Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Legal and administrative information|2|
|Report of the trustees|3|
|Report of the independent examiner|9|
|Statement of financial activities (SoFA)|10|
|Balance sheet|11|
|Notes forming part of the financial statements|12-17|
1
The Centre Project Limited
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The Board of Trustees presents its report and the independently examined financial statements for year ended 31 March 20245
## LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
|Charity Name:|THE CENTRE PROJECT LIMITED|
|---|---|
|Charity Registration Number:|1140710|
|Company Registration Number:|07409088|
|Board of Trustees:|Dr R.I. Norman|
||Mr A. Egbetokun|
||Mr A. Oppon|
||Mrs A. Sai|
||Mrs H. Cobb|
||Mrs V. Frimpong|
|Company Secretary and Chief|Mr E. Waweru|
|Executive:||
|Registered Office and Operational|1 Alfred Place|
|Address:|Leicester|
||LE1 1EB|
|Bankers:|Bank of Scotland|
||Pentland House|
||8 Lochside Avenue|
||Edinburgh Park,|
||South Gale, Edinburgh|
||EH12 9DJ|
||Cooperative Bank|
||P O Box 250|
||Delf House|
||Southway, Skelmersdale|
||WN8 6WT|
|Independent Examiner:|Mr Darren Warren - FMAAT|
||Paxton Independent Examiners|
||61a High Street South, Rushden, Northants. NN10 ORA|
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Annual Trustees Report for The Centre Project, Leicester**
For the year ending 31 March 2025
## **About The Centre Project**
The Centre Project is a Leicester city-centre charity providing an open-access hub that reduces isolation, promotes wellbeing and supports people who are homeless, living in poverty, experiencing loneliness, or who have newly arrived in the city. Core services delivered from the central hub include a day centre (warm space), weekly foodbank, social and creative activities, keep-fit and cooking sessions, and one-to-one support and signposting to statutory and voluntary services.
## **Governance and trustees**
- The trustees confirm that they have complied with their duties under the Charities Act and the governing document, and that decisions taken during the year were made in line with the charity’s charitable object to benefit the local community
- Trustee responsibilities included strategic oversight, financial scrutiny, safeguarding oversight, risk review and staff support.
- Key governance developments this year: refreshed safeguarding policy and training rollout for all staff and volunteers; updated risk register with mitigations for volunteer capacity and funding volatility.
## **Activities and reach**
- Weekly services ran across five days, combining drop-in sessions, organised group activities and targeted support appointments. Core weekly offers included the day centre/warm space, foodbank, keep-fit, arts & crafts, and cooking sessions.
- Outreach and partnership work included referrals and joint work with local housing providers, health services and welfare advice agencies to support clients into accommodation, health appointments and benefits advice.
## **Demographics of people supported**
Our service users reflect the rich diversity and complex needs of Leicester’s adult population. Between April 2024 and March 2025, we supported 1,031 individuals, with the following demographic breakdown:
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
- Total number of visits made during the year: 14,591 (Day Centre – 9,201, Youth club 5,390)
- Principal presenting needs (multiple per person allowed):
- Food insecurity 59%.
- Housing related support 29%.
- Social isolation/mental health concerns 52%.
- Unemployment/financial hardship 70%.
- Physical health or disability 27%.
- Recent migration/new arrival 15%.
These demographic figures are based on routine client registration and monitoring data collected throughout the year.
## **Outcomes and impact**
We measure impact through attendance, client-reported outcomes, service outcomes (housing, health, work) and case management resolutions. Key outcomes for the year:
- Wellbeing and social connection
- Average weekly attendances: 185 visits; 80% of regular attendees reported reduced loneliness on repeat wellbeing checks.
- Social activities (arts, cooking, keep-fit, mini golf, haircuts): 1,218 attendances across the year; 74% of participants said they made at least one new supportive connection.
- Freedom Youth Club: 110 average weekly attendance. Helping to build confidence, improve English language skills, and foster friendships across cultures. 92% of attendees reported being more socially connected and less isolated.
- Food security and immediate needs
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
- Foodbank interactions: 3,752 parcels/meals provided. 87% of foodbank users reported that the provision prevented immediate hunger and helped stabilise finances that week.
- Free hot meals 3 days a week: 6,251meals provided, with free drinks as part of our warm welcome initiative.
- Practical outcomes (benefits, housing, health access)
- Welfare and signposting outcomes: 420 one-to-one support actions recorded; of these, 145 resulted in benefits applications or appeals being submitted with Centre support; 97 clients were supported to engage with debt and money management.
- Digital Support – Wi-Fi access, email setup, scanning documents: 232 people supported to access digital services enabling then to access other services like housing applications benefits.
- Telephone Access – to reach services such as housing, DWP, GP: 1,247 people
- Housing support: 286 people supported into longer-term or more stable accommodation through joint working with housing partners – including housing repairs, preventing evictions and small grants applications.
- Progress towards employment and training
- 24 people were offered work or volunteering placements in the year.
- Safeguarding and crisis support
- 194 referrals made to multi-agency partners, and all were appropriately actioned in accordance with policy. The Centre’s closed-loop casework practice ensured followup and resolution wherever possible.
## **Qualitative impact (case studies)**
- S.T. came to us on the final day to respond to his Universal Credit migration notice. At the time, he was homeless and did not have access to a phone, email, or bank card. We supported him to make his Universal Credit claim over the phone and helped him visit his bank to obtain proof of his account details. He was also supported to accept his claimant commitment and prompted to attend his first face-to-face appointment at the Jobcentre. Due to long waiting times on the Universal Credit phone line, we continue to offer ongoing support to ensure his payments are maintained and that he doesn’t experience further financial hardship.
- B.W. first joined us after taking part in an activity taster session — and has been coming along ever since! She says, _“It gets me out on a Thursday, away from the stress of staying in with an anti-social neighbour.”_ The group has become a positive routine for her, offering both company and a chance to relax.
- A regular attendee with chronic health issues was supported to re-register with a GP and accessed medication and specialist referral; they report improved health management and a greater sense of stability.
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Overall, monitoring shows that for regular users the Centre is effective at reducing immediate harms (hunger, exposure, isolation) and at helping people to access longer-term supports that address housing, health and income.
## **Safeguarding, equality and inclusion**
- Safeguarding: policy review and mandatory training for all staff and volunteers were completed. All safeguarding concerns were logged and escalated appropriately; lessons learned were reviewed by trustees.
- Inclusion: services remain low-barrier and non-judgemental. The Centre collects equality monitoring data and adapts activities to address accessibility and cultural needs. Interpreting support and targeted outreach were increased for newer migrant communities during the year.
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE**
- Income: The Centre continued to draw on a mix of small grants, local authority partnership funding, donations and church support. Restricted and unrestricted funds were managed to prioritise frontline service continuity.
- Legacy and bequest: A legacy of 124,387 was received from the estate of David Williamson, a long serving volunteer with the Centre.
- Expenditure: The majority of expenditure was on staffing for frontline delivery, food and consumables, premises and safeguarding/compliance overheads.
- Reserves policy: Trustees maintained a modest reserves position to secure three months’ core running costs while seeking multi-year funding to reduce future volatility.
The charity received income of £ 263,131, compared to £204,955 in the previous year. Expenditure of £ 187,142 compared to £200,258 in the previous year.
## **Reserves Policy**
The Charity’s free reserves level is currently equivalent to 4 months running costs. This will allow the Charity to cover operating costs for administration of the charity and day-to-day running costs; provide against redundancies/winding up costs if a substantial part of the charity is faced with financial loss; and to assist in maintaining cash flow.
A review of the policy is undertaken annually within which the Charity’s financial forecast and results of financial performance are considered to ensure that Trustees are satisfied that an adequate level of reserves is maintained without detriment to the objectives of the Charity.
The Trustees have decided to create a designated fund for building refurbishment. The bulk of the build costs will be met by fundraising.
## **Investment Policy**
Apart from ensuring that there are sufficient funds to meet the requirements of the Charity’s Reserves Policy most funds received are to be expended in the short term and there is little or no scope for long term investment. The Charity has maximised opportunities to accrue bank interest on account balances and any interest received will be used in the furtherance of the Charity’s work.
## **Principal risks and mitigations**
- Funding uncertainty: mitigation through diversified income-seeking, development of a 3-year funding plan and stronger local partnerships.
- Volunteer capacity: mitigation through targeted recruitment, simplified induction, and a volunteer-coordinator role to improve retention.
- Safeguarding complexity: mitigation through continuous training, clear reporting pathways and multi-agency relationships.
## **Plans for 2025/26**
- Stabilise core funding with at least one multi-year grant to underwrite daycentre and food provision.
- Expand employability pathways in partnership with local training providers.
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
- Improve outcome measurement with a simple digital client-record system for better longitudinal tracking.
- Partnerships: Deepen collaboration with NHS mental health teams, refugee support networks, and local housing providers.
- Continue to strengthen safeguarding practice and extend trauma-informed training to all partners who deliver on-site.
## **Responsibilities of Trustees**
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the Charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to follow best practice and:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the charity will continue on that basis
The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the organisation to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the charity’s assets and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Members of the Board of Trustees who are directors for the purpose of company law are also Trustees for the purpose of charity law.
## **Audit:**
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011(the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **The Centre Project Limited**
**Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA)**
**For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Note**
**Incoming resources**
**3**
Donations and Legacies
Charitable activities
Other income
**Total**
**Resources expended**
**4**
Charitable activities
Depreciation
**Total**
**Net income/(Expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**|**General**
**funds**
**£**
141,272
23,591
1,251|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
100
96,917
-|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
141,372
120,508
1,251|**2024**
**Total**
**£**
10,113
192,436
2,406|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||166,114|97,017|263,131|204,955|
||||||
||75,682
951|110,509
-|186,191
951|199,595
663|
||76,633|110,509|187,142|200,258|
||||||
||89,481|(13,492)|75,989|4,697|
||||-|-|
||89,481|(13,492)|75,989|4,697|
||61,285|137,969|199,254|194,557|
||150,766|124,477|275,243|199,254|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities. There are no gains and losses other than those recorded in the Statement of Financial Activities
9
The Centre Project Limited
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **The Centre Project Limited Balance sheet as at 31st March 2025**
|**The Centre Project Limited**
**Balance sheet**
**as at 31st March 2025**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Fixed assets**
**Note**
Tangible assets
7
**Current assets**
Debtors
8|**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**||
||2,547|3,498|
||||
||5,242|9,802|
|Cash at bank and in hand|285,329|203,172|
|**_Total current assets_**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
9
**_Net current assets_**
**Net assets**
**Funds of the Charity**
**Restricted funds**
10
**Unrestricted funds**
General
Designated
Fixed Assests
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Total funds**|290,571|212,974|
||||
||(17,875)|(17,218)|
||||
||272,696|195,756|
||||
||275,243|199,254|
||||
||124,477|137,969|
||||
||133,219|42,787|
||15,000|15,000|
||2,547|3,498|
||150,766|61,285|
||||
||275,243|199,254|
||||
|Approved by the Management Committe and is signed on its behalf by:
Adrian Oppon - Treasurer|||
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Note 1: Basis of preparation**
## **1.1 Basis of accounting**
These accounts have been prepared on the basis of historic cost in accordance with:
- the “Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities”
- the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)
- and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102
## **1.2 Change in basis of accounting**
There has been no change to the accounting policies (valuation rules and methods of accounting) since last year.
## **1.3 Changes to previous accounts**
No changes have been made to accounts for previous years.
## **1.4 Fund Accounting**
Unrestricted Funds These are funds available for general use for any or all of the charity's permitted activities. These are funds that can only be expended in accordance with specific restrictions. These Restricted Funds arise either by the wishes of the donor or by the nature of the appeal.
## **Note 2 : Accounting policies**
## **INCOMING RESOURCES**
|**INCOMING RESOURCES**||
|---|---|
|**Recognition of incoming**|These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:|
|**resources**|**·**the charity becomes entitled to the resources;|
||**·**the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources; and|
||**·**the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.|
|**Incoming resources with**|Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract|
|**related expenditure**|income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA.|
|**Grants and donations**|Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the charity has unconditional|
||entitlement to the resources.|
|**Donated services and**|These are only included in incoming resources (with an equivalent amount in resources|
|**facilities**|expended) where the benefit to the charity is reasonably quantifiable, measurable and|
||material_._The value placed on these resources is the estimated value to the charity of the|
||service or facility received.|
|**Volunteer help**|The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in
the trustees’ annual report.|
|**Investment income**|This is included in the accounts when receivable.|
|**EXPENDITURE AND LIABILITIES**||
|**Liability recognition**|Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing|
||the charity to pay out resources.|
|**Depreciation**|Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at the rates calculated to write off the|
||cost of each asset over its estimated useful life. Kitchen equipment 10%, Furnishing, Fittings|
||and Equipment 15% and Office Equipment - 25%|
|**ASSETS**||
|**Tangible fixed assets for**|These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £1,000.|
|**use by charity**|They are valued at cost or a reasonable value on receipt.|
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
**Note 3 : Analysis of incoming resources**
|**Donations and Grants**
Gifts and donations
Bequests and legacies
**Total **
**Charitable Activities**
Grants for Charitable Activities
Centre Activities
Community Opportunities
**Total **
**Other income**
Other
**Total **
**Grants for charitable activities**
B&Q Foundation
Central Baptist Church
Community Matters Fund
Coventry B S
DMU Community Challenge Fund
Edith Murphy FDN
Henry Smith Charity
LCC - Community Grant
LCC Homelessness Grant
LCC Youth Services
LLR Integrated Care Board (ICB)
National Lottery
Neighbourly
Police & Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire
Reaching People
Sported Foundation
The Hedley Foundation
TOTAL||**General**
**Restricted**
**£**
**£**|**General**
**Restricted**
**£**
**£**|**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**|**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Gifts and donations|16,885|100|**16,985**
|10,113|
||Bequests and legacies|124,387|-|**124,387**|-|
||**Total **|**141,272**|**100**|**141,372**|**10,113**|
|||||||
||Grants for Charitable Activities|16,760|96,917|**113,677**
|186,124|
||Centre Activities|1,430|-|**1,430**
|1,413|
||Community Opportunities|5,401|-|**5,401**|4,899|
||**Total **|**23,591**|**96,917**|**120,508**|**192,436**|
|||||||
||Other|1,251|-|1,251|2,406|
||**Total **|**1,251**|**-**|**1,251**|**2,406**|
|||||**2024**
Total
0
6,105
8,300
0
2,000
0
6,040
0
24,500
10,000
45,901
50,278
0
10,000
22,000
0
1,000
186,124||
|||**2025**||**2024**
Total||
|||General|Restricted|||
|||1,000
1,260
5,000
2,000
5,500
2,000|10,000
10,000
47,367
10,000
19,550|0
6,105
8,300
0
2,000
0
6,040
0
24,500
10,000
45,901
50,278
0
10,000
22,000
0
1,000||
|||16,760|96,917|186,124||
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The Centre Project Limited REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Note 4: Total resources expended**
|**Charitable activities (exp.)**
**Costs directly allocated to activities**
Kitchen costs
Activities & events
**Support costs**
Staff Costs
Training
Travel & Parking
Volunteer expenses
Insurance
Premises costs|**General**
**Restricted**
**2025**
**2024**
£
£
£
£
106
-
106
623
2,616
11,030
13,646
28,006
**2,722**
**11,030**
**13,752**
**28,629**
56,078
90,461
146,538
142,156
-
433
433
496
892
892
1,784
2,035
348
122
470
1,226
400
351
751
1,563
6,994
6,243
13,237
15,886|
|---|---|
|General office & finance|4,807
925
5,732
5,961|
|Publicity and promotion
Bank charges
Other fees
Total
**Total expenditure for charitable activities**
**Other resources expended**
Depreciation
Loss on asset disposal
Total depreciation & asset disposal
TOTAL|2,478
-
2,478
724
33
-
33
-
931
52
983
919
72,960
99,479
172,439
170,966
75,682
110,509
186,191
199,595
951
-
951
663
-
-
-
-
951
-
951
663
76,633
110,509
187,142
200,258|
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The Centre Project Limited
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Note 5: Trustee Remuneration & Related Party Transactions**
No trustees or directors received any remuneration during the year.
No trustee or member of the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the period
During the year, the charity paid £5,736 (2023/24: £5,736) to Central Baptist Church for utilities and cleaning charges. The charity does not pay for use of church premises.
The Church is connected to the charity but has no significant influence over the charity though some board members are also members of the Central Baptist Church, Leicester.
## **Note 6: Staff costs and numbers**
6.1 Staff Costs
|Gross wages, salaries and benefits in kind
Employer’s National Insurance costs
Pension costs
**Total staff costs**|**2025**
**£**|**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|---|
||132,907|129,551|
||6,847|5,823|
||6,785|6,782|
||146,538|142,156|
## **6.2 Average number of employees in the year**
|**number of employees in the**|**year**||
|---|---|---|
|Charitable activities
Executive staff
**Total**|**2025**
**Number**|**2024**
**Number**|
||6|6|
||1|1|
||
7|7|
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## The Centre Project Limited
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Note 7: Tangible fixed assets**
## **7.1 Cost or valuation**
|**7.1 Cost or valuation**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Balance brought forward
Additions
Disposals on revaluation
Balance carried forward|**Kitchen**
**£**|**Fixtures,**
**fittings and**
**equipment**
**£**|**Office**
**equipment**
**£**|**Total**
**£**|
||20,866|24,434|6,138|51,438|
|||||-|
|||-|-|-|
||20,866|24,434|6,138|51,438|
## **7.2 Accumulated depreciation and impairment provisions**
|**Rate**
Balance brought forward
Disposal
Depreciation charge for year
Balance carried forward
**7.3 Net book value**
Brought forward - 01/04/2024
Carried forward - 31/03/2025
Debtors
Recoverable Gift Aid
**Total**
**Note 8: Debtors**|
10%|15%|25%||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||19,857|23,817|4,266|47,940|
||-|-|-|-|
||149|176|626|951|
||20,006|23,993|4,892|48,891|
||||||
||1,009|617|1,872|3,498|
||860|441|1,246|2,547|
||**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
3,656
9,802
1,586
-
5,242
9,802||||
||**2025**
**£**|**2024**
**£**|||
||3,656
1,586|9,802
-|||
||5,242|9,802|||
## **Note 9: Creditors (Amounts falling due within one year)**
|Accruals
Other creditors
**Total**|**2025**
**£**|**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|---|
||(13,368)
(4,507)|(15,552)
(1,666)|
||(17,875)|(17,218)|
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## The Centre Project Limited
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## **Note 10: Movements of major funds**
|**Note 10: Movements of major funds**||
|---|---|
|**Balance at 1 April 2024**
Income resources
Outgoing resources
Transfer between funds
**Balance at 31 March 2025**|General
Designated
Restricted Fixed Asset
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Fund
Funds
42,787
15,000
137,969
3,498
199,254
166,114
-
97,017
-
263,131
(75,682)
-
(110,509)
(951)
(187,142)
-
-
-
-
-|
||133,219
15,000
124,477
2,547
275,243|
## **Trustee acknowledgements and thanks**
The trustees thank staff, volunteers, partner agencies, funders, Central Baptist Church (premises partner) and the many donors whose support makes the Centre’s work possible. The trustees recognise the commitment and compassion of the team who sustain a safe, welcoming and practical service for some of Leicester’s most excluded residents.
16