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2025-03-31-accounts

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Charity number 1145200

A company limited by guarantee number 07834303

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2025

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

Contents Page
Trustees' report 2 to 8
Examiner's report 9
Statement of financial activities 10
Balance sheet 11
Notes to the accounts 12 to 17

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

1

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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

Saba Salman Chair Jackie Howes Vice Chair Claire Tibble Treasurer Sara Wheeler Charlie Simpson Carol McBride Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou Charity number 1145200 Registered in England and Wales Company number 07834303 Registered in England and Wales

Registered and principal address Bankers

26 Mallard View The Co-Operative Bank Oxenhope PO Box 101 Keighley 1 Balloon Street West Yorkshire Manchester BD22 9JZ M60 4EP

Independent examiner

Alan Dodd FCCA West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was formed on 3 November 2011. It is governed by a memorandum and articles of association. The liability of the members in the event of the company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £10.

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

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Objectives and activities

The charity's objects

To relieve the distress experienced by people who grow up with a brother or sister with special needs or disability (hereinafter referred to as siblings) with the object of improving their quality of life; the advancement of the education of professional workers, policy makers, service providers and the general public into the needs of siblings; the promotion of research and models of good practice in sibling support and to disseminate the useful results thereof.

The charity's main activities

Sibs provides information and support by email, online resources, written resources, workshops and events for young siblings, adult siblings and parents and carers of young siblings. Sibs works with professionals and service providers to influence service provision to siblings and to enhance their skills in supporting siblings. We provide training, consultancy, email and online information on developing and delivering sibling support. We raise awareness of sibling issues through presentations and the media. Sibs works with researchers, practitioners and siblings to understand the needs of siblings and collect evidence of best practice in sibling support.

Public benefit statement

In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The issues affecting siblings and their families are found throughout the population. Sibs’ services and resources are available to any member of the public who needs information and support with a sibling issue. Through our education and policy work we attempt to raise the awareness of sibling issues amongst the general public. Through our development of best practice, we aim to enhance our resources and services. All our findings are available to members of the public, service providers, siblings and their families.

Achievements and performance

Introduction

This year, Sibs has continued to provide a lifeline for siblings of disabled children and adults across the UK, reaching more people, raising more awareness, and deepening its impact at every level. From empowering young siblings with understanding and building resilience, to supporting adult siblings through isolation, advocacy, and care responsibilities, Sibs has made a tangible difference to thousands of lives. Our services have seen record engagement — with website users up 20%, our YoungSibs advice service engagement increasing by 58% and our National Siblings Day campaign reaching over 21 million people. We’ve launched vital new resources, amplified unheard voices, influenced national policy, and expanded our reach into schools, with families, and communities. In a challenging climate for charities, we are proud to say that Sibs has not only endured — it has grown, innovated, and inspired.

Direct support to young siblings YoungSibs Service

Sibs runs the only dedicated national advice service for young siblings who are growing up with a disabled brother or sister. This year we have seen a 58% increase in page views for YoungSibs – a powerful indication of rising need and growing awareness. Our directory of disabilities written for children have been used this year more than ever.

“My older brother has autism and our local county won’t give us a social worker or help us and I’m worried what will happen in the future.”

“I have a 12 year old sister with Down syndrome. She is two years older than me but sometimes I feel like she is my little sister and it is my responsibility to look after her”

3

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

YoungSibs Service (continued)

We launched a new leaflet for young siblings “Why do they do that” helping young children understand behaviour that challenges. Designed for both younger and older readers, it was downloaded over 1,200 times in just 3 months and led to increased enquiries from parents and professionals concerning behavioural issues.

We continue to publish regular monthly spotlight blog posts for young siblings on topics such as wellbeing, self-care and coping with difficult feelings – tailored to topics that matter most to siblings.

Events for young siblings

Our bespoke art sessions which take place twice a year, are more than just creative workshops, they are a space for young siblings to learn together and foster a sense of community.

“I loved it because it was so fun and even when things didn’t go to plan the staff helped us so we could all make our slime by the end and we can keep it.”

“Great fun session for child alone and then them having the knowledge to share with the rest of the family afterwards due to extra materials. Well timed half-way through the two-week holiday as we are just starting to flag in terms of low budget new ideas.”

Support for young siblings in school

In April we launched our new report “If Only You Knew” capturing over 200 responses from young siblings on their school experiences. Although 66% of children and young people had told a teacher about their sibling experience, a striking 74% said they had received no support at all.

“My sister is autistic and she has sensory difficulties. She often has meltdowns and squeals, and people would give us nasty looks that make it even more difficult going in public places by putting us off. It would be amazing if people understand and accept others with additional needs. Not every disability is visible. And we are not aliens.”

Our Sibs Talk Lite materials are continuing to be downloaded and used in school settings – the resource page has seen 189% increase in views. We knew we needed to harness further growth in school support for siblings. To support change we:

Training and awareness raising with parents and professionals

Parents continue to seek trusted advice from Sibs on how to support and respond to young siblings at home. In 2024-25:

We trained:

4

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

Training and awareness raising with parents and professionals (continued)

In total we equipped 474 professionals with tools to better support siblings, a crucial step in building inclusive, responsive systems.

“The workshop was invaluable and I'm really looking forward to supporting children using the resources.”

“Absolutely attend. Sibling young carers sometimes get overlooked but have a vital role to play and we need to ensure they are supported.”

There are now 81 sibling groups listed on our database for children and young people across the UK.

Direct support to adult siblings SibsNetworkUK

Adult sibling support groups continue to be at the heart of our work with over 18s offering valuable peer support and belonging. Our volunteers continue to give generously of their time and provide unique and dedicated support. This year we have seen:

“It’s nice being in a room full of people who just get me and I’m really grateful to be able to talk about not having children etc.”

“It’s just nice to know other people who “get it” in a way that no one else can if you haven’t lived it”

Adult sibling support

We have continued to respond to adult siblings needing help – this year receiving 90 separate enquiries. Enquiries encompass both emotional challenges and the need for practical guidance in dealing with complex family issues, whether that is future planning, counselling or care-based enquiries. In total 249 siblings having received tailored support and information by email and through workshop attendances. Work has continued on our adult sibling web pages, with the sibling stories section increasing engagement by 172%. Guides written specifically for adult siblings have now been downloaded over 26,000 times, with our information on decision making still the most sought after.

“Your e-mail was really refreshing and made me realise I am doing my best and I will continue to do so for my sister, no matter what obstacles they continue to throw my way.”

Confident Caring Programme

Funded by the Boshier Grant and National Lottery Awards for All, we delivered a targeted support project for adult siblings who are — or may become — carers for their disabled brother or sister. The project focused on reducing isolation, increasing knowledge and improving confidence.

Highlights include:

“It was nice to feel less alone.”

“I felt an enormous amount of relief reading it because it reminds me that other people do understand and do get it and do also live like me.”

5

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

Website and Social Media Growth

Our online presence continues to flourish:

Research and Publications

We supported key research including:

Our work featured in:

Influencing policy and wider awareness raising

Our flagship awareness campaign on 10th April 2024 had a 21.9 million reach on social media. Website traffic from social media increased by 47.49% - a massive leap in visibility on our social channels on the day.

Sibs contributed to the Law Commission’s consultation on social care and disabled children, ensuring responses to questions about sibling support and care were responded to. Our school survey report “If Only You Knew” was specifically referenced by the Law Commission in the drawing together of its evidence.

Charity Development

This year we:

Future Plans

Looking ahead, we will:

6

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

Funding and support

It continues to be a challenging landscape for small charities and we are immensely grateful to the donors, Trusts and Foundations who have supported our work across the year. We want to publicly thank the following:

We are sincerely grateful to Sibs' supporters and volunteers who have given their time pro-bono to Sibs this year.

Financial review

The net expenditure for the year was £11,654, including net income of £14,365 on unrestricted funds and net expenditure of £26,019 on restricted funds.

The trustees have assessed the charity’s ability to continue for at least 12 months from the date that the accounts are approved and conclude that no material uncertainties exist that cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £72,022.

The trustees recognise that the level of reserves at the 31st March 2025 is less than the six months’ worth of expenditure target range agreed in our reserves policy, but concerted efforts have led to an increase in reserves since the last reporting period. This has been a challenging year economically for the charitable sector and securing both restricted and unrestricted income has been especially difficult over this financial year. Trusts and Foundations have reported record numbers of applications, with many changing focus or closing to new applications completely. Encouragingly, the charity has seen a positive start to the 2025/2026 financial year, with early success in grant funding, providing confidence in the plans to rebuild reserves to a minimum of six months' expenditure. Based on 2024/2025 accounts this equates to £82k. Trustees will review the position on a quarterly basis.

7

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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 12/7/2025

Saba Salman (Trustee)

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Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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 10 to 17.

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

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:

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.

Alan Dodd FCCA

16/7/2025

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

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Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Statement of Financial Activities

(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025

Notes
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
Income from:
Grants and donations
(2)
41,817
External training
18,373
Conference income
-
Bank interest
1,227
Sibs products
110
Total income
61,527
Expenditure on:
Salaries, pensions and NIC
(3)
34,415
Freelance fees
4,868
Staff training
470
Staff and volunteer travel
1,086
Accommodation and subsistence
810
Events for users
1,599
Office costs and equipment
13
Postage
64
Copying and stationery
172
Telecommunications and IT
532
Websites
20
Insurance
-
Payroll charges
720
Fundraising
336
Independent examination
1,039
Sundry expenses
918
DBS and human resources costs
29
Evaluation and research
-
AGM costs
71
Total expenditure
47,162
Net income / (expenditure)
14,365
Fund balances brought forward
57,657
Fund balances carried forward
(4)
72,022
2025
Restricted
funds
£
88,607
2,405
-
-
-
91,012
97,234
250
200
-
-
2,145
1,132
254
760
10,546
3,276
1,234
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
117,031
(26,019)
33,161
7,142
2025
Total
funds
£
130,424
20,778
-
1,227
110
152,539
131,649
5,118
670
1,086
810
3,744
1,145
318
932
11,078
3,296
1,234
720
336
1,039
918
29
-
71
164,193
(11,654)
90,818
79,164
2024
Total
funds
£
149,075
14,618
7,404
866
710
172,673
134,647
6,980
30
1,311
966
10,787
1,131
411
1,915
10,150
2,513
1,301
750
902
1,039
1,238
144
282
-
176,497
(3,824)
94,642
90,818

All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

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Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2025
2025
Unrestricted
£
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments
(6)
1,053
Cash at bank
72,979
Total current assets
74,032
Current liabilities:
amounts falling due within one year
Creditors and accruals
(7)
2,010
Total current liabilities
2,010
Net current assets / (liabilities)
72,022
Net assets
72,022
Funds
Unrestricted funds
72,022
Restricted funds
-
Total funds
72,022
2025
Restricted
£
-
7,142
7,142
-
-
7,142
7,142
-
7,142
7,142
2025
Total
£
1,053
80,121
81,174
2,010
2,010
79,164
79,164
72,022
7,142
79,164
2024
Total
£
139
92,336
92,475
1,657
1,657
90,818
90,818
57,657
33,161
90,818

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 12/7/2025

Saba Salman (Trustee)

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Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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: 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.

12

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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.

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.

13

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

2 Grants and donations
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
Baily Thomas Charitable Fund
-
CharityJob
-
D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
-
The Farrer-Brown Charitable Trust
1,500
Garfield Weston Foundation
-
Marsh Charitable Trust
700
Pears Foundation
25,000
SJP Charitable Foundation
-
The True Colours Trust
-
The 10 per cent Foundation
-
The Alchemy Foundation
-
The Boshier Grant
-
The National Lottery Community Fund
-
Other donations
14,617
41,817
3 Staff costs and numbers
Gross salaries
Social security costs
Employment allowance
Pensions
2025
Restricted
funds
£
1,000
10,000
2,000
-
10,000
-
-
2,500
63,107
-
-
-
-
-
88,607
2025
Total
funds
£
1,000
10,000
2,000
1,500
10,000
700
25,000
2,500
63,107
-
-
-
-
14,617
130,424
2025
£
120,478
10,350
(5,000)
5,821
131,649
2024
Total
funds
£
-
-
-
-
15,000
600
20,000
-
62,496
500
1,000
18,500
15,400
15,579
149,075
2024
£
123,332
10,759
(5,000)
5,556
134,647

The average number of employees during the year was 5, being an average of 3.3 full time equivalent (2024: 5, 3.4 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.

Defined contribution pension scheme
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year
Amount of any contributions outstanding at the year end
4 Restricted funds
Balance b/f
Incoming
£
£
CharityJob
-
10,000
D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
-
2,000
Garfield Weston
-
10,000
SJP Charitable Foundation
-
2,500
The Alchemy Foundation
625
-
The Boshier Grant
14,250
-
National Lottery Community Fund
15,400
-
True Colours Trust
-
63,107
University of Sheffield
2,886
2,405
Baily Thomas Charitable Fund
-
1,000
33,161
91,012
Outgoing
£
9,271
-
6,784
2,500
625
14,250
15,400
62,910
5,291
-
117,031
2025
£
5,821
971
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2024
£
5,556
618
Balance c/f
£
729
2,000
3,216
-
-
-
-
197
-
1,000
7,142

14

Notes to the accounts continued

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

for the year ended 31 March 2025

4 Restricted funds (continued)

Fund name CharityJob D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Garfield Weston SJP Charitable Foundation

The Alchemy Foundation The Boshier Grant

National Lottery Community Fund True Colours Trust University of Sheffield

Baily Thomas Charitable Fund

Purpose of restriction

For the delivery of Sibs Talk Lite

To support art workshops for young sibling carers of disabled children and adults

Provision of core costs to support the running of the charity Funding towards art sessions for young siblings, and new behaviour leaflets

Art sessions for young siblings

From the National Autistic Society - Funding Confident Caring project for adult siblings of disabled people

Support for adult siblings of disabled people

To support the costs of the CEO and core office costs

To support the projects entitled 'Tired of spinning plates' and 'We don't know what we don't know: exploring social care on the margins' For core costs

Tangible assets
Cost
At 1 April 2024
Additions
At 31 March 2025
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024
Charge for year
At 31 March 2025
Net book value
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
Debtors and prepayments
Debtors
Prepayments
£
5,939
-
5,939
5,939
-
5,939
-
-
2025
£
490
563
1,053
Computer
Equipment
Total
£
5,939
-
5,939
5,939
-
5,939
-
-
2024
£
139
-
139

5 Tangible assets

6 Debtors and prepayments

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Sibs - for brothers and sisters

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7 Creditors and accruals
Accruals
Other creditors
2025
£
1,039
971
2,010
2024
£
1,039
618
1,657

8 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.

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 £58,047 (previous year: £58,135).

16

Sibs - for brothers and sisters

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
Grants and donations
41,817
51,179
External training
18,373
14,076
Conference income
-
7,404
Bank interest
1,227
866
Sibs products
110
710
Total income
61,527
74,235
Expenditure
Salaries, pensions and NIC
34,415
77,812
Freelance fees
4,868
6,980
Staff training
470
30
Staff and volunteer travel
1,086
151
Accommodation and subsistence
810
966
Events for users
1,599
9,432
Office costs and equipment
13
160
Postage
64
82
Copying and stationery
172
1,434
Telecommunications and IT
532
5,186
Websites
20
65
Insurance
-
-
Payroll charges
720
750
Fundraising
336
410
Independent examination
1,039
1,039
Sundry expenses
918
1,238
DBS and human resources costs
29
144
Evaluation and research
-
282
AGM costs
71
-
Total expenditure
47,162
106,161
Net income / (expenditure)
14,365
(31,926)
Fund balances brought forward
57,657
89,583
Fund balances carried forward
72,022
57,657
2025
Restricted
funds
£
88,607
2,405
-
-
-
91,012
97,234
250
200
-
-
2,145
1,132
254
760
10,546
3,276
1,234
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
117,031
(26,019)
33,161
7,142
2024
Restricted
funds
£
97,896
542
-
-
-
98,438
56,835
-
-
1,160
-
1,355
971
329
481
4,964
2,448
1,301
-
492
-
-
-
-
70,336
28,102
5,059
33,161
2025
Total
funds
£
130,424
20,778
-
1,227
110
152,539
131,649
5,118
670
1,086
810
3,744
1,145
318
932
11,078
3,296
1,234
720
336
1,039
918
29
-
71
164,193
(11,654)
90,818
79,164
2024
Total
funds
£
149,075
14,618
7,404
866
710
172,673
134,647
6,980
30
1,311
966
10,787
1,131
411
1,915
10,150
2,513
1,301
750
902
1,039
1,238
144
282
-
176,497
(3,824)
94,642
90,818

17