THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND CHARITY ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Charity Number 1151890
REID & CO CORPORATE SERVICES LIMITED
Artemis House 4a Bramley Road Mount Farm Milton Keynes MK1 1PT
THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
CONTENTS OF THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
| CONTENTS | PAGE |
|---|---|
| Trustees Annual Report | 1Error: |
| Reference source not found | |
| Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating the | |
| income and expenditure account) | 6 |
| Balance sheet | 7 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 9 |
THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered charity name : The Voice That Makes a Difference
Charity registration number 1151890
Principal office
18 Saint Leonards Court Northampton NN4 8BL
The trustees
The trustees who served the company during the period were as follows:
Mr D Pedley Mrs P McGovern Ms R A O'Malley MBE
Accountants:
Reid & Co Corporate Services Limited 4a Bramley Road Mount Farm Milton Keynes MK1 1PT
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a ‘deed of trust’ and constitutes an unincorporated charity.
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The trustees have developed a risk management strategy that involves a regular review of key risks faced by the charity and the establishment of systems and procedures to address those potential risks and to minimise any impact on the charity if the risks materialize.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Data protection
We have always been well aware of our responsibilities with regard to personal data that we hold and will continue to do this. In light of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we are updating our processes and procedures. The trustees continually monitor how information we store is kept and used.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The charity is focused on children and young adults who are deaf, blind, autistic or have special communication needs as well as those who may have other disabilities. Our aim is to eliminate the boundaries faced by these disabled children/young adults on a day to day basis. We provide screenings of the latest films at cinemas using total communication ie combining sign language, subtitles, sound and audio description. We run computer courses providing information in specialised formats to cater to specific impairments. We also run drama, animation, music and education based workshops as well as providing counselling and mentoring to these young disabled persons. We support the families of disabled children to obtain the support they are entitled to. We have a strong working relationship with social workers, mental health teams and special needs’ teachers in order to gain the right support for these disabled children/young adults. We have set up a food parcel service for the families who need them.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities.
Performance
Family support
We have worked with families who have experienced problems with their social worker and have had to go to court.
A lot of families are at crisis point and are struggling all the time. The food parcel service is a very important part of what we are now doing. We work with families with very limited incomes. Sadly we now have major cutbacks in support for parents who have children with special needs. Having the food parcel service makes a lot of difference to the lives of these families.
Technology
The computer workshops have been a great success. The technology equipment is working well. We are also having more people attend who are visually impaired and we have had to look for equipment with which to support them.
Updating policies
All our policies have been updated.
Website
The website is up and running. People enjoy putting the latest information together to up-date the site.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Workshops
Creations have done a lot of drama workshops with the children to enable them to gain confidence in themselves. This has been important because a lot of the children are suffering from major attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression. These workshops have helped them to learn the skills of calming themselves down.
We have been running cooking workshops for young disabled men and we have found this a fascinating experience. We have watched their confidence grow and are delighted that the men are more willing to talk about their own personal needs. We have also run sports workshops at the same time so that the young men could try and develop both cooking skills and healthy life skills.
We have broken down into small groups and have attempted to make sure that all forms of communication were accessible to them. We have made sure that we have had a signer available all the time. We have also run a few workshops in Sign Language so that some of the young men could develop the basic skills in Sign Language.
We have found some TV programmes that the children liked and were disappointed because they could not find them with Sign Language that was available to them. We have been helping them to contact the right people to change this.
Sports workshops
The sports workshops have been a major success. The disabled children have not only enjoyed them but they have helped with their mental health.
Future plans
We aim to run health and fitness workshops to encourage children to think about the food they eat.
We will encourage and support the children to use imagination and make films themselves.
We will be working with disabled children so they can set up communication passports which will give them more control of what is happening to them.
We will continue working with schools so that children come back to the cinema. This will be working in partnership with the cinema world.
We are looking for funding to help to pay for transport to the cinema for the children of poorer families thus enabling them to participate.
We will continue to work with social workers, carers, parents and families to support disabled children’s mental health. It is important that we help them. We will also investigate meditation as a support tool.
We will run workshops on a variety of topics so that disabled children do not lose out.
We will aim to give these disabled children a place to meet where they feel safe.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves
The Voice That Makes a Difference is aiming to build up a reserve of at least 5 to10 thousand pounds over the next 5 years. This will be done by fund raising. The trustees intend to invest the fund reserve in the most appropriate manner and will look to use an investment manager to invest in a mixture of equities, treasury bonds and cash. The investment objective would be to obtain long term capital growth. Raising reserves is very important because of the economic climate and it is harder to obtain grants and donations because more charities are competing for less resources.
Equipment
All the equipment is checked by professionals and reviewed to see whether it needs replacing or updating. We are looking for grants to update our computer equipment. Our equipment is well used and people are trained to use it. We keep an up-to-date record of all forms of equipment so that this information can be used for forward planning and budgeting for all new equipment when there is a need for replacement.
ACCOUNTANTS
Reid & Co are deemed to be re-appointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.
Signed on behalf of the trustees
D Pedley Chair of Trustees
........................
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 set out on pages 7 to 15.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required. It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view ' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements
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To keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Reid & Co. Corporate Services Ltd 4a Bramley Road Mount Farm Milton Keynes MK1 1PT
Date: 26 January 2024
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | and Total | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Fixed Asset | Total Funds | Funds | ||||
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | ||||||||
| Incoming resources from | ||||||||
| generating funds: | ||||||||
| Voluntary income | 2 | 31,040 | - | 31,040 | 32,941 | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES |
31,040 | - | 31,040 | 32,941 | ||||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | ||||||||
| Charitable activities | ||||||||
| Costs of charitable events | 3 | 18.010 | 18.010 | 60,645 | ||||
| Other resources expended | 10,421 | - | 10,421 | 14,341 | ||||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED |
28,431 | - | - | 28.431 | 74,986 | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| NET INCOMING RESOURCES |
2,609 | - | - | 2,609 | (42,045) | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
2,609 | - | - | 2,609 | (42,045) | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ========================= | ======================= | ||||
| ======== | ======== | ======== | ====== | ======== |
The notes on pages 8 to 14 form part of these charity accounts.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
BALANCE SHEET
31 MARCH 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | £ | £ | £ | ||
| FIXED ASSETS | |||||
| Tangible assets | 6 | 3,045 | 4,060 | ||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Cash at bank | 7,464 | 9,568 | |||
| Debtors | 7 | - | - | ||
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||||
| 7,464 | 9,568 | ||||
| CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one | |||||
| year | 8 | (3,444) | (9,172) | ||
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||||
| NET CURRENT ASSETS/(LIABILITIES) | 4,020 | 396 | |||
| -------------------------- | -------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES | 7,065 | 4,456 | |||
| --------------------------4 | -------------------------- | ||||
| NET ASSETS | 7,065 | 4,456 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ||||
| === | === | ||||
| FUNDS | |||||
| Unrestricted income funds | 9 | (15,075) | (17,684) | ||
| Restricted funds | 9 | 17,340 | 17,340 | ||
| Restricted fixed asset funds | 9 | 4,800 | 4,800 | ||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 7,065 | 4,456 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ||||
| ======== | ======== |
For the year ended 31 March 2023 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Trustees' responsibilities:
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The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476; and
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The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These financial statements were approved by the members of the committee and authorised for issue on the 27/01/2024 and are signed on their behalf by:
Mr D Pedley Director
The notes on pages 8 to 14 form part of these financial statements.
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2023 2022 Note £ £ £
THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
BALANCE SHEET
31 MARCH 2023
The notes on pages 8 to 14 form part of these financial statements.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland’ (effective 1 January 2015), the Charities Act 2011 and the requirement of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2015).
The accounts are presented in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity.
The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
Transition to FRS 102
The charity transitioned from previous UK GAAP to FRS 102 as at 1 April 2016. Details of how FRS 102 has affected the reported financial position and financial performance are given in note 13.
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
The value of gifts in kind and donated goods provided to the charity are recognised at their open market value in the period to which they relate. An equivalent amount is included as expenditure under the relevant heading in the Statement of Financial Activities, except where the donated good is a fixed asset in which case the amount is included in the appropriate fixed asset category and depreciated over its useful economic life in accordance with the charity’s policies.
Resources expended
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objectives of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
Tangible fixed assets
Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:
Equipment
25% reducing balance
Financial Instruments
Financial assets and liabilities are recognised on the Balance Sheet when the charity has become a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Going concern
These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
Accounting judgements and estimates
In the process of applying the accounting policies, the Trustees have made judgements, assumptions and estimates about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities.
Judgements
Assets are reviewed for impairment where there are indicators of impairment. The carrying amounts of tangible assets are reviewed and an impairment loss is recognised where the carrying amounts exceed the assets’ recoverable amount.
Estimates
Deprecation rates are reviewed at the end of each reporting period to ensure these remain appropriate.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
2. VOLUNTARY INCOME
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Lottery grant | 27,941 | ||||
| 23,040 | 23,040 | ,353 | |||
| Voluntary donations | 8,000 | 8,000 | 5,000 | ||
| Gifts in kind | - | - | - | ||
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ||
| Total income resources | - | ||||
| 31,040 | 31,040 | 32,941 | |||
| = | |||||
| ========================= | ========================= | ========================= | ======================== | ||
| ====== | ===== | ====== | ======= |
3. COSTS OF CHARITABLE EVENTS
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted | Total Funds | Total | Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Interpreting and workshop costs | 18,010 | - | 18,010 | 60,645 | ||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ====================== | |||
| ======== | ======== | ======== | ========= |
4. NET INCOMING RESOURCES
Net income for the year is stated after charging:
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Accountants and Independent Examiners fees | 600 | 600 | |
| Depreciation | 1,015 | 1,353 | |
| ======================= | ======================= | ||
| === | === |
5. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees’ remuneration or other benefits for the period ended 31 March 2023 and no expenses were reimbursed (2022: £Nil).
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
6. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Equipment
COST At 1 April 2022 21,674 ------------------------------ At 31 March 2023 21,674 =============================== DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2022 17,614 Charge for the year 1,015 ------------------------------ At 31 March 2023 18,629 =============================== NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2023 3,045 =============================== At 31 March 2022 4,060 ===============================
7. DEBTORS: Amounts falling due within one year
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Prepayments | - | - | |
| ======================= | ======================= | ||
| === | === | ||
| CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year | |||
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| Accruals | 3,444 | 9,172 | |
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||
| 3,444 | 9,172 | ||
| ======================= | |||
| === | ================ |
8. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
9. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Net movement in funds, are as follows:
| Balance | Incoming | Resources | Balance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b/fwd | resources | expended | c/fwd | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Unrestricted funds | ||||
| General fund | (17,684) | 31,040 | (28,431) | (15,075) |
| Restricted funds | 17.340 | 17,340 | ||
| Restricted fixed asset funds | 4,800 | 4,800 | ||
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------- | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 46,501 | 31.040 | (28,431) | 7,065 |
| ================== | ================== | ==================== | ================== | |
| ============= | ============= | =========== | ============= |
10. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted | Total | Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| , | |||||||
| Fixed assets | (555) | 3,600 | 3,045 | 4,060 | |||
| Current assets | 7,464 | 7,464 | 9,568 | ||||
| Current liabilities | (3,444) | (3,444) | (9,172) | ||||
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ||||
| Balance at 31 March 2022 | 3,465 | 3,600 | 7,065 | 4,456 | |||
| = | |||||||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ==================== | ||||
| ======== | ======= | ======== | =========== |
The restricted fund includes restricted fixed asset funds of £4,800 (2022: £4,800) relating to donated fixed assets.
11. ANALYSIS OF RESTRICTED FUNDS
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April March
2022 Income Expenditure Transfers 2023
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
12. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There were no related party transactions during the current or prior year.
1 3. TRANSITION TO FRS 102
These are the first financial statements that comply with FRS 102. The charity transitioned to FRS 102 on 1 April 2016.
No transitional adjustments to the financial results were required.
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