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2025-03-31-accounts

Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

Charity No. 1147278

Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Financial Statements

For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

CONTENTS

Page
Charity reference and administrative details 1
Trustees report 2
Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees 14
Statement of financial activities 15
Balance sheet 16
Notes to the accounts 17

Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE CHARITY REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Registered charity name Achieve Change & Engagement ACE
Charity registration number 1147278
Registered office 18 Sun Street
Lancaster
LA1 1EW
Trustees S Temple
P Callis
H Belbin
S Kay
E Harris (resigned August 2025)
J Hall (appointed July 2025)
R Pilling (appointed July 2025)
R Aspin (appointed March 2025)
K Griffin (resigned May 2024)
N Middlehurst (resigned October 2024)
C Welsby (resigned March 2025)
Independent Examiner MHA
Chartered Accountants
14 Mannin Way
Lancaster Business Park
Lancaster
LA1 3SW

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and 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).

Reference and administrative details

Reference and administrative details are shown in the schedule of members of the board and professional advisers on page 1 of the financial statements.

The charity is known as “ACE”.

The Trustees

The trustees who served the charity during the period are shown on page 1.

Structure, governance and management

Governing document

The charity operated as an unincorporated organisation from 2008 until it incorporated on 15 November 2011 and registered as a charity with the charity commission on 16 May 2012.

At a meeting on 15th March 2021 the trustees agreed to convert the existing Charitable Company from its current status to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) using the Foundation Model Constitution. In practice, the CIO becoming operational on 1 April 2021 with the Charity Commission recording conversion on 12[th] May 2021.

Trustees

The number of trustees shall be at least three. A trustee must be a natural person aged 16 years or older. Any person who is willing to act as Trustee, and is permitted by law to do so, may be appointed to be a trustee by decision of the trustees. Recruitment induction and training is conducted by existing trustees as necessary.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Objectives and activities

The Charity's objects as outlined in its governing document are specifically restricted to the following:

Our vision

All children, young people and adults live in emotionally healthy communities where they are heard and valued and able to get help when needed.

Our mission

ACE works with children, young people and their families to support them to build emotional resilience, putting their voices at the heart of our work.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Our work

The charity has undertaken the following overarching activities for public benefit in relation to its objects:

One-to-one work

ACE practitioners work with young people ages 10 to 25 in a variety of settings on an individual basis to support them to improve their emotional health. They are contactable via phone outside of the session time to help with any arising problems.

Referrals are taken from school staff, GPs, mental health services, other services, parents and young people themselves.

The work is person-centred, solution focused, and goal based.

Participation

Groups of young people meet to gain information on mental health services or education for children and young people and advocate on behalf of young people’s voice with commissioners and decision-makers.

We measure our work to evaluate improvements in emotional health and resilience.

Public benefit

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities.

Context - KEY FACTS

In 2023, about 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental disorder. (20.3% of 8-16 year olds, 23.3% of 17-19 year olds and 21.7% of 20-25 year olds).

Among 8 to 16 year olds, rates of probable mental disorder were similar for boys and girls, while for 17 to 25 year olds, rates were twice as high for young women.

Children aged 11 to 16 years with a probable mental disorder were 5 times more likely than those unlikely to have a mental disorder to have been bullied in person (36.9% compared with 7.6%).They were also more likely to have been bullied online (10.8% compared with 2.6%).

Source: National Centre for Social Research report: Children and young people's mental health in 2023

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Achievements and performance

ACE is a North Lancashire based charity which offers mainly individual and some group therapy sessions to young people aged 10 – 25 years who are experiencing mental health difficulties. ACE also provided specialist Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Trauma Therapy.

ACE supports post graduate students through their placements which facilitates a greater number of available appointments and specialities for ACE clients over the age of 18 years.

During the year ACE provided face to face appointments to a total of 274 young people; 52 were 18 years and above and 222 were under 18 years. The length of interventions ranged from a few weeks to several months dependent on the complexity of the needs of the young person. A small number of young people had interventions lasting for over a year and several were transferred mid intervention from generic emotional health practitioners to specialist practitioners within the service.

ACE provide clinical supervision and case management to all our staff monthly. This provides support and learning for staff enabling them to improve their practice. Management is also on hand to support staff on a professional and safeguarding level, ensuring they are up to date with required training and personally identified training and latest knowledge.

During 2024/25, ACE has:

The below shows the experiences recorded and the symptoms arising from those experiences by the young people attending ACE at the point of referral. The graph demonstrates that many had experienced several traumatic events and were experiencing many symptoms relating to these.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Funding Sources: ACE received funding from various organisations, including:

Overall Service Feedback

The Trustees expressed their gratitude to the ACE team for their resilience and continued hard work in supporting both the charity and the individuals it serves.

Some reports on our major funding streams follow:

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB)

111 young people aged 11 – 18 years received weekly individual therapy appointments in schools and external venues within Lancaster district and Fylde and Wyre..

The children and young people worked with were experiencing low to moderate anxiety, low mood, low selfesteem, difficulties regulating emotions, relationship problems and sleep problems. Many of the young people were finding school attendance difficult and were therefore not attending consistently.

ACE provided support based on individual requirements. The length of weekly intervention ranged from 6 weeks to several months. This flexibility allowed the practitioners to build strong relationships with the young people who were experiencing the greatest difficulties and offer longer term support to ensure that the service could meet their needs.

97% of young people show an average of 23.64% improvement in their mental health .

From feedback at the end of intervention young people reported:

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Schools reported that the mixture of coping strategies and having someone to talk to and listen to them has increased the student’s confidence, reduced their anxiety and that pupils were more robust in coping with levels of anxiety. School attendance has improved and also the ability to form friendships within school. School staff reported that the ACE practitioners were professional and approachable.

Feedback

‘Seeing ACE Calmed me down. My behaviour improved, I was glad someone listened to me. Just speaking to my practitioner made me calmer. I am coping better with my anger management and my school behaviour has improved. The ACE service was brilliant.’

‘Seeing ACE helped my anger. Just having someone to talk to. The Coping strategies and talking and listening really helped. It was confidential, Trusting. Anger management and coping with loss are easier. My family relationships are better.’

Children in Need – Specialist Trauma Therapy

Children in Need fund a Trauma Practitioner to engage with young people aged 10 – 18 and to work with the wider ACE Emotional Health Practitioner team to increase their knowledge in and support their assessment and response to symptoms of low level trauma in young people.

A total of 40 young people aged between 10 years and 18 years have received support from the Children in need funded trauma counsellor during the 2024 – 2025 financial year. These young people identified as 25 female; 13 male and 2 gender neutral. Young people referred for Trauma counselling had experienced many traumatic events including but not exclusive to road traffic accidents, traumatic family breakdown, domestic violence, emotional abuse, bullying, bereavement, family mental illness, family or friend suicide, sexual assault, physical illness/disability and family alcohol/substance abuse.

Below is a selection of short individual experiences highlighting some of the work that was completed with young people within this project and the impact of the ACE interventions.

‘Z entered counselling after struggling with flashbacks, dissociation, and the trauma effect after experiencing child sexual abuse. On commencing counselling, Z was emotionally dysregulated and struggling to focus in school due to the disassociation. Together we worked on grounding techniques to support Z's regulation and to feel better in control of the trauma symptoms. These included shaking the body out to, focus on somatic rocking and humming, pushing feet into the ground, and breathing techniques. I also requested from school a time out card for Z if they needed to leave the classroom to regulate which was granted. These supported Z's emotional health, self-support and resilience. Moving onward we explored the somatic responses through body scanning and thereafter extracting the body sensations and putting images onto paper where Z could describe the colour, size, texture etc of each felt sense. Using this technique, Z could identify individual emotions such as anger and sadness whereas previously it was one large emotion they called anxiety. From here, Z was able to work backwards and identify when this feeling began and relating it to their early years. Z then began using mantras to reinforce that they are now safe and the feeling is historical and not in the present. These actions provided Z with sufficient support in understanding how the CSA had impacted Z therefore improved their resilience, emotional health, and self-support.’

‘A came to see me after a disclosure to their carers with concerns about moving back to the city where they had experienced historic trauma. During our sessions we explored identity using positive affirmations, challenged perspective related to fears, bias, overgeneralisation, and negative thinking. We used Distorted Thinking cards, Hot Cross Bun model, and Window of Tolerance to support these explorations and challenges, but the greatest benefit to A was the opportunity to be heard without judgement which shifted the distorted view from being 'bad' to instilling feelings of worth, and therefore improving resilience and self-support.’

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

‘Y struggled with abandonment issues and we therefore worked on what healthy relationships looked like, endings, and boundaries. During sessions, we worked on grounding techniques to help with triggers, flashbacks, nightmares, panic, and overwhelm. We worked on expressing emotions through art and colour, and rationalising thoughts and fears relating to death and abandonment. Humour was a large part of the sessions as was Y having the opportunity to express themself through dance, music, art, and telling jokes. Through expression, and having a trusting, non-judgemental relationship in sessions, Y's confidence and resilience grew, as did their ability to verbally express themselves knowing that all emotions were ok and it was more about how we released them. Y's resilience has increased as through believing in themselves, and knowing they have choices.’

The young people completed questionnaires at the beginning, quarterly and end of their intervention with ACE. These demonstrated the impact of the therapy. 95% of the young people showed an improvement in their emotional health measured by paired outcome scores at the start and end of intervention. RCADS (Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale) showed an average improvement of 31.25% and the International Trauma Questionnaire showed an average improvement of 41.2%.

Young people reported that they had found the service to be friendly, welcoming and the staff caring. They found the talking, listening, coping strategies and learning about and understanding their trauma symptoms very helpful. They reported that they were happier, more confident, had more motivation, better relationships, lower anxiety and low mood. Family and school life had improved.

From requested feedback at the end of intervention asking

62% rated ACE’s ability to keep them safe as Excellent with the remaining 38% rating it as very good. 89% said that the service could not be improved whilst the remaining 11% felt that shorter waiting times would improve the service.

Below is a selection of feedback received from young people who have received intervention through this project.

Parent - 'K tells me that he has now finished his therapy with ACE. I wanted to email you and say from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I have no doubt that you saved my son’s life and I can’t ever thank you enough for all you have done for him. I have never known fear like it when he told the GP that he’d thought about not being here anymore. It’s the worst thing ,as a parent, you can ever hear your child say. I would come home from work and panic at what I might find when I walked through the front door.

I can’t even remember how bad things were back then! I think you block some things out. And then we found ACE! And I knew as soon as K met you that you would be able to help him. When we first came to you, K was struggling to leave his room, couldn’t communicate his needs and I felt like I’d lost my son, his eyes were so sad and I look at pictures of him from back then I barely recognise him! Through months of hard work with you (Trauma Counsellor) and in the last few months with X (CBT Therapist)) , K is now thriving! He has a lovely routine with his home education, he is excited to (fingers crossed) start a plumbing course at college, and can also do his GCSEs alongside this. His ultimate goal is to set up his own plumbing business!

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

I never in a million years thought he could come so far. He now attends his local football club independently amongst hundreds of people! He gets the bus into town on his own, he is happy! I will never be able to say Thank you enough or express my gratitude to you, there are not enough words for that. But Thank you, Thank you , Thank you for all you have done and for saving for my son! I will never ever forget all you did for him’

Parent - ‘ACE was prompt to respond when we needed help – much faster in setting things up than anyone else. My son’s counsellor was also excellent. She really “got” him right away and her approach to helping him – which was understanding what his brain was doing and why he was responding to situations in a certain way – was just perfect for him. He came out of every session really happy and telling me what he had gained from it. The approach taken with my son was the right approach for him. He needed quite a logical and physiological explanation which helped him to understand himself and feel less stressed about what was happening which also then meant he could put strategies in place and manage things more himself. We went at a time when he was under a lot of stress from school work and exams – and that has also eased. But ACE definitely made a difference right from the start.’

Young person - ‘I liked the different ways of coping with things that I was told about, it really helped me. ACE made me feel that when I feel unsafe, uncomfortable or upset that I am in control of my own emotions which made me feel better. My happiness has improved and silly thoughts and dreams that made me upset have lessened. My motivation, family life and happiness are better.’

Angus Lawson Memorial Trust – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy work

A grant was received to fund the work of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) therapist two days a week and support two CBT students on placement. CBT is particularly effective for people suffering with complex cases of anxiety, depressions, phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The project aims for:

The grant also supported the supervision of staff to improve learning and focus especially on positive endings to therapy.

A total of 47 young people aged 11 to 25 years were seen under this project. 22 were seen by the CBT Therapist and a further 25 by post graduate students. The average intervention time for these young people was 30 weeks for the therapist and 16.5 weeks for the post graduate students.

Young people referred were experiencing high levels of anxiety (82.6%); Low mood (30.4%); Suicidal ideation (15.2%); Bereavement (13%); Disordered Eating (10.9%).

17.4% of the young people had or were awaiting a diagnosis for neurodivergence. Many of the young people were experiencing symptoms of Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).

Paired outcome scores from questionnaires at the beginning, mid and end of intervention showed an average improvement of 24.93% for anxiety and 26% for anxiety and depression.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Service user feedback at the end of intervention showed that 83.4% rated the service overall as excellent; 91.7% felt that the service could not be improved; 91.7% rated the therapy they had received as excellent and 91.7% rated the effect of the service on their life as excellent with 100% of service users rating the improvement in their emotional health as excellent, very good or good.

Post Graduate Students – During the year 2024 – 2025 A.C.E supported 7 post graduate students with their placement hours. The students worked with clients over the age of 18 years providing CBT and person centred counselling. The majority of the clients seen were under the age of 25 years but a small number of older clients who had family members receiving counselling from ACE were accepted into the service to receive support.

Examples of feedback:

Young person - ‘It always feels like a relief and a weight off your shoulders coming in to ACE and speaking to someone that really understands. Open non judging conversations, coping strategies and having someone to chat with definitely helped. My confidence, aggression reaction levels and anxiety has gone down. I can now hold strong relationships with people and my reactions to their actions are more positive.’

Parent – ‘ACE didn't rush X to end his counselling. He totally trusted her and felt comfortable. X's anxiety levels have dropped significantly. He is much more confident. So much of a relief to see X happier. The therapist has been fantastic with X, I can't thank her enough for the help she has given him.’

Parent- ‘The best things were the welcoming atmosphere and friendliness of all the staff and the positive attitude of my child after sessions; she felt heard. Waiting times are lengthy but that can’t be changed as there are always going to be limits to fund staffing. Following ACE intervention my child’s anxiety levels are so much better and whilst they still have downs these are easier for her to deal with. She has become more aware of toxic friendships and has been able to break away. She is much happier in herself.’

Young person - ‘ACE made me more comfortable to open up about stuff that I struggle with. Everything was great. Without my sessions with ACE I do not know how I would cope. My overall happiness, my confidence has improved and It has helped me have better relationships with family and friends.’

Below is an example of young person’s journey on this project with ACE:

X had been struggling since December 2023 with obsessive revision of GCSE highers. They reported that they were unable to look at or use any devises e.g. mobile phone, laptop, tv etc. They were unable to do anything, doing compulsions every second every day unable to do anything sitting alone all day. They were very frustrated and angry. Not talking to friends or making contact with them as they felt there was no point. They had Suicidal/intrusion thoughts.

X engaged in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They developed their ability to manage their symptoms of anxiety and panic using coping strategies and skills while engaging in psychoeducation around these mental health problems. They learnt about her OCD pathways and developed skills to control their compulsions while learning to challenge their appraisals and lower the distressing impact of their intrusions.

X has been able to reconnect with their parents and is getting support from them. They have also been able to start rebuilding some relationships at school. They still struggle with the complexity of their OCD and the severity of their symptoms. However, a CBT management plan was created which X can refer to as required.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

MCF Small Grants, CIN Small Grant and Donations - Emotional Health Practitioners

37 young people were seen by three Emotional Health Practitioners.

RCAD Paired outcome scores showed an average improvement of 20.99%.

CIN Small Grant: Young people taking part in this project showed improved emotional regulation, lower selfharm and less aggressive behaviours. They reported Increased self-worth and self-belief, less self-destructive behaviours , improved relationships and reduced low mood and depression.

MCF Small Grants

Many of the young people being supported by the MCF grant were experiencing severe anxiety and low mood resulting in school avoidance and social isolation. Some of the young people seen were neuro divergent and therefore required a longer term of therapy in order to address their needs. Having the flexibility to use the MCF funding for where it is needed has been truly beneficial. It has enabled ACE to support more young people and also to support young people for longer periods, where required, to meet their needs. Being able to offer support to young people on a needs basis, without a cap on the number of sessions, means that ACE are able to offer a more bespoke service to the young people within the service.

On average the young people supported by the MCF showed an improvement of 24.3%.

Examples of Feedback:

Young person - ‘I have enjoyed these sessions and I have learnt ways of coping with difficult situations. I now understand how my anxiety affects my life. I am trying to use my breathing and grounding techniques to help me cope better in school. I like getting homework every week as it helped me to declutter my room and sort out my wardrobe. I have also started to pack my bag the night before so I don’t get so upset in the morning.

Young person - ‘I now understand how my mind affects my body and how my worries affect my feelings. I do manage my emotions better and I feel more confident talking to my teacher when I am having a difficult day. There is nothing I want to change about this as they have been fun but also serious. I feel more settled in school and I am happier at home. Thank you for seeing me’.

Francis C Scott Charitable Trust

The Francis Sott Trust awarded a £10,000 grant to A.C.E to assist in the overall organisational running costs.

Independently Funded – ACE Practitioners worked within 3 local schools providing person centred, solution focussed counselling to pupils of those schools. 39 young people were seen during the year.

Plans for future periods

During the previous year, ACE took part in a competitive tendering exercise for ongoing with Lancashire and Cumbria ICB. Ultimately the tender was not won and work previously delivered by ACE over a number of years was awarded to a large national organisation for delivery in a revised way. Work for Lancashire and Cumbria ICB ended in July 2024.

This required ACE to consider its future as the charity continues to face the challenges of securing funding within a climate of often year-on-year funding from public bodies and much increased competition.

The charity has reviewed itself and identified areas of specialism on which to focus and is undertaking development work needed to strengthen management and staff supervision.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The charity is focussed on responding to the changing mental health needs of young people and filling a niche that is a gap in service provision.

Financial review

The detailed results for the charity are included in the Statement of Financial Activities.

The financial statements show total income of £159,974 (2024: £217,497) and expenditure of £140,974 (2024: £236,363) generating a surplus of £19,000 (2024: deficit of £18,866) for the year. This comprises of a deficit of £6,295 (2024: deficit of £17,876) relating to restricted funds and a surplus of £25,295 (2024: deficit of £990) relating to general funds into the next financial year, after transfers between funds.

Funds at 31 March 2025 comprise restricted funds of £73,000 relating to on-going projects, leaving unrestricted general funds of £49,178 in the budget for 2025-26 which will be invested in future activity.

Reserves

The charity reviewed its Reserves Policy in 2019 and following significant growth of funded project work agreed to hold reserves equivalent to three months running costs for its overhead costs. This is currently estimated to be £21,000 and current unrestricted reserves of £49,178 exceed this figure. Overheads are estimated based on costs not directly associated with project work which will ebb and flow as funding is secured and ends but includes primarily premises and administrative costs, management and administrative staff as well as estimated accrued redundancy liabilities.

The charity has reviewed itself and identified areas of development need to improve management and staff supervision and to respond to the needs of some young people who although improving have complex and multi layered needs that require long term support.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of its financial activities for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on the ........................ and is signed on their behalf by:

November 18, 2025

…………………………………… …………………………………… S Kay S Temple Trustee Trustee

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 15 to 28.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 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:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

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.

Jack Steer BA(Hons) FCA

MHA Chartered Accountants 14 Mannin Way Lancaster Business Park Lancaster LA1 3SW

January 12, 2026

……………………..

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Income from:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Total
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
5
Total
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
12		 Total
Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
funds
2025
2024
£
£
£
£
-
14,974
14,974
15,067
10,000
135,000
145,000
202,430
10,000
149,974
159,974
217,497
1,983
138,991
140,974
236,363
1,983
138,991
140,974
236,363
8,017
10,983
19,000
(18,866)
17,278
(17,278)
-
-
25,295
(6,295)
19,000
(18,866)
23,883
79,295
103,178
122,044
49,178
73,000
122,178
103,178

All gains and losses in each period are included above.

All of the above amounts relate to continuing activities.

The notes on pages 17 to 28 form part of these financial statements.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 MARCH 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Current assets
Debtors 10 52,681 33,467
Cash at bank and in hand 93,604 100,356
----- End of picture text -----

Creditors:amounts falling due within
one year
11
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Net assets
Funds:
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
Total funds
12		 146,285
133,823
(24,107)
(30,645)
122,178
103,178
122,178
103,178
122,178
103,178
49,178
23,883
73,000
79,295
122,178
103,178

November 18, 2025

These accounts were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on the ........................ and are signed on their behalf by:

…………………………………… …………………………………… S Kay S Temple Trustee Trustee

The notes on pages 17 to 28 form part of these financial statements.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1 Accounting policies

Legal form

Achieve Change & Engagement ACE is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) registered in the United Kingdom. The address of the charity, the nature of its operations and its principal activities are all detailed in the Trustees’ report and charity administrative details pages in these financial statements.

Basis of accounting

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and 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).

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and are rounded to the nearest £.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The trustees do not consider there to be a material uncertainty at this time, and there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Taxation

The charity is recognised by the Inland Revenue as a UK Charity and is entitled to exemptions from corporation tax.

Income

Grants where the application of the grant is determined by the funder are included as restricted funds. Grants where there are no conditions set by the funders other than the general objects of the charity are included as unrestricted funds. Grants are accrued when any conditions on their receipt have been met and are deferred where conditions on their receipt have not been met.

Income with contractual service requirements are accounted for when the conditions to entitlement are met and accounted for within unrestricted income from charitable activities. No income is shown net of expenditure.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Support costs are those which assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs and governance costs. They are incurred directly to support the objectives of the charity. Expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

Debtors and creditors

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable and payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash held by the charity includes amounts held on call at banks.

Accumulated funds

Unrestricted funds - these are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general activities of the charity

Restricted funds - these are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor. The restricted fixed asset fund represents assets purchased from specific grants and funds future depreciation of those assets.

Financial instruments

The Charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the Charity’s balance sheet when the Charity becomes party to contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic and other financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

The charity has no financial instruments that are classified as other financial assets.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Impairment of financial assets

Financial assets are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

De-recognition of financial assets

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the charity transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Classification of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the charity after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic and other financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised. Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

The charity has no liabilities which are classified as other financial liabilities.

De-recognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2 Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the Charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

Key assumptions, judgements and estimates

In the opinion of the Trustees’ there have been no significant judgements made in the process of applying the above accounting policies. There have been no key assumptions concerning future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

3 Income from donations and legacies

Donations Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
funds
funds
2025
2024
£
£
£
£
-
14,974
14,974
15,067
-
14,974
14,974
15,067

In the comparative year, all income from donations were restricted funds.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

4 Income from charitable activities

NHS Lancashire & Cumbria ICB (previously
Clinical Commissioning Groups)
BBC Children In Need
Francis C Scott
Masonic Charitable Foundation
Heysham High School
Angus Lawton Memorial Trust
CIN trauma
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
Reed Foundation
LRGS
NHSE CYWP Trainee Funding		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
funds
funds
2025
2024
£
£
£
£
-
34,061
34,061
121,376
-
31,169
31,169
9,981
-
10,000
10,000
20,775
-
4,833
4,833
4,833
-
5,473
5,473
7,999
-
19,966
19,966
19,966
-
-
-
17,500
-
1,300
1,300
-
10,000
-
10,000
-
-
4,995
4,995
-
-
23,203
23,203
-
10,000
135,000
145,000
202,430

In the comparative year, all income from charitable activities were restricted funds.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

5 Expenditure on charitable activities

Activity
Youth worker costs
Fund raising expenses
Insurance
Office accommodation costs
Payroll processing
Travel
Printing, postage and stationary
Web design
Membership & Accreditation
Telephone
Staff training
Sundry
Support Costs (note 6)		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2025
2024
£
£
£
£
(5,000)
128,279
123,279
223,509
5,063
7
5,070
372
-
1,745
1,745
1,652
-
5,132
5,132
6,079
-
360
360
360
-
189
189
366
-
117
117
176
-
-
-
19
-
233
233
50
-
1,037
1,037
1,379
-
358
358
53
-
1,534
1,534
1,058
1,920
-
1,920
1,290
Youth wellbeing and support
1,983
138,991
140,974
236,363

In the comparative year, expenditure on charitable activities included £990 on unrestricted funds and £235,373 on restricted funds.

6 Support costs

Support costs
Accountancy fees
Tax return		 Total
Total
2025
2024
£
£
1,920
990
-
300
1,920
1,290

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

7
Net income/(expenditure)
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
Independent examiner's remuneration:
- independent examination fee
8
Staff costs and emoluments
Total staff costs for the year were as follows:
Employment costs
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
The number of employees during the period was:
Number of employees (all part time)
Charity Coordinator
Emotional Health & Wellbeing Practitioners		 2025
2024
£
£
1,920
990
2025
2024
£
£
100,355
190,579
1,026
4,723
1,645
2,629
103,026
197,931
2025
2024
No
No
1
1
7
14
8
15

No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 during the year.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

9 Trustees (and directors) remuneration and key management personnel

The key management personnel of the charity are considered to be the trustees.

No trustees were remunerated through the payroll of the charity, however, one former trustee did receive payments from the charity as described in note 16 to the financial statements. There were no expenses reimbursed to Trustees in this or the prior year.

10 Debtors

Debtors
Debtors
Other debtors		 2025
2024
£
£
51,206
33,258
1,475
209
52,681
33,467

11 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

Trade creditors
Accruals
Deferred income
Deferred income brought forward
Released in the year
Grants received in advance
Deferred income carried forward		 2025
2024
£
£
15,361
12,333
3,650
990
5,096
17,322
24,107
30,645
2025
2024
£
£
17,322
57,097
(17,322)
(57,097)
5,096
17,322
5,096
17,322

-24-

Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

12 Analysis of charitable funds

----- Start of picture text -----
At 1 At 31
April Transfers & March
2024 Income Expenditure gains/losses 2025
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 23,883 10,000 (1,983) 17,278 49,178
23,883 10,000 (1,983) 17,278 49,178
----- End of picture text -----

23,883 10,000 (1,983) 17,278 49,178
Restricted funds
NHS Lancashire & Cumbria ICB
(previously Clinical Commissioning
Groups) 23,413 34,061 (44,089) (13,385) -
Other:
Young Consultants (YOLO) 1,998 - - - 1,998
BBC Children In Need 4,350 832 (4,045) - 1,137
Francis C Scott - 10,000 (10,142) 142 -
Resource Pack 1,445 - - - 1,445
PQASSO Cost Saving 1,800 - - - 1,800
Mark McQueen 2,684 - - - 2,684
Active Lancashire 500 - - - 500
School Commissioned Work 1,509 11,768 (10,582) (2,695) -
ALMT Funding - 19,966 (19,966) - -
Masonic Foundation 4,833 4,833 (4,833) - 4,833
CIN trauma 6,796 30,338 (30,112) - 7,022
NHS Trainees 23,203 (12,312) 10,891
Other donations 29,967 14,973 (2,910) (1,340) 40,690
79,295 149,974 (138,991) (17,278) 73,000
Total funds 103,178 159,974 (140,974) - 122,178

NHS Lancashire & Cumbria ICB

The funding allows ACE to operate peer support groups, deliver participation and run one to one work in various schools and community venues across Lancaster, Fylde and Wyre for young people.

Some short term funding for research projects was also received.

BBC Children In Need

Funding is used to reduce distress, improve the emotional health and wellbeing and build the resilience of children aged 11-18 outside of school hours.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

12 Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Children In Need Trauma / CIN Trauma

This funding supports ACE to deliver trauma focussed therapy to young people aged 10 to 19 years and to raise the skills of our wider team to recognise potential indicators of trauma and provide support. This work provides support to young people who have experienced traumatic events including emotional, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, bereavement and domestic violence. Funding was renewed in September 23 for a further three years.

NHS Trainees

Funding has allowed ACE to appoint two trainees to undertake a 12 month Children and Young People Wellbeing Practitioner course.

Francis C Scott

Funding allows ACE to work with young people to improve emotional health and build resilience for those that are at risk of becoming homeless and those who are aged 16 to 24 living in supported housing.

Resource Pack & PQASSO Cost Saving

These funds will be used to create and provide curriculum resources and will support the work of ACE through accreditation.

Mark McQueen, Masonic Foundation and Other Donations

Various grants, fundraised income and donations are used to support the aims and objectives of ACE, supporting young people to reduce anxiety, low self-esteem and social isolation and to improve emotional health and wellbeing to decrease school nonattendance at locations within Lancaster.

School Commissioned Work - Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School and Bay Leadership Academy

Commissioning by the schools allows ACE to place a worker in school offering person centred, solution focussed support for young people with poor emotional health.

Active Lancashire

Small grant to support a project encouraging the participation of young people in an outside challenge and the creation of a video.

Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (ALMT) Funding

Funding for a specialist Cognitive Behavioural Therapist to effectively support relevant young people referred to the service and support the clinical supervision of all practitioners in order to improve physical, mental health and well-being for all beneficiaries, increase self-esteem, confidence, reduce anxiety, social isolation and confusion.

Young Consultants

The fund is used to train young people in research and training skills so they can become volunteers for the charity.

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

13 Analysis of charitable funds: Prior Year

----- Start of picture text -----
At 1 At 31
April Transfers & March
2023 Income Expenditure gains/losses 2024
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 24,873 - (990) - 23,883
24,873 - (990) - 23,883
----- End of picture text -----

24,873 - (990) - 23,883
Restricted funds
NHS Lancashire & Cumbria ICB
(previously Clinical Commissioning
Groups) 36,315 121,376 (132,280) - 25,411
Other:
BBC Children In Need 1,703 9,981 (7,334) - 4,350
Children In Need Trauma 7,008 - (7,262) 254 -
Francis C Scott 5,734 20,775 (27,053) 544 -
Resource Pack 1,445 - - - 1,445
PQASSO Cost Saving 1,800 - - - 1,800
Mark McQueen 2,684 - - - 2,684
OL Catholic High School 962 - (962) -
Westminster Foundation 350 - (690) 340 -
Active Lancashire 500 - - - 500
MUFC Fundraising 1,731 - (1,731) - -
Bay Leadership Academy - 7,999 (6,490) - 1,509
ALMT Funding - 19,966 (19,972) 6 -
Masonic Foundation 4,834 4,833 (4,834) - 4,833
CIN trauma - 17,500 (10,704) - 6,796
Highest point - 430 (320) (110) -
Other donations 32,105 14,637 (15,741) (1,034) 29,967
97,171 217,497 (235,373) - 79,295
Total funds 122,044 217,497 (236,363) - 103,178

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Docusign Envelope ID: BE1D078A-17A8-4A59-83C5-26B89DAAA885

ACHIEVE CHANGE & ENGAGEMENT ACE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

14 Analysis of net assets by funds: Current year

Analysis of net assets by funds: Current year
Fund balances at 31 March 2025 are represented by:
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
51,098
95,187
146,285
(1,920)
(22,187)
(24,107)
49,178
73,000
122,178

15 Analysis of net assets by funds: Prior Year

Analysis of net assets by funds: Prior Year
Fund balances at 31 March 2024 are represented by:
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
24,873
108,950
133,823
(990)
(29,655)
(30,645)
23,883
79,295
103,178

16 Related party transactions

The charity was under the control of the trustees during the current and prior period.

During the year C Temple, the daughter of trustee S Temple, invoiced the charity £650 (2024: nil) in relation to supervision fees.

During the year C Welsby, formerly a trustee of the charity, invoiced the charity £4,950 (2024: £6,000) for rent in relation to office space.

During the prior year S Temple, a trustee of the charity invoiced the charity £8,240 for project management fees. She invoiced £nil this year. A balance of £nil (2024: £8,240) was due to S Temple at the year end.

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