## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
Charity number 1139555
A company limited by guarantee number 07202588
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 14|
|Examiner's report|15|
|Statement of financial activities|16|
|Balance sheet|17|
|Statement of cash flows|18|
|Notes to the accounts|19 to 26|
## **Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors**
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: **Name Position Dates** Eleanor Broadbent Miriam Moss Sarah Howells Treasurer Lindsay Britton-Robertson Resigned 27 April 2025 Rosemary Carr Rosalind Weaver Romeena Masood Olivia Engle Appointed 29 August 2024 Jessica Sweet Appointed 29 August 2024 **Charity number** 1139555 Registered in England and Wales **Company number** 07202588 Registered in England and Wales **Registered and principal address Bankers** Oxford House CAF Bank Shawbrook Bank Limited Oxford Row 25 Kings Hill Avenue Lutea House Leeds Kings Hill, West Malling Warley Hill Business Park, LS1 3BE Kent. ME19 4TA The Drive Great Warley, Brentwood Essex. CM13 3BE
Registered in England and Wales Registered in England and Wales
## **Independent examiner**
Katy Sargeant ACA **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
## **Structure, governance and management**
SARSVL registered with Companies House as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company Number: 7202588) on 25 March 2010 and with the Charity Commission (Registered Charity Number: 1139555) on 29 December 2010. SARSVL’s governing document is a Memorandum & Articles of Association as amended on 11 November 2010 and 30 October 2018. The liability of the members in the event of the company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £10.
During the reporting period and up to and including the date the report was approved, the charity trustees delegated day-to-day management of the charity to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Katherine (‘Katie’) Russell.
Board of Trustee meetings have been held minimum quarterly throughout the year, each with the CEO and one other member of the senior staff team in attendance.
## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The trustees of the charity are also the directors for the purposes of company law and are appointed by the members at the AGM.
2
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees continued**
Trustees are recruited in one of two ways. The first is through proactive advertisement of trustee vacancies through a range of networks, targeting in particular any groups of people or skills sets the existing Board has identified (e.g. through its regular skills audit) as underrepresented among them. The second is through responding to approaches from people who speculatively express interest in joining the SARSVL Board of Trustees. In both cases, we ask prospective trustees to complete a written application, in which they explain the skills, knowledge and experience they can bring to the Board, as well as why they are interested in the charity and the role, and how their values and aims align with the charity’s. A trustee role description and person specification are provided to assist with this. We also request two appropriate references. After the written application has been assessed by a designated ad hoc sub-group, usually consisting of one to three existing trustees and/or the CEO, the applicant will then be invited to an informal interview where both parties can find out more. If the applicant is deemed a useful addition to the Board and is still interested in joining after this, they will be invited to attend the next scheduled Board meeting for which they are available, initially as an observer. After this, new trustees can be co-opted by the existing Board until the next scheduled AGM, when they can be formally elected by the membership in the usual way. As well as providing two satisfactory references, all trustees undergo an enhanced DBS check, due to the nature of the charity’s work.
Trustee induction includes: a one-to-one meeting with the CEO covering all aspects of the charity’s governance and in-depth introduction to its finances; meetings with the three service managers for more detailed introduction to the charity’s frontline work; provision of all the organisation’s policies, procedures and business plan, with the requirement to read and familiarise themselves with these, and ask any questions that might arise from them; ad hoc meetings with other trustees and/or the CEO on request to answer any queries. All trustees are also provided with the Charity Commission’s CC3 The Essential Trustee document. All trustees have access to relevant in-house and external training and development opportunities on an ongoing basis.
## **Volunteers**
Volunteers have been central to SARSVL’s history and development and are still involved in many aspects of the organisation, from membership of the Board of Trustees, to providing direct services, to communications and fundraising. SARSVL had 33 volunteers in total during this period: three volunteer counsellors, 26 helpline (and helpline training) volunteers and two communications / social media volunteers.
## **Paid staff**
The staffing structure at 31 March 2025 consisted of:
Senior team
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - 35 hours per week (full-time)
- Helpline Services Manager - 35 hours per week
- ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy) Service Manager - 35 hours per week
- 2x Counselling Service Managers (job share) - each at 24.5 hours per week (49 hours total)
- Operations Manager - 21 hours per week
Other paid staff
- Office Co-ordinator - 35 hours per week
- Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) - 35 hours per week
- Young Person’s ISVA - 35 hours per week
- ISVA - 28 hours per week
- Counsellor - 28 hours per week
- Counsellor - 18 hours per week
- Counsellor - 14 hours per week
- Counsellor - 10 hours per week
- 2 x Counsellors - 8 hours per week
- Cleaner - 2 hours per week
3
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Paid staff continued**
All rates of pay are set in accordance with the appropriate NJC payscale for the role. The Board of Trustees commits to conducting an organisational pay review as a minimum every five years, including benchmarking against comparable charities’ salaries.
## **Partnerships and memberships**
SARSVL is the professionally approved Rape Crisis Centre for Leeds, accredited against the specialist Rape Crisis National Service Standards. In the reporting year, the charity underwent an in-depth reaccreditation process to renew this quality mark.
The charity is a member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), The Helplines Partnership, the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership and the Women & Girls Alliance – Leeds (formerly known as ‘Women’s Lives Leeds’).
SARSVL is also a Mindful Employer Plus, and signatory to the Women Friendly Leeds Employer Charter and the Violence Against Women & Girls Sector Anti-Racism Charter.
## **Trustees’ statement**
It’s been another busy and productive year for SARSVL in a multitude of ways. Despite need and demand for our specialist services continuing to far exceed our limited capacity and resourcing, we have managed to increase the overall number of sexual violence and abuse survivors we’ve supported by over a third during the last twelve months. This has in large part been down to the increased use of our emotional support helpline (including texts, calls and emails), which continues to be a vital part of our holistic, integrated, survivor-centred support offer for women, girls and nonbinary people in Leeds. Huge thanks to the dedicated and highly skilled volunteers who make this brilliant service possible, and to our wonderful Helpline Service Manager, who provides such strong, compassionate leadership and recruits and trains new volunteers twice a year.
Similarly, our ISVA Service Manager and Counselling Service Managers (job share) have continued to lead their respective specialist service areas with dedication, skill and integrity, and along with our fantastic CEO have helped to embed an intersectional feminist working environment that we’re happy to say none of our deeply valued staff members have wanted to leave for another successive year. Thanks to the ongoing support of the Henry Smith Charity, we also gratefully welcomed a part-time Operations Manager to our Senior Team for the first time in December, and she has already had a noticeable positive impact on our infrastructure, systems and processes even in these first few months. As well as this, we’ve happily inducted two new skilled and experienced trustees onto our Board.
Partnerships have been an incredibly strong theme over the last year again too, and we’ve been honoured to continue: providing specialist counselling to Together Women clients; supporting the incredible West Yorkshire Survivor Leaders; sitting on the Visible Strategic Steering Group, Leeds Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) Board, the West Yorkshire Domestic & Sexual Abuse Board and many other important multiagency forums; delivering trauma-informed training to Leeds Crown Court staff and supporting Leeds Women’s Aid in delivery of lunch and learn sessions. Most recently, we’re excited to be part of the Pathfinder pilot with the NHS and our West Yorkshire Rape Crisis partners to improve mental health outcomes for survivors.
We’ve also remained committed to our Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion (AREI) work as we’ve carried on rolling out our AREI action plan under the leadership of a cross-organisation working group, and we proudly completed the rigorous reaccreditation process against the specialist Rape Crisis National Service Standards this year. These are just a few of the many achievements of our brilliant team that you can read about in more detail in this report.
As we look ahead to another year filled with plans for organisational and service growth and development, we’d like to extend our huge gratitude and solidarity to all our partners, funders, supporters, staff, volunteers, freelance contractors and, of course most of all, our incredible service users. Onwards and upwards until the day when we’re no longer needed because our vision of a world free from the fear and experience of sexual violence and abuse has been achieved.
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
SARSVL’s objects as set out in the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association are:
- 1) To relieve the mental and physical distress of women and girls affected, or at risk of being affected, by rape and sexual violence, recognising their diverse needs;
- 2) To promote the education of the public and to raise awareness of rape and sexual violence and its effects;
- 3) To promote research into rape and sexual violence and its effects and to disseminate or publish the useful results of such research.
## **Aims, objectives and outcomes**
SARSVL is currently working to its five-year Business Plan for 2021-26. The year reflected in this report has been Year 4 of this Plan.
The overarching **aim** identified by the 2021-26 Business Plan, which supports the charity in achieving its objects, is:
“that SARSVL will enable sustainable recovery for women and girls who have experienced rape or sexual violence, through high-quality, specialist, holistic and secure services which meet the diverse needs of women and girls in Leeds.”
Beneath this aim sit three key objectives for the five-year period, the success of which are measured against the following outcomes:
## **Activities for the public benefit**
All our charitable activities focus on supporting and helping women and girls who have been affected by rape and/or other forms of sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives, and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
5
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Activities for the public benefit continued**
During the reporting period, the charity’s legal objects, overarching aim and objectives have been achieved predominantly through the following main activities:
- l Provision of a specialist Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) service to women and girls aged 13+, who have reported or are considering reporting sexual violence or abuse to the police
- l Provision of specialist counselling and therapeutic support, including short-term and longer-term one-toone work, pre-trial therapy and groupwork, to women aged 18+
- l Provision of specialist emotional support and listening over the Freephone telephone, e-mail and text helpline for women and girls aged 13+
- l Significant partnership work with a diverse range of local, regional and national partners
- l Delivery of training, talks and workshops to other organisations, and attendance at and participation in community events
- l Online communication and campaigns work, including four social media channels.
## **Achievements and performance**
During the period, SARSVL provided its three main direct, specialist support services to 1,811 individuals.
A summary of the charity’s achievements against its business plan outcomes over the year:
6
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Achievements and performance continued**
7
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Achievements and performance continued**
## **Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) Service**
The SARSVL ISVA service provided 2,006 one-to-one client support sessions, and a further 12,681 direct contacts, to a total of 175 individuals during the year, 21 of whom were young people aged 13 – 17.
Twelve survivors were supported to challenge police or Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decisions to take no further action in their cases through the Victim Right to Review (VRR) Scheme. In one case, the CPS overturned its original decision, and the perpetrator was charged and awaits trial. There were two successful outcomes against the police - in one case, the police reopened the investigation, and have agreed to send the file to the CPS for a charging decision, in the second case, the police sent the file to the CPS and a charge was authorised.
The value of the support provided by our ISVAs is reflected through the feedback we receive from our service users:
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own…… having an ISVA there to validate my experience was so helpful in a system that isn’t built to validate survivors’ experiences. My ISVA was there to help mediate a process that isn’t great for victims of sexual abuse. These cases are more likely to be dismissed because they’re so hard to prove, so the support was really helpful to step in and make sure that feeling of dismissal wasn’t felt as much.”
“Before I was just very numb about it and couldn't talk to anyone about it. I just sobbed on my own. I feel that I told the police what happened to me and it got me nowhere. From first contact [with SARSVL] I was told that I was believed and it was a sigh of relief. Don't know what I would have done if a friend hadn't put me in touch with you. I won't ever forget what he did to me, but I'm glad that I did reach out for support. I feel that it has made me feel stronger. I was so worried by myself.”
“I am better equipped to feel that inner peace is now an option I can achieve through my own mindset, and using the positives to move forwards, without being defined by my past trauma. I couldn't have got here without SARSVL. [I most valued] Sensitivity, empathy, and the strength and power of the knowledge of the legal system provided by SARSVL. I honestly wouldn't be so much looking forward to the future and its possibilities if it wasn't for the support you have given me. You have helped me get my life back, and I can't thank you enough.”
8
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) Service continued**
“I think it has changed my thoughts as I just didn't know how I was going to get through it all. I didn't think I could do it. You helped talk me through it all and helped at every step of the way. It helped to know someone was there and to understand things a little better. Having someone to understand what I was going through. To have someone there whenever you need them. To have someone to go to court with you. To have someone to talk everything through and telling me my rights. I'm really not sure I could have done it all without this support. It helped so much to have someone who helped with contact with the police and all the other organisations involved with court. To just know the process every step of the way and be able to talk it through in detail. It's such a long time from reporting to going to court.”
“It feels safe because I felt valued, believed and understood - my feelings were validated and helped me to not feel bad about feeling the way I have. The support is specialist, its designed for women and made me feel safe. The staff were so helpful and responsive, even when my communication wasn’t great, they never gave up on me and supported me. The service is so important and helpful. I would have struggled over the past years if it wasn’t for the support I received.”
## **Counselling Service**
SARSVL’s specialist Counselling Service directly supported 189 individuals during the year. A number of these received a range of therapeutic interventions, including one-to-one and group-based services. 6,316 sessions and contacts were delivered by the service in total.
This service delivery included psychoeducation groups, the social therapeutic Together Group, and a new peer support group.
Of those who completed counselling with SARSVL during the year:
- l 82% saw an improvement in their mental health
- l 79% had improved overall health and wellbeing
- l 75% felt better able to function socially and in life in general
- l 66% saw an improvement in their trauma symptoms
Some feedback we’ve received from counselling clients in their own words:
“The support my counsellor has given me has changed my life. I've never been listened to so intently every word I said was valued and the way I feel about myself has changed.”
“It feels so precious to be able to walk away with treasure that I'll be able to keep forever. This has been a gift to my mental health. I am so sad that it had to come to an end but equally so grateful for everything I've gained. I will never forget this service or my counsellor, she is and has been amazing. She has sown seeds of empowerment, self worth and confidence but she has also shown me that I have the ability to water them myself.”
“I am incredibly grateful and thankful to SARSVL for facilitating and providing this therapy. It has genuinely changed my life and I couldn’t be more appreciative of the work that everyone in the organisation does.”
“I valued being given a safe space to talk through my experiences and feelings without pressure, but with the knowledge that I would be heard, believed, and taken seriously.”
“The support was free and easy to access, this removed the initial barrier of attending the session. The knowledge and support given in such a complicated and sensitive situation was extraordinary.”
“Thankyou so much for giving me a safe environment to talk about what happened to me and process things at my own pace without pressure or judgement, this is the first place I have felt listened to, respected and believed and I am so grateful. Thankyou helping me to understand that it wasn’t my fault and that I am strong enough to survive and achieve the things I want to.”
“I have learned healthy ways to cope with my anxiety and feel like you have given me hope for the future and the confidence to continue to heal by myself.”
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Counselling Service continued**
“Thank you very much for being there for me when I couldn’t be there for myself – I don’t have a family to love me so teaching me to love myself is something that will change me forever, my life is better than it ever has been and I actually have the ability to feel genuinely happy which I’ve never had to this extent. Your services change lives and save them.”
## **Helpline Service**
SARSVL’s helpline responded to 2,823 incoming contacts (1,480 calls, 1,343 texts and emails) from 1,436 individuals this year, of which 1,257 were new.
The service also provided 82 outgoing emotional support calls for sexual violence and abuse survivors on our counselling waiting list.
Though our helpline is a confidential service, and many callers choose to remain anonymous, some choose to give their consent to share their feedback about the service they’ve received from us:
“[The calls] made me feel that I matter and that it’s validated that it’s a real thing that I have been through and I deserve the support. The fact you (SARSVL) take it so seriously, it reassures you.”
“You allow us to just speak and with no judgement so you can be totally honest about how you're feeling.”
“It felt really useful to have a space to talk with someone impartial, non-judgemental, and who is knowledgeable/informed and understanding about sexual violence and rape and the impacts it can have.”
“Really made the process of waiting for counselling much easier, made the wait feel shorter. I feel positive about the upcoming counselling sessions as I feel like I’m more able to talk about my feelings, and I have more vocabulary to discuss them and feel like I can trust the counsellor more to speak openly without fear of being judged, especially when it comes to my flashbacks.”
“I moved forward whilst waiting for counselling with support from the helpline. I feel very ready for counselling. It has been an amazing experience and has helped with my anxiety, ptsd and helped me gain a more positive outlook on life."
## **Monitoring and evaluation**
We use two main specialist tools to record and report on monitoring data:
- l The bespoke Data Performance Management System (DPMS), co-developed for and with Rape Crisis Centres.
- l The clinical change measurement system CORE.net for counselling, which tracks clients’ experiences across four domains of risk, wellbeing, problems and functioning, and monitors therapeutic change.
We use these in conjunction with the Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) Monitoring & Evaluation Framework assessment tool, which enables us to track data on the ‘cope and recover’ outcomes set out in the Victims’ Funding Strategy. Data is gathered through:
- l Detailed referral forms (with follow-up calls as needed), including questions about risk and need to inform prioritisation and allocation, plus demographics data
- l Initial assessment, including establishing levels of risk in more detail
- l Before, Review and After Questionnaires, identifying starting points in terms of health, well-being, daily functioning, relationships/support networks and safety, and tracking them throughout clients’ journeys of healing and pursuit of criminal and social justice.
We’ll further ensure the quality of data returns with:
- l Initial and ongoing training in DPMS (and CORE.net as relevant) for staff and volunteers
- l Regular data audits to check accuracy and identify areas for improvement
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Monitoring and evaluation continued**
- l Building monitoring data input and extraction into all staff and volunteer job/role descriptions and schedules
- l Diarising time at mid-year and year-end for staff to dedicate to quality reporting.
## **Plans for future periods**
Some of our planned activities for the next period, to further the outcomes identified in our Business Plan for 2021-26, include:
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Financial review**
SARSVL made a surplus of £138,639 in 2024-2025 (2023/2024: a deficit of £21,521). Total income increased by £215,728 over 2023-2024, boosted by a legacy donation of £54,869 as well as ongoing donations and fundraising activities, and success in securing new restricted funds. Expenditure increased by £55,568 over 2024-2025 in line with budgets with year-end restricted balances being used to fund activity in 2025-2026. New funding sources that came on stream for 2024-25 are listed below.
In 2024-2025 SARSVL’s unrestricted reserves (included fixed assets) increased by £42,934 to £282,123. Our plans for these are detailed in the reserves section of this report. Restricted reserves increased by £95,705 to £163,904 with balances to be spent on services in 2025-2026, as well support with the scoping of social enterprise ideas, and development of the next 5-year business plan.
## **Funding sources**
In 2025-2026 SARSVL’s main sources of funding and the areas they supported were:
- l Rape and sexual Abuse Support Fund, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) contributing to staffing and running costs
- l West Yorkshire Combined Authority contributing to staff and running costs of the ISVA service
- l The Henry Smith Charity Long Term Affects of Covid Support Grant Programme supporting the services and running costs of the charity
- l The Hollick Family Fund contributing unrestricted funding to the general running of the charity
- l The Charles Hayward Foundation supporting the development and expansion of SARSVL’s specialist counselling service
- l Leeds Community Foundation supporting collaboration and organisational change in challenging times
- l The Leathersellers’ Foundation supporting SARSVL’s counselling service and core work
- l The Lloyds Bank Foundation via their Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Specialist Programme supporting SARSVL’s core work
## **New funding sources include:**
- l The Henry Smith Charity Improving Lives Grant Programme supporting the running costs of the counselling service and the Operations Manager post
- l RASAC - Kirklees, Calderdale & Wakefield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre supporting the Pathfinder Keyworker Project
- The Rosa Stand With Us Programme to buy in expertise to support the development of our next
- l business plan and to explore and develop new funding opportunities
- The legacy donation from the estate of Judith Weymont – an unrestricted donation but designated by
- l the Board to be used to fund the SARSVL Family Support staffing policy, plus other wellbeing support for staff and service users
## **Future plans**
2024-2025 was the fourth year of SARSVL’s five-year business plan.
We continue to operate in a difficult and challenging environment, especially in terms of funding, along with other voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. There have been changes across the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector, and we are noticing increased competition for funding amongst non-specialist and specialist sexual violence organisations, which may have an impact on services. We do, however, have proven ability to raise funds in these challenging times. With the uncertainty of longterm funding, trustees prioritise long-term sustainability in their planning processes. SARSVL was able to expand its work in 2024-2025 and further applications are in progress for 2025-2026 and beyond. The trustees remain optimistic about the charity’s future.
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Future plans continued**
The trustees have reassessed the charity’s ability to continue for at least 12 months from the date that the accounts are approved and conclude that even with funding uncertainty they are confident of the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
## **Reserves policy**
In considering the reserve requirements for SARSVL the trustees have taken into account the needs of the people we work with, our legal obligations and identified risk to our income and expenditure.
As an organisation that provides services to vulnerable people the trustees believe that a level of reserves should be maintained to ensure a stability and continuity of service provision and ultimately if required, a managed service closure, with time to enable alternative support provision to be arranged and all legal obligations and cash flow considerations covered. Trustees have reviewed the required level of reserves and early in 2024-2025 updated their reserves policy as a result taking account of recent financial history, the currently financial situation of the charity and the broader current financial climate. Taking the above in to account trustees feel the right level of unrestricted reserves is between £200,000 and £250,000.
Unrestricted free reserves (without fixed assets) at 31 March 2025 are £253,524 including a Designated Fund of £54,650 (The Judith Weymont Collective Care Fund). Setting aside this Designated fund, the remaining Unrestricted funds are £198,874, representing just over three months of 2025-2026 budgeted expenditure.
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Statement of trustees' responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and UK Accounting Standards.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (Charities SORP (FRS102)), and in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
approved by the board of trustees on 26/8/2025
Sarah Howells (Trustee)
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 16 to 26.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
Since the charitable company's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a fellow 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 fellow of ICAEW 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:
- 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2 the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- 3 the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other 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
- 4 the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the 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 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.
Katy Sargeant ACA
1/9/2025
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
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## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Statement of Financial Activities
## (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
|Notes
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
(2)
67,472
Charitable activities
(3)
73,558
Bank interest
4,138
**Total income**
145,168
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
(4)
485
Charitable activities
(5)
101,749
**Total expenditure**
102,234
**Net income / (expenditure)**
42,934
**Fund balances brought forward**
239,189
**Fund balances carried forward**
(6)
282,123|2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
601,467
-
601,467
-
505,762
505,762
95,705
68,199
163,904|2025
Total
funds
£
67,472
675,025
4,138
746,635
485
607,511
607,996
138,639
307,388
446,027|2024
Total
funds
£
17,791
512,340
776
530,907
410
552,018
552,428
(21,521)
328,909
307,388|
|---|---|---|---|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
16
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Balance sheet
|as at 31 March 2025
2025
Unrestricted
£
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
(7)
28,599
**Total fixed assets**
28,599
**Current assets**
Debtors and prepayments
(8)
13,977
Cash at bank and in hand
(9)
258,086
**Total current assets**
272,063
**Current liabilities:**
**amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors and accruals
(10)
18,539
**Total current liabilities**
18,539
**Net current assets / (liabilities)**
253,524
**Net assets**
282,123
**Funds**
Unrestricted funds
General unrestricted funds
227,473
Designated funds
(12)
54,650
Unrestricted funds
282,123
Restricted funds
-
**Total funds**
282,123|2025
Restricted
£
-
-
14,135
153,142
167,277
3,373
3,373
163,904
163,904
-
-
-
163,904
163,904|2025
Total
£
28,599
28,599
28,112
411,228
439,340
21,912
21,912
417,428
446,027
227,473
54,650
282,123
163,904
446,027|2024
Total
£
37,722
37,722
29,295
271,558
300,853
31,187
31,187
269,666
307,388
239,189
-
239,189
68,199
307,388|
|---|---|---|---|
For the year ending 31 March 2025 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime and with FRS 102 (effective January 2019).
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 26/8/2025
Sarah Howells (Trustee)
17
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Statement of cash flows
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Cash flows from operating activities:**
**Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Bank interest
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (excluding donated assets)
**Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities**
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period**
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Bank interest
(Increase) / decrease in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities**
**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**
Notice deposits (less than 30 days)
**Total cash and cash equivalents**
**Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow**
**from operating activities**
Net movement in funds for the reporting period (as per the
statement of financial activities)
Cash in hand|2025
£
135,532
4,138
-
4,138
139,670
271,558
411,228
2025
£
138,639
9,123
(4,138)
1,183
(9,275)
135,532
2025
£
30
411,198
411,228|2024
£
7,180
776
(45,617)
(44,841)
(37,661)
309,219
271,558
2024
£
(21,521)
7,895
(776)
9,417
12,165
7,180
2024
£
28
271,530
271,558|
|---|---|---|
18
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Notes to the accounts
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and with the Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
## **Going concern**
The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.
## **Incoming resources**
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, if it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## **Grants and donations**
Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.
Where grants are related to performance and specific deliverables, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.
## **Expenditure and liabilities**
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
## **Taxation**
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised and included at cost including any incidental expenses of acquisition. Gifted assets are shown at the value to the charity on receipt. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost on a straight line basis over their expected useful economic lives as follows: Leasehold improvements: over 5 years Fixtures and fittings: over 5 years Computer equipment: over 3 years
## **Pensions**
The charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are recognised in the year they are payable.
## **continued overleaf**
19
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **1 Accounting policies continued**
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
## **Leases**
Rents under operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term or to an earlier date if the lease can be determined without financial penalty.
20
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**2 Donations and legacies**
Donations
Legacies
**3 Charitable activities income**
Grants for charitable activities:
Charles Hayward Foundation
Forum Central
Leeds Community Foundation
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Ministry of Justice
RASAC
ROSA
The Henry Smith Charity
The Leathersellers' Foundation
W. Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA)
West Yorkshire Mayor (WYM)
Hollick Family Foundation
The Clothworkers Foundation
Sales and fees
**4 Raising funds**
Fundraising costs
**5 Charitable activities expenditure**
Charitable activities|2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
12,603
54,869
67,472
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-
25,000
-
-
-
-
25,000
-
-
-
-
23,558
73,558
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
485
485
Activities
undertaken
directly
£
386,062
386,062|2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
2025
Restricted
funds
£
25,000
10,000
15,000
-
229,084
50,816
25,000
110,000
-
126,843
9,724
-
-
-
601,467
2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
Support
costs
£
221,449
221,449|2025
Total
funds
£
12,603
54,869
67,472
2025
Total
funds
£
25,000
10,000
15,000
25,000
229,084
50,816
25,000
110,000
25,000
126,843
9,724
-
-
23,558
675,025
2025
Total
funds
£
485
485
2025
Total
cost
£
607,511
607,511|2024
Total
funds
£
17,791
-
17,791
2024
Total
funds
£
25,000
5,000
15,000
25,000
208,437
-
-
40,000
25,000
126,843
9,724
10,000
10,000
12,336
512,340
2024
Total
funds
£
410
410
2024
Total
cost
£
552,018
552,018|
|---|---|---|---|---|
21
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**5a Support costs**
**Support cost type**
Management and admin salaries
Financial management support
Payroll fees and recruitment
IT support
Memberships and subscriptions
Independent examination
Trustee and governance costs
**5b Charitable activities expenditure detail**
Staffing costs
(5c)
Payroll and recruitment
Staff travel and training
Volunteers expenses
Rent, rates and utilities
Repairs, renewals and cleaning
Telephones, mobiles and internet
Website and IT
Office equipment and supplies
Printing and publicity
Stationery, postage and books
Insurance
Freelance support
Professional fees, memberships and donations
Interpretation services
Refreshments
Miscellaneous expenses
Trustee and governance costs
Independent examination
Monitoring and evaluation
Service user direct costs
IT support
Depreciation|Charitable
activity
£
156,807
8,669
3,220
3,650
1,772
-
-
174,118
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
58,019
2,839
285
116
17,046
1,204
829
1,763
421
431
20
1,733
4,814
530
-
247
-
163
1,349
1,704
24
1,194
7,018
101,749|Governance
activity
£
45,248
-
-
-
-
1,920
163
47,331
2025
Restricted
funds
£
412,040
381
3,488
2,371
30,952
879
10,041
1,565
602
887
528
1,895
19,665
1,242
2,323
-
-
-
571
2,281
9,490
2,456
2,105
505,762|2025
Total
cost
£
202,055
8,669
3,220
3,650
1,772
1,920
163
221,449
2025
Total
cost
£
470,059
3,220
3,773
2,487
47,998
2,083
10,870
3,328
1,023
1,318
548
3,628
24,479
1,772
2,323
247
-
163
1,920
3,985
9,514
3,650
9,123
607,511|2024
Total
cost
£
179,063
6,675
2,927
2,520
2,003
1,919
160
195,267
2024
Total
cost
£
413,289
2,927
5,800
3,669
48,489
6,206
13,389
1,966
1,175
1,733
467
3,086
20,433
2,003
5,233
164
453
160
1,919
3,982
5,060
2,520
7,895
552,018|
|---|---|---|---|---|
22
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Staff costs and numbers**
Gross salaries
Social security costs
Employment allowance
Pensions|2025
£
416,688
38,471
(5,000)
19,900
470,059|2024
£
366,741
34,064
(5,000)
17,484
413,289|
|---|---|---|
## **5c Staff costs and numbers**
The average number of employees during the year was 15.6, being an average of 10.8 full time equivalent (2024: 13.5, 10 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.
|**Defined contribution pension scheme**
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year
**6 Restricted funds**
Balance b/f
£
Charles Hayward Foundation
-
The Clothworkers Foundation
2,105
The Henry Smith Charity
-
The Henry Smith Charity (LTS)
-
LCF - Resilience Fund
-
The Ministry of Justice
-
RASAC
-
ROSA
-
Forum Central - HSF
-
The Big Give
57,991
WYCA
-
WYM Safer Communities
8,103
68,199|Incoming
£
25,000
-
70,000
40,000
15,000
229,084
50,816
25,000
10,000
-
126,843
9,724
601,467|Outgoing
£
25,000
2,105
32,475
40,000
15,000
229,084
2,794
833
9,920
3,881
126,843
17,827
505,762|2025
£
19,900
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|2024
£
17,484
Balance c/f
£
-
-
37,525
-
-
-
48,022
24,167
80
54,110
-
-
163,904|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Fund name**
Charles Hayward Foundation The Clothworkers Foundation The Henry Smith Charity The Henry Smith Charity (LTS)
LCF - Resilience Fund The Ministry of Justice
RASAC ROSA
Forum Central - HSF The Big Give
WYCA
WYM Safer Communities
## **Purpose of restriction**
To develop and expand SARSVL’s specialist counselling service. Capital support for lease improvements to new premises. For provision of a specialist counselling service.
To support counselling helpline and non-service delivery staff and running costs for organisation to thrive post-Covid pandemic.
To support collaboration and organisational change in challenging times. Towards the provision of specialist support services for adult female victims of rape and sexual abuse.
To support the Pathfinder Keyworker project. To buy in expertise to support the development of our next business plan and to explore and develop new funding opportunities. To support households over the cost of living crisis. Outreach and support work to extend delivery to women underserved by SARSVL services, specifically street homeless women and sex workers. To provide emotional and practical support to victims of sexual violence. To provide additional support to SARSVL’s ISVA service.
To increase access to specialist counselling for women survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
23
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**7 **
**8 **
**9 **
**10 **|**Tangible assets**
**Cost**
£
At 1 April 2024
45,617
Additions
-
At 31 March 2025
45,617
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
7,895
Charge for year
9,123
At 31 March 2025
17,018
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2025
28,599
At 31 March 2024
37,722
**Debtors and prepayments**
Debtors
Prepayments
**Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank
Cash in hand
**Creditors and accruals**
Creditors
Accruals
Deferred income (see note on next pafge for analysis)
Lease
improvements|£
7,083
-
7,083
7,083
-
7,083
-
-
IT
equipment|£
8,234
-
8,234
8,234
-
8,234
-
-
2025
£
13,640
14,472
28,112
2025
£
411,198
30
411,228
2025
£
3,317
1,920
16,675
21,912
Fixtures &
Fittings|Total
£
60,934
-
60,934
23,212
9,123
32,335
28,599
37,722
2024
£
14,110
15,185
29,295
2024
£
271,530
28
271,558
2024
£
4,112
7,295
19,780
31,187|
|---|---|---|---|---|
24
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**11 Deferred income**
Delivered services income
**Item name**
**Reason for deferral**
Delivered services income
Services to be delivered after the year end|Deferred to
next year
£
16,675
16,675|Released
from last
year
£
19,780
19,780|
|---|---|---|
|**12 Designated funds**
Judith Weymont Coll. Care
**Fund name**
The Judith Weymont
Collective Care Fund|Balance b/f
Incoming
Outgoing
Transfers
Balance c/f
£
£
£
£
£
-
-
839
55,489
54,650
-
-
839
55,489
54,650
**Reason for designation**
To be used to fund the SARSVL family support staffing policy and other well-
being support for staff and service users.|
|---|---|
## **13 Related party transactions**
## **Trustee expenses**
During the year 1 trustee was paid a total of £43 in respect of travel (previous year: 1 trustee and £32).
## **Trustee remuneration and benefits**
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
## **Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel**
The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £221,047 (previous year: £191,379).
## **14 Operating leases**
|Within one year
In the second to fifth years inclusive
Over five years from the balance sheet date
Expected future minimum lease payments over the remaining life of the
lease, analysed into the period in which the commitment falls due:|2025
£
9,454
2,100
-
11,554|2024
£
48,321
11,554
-
59,875|
|---|---|---|
25
## Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL)
## Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
|2025
2024
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds
funds
£
£
**Income**
Donations and legacies
67,472
17,791
Charitable activities
73,558
72,336
Bank interest
4,138
776
**Total income**
145,168
90,903
**Expenditure**
Raising funds
485
135
Charitable activities
101,749
66,332
**Total expenditure**
102,234
66,467
**Net income / (expenditure)**
42,934
24,436
**Fund balances brought forward**
239,189
214,753
**Fund balances carried forward**
282,123
239,189|2025
Restricted
funds
£
-
601,467
-
601,467
-
505,762
505,762
95,705
68,199
163,904|2024
Restricted
funds
£
-
440,004
-
440,004
275
485,686
485,961
(45,957)
114,156
68,199|2025
Total
funds
£
67,472
675,025
4,138
746,635
485
607,511
607,996
138,639
307,388
446,027|2024
Total
funds
£
17,791
512,340
776
530,907
410
552,018
552,428
(21,521)
328,909
307,388|
|---|---|---|---|---|
26