REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07912948 {England and Walos) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1145927 Report ol tho Trustees and Flnan¢ial Statements for tl* Year Ended 31st Decomber 2024 Footstsps Worcestsrshlre Lknlted The Rlchards Sandy Partnership Thomeloe House 25 Barboume Road Worceslershi WR1 1RU Footst•P8 Worc•8tor•hlr• Llmlted Contents of the Flnanclal Statemènts for the Year Ended 31st l)Kember 2024 Page Reference and Admlnl$tratfva Detalls Report of the Trustees 2-16 Independent Examlnerfs Report 17 Statement of Flnan¢lal Acuvltles 18 Balance Sheet 19 Notss to tho Flnanclal Statemènts 20 27 Dotsblod statsmgnt of Flnanctal Actlvltles 28 Footstop Wor¢•stsrshlro Umltad ROf•r•n￿ and Admlnlstratlve Dotalls for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 TRUSTEES Mrs P W Southall Mrs V L Searfe Drj M Husband Ms B A Wright COMPANY 8ECRETARY Mrs S M Smith REGISTERED OFFICE Harrison Clark ￿CkerbYS 5 Deansway Worcester Worcestershire WR12JG REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER 07912948 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1145927 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER The Rlchards Sandy Parlnetship Thomelo8 House 25 Barboume Road Worcester Worcestsrshire WR1 1RU SQLicifoR8 Harrlson Clark Flckerbys 5 Deansway Worcester WR12JG BANKERS CAF Bank Limited 25 K]ngs Hlll Avenue Kings Hill West Malllng ME194UQ KEY MANAGEMENT MrJ Smilh Mrs S Smlth Mrs H Doiton Page 1 Footsteps Worcestershlre Llmlted Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 315t December 2024 The Trustees. who are also Directors of the Charlty for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31st December 2024. 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 [FRS 102) (effective l January 2019). Death is one of the hardest things to process and experience in lif¢ It can be even more difficult when you're young. Talking aboutgrief is so important Every child and young person is unique and will cope with the death of someone I￿portant in their own wayi there is no magic formula. Children and young people grieve just as much as adults, but they show it in different ways. They rely on adults to provide them with the support they need in their grief. Many get the support they need from those already around them who they knowand trusL However, there are many children who don't and who need additional and professional supporL Footsteps is a preventative service, and helps during children's forn]ative years and in their time of real need• providing a platforni to openly discuss and address fears and feelings and to develop personalised coping strategies. We launched Footsteps back in October 2011 to meet a real gap in service provtsion in South Worcestershire where there was - and continues to be- no comparable service for our bereaved children and young people. Our service is delivered on an Outreach basls, enabllng us to be accessible to all, and particularly to very vulnerable and disadvantaged fami]ies without access to thelr own transporL Our service to bereaved chlldren. young people and their families, is provided completely free of charge. This fincludes all of our activity days. We are so proud of our Footstep5' journey and our Footsteps. familyi our small and dedicated team of staff. Trustees and volunteers and our wonderfully supportive community. Together we have achieved so much, not least Èn developing and delivering bespoke and tsilored bereavement support packages dlrectly to 1,749 bereaved children, young people and their families and impacting on the lives of more than 10,500. Some support from the National Lottery together with support from Charitable Trusts, local businesses and our community enabled us to continue to provide our servlce to those that needed us most in 2024. We never take this support for granted; It 15 our driving force and each year we work hard behlnd the scenes to secure the funds we so desperately need to enable us to continue providing our service completely free of charge, and thereby ensure accessibility to all. It is very important to us that we remain a small and personal charity. We strive to always do what we do well. whilst retaining our ability to be flexible. These last few years have not been without challenges for us all; our bereaved children and young people have had so much to cope witlL As a team we have learnt and continue to learn so much. We have adapted and evolved to support our bereaved children and young people in their journey through grief. We have helped them to develop their own unique coping mechanisms to be able to manage their grief. We have positivejy impacted on their current and fll￿re mental health in order to help thern live their lives to their fullesL On behalf of our FOOTsfEPS family. our bereaved chlldren. young people. thelr familles and our team, we would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported and continues to support our servic Page 2 Footsteps Worc&stsrshlre Llmlted Report ofthe T￿￿tee5 for the Year Ended 31Jt December Z024 OBIECTIVFts AND ACTIVITIES Footsteps provldes a specialist programme ofsupport to bereaved children, young people (5-21 years) and their familFes in South Worcestershir& We provAde our servlce completety free of charge. We aim to support bereaved children and young people ID their journey throvgh grief, to help them to develop their own unique coping mechanism5 to llwge thelr grief. We aim to Positivejy impact on their current and future mentsl health, to help them live their lives to their fullestpotentlal. We deliver our service on an outreach basis. This is essentlal to ensure that our service is accesslble to all in nee We workwilh a number of local hospices within our geographic boundaries, with social care, medical. and educational professional agenaes, wlth Childhood Bereavement Network, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and other support service& We meet a real gap in servlce provislon In South Worcestershlre. Our service is wholly dependent upon the wonderful generosity of our local community, local businesses, Charitable Tnvsts and the National Lottery Community Fund. Page 3 Footsteps Worcestersbtre Llmlted Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31si December 2024 We supported 167 children and young people and thelr famllies durlng 2024 We spent thne tslking with 116 families to undertake professional family assessments, to better understand needs and to provide the best tailored support possftble for children and young people. We worked with 40 schools and colleges. 22 First, Middle and Primary, 14 High Schools, I SEN school and 5 Colleges. We now have a recognised presence in over 90% of schools in South Worcestershire. We have working relationships/work together with over 100 schools/colleges. We direcdy Impacted on the llves of more than 1.000 young people bereaved ofa loved one. The average number of I:1 fa￿-to-faCe support sessions provided to each chlld was 6. 40% of those had between 6-16 sesslons. 16% had between 11-16 sessions. Our specialist Footsteps team worked direcdy with bereaved ¢hlldren, young people and their families either face to frace [97% of cases} or through provldiDg support remotely (396 of cases). We supported families on an outreach basis when it was safe to do so. We supported children and young people from many locations: Worcester & Droltwich168% of our caseload), Malvern (Il%), Evesham & Pershore (16%) and other locations (5%). 25% ofthe children and young people we supported had additional learning/special educatfional need& 1.749 young people, together wlth thelr familles have been Sup￿rted by dedlcated Footsteps Practltioners slft￿ October zoii .- . and we have Imparted on the Ilves of more than 10.500 In totsi over thls tlme. We are so proud that Footsteps has been meetlng the needs of our communlty for over 13 years. Page 4 Footsteps Worcestershlre LIll￿ted Report ofthe Trustees for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 Almost 4 in 10 of our children were trying to Cope following the death of one of their parents. 58% of the children we supported were 11- 16 70h were aged 17 and over. Over a quarter wcre trying to cope with the death of their Dad. 14% wlth the death of their Mum. + 40% of children / young people we supported were males. IO% were tiying to cope with the death ofa sibling. • 60% were females. IS% of children were trying to cope with death following a suicide. 430A were / are tiying to cope with multtple deaths wfithin their family and friendship groups. •• 250/0 Wlth death from cancer. 350A) of the children we supported were 5- 10 years. 4 8% wlth an accidental death or a drug/alcohol related death. OUR REFERRAtS The majority of our referrals were from schools (74% Head teachers. teachers, school counsellors, safeguarding leads). 18% were from parents and other family members. 5% of referrals were from SocialSservRces, 3 % from GIYS and other agencies. We continue to receive many complex referrals from Worcestershire Children First and other soaal / medical professionals. including GP'S, Worcestershire Suicide Liaison. Youth Justice. Community Public Health and Family LiaisoTh This is a testament to our service and reputation within our local area and communities. Our young people and thèlr familles are vuJnerable- referred to us at extremely sensitive and emrtlonally charged and needy times. Our every engagemeDL whether face-to-face or remote Is bespoke, tsilored to specific family situations and spedal and indivldual needs. We provide: . TAILORED SUPPORT: carefully planned and evaluated I: I face to face sesslons and remote/vlrtual sessions for bereaved children and young people. These are needs-led and flexible and there is no fixed number. I. GROUP SESSIONS carefully facllitate(t 2. DIREcf SUPPORT FOR PAREKfs & CARERS, with an initial and in-depth family assessments and on-going telephone support 3. WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES and FAMILY ACTMTY DAYS. on weekends and fin school holidays. 4. ADVICE, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL INP￿ In both the statutory and voluntary sector. S. AWARENESS RAISING SESSIONS for young people in school& Page 5 Footsteps WoTcestershlre Llmlted Report ofthe Trustees for the Year Ended 3181 December 2024 Governlng document "Footsteps" is a charitable company limited by guardntee, incorporated on 17th January 2012 and regtstered as a charity on 15th February 2012. The company is established under a Memorandum of Association which sets out the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Artides of Associatiorn In the event of the company being wound up directors are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1. We always welcome volunteers of all ages and backwund& Ourvolunteers include young people we have supported, as well as some parents / carers.. they range from teens to late 60-year-olds and they continue to bring to our organisation a variety of life slal1& We benefitted from the support of many professionals and many members of our community in 2024. Footsteps continues to have a wide range 2nd good support group of volunteers who help with the events we run, make wonderful hand- made crafts for our I:1 support and therapy work and with whom we consultand use in many other ways. Our volunteers are truly remarkable! They give the5r skills and time enthusiastically to make a difference to the lives of our bereaved children, young people and their familie& We could not offer our full service wlthout their amazing support and we feel privileged to have them working alongside u& Footsteps is under the guardianship and leadership of four Trustees. Their sldlls are varied- and all equally valuable. We benefit from the skills ofr A retired school teacher and Parish Councillor, A School Health Nurse and°Reach4Wellbeing" Practitloner within the Health & Care NHS Trust; The retired Head of the Institute of Health & Soaety at Worcester University, with a background in nursing and teaching and a fornier T￿￿tee wlth SL Richard's Hosplce. A legal representative from a local and long-established law firni (an organisation that is In Itself very supportive of ourwork), providing us with GDPR and Employment Law knowledge; All our Trustees have their own "lived experlence" of Close bereavement within thefir famllies. They have all been very actlve in 2024 providlng excellentgovernance and steering throughout the year, includfing supporting our new remote ways of working proJecL and our plans to reach wider groups across our ge0￿phiC area. They have also been very supportive ofteam members on an Individual basis in a very challengingwork environment, worklng selflessly to ensure that all dedslons put th needs of our bereaved Childre￿ young people and thelr famllles firsL Page 6 Footsteps Worcestsrshire Umlted Report ofthe Trustees for the Ended 31it December 2024 The Directors of the Company are also Charity Trustees for the purposes of charity law. Due to the nature of the charity's work with bereaved Childre￿ the TTUStees and ManagementTeam are always mindful ofthe need to recrnit additRonal Trustees who can bring specialist expertise, skills and knowledge of the community we serve. The Trustees seek advlce and recommendatlons of staff before appointlng new trustees. New Trustees are provlded wlth a Trustee induction pack which Includes the following Charity Commission publlcations:_ CC3.. The Essential Trustee: what you need to know, and CCIO: The Hallmarks of an effective Charity. Our people define Footsteps and create the identity we are so very proud of. Our team ts SM￿1, dedicated and passionate. Our 2024 team comprised: • a fu]l-time Bereavement Service Manager: • 2 Bereavement Service Prartitioners: • a part-time Operations Manager; • a part-time Consultant Our Consultsnt (fornier Service Manager} has 23 years, legal experience, 10 years, experience as Fundraising Manager with Noah's Ark Trust (1999-2009), was a co-founder of Guy's Gift {2009-2012) supporting bereaved young people in Warwickshire and was the Secretsryto a large national CharAtable Trust for 24 years. She was also on the decislon-maklng panel ofthe Local Network Fund for Children & Young People in Worcestershire throughout its lifetime. Our recent]y retired consultant (our fomer Bereavement Servfice Manager) had 35 years. experience in senior managernent roles in education, 20 year experience of working specifically wlth bereaved young people and was also one of the co-founders of Gu￿S Gift in 2009, which is stlll operating in Warwickshire. He maintains an active finterest in our work Both consultants co-founded FootstsP& Our Bereavement Service Manager has a Postgraduate Level 7 Degree in Chlldren and Young People CounsellJn& She hasbeen a practlclng counsellor for over 16 years. Her passion Is to enable chl]dren and young people to have a voice to speak out about their thoughts and feelings through 1-2-1 sessions, talkln& drawin& play and the use ofmany types of Craf￿ Our Bereavement Service Praciitioner team have widewranging experience working with children and young people with a range of professional qualifications including.. BSc{Hons) Psychology, post graduate diploma in counselling children and young people: advanced certifiote and diploma in counselling/counselling skills: membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapyi abiding by thefir Ethical Framework for Good Practice. Our practitioners all have monthly peer supervlslon and professional cllnical supervision. Our full team meets once a week to review the week and our future plans. Our Operations Manager 30 years, experience within the Poll￿ Service. working in business, progrdn)me and projert managemenL She herself is a widowed mother of 2 Chlldren and joined our team to help make a difference to other bereaved familles. Page 7 Footsteps Worcestershlre Llmlted Report of the Trustees for the Ythqr Ended 31st December 2024 Together, our tea￿￿ our Volunteers and our Triistees work tlrelessly to help support and preveut chlldren and young people from suffering the Jong-lasthig Degatlve Impacts of bereavement rigbt through Into the rest of thetr Ilve& IN 2024.. 2024 was another very busy year for Footsteps- busier than the previous year and our second busiestyear since our chthty launched 13 years ago. We started the year wlth a waitlng list of 38 chlldren and young people. Our team worked incredibly hard throughout the year to provide specialist and professional support and advice to bereaved children, young people and their families referred to u& Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Flln￿ additional funding secured from Charitable Trusts. local businesses and our wonderful community, we were able to continue to provide our service to those in need We are so proud of our achievements during the year (summarised in the schematie on the previous page). Despite very bigh numbers of referrals, we managed our v￿lting list to meet our demand and to provide our services as best we could, at the times they were most needed and deen)ed to be at thelr most effective. We began 202S wtth a waiting list of 38 chlldren and young people seeking our professional supporL 2024 also saw a strong investment An training and continuing professlonal development for our team, supporting us in our aim to continue to adapL evolve and retain our flexibllity to meet the very real and changing needs of our bereaved thlldren, young people, and their families in South Worcestershire, in very challenging times. We continue to meet a real gap in service provision in the area. OUT acbievements in 2024 reflect the Footsteps team's continued commltment and dedication to support bereaved chlldren and young people durlng very d￿llengIng thnes for many of our familie& yhankyou so muchfvr helping me these pastfew months I'm so thankfvl I hadyou ¢0 help me ... I don't know what I would have done withoutyourhelp." ou have helped me so much in oursessions and withoutyou I don tknow whatl would have don&" "Ihave movedonfrom sicuationsl didn'¢feel I would." Yt has showed me I will ulways hovegood days andbad doyL I have been able to express more and open up more thon I normalty would." 7hankyou so muchfvryour support.... she was alway5 hoppy th have sessions with you ondfoundyou easy to tslk to. J thinkshe appreciated being able to talk ￿thout need to self-censorand whatshe said,forfrar of upsetting me. Recently she has not been experiencing panic attacks and l am sure thatyoursupport has been a swnifican¢fvctor. Its such a kind, compassionate se￿Ice and just what a child needs when suffering a loss and all the sadnass and rtruggl£s that comes with IÈ" -1 would like to say a big thankyoufor all the work ond supportyougiva... I have noticed a big difference in her recently, thanks toyoursupport and help. IYS very much appreciated- Without the support ofFootsteps. I don't think I would have coped with losing my mum as well as I have and wouldn'tbe where l am today. The supportfrom Footsteps has helped meget through a time I couldn'timagine getting through and continues to help me through things when theyget hant" °My support has allowed me to open Upi. to talkabout the things I wouldn't be able to tolk aboutat hom& Itollowed me to open up myfeelings and to process so much inforniation. I would recommend to anyone..orntefvlfor the sessions 1 hove been offered, they have realty helped me." Page 8 Footsteps Worcestersblre LI￿￿ted Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 2024 continued on from the Covid years as a difficult year for so manyi none more so than many of our bereaved children. young people and their families. They faced {and a number we are still working with continue to face) challenges dealing with and journeying through their grief. Many of our referrals were complex cases: many of the hlldren referred to us did not have their own family/friend5hip support groups. There is an ever-growing desire for bereavement support and a growing recO￿l￿On for its need within our community. Never has our free service been more essendaL nor the demand for our professional supporL Footsteps meets a real gap in service provision In South Worcestershlre where there continues to be no comparable bereavement service for our children, young people and their familie& RFAL EXAMPLES AND CASE sfuDIES This young person's Dad died in a harrowing accfident has learning difficulties, and found it dlfficult to express their feelings. During sessions the young person would talk about having scary sightings of figures. The young person was helped in using drawin85 to 5howwhat they looked like and named them. Early se55ion5 talked about new ones belng seen and dad would be linked to each one- the young person was helped to explore these and meanings behind them. The young person made alrplanes Oike Dads) and then parachutes to demonstrate how these can stop him from falling bard within hls emotions as Dad was missed so mu The young person really started to connertto how they were feeling and began to talk more openly aboutthe things they missed with Dad and the changes at home; some being good and others not good. The young person was happy with weekly meetings as an emotional outleL After months of sesslons, it became apparent that Dad was not talked about anymore in a worrying manner and both the prartitioner and the young person feltthatthe tlme was right to end the sessions. During the managed ending process the young person mentioned that the figures had gone and expressed great delight Led by the young persoffj they and the practitioner destroyed the drawings. ripped them and made paper balls to throw into the bin. This situation highlights the importance and benefits of being alongside the young persoTh of not being frightened of the figures they were seeing as these were demonstrating the impact of the loss of dad and how scary life was now going to be. Once the emotions and thoughts were heard, accepted and worked thrnugh. the figures left and the young person was freer to 'get on, with lif& This YP. age 10, had learning difficultie& They were also presenting issues ofidentity and wanting to be a .￿n￿. The school had concerns as to how the young person was St￿g￿]llg with grief followlng the death of Dad. In additlon to identity issues. During sessions it became apparent thatthe young person wanted to talL to be listened to and supported in processing Dad's death. They couldn't find an oudet for this and spoke about betoming a'furrf as this gained more attention and was their way ofbeing seen/heard. The young person expressed that they didn't know what a'furry. was and just wanted to be a cat because they like cats. Sessions supported the acceptsnce of death, the value of the relationship shared with Dad and developing new coping strategies. A young person was feeling anger towards other people who still had a Mum alive. They felt unable to express this anger and fiustration to other5, holding onto it and had sulcidal thoughts wanting to escape from their pain. The young person was self-hannin& The prartitioner worked with the young person to develop a rapport and create a safe environment in sessions. Page 9 Footsteps Worcestershtre Llmlted Report ofthe Trustees for the Y&v Ended 31At December 2024 The young person began to feel they could open up about their feelings and began to express their anger through the use of creativity. Creatlve techniques in sessions allowed the young person to share things that they had originally found difficult to explain through words alone. The practitioner encouraged and helped facilitate a reflective process in sessions for the young person so they were abje to communicate openly. Thi5 helped serve a5 another outlet," as 5ession5 continued, the young person's suicidal thoughts significantly reduced and they stopped self-harmin& They had developed other ways to be able to express and to process some of their feeling& We are often asked to provide advice to teachers and school staff: we do this whenever possible, and have delivered fonnal tralning to a number of teaching leaders and professionak We continue to remain hopeful and keep a watchful eye on the Governmenys promise to take action to introduce death and grief more readily in schools; educating teachers and further raising their awareness of what professional expertise exists outside of schools. Our research, and indeed our future aims for our charity, are to enable us to play an early role in supporting this. Delivery of our service thisy&ir was helped by the National Lottery Community Fund recognising the continued importance and value of our work This support. together with some support from other Charitable Trusts, local businesses and our local community meant that Footsteps was agaln able to provide ivs much evidenced and needed support in 2024. COMMUNITY FUND Support and donatlons fro￿ our communlty. however or large, acknowledge the value ofour servlce, as do our very manytestlmonials.. from professionals. parents / carers and from d￿ldren the￿￿e1Ve& 1> WE EMPOWERED BEREAVED CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE. with greater ability to explore and express difficult feeliDgs. and acquire greater confidence and improved self-esteem. increasing their emotional resilienc& 2> WE REASSURED PARENTS and G4RERS, improved reLattonshlps and increased communlcatlon wlth thelr children, diminishing the levels of stress likely to cause distres& 3> WE INCREASED PROFE5510NALS' knowledge and awareness of bereavement issues and enabled them to better support those with whom they are interacting. Children and Young People developed their own unique coping mechanisms., Parents and carers felt better able to support their thi]dren: Family life benefitted.; There was a positive impact on the child's/young person's school/college life; I:1 work provided opportunities for young people to be heard, to ask questions, to unburden themselves," hool teachers and others professionals working with young people benefitted from our advice. knowledge and experience as to how best to supportyoung people on a day to day basis; Our education of the wider community provided prartiC21 advlce to enable members of the community to help and support those they know who have been bereaved of a loved one. Page 10 FootstsPS Worcestershtre Lfimlted Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 Coping with the Ios5 of a loved one may be one of the hardest challenges that a child or young person faces in their lif& 2024 continued oll from the Covid years in being a very difficultyear for so n￿￿y. Grief can be particularjy intense and isolating and a young person can be overcome by shock and confusion. leading to prolonged periods of emotional tunnoi1, anger, sadness or depresslo Many people find it difficult to talk about dea￿ A good social. support network can help, but many of ouryoung people do not have thls. The situation and painful emotions will not improve by avoidance and It is very important for a grieving young person to be able to talk to someone to express and share their emotlons and thoughts. Discussing grief can prevent negative and destructive emotlons from building up at a time when young people are at their most vulnerable and can help prevent them from seeking solace in harniful lifestyle habits. Negative ways to cope with thoughts and feelings aboutloss and death, if unsupported, can predtspose children to a mentsl health condition. Acute or even suppressed grief can lead to dlstorted grievin& characterised by extreme guilt or anger, leading to aggressfive and destructive outbursts, self-harni, school refusal, crime and anti-social behaviour, dThg/alcobol abuse, testing of authority systems, loss of self-respecL loss of confidence, depressioni physical ailments and symptoms. loss of a general sense of purpose in life and poor mental healtlL Our specialised bereavement support positively contrRbutes to not only the mentsl and physical health of children and young people, but also to their welfare and future well-beln& We are a preventative service and help durlng children's forn)ative years and in their time of real nee(L providing a platfom to openly discuss and address fears and feelings. Our input can help to prevent the breakdown of family relationships & Improve physical/ mental health and emotional wellbeing. There are many factors that play a role In how we as indlviduals react to a significant loss; they Include our cultural nornys, our support systems, the clrcumstances of a death, existlng coping mechanism& Measuring and evaluating grief support can be challengin& as everyone's experience is unfiqu& Rather than uslng an evaluation tool wRth a one size fits all approach. we use our carefully tailored family assessment forni when we first visfit parent/carers and young people. Our process allows us to hfighlight and identify any speafic needs of young people and their families and offer them support with those needs in mind. Durfng the year we were again able to provide a summer activity dayand a pOi￿ant Christmas lantern walk for our bereaved children and thelr familie& Our Christmas Lantern Walk in the wonderful, privats park and woodlands of Spetchley Gardens brought many of our bereaved Childre￿ young people and thelr families together to remember their loved ones. The grounds and facilities within the Spetchley Estate were generously provlded, free of charge by the Berkeley family. Chrlstmas gifts for chlldren were funded through a generous donation from a local law firnL Faniilles spent precious time together. decorating wooden tree cookies, again made by a Prartitionerfs husband. These cookies were hung on an illuminated memory tree along our lantern route, whllst movlng muslc played In the background. Refreshments were provlded aftenvards, served by staff and volunteers, and opportunities for families and the team to share time together were truly value(L Some of the wonderfi21 feedbackwe received..- Page 11 Footsteps Worcestershtre Llmlted Report ofthe Trustees for the Year Ended 31si December 2024 "rr e had a wonderful time. Footsteps Is a great charity. offering help during difficulttimes. 'Tonigh¢ has been magical. "the day was so lovely, I really appreciate the thoughtthat went into this even °a beautiful evening spent reflecting and remembering our loved ones" "Absolutely fantastic evenln& so well thought out and organised. °rt has been beautiful, such a lovely thing to do together. jas been a stressful few weeks, really needed this" "this has really helped my daughter thankyou. e are so fortunate to have been invited" "I'll never forget IL thank you for letting me share this experien￿. hank you for doing something so special and meaningful at this time of year. "She enjoyed making something so special for Dadd￿, Our Lakeslde summer family activity day was another huge succes& Our alm was to prevent feellllgs of Isolation In our chfftldre￿ for them to feel thatthey weren't alone In thelr grlefand to give them an opportunity to have fun. build confidence and strengthen bonds wlthin and across their family groups. Bereaved children and their family members were invited to Joln us to take part in zipwirin& paddle boarding and kayaking All activities were led and supervised by qualified University of Worcester outdoor activity instrurtor Lunches We￿ provided free of charge by our local farni shop and our team themselves again made lots of home bakes. This year saw some exceptional bonding between children and new friendships forged. A fantastic daywas had by all. provided completely free of charge to the families. Page 12 Footsteps Wor¢estershlre Llmlted Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31¥t December 2024 Chi]dren challenged themselves, they overcame personal hurdles and they had so much fun together with their families and with other families; there was such togetherness and wonderful ￿maraderie on the day. 'djust like to say a massive thankyouforputting on such afantasticfvmitrfvn day" -It was amazing" heyhad the bes¢ time" -1 really enjoyed meeting otherfamilies who recelve this support ond see itts notjust me" "the ocÉfvities b)doy were aMa￿n9. each challenged me- F(x>l>l Trtwasso muchfvn- is was the bertday everl .the bestdoy ofmy entire tifel" "J loved everything" "su¢h a great day to relax and take the load olr "the doy wos so well thought out andso enjoyable... Thank Wyfavourite part oftoduy was paddle boarding..- I loved itso muchw" Page 13 Footsteps Worcestershlre Llmlted Report ofthe Trustees for the Year Ended 31$1 December 2024 F(H)tsteps' unique serrfice has always been an outreach service. to ensure that we are accessible to all, including those who are the most vulnerdble. Some of our families are without access to traDSPOrt/family supporL This means that there can be significant travel ttme between schools due to the geo￿aphY of South Worcestershire. We always consclously manage our practltioner caseloads and our school allocations to ensure that we are as efficient as possible, managing our costs and maximising our capacity. We can offer both face-to face supportand remote supporL Our Prartltioners have been able to be more flexible when offering appointments for remote I:1 sessions and this has been welcomed. We can only measure and track our perforniance and our success by involving those we are aimlng to help. It is important to us to give children, young people and their famllles a voice; and for them to feel that they are being listened to. They are valuable contributors from whom we are keen to leanL Ourteam meets regularly on a weekty basis. We prlde ourselves on our abllity to be flexlble and adapt quickly. When we feel it is appropriate, we act on feedback inforniation quickly and put change in place, where relevanL always endeavouring to let the person that has led to this. know. We maintain Excel spreadsheets to capture infornlatlon that we require to deliver our service efficiently and effectively, and as additional inforn)ation to review who. where, when and how we deliver our service. We record and track infomation including sources of referrals and enquiries. the age and sex of each child referred the school/college they attend, where they live, the relationship to them of those who have died, the nature of the death(s). multiple deaths, number of sessions they receive, time frdme over which they are supported etc. We continue to analyse this infomation. together with the geographical area we are supporting in more detsil, to support us in ensuring that we provide our service in all areas of South Worcestershire, when it ts neede(L The Inforn￿tiOn from our spreadsheets is vital to track our work, to better understand and learn from the wider picture. to support our fundraising and our seryice developmenL Page 14 Footsteps Worcestershlre Umfited Report ofthe Trnstees for the Year Ended 31¥¢ December Z024 The Trustees can confirn] that they have had due regard to the Chaiity CommissAon's guidance on public benefit in deciding what activities the ¢harfity should undertake. In all work wlth bereaved young people and their families. benefit to the public is of paramount importanc& We measure the success of OUT dirert support against the required outcomes for Indlvlduals We have a commitment and a responslbllityto safeguard all the children we work with from all forms of physfical or mental violence, injury or abuse. neglert maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse. The aim of the Footsteps Child Protertion and Safeguarding Policy is to promote good practice, provide children wlth the appropriate protection and help employees. TTUStees and volunteers n￿ke inforn]ed and confident responses to child protection issues. Footsteps has rigorous policles and procedures In Pla￿ to ensure safeguarding and child protection, staff protection, data protection and confidentiality and protection of our employees and our clients, whilst working fac&tOwface and remotely. A]1 records are protected approprlately in line with these policies and procedures (both electronic and paper records). Our Polficles are renewed and updated annually. The bulk of our income In 2024 came from the National kn)ttery Community Fund; the remainder from Charitable Trusts, local businesses and our community. Our reputation goes from strength to strength, as does the recognitlon ofthe value of our seDAce. We arevery proud of our success in developing our service and supportlng bereaved Chlldre￿ young people and thelr families in South Worcestershire for over 12 year& Funding always remains challenging to enable the CODtinuation of our support programme totally free of charge to bereaved famElle& No bereaved child, young person, together with their family, should be left isolated and vulnerable. Our aim is to work hard to continue to develop and deliver our service free of charge over the longer term to those in need. in order to ensure a better future for bereaved children and their famllies in South Worcestershire by addressing grief at an early stage and preventlng future mental health problem& The ongoing support of some of our current and some new Charitable Trusts is vital to ensure the continuation of our service and we are worklng hard to deliver our sustalnability plans. It Is vltal, ethlcal and a requirement of our service that we have the abllity to continue to support once we have given our Commitment to a young person. Long term financlal security is critical to achieve thls. Slgnificant work and effort continues to be Invested to ensure that the Charity can continue to thrive. Applicatlons will contlnue to be made to Charitable Trusts nationwide and locally. relatlonships will be made and developed and we are hopeful thatwith a lot of hard worK we will achieve the necessary funding to continue to develop and make a real difference to the significant needs wlthln Worcestershire for future years. Our Trnstees have a]ways felt fit to be important that we do not grow too large, nor overstretch ourselves. The main consfiderntion for Footsteps has always been to do wbat we do wellp provide a bIgh-qU￿fity servlce and lookafter our st2fL Page 15 Footsteps Worcestershlre Llmlted Report of the Trustees for the Ended 31st December 2024 The Trustees have established the charity's reserves policywith reference to Charity Commission Guidance [CC19} and accounting standards (SORP 2005]. The Trustees. intention is to build sufficient reserves to ensure continuity of service and they consider it prudent to work towards free l.e., unrestricted) reserves of a minimum of nine months expenditur& The charity will a150 maintaln a reserve to close the charity, should It be necessary, withoutadveT5ely affecting the Servi￿ to families already receiving support, meet liabilities to creditors and meet staff notice and redundancy cost& This intention is established annually when the Trustees agree the budget for the forthcomfing year. The Trustees ensure that the reserves are monitored periodically and they keep the reserves, policy under regular revlew. The charitys unrestrirted reserves. excluding fixed assets, were £188.529 as at 31 De￿mber 2024 [20Z3: £176.993}. representingapproximately 23 months ofunrestricted expenditure. The stated strategy therefore been achieved this year, however. of this £44.067 represents a deskgnated winding up fund (2023: £44,067). Total unrestricted reserves as at 31 December 2024 were £188,845 (2023: £177,783}. Total restricted funds as at 31 December 2024 were £nil (2023: £73,870). FUIE Infornlatioll regarding fund movements and restrictions are detailed An note 17 to the accounts. -7W. ,.Please help us to continue our work in 2025. On behalf of our children, oun eo le and thei ,Ifamilies, we would like to thank eve one who has￿. su ported our service. This report has been prepared in accordance with the specia] provisions of Part 15 of Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. 19-8-15 Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on .......................................................................... and signed on its behalf P.W. SOUTHALL Page 16 Indepondent Examlnorfs Roport to tho Trust￿ of Footstsps Worcestershlre Limltsd Independent examiners report to the trustees of Footstsps Worcestershlre Llmlt•d {Ih• Compan￿1 I report to lh8 charity truslees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31st December 2024. Responslbllttles and basls ol report As the charivs trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for Ihe preparation of the accounts In accorthce ￿ryth tho requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (Yhe %X16 Acr). Having satisfied rny5elf that tha of the Company are not requir&J to be wjited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are digible for ind8p6ndenl examination. I report in respect of my examination of y￿r charitys ac￿)Unts as canied out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 Cth8 2011 ACV). In carrying out my vAamlnatlon I ha￿ followed Ihe Directbns given by the Charity Commi&8iM under Section 145(5} (b) of the 2011 Act. Independent exarninérfs sLthment I havo rnmpleted my examinati(￿. I confjmi that no matters have o)me io my attentm in conneclion wilh the examination giving me ￿U88 to believe: ace￿ntiftg records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Seclion 386 of the 2006 Act: or the accounts do not ac￿r￿ wilh those records; or the accounts do not compty wllh the accourtiNJ requlrements of Section 3￿ of the 2LM)6 Ad other than any requIrem￿t that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter ￿nSIdered as part of an ind8pend8nt examination: or the accounts have nol been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Stat8m8nt of Recommended Practlce for al￿￿ntIng and reporting by charttles (applicable to chaiities preparlng th8lr accounts in accordance wlth the Financial ReportirKJ Standard appIl￿ble in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)). I have no (x)ncem$ and have come aCr￿&S no other mattels In c(nnedlon with the examinatlon to whlch attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Melissa Godwin ACA ACCA The Richards Sandy Partnershlp Thomeloe House 25 Barboume Road Worcester Worc8slershlr8 WR11RU Page 17 Statement ol Flnan¢lal A¢tivltlos (In¢orporatlng an Incomo and Expndtture Account) for th• Year Ended 31st December 2024 2024 Totsl funds 2023 Totsl funds Unreslrthd Restrlcled funds funds INCOME AND ENDOWMEtrifs FROM Donations and legacies 25,340 4,100 42.847 Charltablo actlvlties Counselling and related s8nrfces 650 Investment income Total 28.968 4.100 33.068 EXPENDrruRE ON CharltalAe actfvldes Counselling and related senAces NEf INcof•lEI(EXPENDJTURE) 11.062 173.870) 162.808) (63.508) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Totsl funds brought fonAard 177.783 73.870 251.653 315.161 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD The rdes f￿7 part ofthese financial statements Page 18 Footsteps Worces1ornhb8 Umltod Balance Sho•t 31st Deeember 2024 2024 Total funds 2023 Total funds unrestri￿ Restricted funds funds Notes FIXED ASSErs Tangible assets 13 310 316 790 CURRENf ASSETS Debtor5 C&8h at bank 14 3,050 3.050 16.547 195.T19 195,779 254,534 CREDITORS Amounts falllng du8 within one year 15 17,250) 17.250) (3.671) NEf CURREiif ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 188,845 188.845 251,653 NET ASSETS FUNDS Unrestrlcted funds Restricted funds 17 188,845 177,783 73.870 TOTAL FUNDS 251.653 The Charitsblg Company Is entld&l to exemption from audit under Section 4T1 of the Companles Act 2006 for the year ended 31st December 2024. The mambers have not required the cA)mpany to obtaln an audlt of Its financial 8talements for the year ended 31st December 2024 In atxordance with Sedlon 476 of the Companles Act 21x16. The trustees acknowledge their res￿nSIbIlI1￿ for (a) ensurfng that the charltable company keeps accountiThJ records that comply wÉih Sections 386 and 387 of Ihe Companies Act 2006 and prep•lng financial slatements whlch glve a true and falr vknv of Ihe stste of affairs of the charttable company as at the end d each Ilnancial year and of Its surplus or deficil for each finano81 year in accA)rdance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otlwwlse comply wilh the requlrements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to flnancial ststements. so far as applicable to the charitsble Company. These financial statements have been prgpared in accordanL* wtth the provisions appli¢aWe to ch8rStth o)mpanio8 subject to the small companies regime. tatements were approved by the Board of Tnjstees and authorlsed for issue on and were signed on Its behalf by: (b) The fi nci P W Sthii- Trustee notes fomi part of those financial stalements Page 19 Footstopg wor￿st0￿h1ra Llmtted Notes to tho Flnanclal Statements for the Year Ended 31st D•¢embeT 2024 ACCOUPMNG POLICIES BASIS OF PREPARING THE FINANCIAL STATEME1￿8 The financial slatements of the charilable company. which Is a public benefit enllty under FRS 102, Imve been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Acwunting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Praclice q)Flicable to Gharittes prwring Iheir ac￿Unts in aCC￿dance with the Financial Reporltro sta￿lard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) {eifecti￿ 1 January 2019)., Financial Reporting Standard 102 TIE Financial Reporting Slandard appficable in the UK and R8publiG of Ireland. and the Companies Act 2006. The finandal statements hav8 been prapared under the historical cost ¢onventK)n. The accounts are prepared In stertlng. which is tha functional Guirenw. Monetary amwnts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £ INCOME All income is recognised in the Statemenl of Finaniial Activities once the Charlty has 8ntiUement to the funds. it Is probable that Ihe income will be r￿1Ved and the amount can be measured reliably. Incxlme frLyn grants is rKognised in the perlod In which the charity is entiued to recei0 and the amount can be measured %Mttb reasonable certalnty. Income from grants is th deferred when charity has to fulfil conditions not yet met before becoming entiued to tt or where the donor has Spedfi￿ that ts income is to be expended in 8 future perlod. Donations from Indmduals wlthin the a)mmunity are recognlsed Immedlately upon recelpt. Interest inccMn8 Is recognised for all irrterest-bearfng instruments on the effectlve Interest rale ba818. EXPENDITURE Llabilities are iecognised as expendliure as soon as there is a 18gal or constructive Oblig￿lon ¢cKnmltting the charity lo that 6xpenditure. it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits wlll be required in setuement and the amount of the obligation can be ff*asur￿ reliabty. Expendllure is aGcounted for on an accruals basis and has been dasSif￿d under headlngs Ihat aggregate all cost related lo the catsgory. Where costs cannot be dire¢dy attrfbuted to particular headings they have teen allocated to activities on a basls conslstent with the use TANGIBLE FIXED ASSErs I)epre￿th￿ 18 prov￿ad at th8 folbwing annual rates In orderto write off each asset over Its estlmated useful lrfe. Computer equipment 33% on cost Assets above £100 are (apitalised. TAXATION The charity is exempt fr<¥n cory)orakn tax on its charitable activitss. FUND ACCOUNTING Unrestrlcted funds can be used in accordance wilh the charitable obJ￿1veS at the di8crelic)n of the Intstees. Restricted funds can only be used for partI￿lar restricted purposes wilhln the objects of the charity. R8stridions arise wh8n specified by the donor or when funds ar8 raised parknojlar r8strict8d purposes. Further explana11c￿ of the natu￿ end purpose of each fund is induded in the notes to the financial ststements. PENSION COSTS The charitable company operates a defined con1ri1xrt￿n penslon scheme. Contiibutions payable lo the charitable ¢ompanYs pension scheme are tharged to the Statement of Financial Adivifyes in the wtod to which they relale. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS The Charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ' Bastc Ftnan¢ial Instrnments, and Section 12 'Other Flnanclal Instwments Issues, of FRS 102 to all of Its fjnancid inslruments. Financial instruments are recognlsed when the charity becomes party to the cuitrac4ual provish)ns of Ihe instrument. P8ge 20 continued... Fo¢)tst0p8 Wor¢ost•rshlre Llmlt•d Notes to the Flnan¢lal Statemonts - contIn￿d for Ihe Year ErKled 31st Clacember 21)24 ACCOUHnNG POLICIES - conllnu FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS Financial assets afo offset. wilh Ihe net amounts presented In the ac￿Unts wh8re Ihere Is 8 legalty enforceable rfght to set off the recognlsed amounts and thore is an intention to setue ¢)n a net basis or lo realise the asset and settle the liablity sinMILwwously. Baslc Fin8nclal Assots Basic financial assets. whlch include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are inltially measured at transaction prrce induding trans8di(x) Costs and are subsequenlty carried at amortised cost usirwJ the effective interest method unless the artangement cons11￿S a finarKiTrJ tr￿S￿li0n, the transaction is measured at the presenl v81u8 of the futtwe r￿eipts dlscwnted at a market value rate of interesL Baslc Flnanclal Liabilities Basic financial liabilities. Induding trade and olher payables, are inltlally rwnised at transactlon PTice unless the arrangernerrt a)nstitutes a financiNJ transaction. where Ihe debt instrument Is Measur￿ at the present value of future receipts. dtscounted at a market rate of interest. Debt instrLunents are subsequenty carrie(l at amortised cost. using the effective interest rate method. Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or seNice$ that have been acquired in the ordinary courne of the operations from suppliers. AC￿Unts payablè are dassified as current Ilabllitles if payment is due withln one year or less. If thay are presented as non