii of new pi'ojects) Investiment in The Lodge, holiday I'etreat as a chai'ity asset and possible soui'ce £15,000 of unirstricted income Totul Designated Reserve at 31 MAreh 2024 £174,$88 ai niial re rt wa5 appi'oved by the trustees of the charity on I I th Novenibei. 2024 and signed on its behalf Mr Pli Tru51ee iiphi'ies Page 5 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities Tlie trustees (who are also the directors of Wigan and Leigh Carers Centi'e for the purposes of coinpany law) are responsible for preparing the trustees, report and the financial statements in accordancc with the Un ited Kingdoi Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations. Coinpany law requires tlic trustees to pi'epai'e financial statement5 foi. eacli fiiiaiicial year. Undcr company law the Irusiccs IIIUSt not approvc tlie tinan¢ial stateinenls unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fail. view of tlie state of affairs of the chai'itable company and of its inconiing resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditui'e, for that period. In PlEparing these financial stateinents. the ti'ustees are I'equired to: select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently: observe tlie niethods and pi'inciples in the Chai'ities SORP. make j udgeiments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standai'ds have been followed. subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements: and prepare Ihe finaiicial statements on tlie going coiicern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume tliat the charitable coimpany will continue in business. The trustees are 1'¢5ponsible for keepii)g adequate accouniiiig records thdt al'e siiffici¢nt lo sl)ow and explain tlie cliarilable company's ti'ansaciions aiid disclose with I'easonable accui'acy at any liine the financial position of the cliai'iiable coirpany aiid ciiable tl)eiii to ensure tlial tlie financial stateimenls coniply with tlie Coinpanies Act 2006, They I'e also I'esponsible for safeguai'ding the assets of the chai'itable coinpany and hence for talcing reasonable Slep5 I. the p¥evenlion and detcction of fi'aud and otlier irregulai'ities. by tlie ti'ustees of the charity on I l Noveinber 2024 and sigyned on its behalf by: r Phil Trustee uirpliries Page 6 Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre I repoit on the accoiints of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024 which are set out on pages 8 to 17. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner Thc trusiees (wlio al'e also the dii'ectors of Ihe company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for ihe preparaiion of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not requ li'ed for this year under section 144(2) of the Chai'ities Act ?01 l (th¢ 2011 Act) and that an iiidependent ¢xaimination is needed. The ohai'ily's gross incoiiie exceeded £250,000 aiid l aiii qualified to undertake the exaininarion by being a qualified meinber of The InsLitute of Chartered Accountants in Engylaiid and Wales.. Havin(y satisfied Imyself that the chai-ity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent exainination. it is my I'esponsibility to.. exainine the accounts under section 145 of the 201 l Act; co follow tlie procedui'es laid down in the geiieral Dii'ections given by the Chai'ity Colt)]￿ ission under secrion 145(5)(b) of the 201 l Act: and to slate whetlier p4rticular matters have come to my attention. Basis of ind¢pendent examiner's report My cxaii)in&tion was carried out in accordance with ihe Lyeneral Dii'ections given by the Charity Cominission. An examinalion includes a review of tlie accountingy records kepi by the ¢hariiy and a comparison ot. the accounts prescnted with those recoi'ds. 11 also includes consideration of any unLisual items or disclosures in the account5, a11d seekingy cxplanations fi'om you as li-lislees concerniiig? any siich Inatters. Tlie procedures undertaken do not provide all the evideiicc Iliat would be requii'ed iii ali audit aiid consequently no opiiiioii is given as to whethth. tlie accouiits present a 'lrue and fail. view, and the I'epoi'l is liinited to those Inattei's set out in the statement below. Indepcndent examiiier's statement In coiineclion with Iny cxaininaiion, no Inaltei. has coine to Iny attention.. ( l ) wh icli gives iiie reasoiiable cause to believe that in any iiiaterial respect tlie requireinents.. to l