**REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06227466 (England and Wales)**
## **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1145028**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
**AND**
**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED**
**31ST MARCH 2021**
## **LISTENING EARS**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **AND**
**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**FOR THE YEAR ENDED**
**31ST MARCH 2021**
**Listening Ears Limited Content of the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31st March 2021**
||Page|
|---|---|
|Legal and Administrative Information|1|
|Report of the Trustees|2 - 15|
|Independent Examiner's Report|16|
|Statement of Financial activities|17|
|Statement of Financial Position|18|
|Notes to the accounts|19 - 23|
|Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|24|
**Listening Ears Limited Legal and Administrative Information**
**Chairman Board of Trustees:** Mosad'Oluwa Orotayo **Other Trustee Members:** Yemisi Shode Nehemiah Aderibigbe Akinyele Roberta Avwerosuo-Adeda Atinuke Eyiowuawi Bolutife Faseun Jadres Rukina Ferreira **Chief Executive Officer** Olutoyin Ogunbanjo **Registered Company Number** 06227466 (England and Wales) **Registered Charity Number** 1145028 **Registered Office:** YMCA Building Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich London SE18 5PQ **Independent Examiner** Patrick Jusu FCCA PAJ Accountants 10 - 16 Tiller Road Docklands London E14 8PX **Bankers:** Barclays Bank 737 Barking Road Plaistow London E13 9PL
Page 1
**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) Effective 1 January 2015.
Listening Ears was established in October 2006, out of a heartfelt concern about the level of isolation and loneliness, reaching out to marginalised, hard-to-reach people who are lonely, isolated, depressed, or grieving who need someone to talk to and share their burden. It was registered on April 26, 2007 as a Company Limited by Guarantee and registered as a UK Charity in December 2011. Our drop-in service creates an initial relaxed atmosphere offering a cup of tea with interactive engagement, which promotes an opportunity for people to share and talk through their issues, receive guidance, mentoring, information, and referrals for specialised support where necessary.
We work with the most vulnerable in the community with a focus on Women and Girls providing emotional, health and total well-being support. We achieve our aims through empowerment programmes, training, and workshops for the development of Life skills and enhancement of self-esteem. Our services extend to other members of the family and the community at large, including those who are disadvantaged in any form, to promote social inclusion for the public benefit.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, articles of association, and constitute a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
The legal responsibility for the election of new trustees to Listening Ears lies with the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The Board recognises that it has only limited control over the election of trustees at the AGM. It is accepted that Listening Ears members should be able to elect people to the board who they believe will best represent their interests. However the existing board members also have a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the organisation in terms of governance are met by those people elected. The Board seek to do this by adopting a system of recommending Trustee appointments to the membership using the steps detailed below. The membership will then decide to elect a recommended candidate or to appoint another person to the board. Trustees can delegate some aspects of recruitment of Trustees to Management, but they ensure that they retain overall responsibility and control of the recruitment, selection and induction processes. In recruiting new trustees, the existing trustees and management act in the best interests of Listening Ears and in accordance with the Charity Commission directives as laid out in CC30.
## **Induction and training of new trustees**
All trustees are expected to attend:
- Volunteer induction training
- Trustee induction session
- Any other update training of relevance to board members
As part of the induction process all trustees receive copies of the following:
- Outline of current boards skills and experience
- A copy of the previous year's annual report and financial report
- A copy of the memorandum and articles of association (governing document)
- A copy of the previous board meeting minutes (once agreement for appointment has been made by the Trustees)
- Charity Commission CC3 - The essential trustee: What you need to know
- Charity Commission CC60 - The Hall marks of an Effective Charity
- Copies of the trustee handbook with all current up to date policies
## **Risk management**
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The trustees confirm that they regularly review the significant risks facing the Charity and have systems and procedures in place to mitigate those risks. The risk policy has adopted a risk mapping methodology that is applied to each identified risk, assessing the likelihood of it occurring and the severity of the impact of occurrence on the Charity. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the day-to-day monitoring of risk and reporting to the Trustees.
Page 2
**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
We reach out in caring friendship, encourage the lonely and energise the weary thereby reducing depressive tendencies and improve social integration and promoting community cohesion. We are very passionate about total wellbeing; therefore we provide information and training which empowers our service users to achieve improved health and a better quality of life.
Furthermore, we offer support to regain confidence and empower our service users to live independent lives to enhance economic, vocational and employment opportunities.
When necessary, we work in partnership with external agencies with a view to getting further support for our clients to achieve their desired goals.
We have an open door membership policy for service users who can benefit from our services regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion and educational background.
## **Public benefit**
To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society. For the purpose of this clause "socially excluded" means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: unemployment, financial hardship, youth or old age, ill health (physical or mental), substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs, discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, and disability, ethnic origin, religion, belief, creed, sexual orientation or gender re-assignment, poor educational or skill attainment, relationship and family breakdown, poor housing (that is housing that does not meet basic habitable standards), crime (either as a victim of crime or as an offender rehabilitating into society).
## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE**
In pursuance of the achievement of our aims and objectives, Listening Ears always set up projects to meet identified needs either in the lives and situations of our service users or those identified within our immediate community. These programmes are focused on service users to enhance a positive change in their circumstances.
## **Key Projects**
## **Feel Good Centre Initiative**
Listening Ears is aware that the level of loneliness particularly among the elderly and the over 50s is on the increase, and as an organisation have come up with an initiative to address the problem. The aim of this initiative is to provide an environment where the elderly and the over 50s will access practical support to reduce their loneliness and isolation and have an opportunity to make friends, relax, receive information and practical support to improve their health and lifestyle practices which is pivotal to their total well-being. The big picture is that Listening Ears will establish a Feel Good Centre in different parts of the country, replicating the award-winning model that is in existence for the past nine years and exploring how to improve on it. The focus will still be to breakdown the walls of isolation and build the confidence of older people while empowering them to effectively contribute their quota in enhancing community cohesion.
## **Feel Good @ The Pavillion**
A programme for the over 50s, the project is run within the Flowers Estate in Abbeywood. We work in partnership with other organisations and service providers to provide services to the elderly for the sign-posting and referrals. We also facilitate information sessions on health, safety and other related subjects. The project offers service users as well as members of the community drop in opportunity to socialise, have a cup of tea and some fruits, play games, make friends and receive support and enlightenment on their health and a total wellbeing.
Page 3
**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE (continued)**
## **Feel Good @ The Atrium**
This is our second project of the Feel Good Centres and it is situated in Thamesmead on the borders of Bexley. It is a replica of the project in Abbeywood.
Highlighted below are some of the activities and programmes on offer at the centres and service users are encouraged to participate in as many of the programmes as possible.
- Healthy Eating workshops
- Multicultural Cookery sessions
- Arts & Crafts sessions for the elderly
- Dance sessions & gentle exercise class for the elderly
- Day Trips to the seaside during the summer time
- Health Walks
- Planting of Herbs & Salads
- Massage
- Tai Chi
- Luncheon Club
## **ROSEBUD CENTRE FOR GIRLS**
## **Executive summary**
Rosebud is a support centre for young girls and women aged 7 to 19 but also accessible to women up to age 25 where there is a disability or special needs. At Rosebud, we recognise the challenges that come with adolescence and our aim is to support and empower the girls in the blossoming years before adolescence - building confidence through empowerment, skill building for self-reliance and independence, as well as balanced emotional health and wellbeing. We believe that a combination of the above will yield a generation of young women who have a positive outlook on life, are independent, productive members of their communities and the wider society.
Rosebud provides a space where young women can be expressive and open with their ideas without feeling condemned, receive acceptance for who they are, while they receive support to get to where they need to be. We are also aware that individuals find their expressions in diverse activities or environment and to reflect this, we provide a range of character development workshops and skills training in various interest areas including: Personal & Life Skills Development; Jewellery Making, Health & Lifestyle, Dance & Physical Exercise, Career Development, CV Writing and Interview skills; Creative Arts & Fashion Design; Drama, Music and Creative Media; Photography, Film & Animation; Day Trips and Weekend Residential.
Our aim is to engage with the girls to educate, empower and enable them to establish who they are, build their resilience and maximise their potential.
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**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE (continued)**
Our mission is to bridge the gap between adolescence and womanhood. We design targeted support for the various age ranges. For pre-teens, we engage with them through physical activities such as fitness, drama or dance and use these as a tool to explore issues around identity, self-esteem and communication. This has had a huge impact on how well they get on with peers at school, and in turn how they assert themselves in life.
For young teenage girls, the support needs become more complex - emotional, mental health, physical health and well-being. In response, we engage with them in workshops that educate, empower and enable them to establish who they are and become the person they want to be. For late teens (16 to 19), we provide the entire services above but with tailored support for independence and career development. This could range from identifying their interests, enrolling into further education, taking on apprenticeships or vocational skill training such as Jewellery Making or Fashion Design to encourage self-reliance through volunteering or entrepreneurship. For those who wish to pursue a career in the creative arts or cultural industries, we nurture and develop their talents through practical creative workshops and programmes.
## **Demand for our services**
The need for our service is greatly accelerated by the level of deprivation in Greenwich, particularly in the two Woolwich wards where we operate. Greenwich borough has a population of 13,084 (11-19 year-old females), from which 1,074 become NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) every year. (Figures refer to data from the Greenwich Council Children and Young People Profile 2015-2016).
Our research shows that there are continuing gaps in services evidenced by the data above. The figures show a total of 30,057 young people in the borough, however, recent figures reveal that the central youth service provider is currently reaching 7,202 young people per year. The gender analysis reveals that the main service provider is currently reaching 2,101 girls out of a total of 13,084 in the borough.
## **Evaluation methods**
From the onset of our project, we have built a culture of reflection and analysis into the project by enabling our service users to feed into and develop the project, particularly because it is always not easy to assume what is going on for a young person if they are not fully involved. We have adopted the participatory evaluation style which is a positive model for group discussions, analysis, problem-solving and corrective action. The advantages of this include.
.Building mutual responsibility thereby strengthening their involvement and commitment to the project .Contribution to improved communication with them and with other stakeholders - for example, their parents and guardians
.Increasing their understanding of the project and enhancing their own personal development .Addressing the appropriate issues of concern and utilising the available resources among them. .Providing their sense of ownership of the project with the potential of learning more about the girls.
We measure our progress by a combination of methods, including quantitative and qualitative data collection. Vital information collected from the service users at the beginning of their journey with the project will be obtained via an initial assessment, with specific questions linked to our outcomes. We use the STAR outcome tool for this exercise. We encourage each service user to set individual goals for their personal development, while working towards the outcomes, which will be reviewed at subsequent assessments. We also use attendance monitoring forms, feedback forms, group discussions, individual presentations, as first-person evidence collected from the service users. These are used to track the level of engagement of various workshops over a period. Alongside this, we use session reports and observation reports written by youth workers and facilitators to measure the progress of service users. For measuring outcomes such as improved Participation, better Emotional Stability, Increased Confidence and Skills, we also use the Star outcomes tool, and these assessments are carried out quarterly.
As well as our current methods of evaluation above, we use video recordings to collect feedback from our service users, which provide us with qualitative data. Furthermore, we hold quarterly consultations with parents and carers to assess the progress of our service users when they are outside the project. This takes the form of questionnaires and feedback forms.
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**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE (continued)**
## **Improved Confidence**
Over the period of time that Rosebud project has operated as an exclusive girls centre, the girls have demonstrated improved levels of confidence, self-expression, assertion and participation, which was evident through their own self-assessments as well as observations of staff and volunteers at the project. Our workshops were specifically designed to address arising issues experienced by these young women and girls such as bullying, peer pressure, body image and challenging relationships. Group activities within structured workshops and one-to-one support greatly enhanced their confidence and self-esteem. They were all centred on the challenges faced by the young girls and included discussion and participation from the girls followed by presentations from each girl designed around their vision boards (dream-boards). Individual discovery of themselves brought their thoughts to reality and informed a new perception of themselves which fuel their aspirations for the future as well as enable them to develop a sense of identity. In addition to the workshops, we used role play to bring situations to life which were discussed, and we explored solutions to the different scenarios. This opened their mind to various options available and gave them the necessary tools to manage the different situations they might encounter and enable them to make informed choices. Furthermore, they were supported to take ownership of the responsibility of making independent decisions and engage with positive activities that will affect their future.
## **Emotional Stability**
The safe space provided by the project to talk about issues and challenges that affect these girls reduces their risk of being ill-advised by their peers. The one-to-one and peer mentoring support we provided increases their aspirations and encourages them to explore a positive future for themselves
## **Life Skills Development**
Through a range of practical workshops, service users engaged in and participated in various skill building exercises to enhance their abilities and recognise their capabilities. They saw this as their opportunity to develop an economic chance in life, given the current climate in the employment industry. Furthermore, the workshops fostered opportunity for creativity and experimentation in each of them and consequently, their natural flair came to light. The independent living skills they learnt on the residential programmes will be useful to them for the rest of their lives. Our observation reports revealed that beneficiaries became more emotionally resilient and positive about the future. Feedback from parents and periodic assessments of the service users also demonstrated improved family relationships, improved knowledge of healthy eating, label reading, cooking and baking skills, awareness of balanced nutrition as well as principles of making healthy food choices in addition to taking responsibility for their health by being physically active.
## **Collaboration work**
We are aware that we face a huge challenge concerning the complex issues that young women face ranging from financial or emotional to long-term structural support. To achieve holistic outcomes, we place a lot of importance in building strong networks with professional agencies, service providers and other organisations that work with young people. In pursuance of this we have established partnership and working relationships with Hughy Bee Academy and other organisations that work with young people within our borough and surrounding networks. We also work with Challenge Network, YMCA, The Point, Her Centre, Greenwich Youth Offending Services, Family information Service, Community Safety Team, Mental Health support Team, Rape Crisis London, Sexual Health Team and a network of contacts within the Greenwich borough including Children services, Schools and Faith groups as well as other stakeholders within our local borough who provide referrals to us.
Our current strategy encourages full participation from our service users, whereby they contribute to the design, structure and execution of programmes delivered, enabling a sense of ownership of the project. For example, a recurring challenge expressed in discussions with the girls is the widening gap between young girls and their mothers. This was a concern that we took on board to launch a forum (RoseGarden) The forum provides a platform that encourages interaction, and mutual admiration between mother and daughter through creativity in a way that is not typical in the home. This scheme came about from the progress that the mothers saw in their daughters and asked what we can do for them. They believed that they could also benefit, having seen the improvement in their daughters.
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**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE (continued)**
We believe it is essential to have more residential breaks during the project that allows us to work with the girls in an environment that is homelike, to enable them practice all the various skills they have learnt during the project such as cookery skills, hygiene, taking responsibility, team work, finance, problem solving, budgeting and independence. It is also essential that the residential programme runs for a duration of a weekend, but ideally one week or more. Since we can only accommodate a limited number of girls at a time, we are hoping to plan for a number of residential programmes during each year of the project.
## **Holistic approach for Rosebud Centre**
Taking on board all that we have learnt from running the Rosebud project, we have decided to take the project forward using a three-point perspective which will help us achieve a well-rounded positive result for the individual girls and their families. To achieve this, we are offering a positive approach to the challenges that confront the girls and providing holistic support to achieve results. This decision gave birth to two more projects – RosePetals and RoseGarden
## **RosePetals**
Working with young girls aged 11 and above has given us so much experience and insight into the challenges that confront even more younger girls emotionally and physically. From the feedbacks we have received, we have discovered additional support for girls at a much younger age than the Rosebud girls. Therefore, we have taken action to meet this identified need. The girls within this group are aged between 7 and 10 and the focus of our work prepares them in readiness for secondary school life. We work with them to give confidence and resilience they need to cope with their transition from Primary to Secondary school and the strategies they need to cope emotionally and psychologically, particularly with the rising trend of bullying in schools.
## **Community Angels**
Our Befriending & Outreach programme targeted at people who are house bound as well as those who live on their own. This project practically takes our support service to clients in their own homes. Often, these service users have become isolated as a result of ill health, disability, old age, depression, mental health challenges or other forms of social disadvantage. This project therefore offers companionship and a listening ear to those who need someone to talk to. Our aim is to use this medium to reduce the level of isolation and consequently reduce depressive tendencies without anti-depressants. We employ the services of CRBchecked volunteers to take up the befriending roles.
## **Steps2Living**
This is our project that provides information, support and empowerment around Healthy Eating, weight management and total wellbeing. With professional support from a qualified Health Trainer, we engage with our clients individually and in group settings to explore how they can take very small steps of change to achieve big positive difference and improvement in their health. When it comes to Healthy Eating, Listening Ears does not only teach the theory to our service users, we get practical by supporting them to get their hands dirty in the sink and on the worktop. To support the diversity of our service users which cut across different ethnicities and cultures, we create opportunities for them to learn how they can use the knowledge they have learnt in our workshops, trying out different dishes from within and outside their culture, adopting the basic principles of healthy cooking and adapting it to the recipes in their culture.
## **Food Bank**
In recognition of the impact of the services of Listening Ears to the local community, we have been chosen as the “Front Of the Shop” charity by Sainsburys Abbeywood. This allows the shoppers to donate Non-perishable food items to our charity which we now use in turn to provide a Food Bank to the community. This service is very handy to support families and members of the community who are struggling or who have been negatively affected by the pandemic. Our minibus was very useful during this challenging period because it made it possible for us to provide additional support to our elderly service users by dropping off food items in their individual houses and giving them a helping hand with shopping and other minor errands.
Page 7
## **Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **The Pandemic**
This reporting year has been a very challenging one for us as an organisation and also for our service users. The nation went into lockdown just before the beginning of this financial year and this has negatively affected a lot of things. To meet the need of our service users, we had to adjust the way we deliver our services and started delivering all our drop in sessions online. We are however delighted that we succeeded in providing adequate support to our service users. Additionally, our elderly service users had the opportunity to acquire digital literacy skills, particularly in using the zoom because that was mainly the major means of communication through the pandemic.
## **Recognition**
The positive impact that our various projects are making in the lives of people and in the community at large has earned us a number of awards and achievements, notable among them are the following:
Best Community Based business in Greenwich 2008
Finalist - Community Involvement Category at the London Business Awards 2010 sponsored by HSBC Finalist - Partnership Achievement category - London Health Commission awards 2010 Community Civic Award for reducing Isolation – Royal Borough of Greenwich 2019
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## Results for the year
During the year the Charity received £36,410 (2020: £192,506) from donations and grants. The Deficit and surplus for the year was £58,528 in deficit (2020: surplus of £30,451), and this balance has been added to the accumulated funds carried forward.
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES**
**Marking our 14[th] year anniversary in October 2020**
Page 8
**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Zoom Session for Feel Good project
Zoom Session for Feel Good project
Page 9
Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Zoom Session for Feel Good project
Launch event of our second Feel Good Centre at the Atrium in Thamesmead
Page 10
## Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees
For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Launch event of our second Feel Good Centre at the Atrium in Thamesmead
A successful social media fundraising initiative by our project facilitator
Page 11
Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Invitation to Rosebud’s tenth year annivesary celebration in September 2020
Creative arts workshop in partnership with English Heritage
Page 12
Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Cookery club workshop
Awards presented at Rosebud’s 10th anniversary
Page 13
Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
## **SOME OF OUR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN PICTURES (Continue)**
Cookery club workshop on pizza making held virtually on Zoom
Creative writing workshop featuring young author Choekyi
Page 14
**Listening Ears Limited Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **Reserves policy**
It is the policy of the charity to set aside 20% of unrestricted funds to the general reserve. This provides sufficient funds to cover management, administration and support costs and to respond to emergencies which may arise from time to time. Funds are maintained at this level throughout the year.
## **Principal funding sources**
Funds utilised during the year came from the following grant making bodies listed below. BBC Children in Need General Donations
## **Corporate Partners**
Annington Ltd Peabody Tesco Woolwich Sainsburys Abbeywood New Covenant Church. Abbeywood
## **GOING CONCERN**
After making enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its objectives and activities for the public benefit for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the annual report and financial statements.
Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis are in note 1 ‘Accounting Policies’ in the financial statements.
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees (who are also the directors of Listening Ears Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) including FRS102 the Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping 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 statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 and charities act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 16th February 2022 and signed on its behalf by:
Mosad'Oluwa Orotayo
Chair, Board of Trustees
Page 15
**Independent Examiner's Report of Listening Ears Limited**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 set out on pages eleven to eighteen.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of the independent examiner's report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view ' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements - to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of Sections 394 and 395 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Patrick Jusu FCCA Independent examiner PAJ Accountants 10 - 16 Tiller Road Docklands, London E14 8PX Date:16th February 2022
Page 16
**Listening Ears Limited Statement of Financial Activities For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Notes**
**£**
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Incoming Resources from**
**generated funds**
**Voluntary Income**
Donations
2
17,318
**Grant income**
Grants received
3
-
**Investment Income**
Bank Interest received
3a
1
**Total Incoming Resources**
**17,319**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Resources expended on Charitable**
**Activities:**
Charitable activities costs
4
25,750
Cost of generating voluntary income
5
1,280
**Resources Expended**
**27,030**
**Other Resources Expended**
Governance costs
6
-
Other support costs
7
7,250
**7,250**
**Total Resources Expended**
**34,280**
**Net incoming resources for the year**
**(16,961)**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
**Net movement in funds**
(16,961)
Fund balances brought forward
37,421
Fund balances carried forward
**20,460**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Notes**
**£**
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Incoming Resources from**
**generated funds**
**Voluntary Income**
Donations
2
17,318
**Grant income**
Grants received
3
-
**Investment Income**
Bank Interest received
3a
1
**Total Incoming Resources**
**17,319**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Resources expended on Charitable**
**Activities:**
Charitable activities costs
4
25,750
Cost of generating voluntary income
5
1,280
**Resources Expended**
**27,030**
**Other Resources Expended**
Governance costs
6
-
Other support costs
7
7,250
**7,250**
**Total Resources Expended**
**34,280**
**Net incoming resources for the year**
**(16,961)**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
**Net movement in funds**
(16,961)
Fund balances brought forward
37,421
Fund balances carried forward
**20,460**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
19,090
-|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
**£**
17,318
19,090
1
**36,409**
78,827
2,602
**81,429**
5,789
7,719
**13,508**
**94,937**
**(58,528)**
(58,528)
109,424
**50,896**|Total
**Funds**
**2020**
**£**
57,648
134,830
28|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**17,319**|**19,090**||**192,506**|
||25,750
1,280|53,077
1,322||119,600
3,149|
||**27,030**|**54,399**||**122,749**|
||-
7,250|5,789
469||17,767
21,539|
||**7,250**|**6,258**||**39,306**|
||||||
||**34,280**|**60,657**||**162,055**|
||||||
||**(16,961)**|**(41,567)**||**30,451**|
||(16,961)
37,421|(41,567)
72,003||30,451
78,973|
||**20,460**|**30,436**||**109,424**|
Page 17
## **Listening Ears Limited Balance Sheet At 31 March 2021**
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**Notes**|||**2021**|**2020**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed Assets**||||||
|Tangible fixed assets|11|-||-|-|
|||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|
|**Current Assets**||||||
|Debtors|12||-|-|-|
|Cash at bank and in hand||50,896|1,500|52,396|110,924|
|||**50,896**|**1,500**|**52,396**|**110,924**|
|**Creditors: Amounts falling due**||||||
|**within one year**|13||(1,500)|(1,500)|(1,500)|
|||||||
|**Net Current Assets**||**50,896**|**-**|**50,896**|**109,424**|
|||||||
|**Net Assets**||**50,896**|**-**|**50,896**|**109,424**|
|**Funds**|14|||||
|Unrestricted Funds||||20,460|37,421|
|Restricted Funds||||30,436|72,003|
|||||**50,896**|**109,424**|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2021.
The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2015).
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 16th February 2022 and were signed on its behalf
Mosad'Oluwa Orotayo
Chair of Board of Trustees
Page 18
**Listening Ears Limited Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **1 Accounting Policies**
## **Accounting Convention**
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with all applicable accounting standards, FRS 102, the Statement of Recommended Practise (SORP), “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” revised 2015 (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006, except for the alternative headings that have been used in the Statement of Financial Activities, as the Trustees feel that the revised headings make the accounts easier to read for a non-financial audience. The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the accounts are set out below.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS102.
## **Exemption from preparing a cash flow statement**
Exemption has been taken from preparing a cash flow statement on the grounds that the charitable company qualifies as a small charitable company.
## **Incoming Resources**
All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
## **Grants and Donations**
Income from grants and donations is included in incoming resources when these are receivable.
## **Going concern**
The Charity’s activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future performance and position are set out in the Report of the Trustees on pages 2 to 8 which describes the structure, governance and management of the Charity; its risk management policies and procedures, its objectives and activities, the achievements, performance and financial position of the Charity, and its plans for the future.
After making enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its objectives and activities for the public benefit for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the annual report and financial statements.
## **Resources Expended**
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## **Cost of generating funds**
Cost of generating funds are those costs relating to the generation of income and includes cost related to the management of the charities activities.
## **Allocation and apportionment of costs**
Support cost are those cost related to shared activities of the organisation and are apportioned on a basis considered appropriate to the underlying activities.
## **Governance costs**
Governance costs are the costs associated with the strategic direction of the charity and with meeting regulatory responsibilities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustee
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Page 19
## **Listening Ears Limited Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
|**2**
**Voluntary Income**
General donations
**3**
**Grant Income**
Annington Grant
Big Lottery
BBC Children in Need
**3a Investment Income**
Bank Interest received
**Resources Expended**
**4**
**Charitable activities cost**
Project support costs
Wages and other direct cost
Travel and subsistence
Hire of hall
Printing and publicity
Day trip expenses
**5**
**Cost of generating voluntary income**
Office entertainment
Other general office expenses
IT /zoom operation expenses
Equipment expenses
**6**
**Governance costs**
Accountancy services
Independent examination
Bank charges
Subscription
Consultancy fees|**31.03.21**
**£**
17,318
17,318
**31.03.21**
**£**
-
-
19,090
19,090
**31.03.21**
1
1
**31.03.21**
**£**
5,941
70,509
754
-
-
1,624
78,827
**31.03.21**
**£**
82
650
1,553
317
2,602
**31.03.21**
**£**
2,800
1,500
86
-
1,403
5,789|**31.03.20**
**£**
57,648|
|---|---|---|
|||57,648|
|||**31.03.20**
**£**
5,000
121,968
7,862|
|||134,830|
|||**31.03.20**
28|
|||28|
|||**31.03.20**
**£**
9,627
81,058
1,355
967
395
26,198|
|||119,600|
|||**31.03.20**
**£**
2,205
316
-
628|
|||3,149|
|||**31.03.20**
**£**
5,900
5,132
216
406
6,113|
|||17,767|
Page 20
**Listening Ears Limited Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
|**7**
**Other support costs**
Gifts
Pension
Personal development
Insurance
Telephone, internet and fax
Printing, post and stationery
Subscriptions
Rent
Bad debts
IT costs
**8**
**NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES**
Net resources are stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation - owned assets
Independent examination fees|**31.03.21**
**£**
-
2,037
1,480
2,023
1,576
88
516
-
-
-|**31.03.20**
**£**
5,000
3,202
-
1,424
2,277
1,409
-
6,630
1,000
597|
|---|---|---|
||7,719|21,539|
||**31.03.21**
**£**
-
1,500|**31.03.20**
**£**
-
1,500|
||1,500|1,500|
## **9 TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2021 nor for the year ended 31 March 2020.
There were no trustees' expenses paid neither for the year ended 31 March 2021 nor for the year ended 31 March 2020.
|**10 STAFF COSTS**
Wages and other direct cost
Social security costs
Pension Cost
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:|**31.03.21**
**£**
62,005
8,504
2,037|**31.03.20**
**£**
71,546
9,515
3,202|
|---|---|---|
||72,545|84,263|
||**31.03.21**
5|**31.03.20**
6|
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
Page 21
**Listening Ears Limited Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **11 Tangible Fixed Assets**
All assets relate to the Charity and are used for charitable purposes.
|**Cost**
At 1st April 2020
Improvements
Additions
Disposals
At 31st March 2021
**Depreciation**
At 1st April 2020
Charge for the year
At 31st March 2021
**Net Book Value**
At 31st March 2021
**12**
**Debtors**
Prepayment
**13**
**Creditors: Amounts falling due**
**within one year**
Accrued expenses|**Office**
**Furniture**
**& Equipment**
**£**
657
-
-
657
657
657
-|**Computer**
**equipments**
**£**
1,066
-
-
1,066
1,066
1,066
-
**31.03.2021**
£
-
-
**31.03.2021**
£
1,500
1,500|**Total**
**£**
1,723
-
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|
||||1,723|
||||1,723
-|
||||1,723|
||||-|
||||**31.03.2020**
£
-|
||||-|
||||**31.03.2020**
£
1,500|
||||1,500|
Page 22
## **Listening Ears Limited Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
## **14 MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS**
|Unrestricted fund
Restricted funds|**At**
**1st April**
**2020**
£
37,421
72,003
**109,424**|**Net Movements**
**in funds**
£
(16,961)
(41,567)
**(58,528)**|**At**
**31st March**
**2021**
£
20,460
30,436|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**50,896**|
## **14 SUMMARY MOVEMENT IN FUNDS FOR THE YEAR**
|Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds|Incoming
resources
_£_
17,319
19,090
**36,410**|Resources
expended
£
(34,280)
(60,657)
**(94,937)**|Movement
in funds
£
(16,961)
(41,567)|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**(58,528)**|
Page 23
## **Listening Ears Limited Detailed Statement of Financial Activities For the Year Ended 31 March 2021**
|**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Voluntary & Investment Income**
Ammington
Donations
Big Lottery
BBC children in need
Bank interest received
**Total income resources**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Other Charitable activities cost**
Project support costs
Wages and other direct cost
Travel and subsistence
Hire of hall
Printing and publicity
Day trip expenses
**Cost of generating voluntary income**
Office entertainment
Other general office expenses
IT /zoom operation expenses
Equipment expenses
**Governance costs**
Accountancy services
Independent examination
Bank charges
Subscription
Consultance fees
**Support Costs**
Gifts
Pensions
Personal development
Insurance
Telephone, internet and fax
Printing, post and stationery
Subscription
Rent
Bad debts
IT costs
**Total Resources Expended**
**Net Expenditure**|31.03.21
£
-
17,318
-
19,090
1
**36,409**
5,941
70,509
754
-
-
1,624
**78,827**
82
650
1,553
317
**2,602**
2,800
1,500
86
-
1,403
**5,789**
-
2,037
1,480
2,023
1,576
88
516
-
-
-
7,719
**94,937**
**(58,528)**|31.03.20
£
5,000
57,648
121,968
7,862
28|
|---|---|---|
|||**192,506**|
|||9,627
81,058
1,355
967
395
26,198|
|||**119,600**
2,205
316
-
628|
|||**3,149**
5,900
5,132
216
406
6,113|
|||**17,767**
5,000
3,202
-
1,424
2,277
1,409
-
6,630
1,000
597|
|||**21,539**|
|||**162,055**|
||||
|||**30,451**|
Page 24