2025-12-31-accounts - Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum (Registered charity, number 1155205) Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025

Page	Contents
2 - 5	Trustees’ annual report
6	Independent examiner’s report
7	Receipts & payments account
8	Statement of assets & liabilities
9 - 10	Notes to the accounts

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025

Full name Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation

Registered charity number 1155205

Principal address

2A Cross Street, Nottingham, NG5 7BL

Trustees

Sarah Springthorpe David Bingham Susan Hopkinson

Independent examiner

Eva Stevens, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL

Governance and management

The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 06/01/2014.

The methods adopted for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees are to advertise, propose, nominate and elect.

Objectives and activities

To enhance the development and education of disabled children by encouraging parents and their carers to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by: (a) offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability; (b)encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas; and 3.2 to promote and protect the good health of parents and carers of disabled children and their families by providing a network of parents and carers of disabled children and young people and encouraging and delivering peer support, promoting awareness and helping to implement the improvement of services for them.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

We meet our charitable objectives through the following activities:

We deliver regular Saturday 'stay and play' sessions for up to 12 years with support workers and befriending social group for aged 12 to 25 years.
We host regular parent peer support meetings/workshops giving the opportunity for parents/carers to meet during the school day and in the evening.
We support 1-to-1 meetings for families to receive support with matters relating to education, health and social care.
Communication with our membership via our regular e-bulletin alongside the use of social media.
As members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums we have worked with the Department for Education and our Local Authority to influence and shape the delivery of services for disabled families. This includes attending work stream meetings and supporting parents and carers to act as representatives at these strategic meetings.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit

By enabling SEND children and their parents and carers to socialise in a safe, supportive setting to reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing.
By facilitating a network of peer to peer support to enable sharing of experiences and knowledge exchange that empowers families to have a voice and be heard.
By raising awareness of the challenges that our families may experience and signposting to possible solutions that may improve outcomes and reduce distress and hardship.
By supporting parents self-advocate, advocate for others and represent their community.

Public benefit statement

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Summary of the main achievements during the period

Hosted family inclusive sessions comprise 29 inclusive supervised play sessions, these included preschool sessions with specialist early years practitioner support to meet the demand from this age group, including a Christmas fun session. Additionally, we hosted 6 school holiday swimming sessions, plus 8 other holiday activities including support to access a Pantomime. Providing a total of 1215 places for parents/carers and children/young people.
Hosted 10 BSG, Befriending Social Group activities that were either, sport centre, outdoor activities and indoor sessions providing 136 places.
Hosted 23 peer support face to face meetings either during the school day or evening during term time that provided a total of 122 places for parent carers.
Continued to produce regular e-bulletins (10) receiving an average open rate of 54%.
Provided 108 hours of volunteering opportunities for 10 befriending play mentors, 1 general volunteer and 1 admin role. Additionally, 119 volunteering hours for 11 parent-carer steering group members.
Provided 67 hours of team training.

7. Collaborated with:

i) Nottingham City Council Targeted Support Workers, Family Mentors and service managers in both social care and education;
ii) Integrated Care Board; iii) Nottingham CVS & Children & Young People’s Provider Network;
iv) University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University volunteers, sports department and placements;
v) Contact for families;
vi) National Network of Parent Carer Forums;
vii) Hummingbirds; viii) My Journey; ix) Pulp Friction;
x) The Nottingham Contemporary;
xi) Nottingham Nursery School & Training Centre; xii) FarmEco; xiii) The Lenton Centre;
Provided regular updates at each forum meeting on both local and national developments in relation to the SEND service provision and other relevant areas of interest of the community we serve.
Provided over 43 hours of direct individual support to 60 families in need and/or crisis, including transport to access our sessions for hard to reach/seldom heard families.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Our contribution to ‘shaping and influencing’ was achieved by 5 steering group meetings with 48 attendees, 11 members, and parental carers/representatives attending work-stream meetings, steering groups or conferences.
21 Autism in Schools meetings with 95 participants.
21 Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools meetings with 168 participants.
Continued operating our Rainbow Toy Library.

Financial review

Our financial status is well monitored; the budget and expenses are all on track.

The charity’s policy on reserves

We aim to have a reserves policy and to build up a reserve from any commissioned work or donations, so that we can meet our statutory liabilities to employees in the event the CIO has to be wound up. Also, to create a small fund for unforeseen contingencies.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signed ______ Date _ Susan Hopkinson, Trustee

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Rainbow Parents Carers Forum for the year ended 31 December 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Rainbow Parents Carers Forum (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity 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 2011 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Signed ____ Date _______ 01/09/2026 Eva Stevens BSc, CPFA Employee of Community Accounting Plus

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2025

2024 Total Unrestricted Funds Funds £ Note £ Receipts 1244 Bank interest 1175 12000 Commisioned work 14011 1215 Direct Payments - 139611 Grants & donations 2 19610 - Services 10200 154070 Total receipts 44996 Payments 10051 Activities & events 2357 2275 Equipment - 643 Gifts and Vouchers - 1049 Hospitality & Refreshments 337 1097 Insurance 760 1600 IT Support - 603 Marketing & developments 477 Office Move - 5400 Office rental 225 13 Paypal fees 9 1292 Payroll 478 550 Phones 116 28 Premises Repairs and Maintenance - 1523 Printing postage & stationery 136 6560 Professional fees 1768 1604 Publications & subscriptions 2247 - Recruitment - 8488 Sessional workers, HMRC, pension 2472 229 Sundry expenditure - 228 Training & Capability 227 1403 Travel expenses 1292 79 Volunteer expenses - 102360 Wages, HMRC & pension 15346 143 Website 49 147218 Total payments 28296 6852 Net receipts/(payments) 16700 176318 Cash funds at start of this period 103745 183170 Cash funds at end of this period 120445	2024 Total Unrestricted Funds Funds £ Note £ Receipts 1244 Bank interest 1175 12000 Commisioned work 14011 1215 Direct Payments - 139611 Grants & donations 2 19610 - Services 10200 154070 Total receipts 44996 Payments 10051 Activities & events 2357 2275 Equipment - 643 Gifts and Vouchers - 1049 Hospitality & Refreshments 337 1097 Insurance 760 1600 IT Support - 603 Marketing & developments 477 Office Move - 5400 Office rental 225 13 Paypal fees 9 1292 Payroll 478 550 Phones 116 28 Premises Repairs and Maintenance - 1523 Printing postage & stationery 136 6560 Professional fees 1768 1604 Publications & subscriptions 2247 - Recruitment - 8488 Sessional workers, HMRC, pension 2472 229 Sundry expenditure - 228 Training & Capability 227 1403 Travel expenses 1292 79 Volunteer expenses - 102360 Wages, HMRC & pension 15346 143 Website 49 147218 Total payments 28296 6852 Net receipts/(payments) 16700 176318 Cash funds at start of this period 103745 183170 Cash funds at end of this period 120445	*2025* Restricted Total Funds Funds £ £ - 1175 - 14011 - - 76277 95887 - 10200 76277 121273 7785 10142 150 150 60 60 695 1032 380 1140 1508 1508 324 801 180 180 1350 1575 - 9 897 1375 459 575 - - 122 258 2460 4228 426 2673 150 150 9847 12319 - - - 227 742 2034 - - 60310 75656 161 210
	28296	88006 116302
	16700 103745 120445	(11729) 4971 79425 183170 67696 188141

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2025 2024 3025 Cash assets Bank accourts Cash in 183170 188135 183170 188141 Other monetary assets Prepajwert 4372 4372 943 943 Assets Trtained for the charity's own use Gereral eqiMpmenL Microsoft Surface Pro, pwthsed February 2023. cost £608 Sertsory Room. PLrchased 2023. st £14,995 Liabilities Creditors 1458 (1458) 2451 2451 These financial ststements are accEpted on behalf of the charity by. Signed David Bingham, Twstee

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025

1. Receipts & payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.

2. Grants & donations

Nottingham City Parent Carer Forum Department for Education Albert Hunt Screwfix Foundation The National Lottery Community Fund GSK General donations	Unrestricted £ 1300 - 5000 - - 10000 3310 19610	Restricted Total £ £ - 1300 21913 21913 - 5000 5000 5000 49364 49364 - 10000 - 3310 76277 95887

3. Funds analysis

Restricted funds Big Lottery Fund DFE Health & Wellbeing Activities Mencap Screwfix Unrestricted funds General fund	Opening balance £ 68353 8693 900 1479 - 79425 103745 103745	Receipts (Payments) £ £ 49364 (68353) 21913 (18174) - - - (1479) 5000 - 76277 (88006) 44996 (28296) 44996 (28296)	Closing balance £ 49364 12432 900 - 5000
			67696
			120445
			120445

The specific purposes for which the funds are to be applied are as follows:

Big Lottery Fund - Core funding for staff and regular activities - The National Lottery Community Fund ends in July but another bid was submitted for a further 5 years to start in 2026.

DFE- to amplify the voice of Nottingham City families in order to shape and influence services and support they receive.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Health & Wellbeing Activities- This was used for befriending social group activities and swimming.

Mencap- This was used for befriending social group activities.

Screwfix- This is a contribution towards a sensory room.

4. Prepayments

Zoom subscription Insurance IT support 12 month contract Creditors HMRC Pensions Independent examination fee	£ 65 463 415
	943
	£ 849 558 1044
	2451

5. Creditors

6. Trustees’ remuneration

Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.

7. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions in this period.

8. Glossary of terms

Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.

Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.

Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.