THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND CHARITY ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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 2024
| 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 2024
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 2024
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Charity registration number 1151890
Registered charity name
The Voice That Makes a Difference
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 materialise. 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 2024.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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 constantly 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 or blind and those who may have other disabilities. We also support the parents of these disabled young people. 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 support families who have anxiety problems, mental health needs, autism and other medical problems. 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
This year, 2023–2024 has been a real challenging and developing time for The Voice That Makes A Difference. The amount of support that we have had to give parents in helping them with benefit forms, going to EHC meetings, and negotiating with social workers has increased by well over a100%.
We have developed and run a lot of workshops in mental health attempting to build both parents’ and children’s confidence and resilience. Each of these workshops is run at different times to make sure that we are providing the right support for both the children and the parents.
Parents are still very anxious about their children going to the cinema and worry about the fact that these environments could be a source of different forms of infections. We have, therefore, been enabling films which the children like to be shown in total communication in smaller venues. In one way this is excellent because it's far easier to see and listen to the children's positive reaction to the
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
experience. We hope that in the future we will go back to using cinemas because this helps disabled children to develop their social skills. The cinema industry has been supportive, but they are also changing their business model and there is sad talk that the Odeon near Kettering will close by 2025. We hope this will not happen.
We have run some well-being sessions for the children which include physical education, and the kids have really enjoyed this. We have found that if we run small sessions then severely disabled children are able to be involved and have a great time and want to come back for more.
We work closely with schools that have children with disabilities and provide help to parents to explain why certain procedures are taking place. We have also been enabling parents to build up their confidence, to talk about their concerns and their hopes for the future.
We have just started providing meditation classes with small groups. We hope to continue this work because children who have meltdowns have really benefited from the experience.
It has been good that we've been able to offer such diverse workshops. We have listened to what the children say and what they would like to do in the way of workshops, and we work to support these ideas. A lot of the children are aware of their anxieties and the label that disability has including autism and deafness. We are helping them learn how to express their opinions and encouraging them to speak up for themselves with our support.
Technology is still a major area that children are interested in and when we are running workshops, we are keen to make sure that they understand the problems which occur online. We explain why it's so important not just to take a message at face value because the person on the other end may not be who they claim to be. Also, not to believe everything they see on the internet because a lot of it is fantasy and a person giving them the impression that they are having a great life may not be telling them the truth. We've had to break this down in a very picture based short sentences, sign language, voice and written sentences. The volunteers also feel that they have learned a great deal from this experience.
The food bank has been a big challenge for us - asking people very personal things so that we make sure that the food they receive is what they need. Also, the fact that families no longer get support for petrol costs means that parents with severely disabled children who need to get out and about have to pay out petrol money which reduces their income considerably. Unfortunately, it is these children that do not get to go out because they have massive behaviour problems and either hurt people in the house or damaged the house severely.
We would also like to thank our volunteers because without the volunteers we would not be able to exist. There is a mixture of many fantastic talents who are generous enough to give their time to help us.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Future plans
Our future plans are obviously linked to funding. Funding is incredibly difficult to obtain at the moment so we are attempting to look into fundraising events which will create income.
The meditation workshops are very popular and have a beneficial effect on both parents and children so we aim to run more of these in the future.
We will be running technical workshops so that children understand the dangers that maybe encountered online.
We would like to run first aid workshops so that young people learn about how they can help another person if necessary.
We also wish to run outings where the children can go to different places and have experiences of things that they've not done, eg the London Eye etc
We want to work in partnership with the cinema industry so that they can see that having a signer at the cinema will benefit their profits. We will also be looking into technical developments so that either a signer could be put on the screen or glasses etc could be worn and you could see the signer or the subtitles. We would also like to work with the film industry with companies such as Paramount Plus UK to see the potential profit in having both the signer up on the screen and on the streamed films.
We would like to start teaching sign language again for parents who cannot afford to learn this skill and have children whose first language is sign language.
We will also be doing a lot more links to mental health to support both parents and children.
We aim for the children to keep fit so we'll also be running well-being workshops which have physical education in them.
We want to work with more community groups so that the voice of disability can be heard.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
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.
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Reserves
The Voice That Makes a Difference is aiming to build up a reserve of at least 5 to10 thousand pounds over the next five years. At the moment times are very difficult because we raise money, and it is often need for project work. We are still attempting to raise money. 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. We realize that 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 fewer resources.
Post COVID-19
The effect of Covid19 means it still has an effect on all charities. We follow all the government guidelines and ensure that we have the right equipment to safeguard ourselves and the people we work with.
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 2024
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 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: ...9/1/25.....................................
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | and Total | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Fixed Asset | Total Funds | Funds | ||||
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | ||||||||
| Incoming resources from | ||||||||
| generating funds: | ||||||||
| Voluntary income | 2 | 6,550 | - | 6,550 | 31,040 | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES |
6,550 | - | 6,550 | 31,040 | ||||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | ||||||||
| Charitable activities | ||||||||
| Costs of charitable events | 3 | 11,850 | 11,850 | 18,010 | ||||
| Other resources expended | 1,927 | - | 1,927 | 10,421 | ||||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED |
13,777 | - | - | 13,777 | 28,431 | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| NET INCOMING RESOURCES |
(7,227) | - | - | (7,227) | 2609 | |||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
(7,227) | - | - | (7,227) | 2609 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ========================== | ======================= | ||||
| ======== | ======== | ======== | ===== | ======== |
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 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | £ | £ | £ | ||
| FIXED ASSETS | |||||
| Tangible assets | 6 | 2,284 | 3,045 | ||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Cash at bank | 15 | 7,464 | |||
| Debtors | 7 | - | - | ||
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||||
| 15 | 7,464 | ||||
| CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one | |||||
| year | 8 | (2,460) | (3,444) | ||
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||||
| NET CURRENT ASSETS/(LIABILITIES) | (2,445) | 4,020 | |||
| -------------------------- | -------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES | (161) | 7,065 | |||
| --------------------------4 | -------------------------- | ||||
| NET ASSETS | (161) | 7,065 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ||||
| === | === | ||||
| FUNDS | |||||
| Unrestricted income funds | 9 | (22,301) | (15,075) | ||
| Restricted funds | 9 | 17,340 | 17,340 | ||
| Restricted fixed asset funds | 9 | 4,800 | 4,800 | ||
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||
| TOTAL FUNDS | (161) | 7,065 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ||||
| ======== | ======== |
For the year ended 31 March 2024 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 23/12/2024 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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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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 2024
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 2024
2. VOLUNTARY INCOME
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2024 | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Lottery grant | 23,040 | ||||
| ,35323’040 | |||||
| Voluntary donations | 6,550 | 6,550 | 8,000 | ||
| Gifts in kind | - | - | - | ||
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ||
| Total income resources | - | ||||
| 6,550 | 6,550 | 31,040 | |||
| = | |||||
| ========================= | ========================= | ========================= | ======================== | ||
| ====== | ===== | ====== | ======= |
3. COSTS OF CHARITABLE EVENTS
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted | Total Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Interpreting and workshop costs | 11,850 | - | 11,850 | 18,010 | |||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ====================== | ||||
| ======== | ======== | ======== | ========= | ||||
| NET INCOMING RESOURCES | |||||||
| Net income for the year is stated after charging: | |||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| £ | £ | ||||||
| Accountants and Independent Examiners fees | 660 | 600 | |||||
| Depreciation | 761 | 1,015 | |||||
| ======================= | ======================= | ||||||
| === | === |
4. NET INCOMING RESOURCES
5. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees’ remuneration or other benefits for the period ended 31 March 2024 and no expenses were reimbursed (2023: £Nil).
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
6. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Equipment
COST At 1 April 2023 21,674 ------------------------------ At 31 March 2024 21,674 =============================== DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2023 18,629 Charge for the year 761 ------------------------------ At 31 March 2024 19,390 =============================== NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2024 2,284 =============================== At 31 March 2023 3,045 ===============================
7. DEBTORS: Amounts falling due within one year
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Prepayments | - | - | |
| ======================= | ======================= | ||
| === | === | ||
| CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year | |||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| Accruals | 2,460 | 3,444 | |
| -------------------------- | ---------------- | ||
| 2,460 | 3,444 | ||
| ======================= | |||
| === | ================ |
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 2024
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 | (15,074) | 6,550 | (13,777) | (22,301) |
| Restricted funds | 17.340 | 17,340 | ||
| Restricted fixed asset funds | 4,800 | 4,800 | ||
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------- | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 7,065 | 6,550 | (13,777) | (161) |
| ================== | ================== | ==================== | ================== | |
| ============= | ============= | =========== | ============= |
10. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Restricted | Total | Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| , | |||||||
| Fixed assets | (116) | 2,400 | 2,284 | 3,045 | |||
| Current assets | 15 | 15 | 7,464 | ||||
| Current liabilities | (2,460) | (2,460) | (3,444) | ||||
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ||||
| Balance at 31 March 2024 | (2,561) | 2,400 | (161) | 7,065 | |||
| = | |||||||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ==================== | ||||
| ======== | ======= | ======== | =========== |
The restricted fund includes restricted fixed asset funds of £2,400 (2023: £3,600) relating to donated fixed assets.
11. ANALYSIS OF RESTRICTED FUNDS
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At 1 At 31
April March
2023 Income Expenditure Transfers 2024
£ £ £ £ £
Enabling not Disabling 17 -
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THE VOICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
NOTES TO THE CHARITY ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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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