2024-11-30-accounts

Registered number: 07849857 Charity number: 1158666

BALLOONS (DEVON)

(A company limited by guarantee)

UNAUDITED

TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

CONTENTS

	Page
Reference and administrative details of the Company, its Trustees and advisers	1
Trustees' report	2 - 11
Independent examiner's report	12 - 13
Statement of financial activities	14
Balance sheet	15 - 16
Notes to the financial statements	17 - 32

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE COMPANY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Trustees	S Bright, Chair until 14 November 2024 (resigned 14 November 2024)
	M Betts
	H Roberts
	J Bearman, Treasurer
	A Monaghan
	C Holt
	C Campbell
	L J Martin
	I Stevens
	M Sharp
	E Thomas
	L Blandford (appointed 25 January 2024)
	C Pallot, Chair from 15 November 2024 (appointed 13 June 2024)
Company registered number 07849857 Charity registered number 1158666 Registered office First Floor 6 Providence Court Pynes Hill Exeter Devon EX2 5JL Chief executive officer N Clarke Accountants Griffin Chartered Accountants Courtenay House Pynes Hill Exeter EX2 5AZ Bankers Lloyds Bank PLC 234 High Street Exeter Devon EX4 3NL

Page 1

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the Balloons (Devon) for the 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024. The Annual report serves the purposes of both a Trustees' report and a directors' report under company law. The Trustees confirm that the Annual report and financial statements of the charitable company comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charitable company's governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019).

Since the Company qualifies as small under section 382 of the Companies Act 2006, the Strategic report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 has been omitted.

Objectives and activities

a. Policies and objectives

The charitable objectives of Balloons (Devon) are:

• To preserve and protect health, primarily in Devon, by providing advice, support and counselling in respect of pre and post bereavement suffered by children, young people and young adults (up to 25 years of age) and their families/carers.

• To advance education and training in pre and post bereavement support for the public benefit in particular for professionals and volunteers working with children, young people and young adults.

In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit, including the guidance 'Public benefit: running a charity(PB2)'.

Achievements and performance

a. Review of activities

Who we are:

Balloons provides pre- and post-bereavement support to children and young people (aged 5-25) and their caregivers in Exeter, Mid and East Devon. We also provide advice and training to professionals working across a range of disciplines.

Research clearly indicates that the death of a significant loved one is a critical, traumatic moment for children and young people. Unsupported children and young people have poorer health and educational outcomes, are more likely to enter the criminal justice system, have higher teenage pregnancy rates, and are more prone to a range of psychological disturbances. Balloons’ support mitigates against these negative health, educational and social outcomes.

Our Vision:

That bereaved children and young people have somewhere to turn when someone significant in their lives dies.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Achievements and performance (continued)

Our Mission:

To support bereaved children and young people in our area when someone significant in their life dies. To work alongside their families and the professionals who provide care to them to further enhance the support they receive.

Our overall social objectives:

• That death is talked about more openly and the taboo around death is lessened;

• That grieving is seen as a natural process which is part of the human condition;

• That the grief experienced by children and young people is honoured and respected, and families and communities are better able to support bereaved children and young people; and

• That bereaved children and young people are more resilient and have enhanced coping strategies

Our Values:

1. Open, reflective and responsive : delivering a service which centrally positions the needs and concerns of bereaved children and young people and creates a safe space for them to process grief, remaining dynamic and responsive and building a bespoke and creative support package.

2. Compassionate : ensuring that bereaved children and young people are treated with dignity and respect, and are listened to without judgement.

3. Supportive : supporting the professional and family communities within which children and young people live so that they in turn can provide support to bereaved children and young people.

4. Innovative: willing to engage with new developments in the field of childhood grief, to ensure that our practice is relevant and forward thinking.

5. Trustworthy : building relationships that are open, honest and collaborative, and which are centered on children and young people.

Our Services:

This year we have delivered a wider range of services to support bereaved children and young people:

1. 1:1 support - we work with children and young people when someone significant in their lives has died (post-bereavement) or is going to die (pre-bereavement). The majority of our work is where a parent or significant carer has died. Our 1:1 support work is bespoke, responding to the individual needs of the children and young people, resulting in a range of positive outcomes - the ability to maintain emotional and social health, and to stay positively engaged in family and school life.

2. Telephone and email helpline – our helpline provides comfort, advice, information and coping ideas for the pre-bereavement and post-bereavement phases. We frequently send out care packages and resources following these conversations.

3. Training for partners and local agencies - we provide childhood grief training for professionals, equipping schools and other agencies with the skills and knowledge to better support grieving children and young people. This means that our work doesn’t just impact on individuals and families, but also enables changes in the communities that children and young people live in.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Achievements and performance (continued)

1. Coaching – We provide a small-scale coaching support service to school staff who are supporting bereaved children and young people in their school. School staff benefit from our specialist guidance and support and gain new skills and knowledge.

2. Activity Days – We run a range of activities throughout the year to bring together those who have received a service from us to enhance their personal sense of wellbeing in a safe environment with others who have had similar bereavement experiences. This reduces feelings of isolation.

3. Group Work Pilot – This year, thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we have also been piloting some group work in schools, which we will be reviewing in the coming year and aiming to make part of our regular offer.

Financial review

a. Going concern

After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, we continue to adopt the “going concern” basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the “going concern” basis can be found in the accounting policies.

b. Reserves policy

Our Reserves Policy is carefully considered and reviewed on a regular basis. Balloons receives no statutory funding and is reliant on the generosity of the public and grant givers in order to provide our services. With limited exception, financial commitments to Balloons tend to be short term in duration, and as such Balloons income streams are variable across each year. For that reason the Trustee Board aims to maintain the charity’s reserves at a level commensurate with six to nine months of operating expenditure (between £114,000 and £171,000 based on the 2023/24 expenditure).

In deciding the level of reserves, Trustees aim to ensure that we are not carrying too high a level of reserves which could be spent delivering our aims and objectives, but that we have a sufficient cushion to give us time to secure the future of Balloons should reserves fall to this lower limit. Balloons Free Reserves at year end were £228,860 which equates to just under 12 months of operational expenditure and therefore slightly higher than our targeted position.

Our 2024/25 budget indicates that we have a funding gap of just under £89,000. The lack of recurrent funding for Balloons means that it is usual for Balloons to have a funding shortfall at the start of each year and as always, we seek to reduce this funding gap during the course of the year. Whilst we are taking a prudent approach, we continue to remain positive that Balloons will successfully navigate the financial challenges, thanks to the generous support of all our funders and the great work of the staff team.

The Trustees are also prioritising our fundraising programme in the coming 12 months, by establishing a Fundraising Committee, writing and implementing a three-year fundraising strategy and investing further in our fundraising staff and volunteers.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

c. Principal risks and uncertainties

The Trustees regularly review the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and systems have been established to mitigate those risks, based on a dynamic Risk Register. The Trustees discharge their ongoing duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed, and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

d. Review of 2024

Financial Position:

The Statement of Financial Activities shows total income received for the year to 30 November 2024 of £238,707 (2023: £155,389) with total expenditure for the year of £227,176 (2023: £217,606), to generate a surplus of £11,531 (2023: deficit of £62,217). The charity began the year with reserves of £269,667 and ended the year with reserves of £281,198, of which £52,338 (2023: £17,431) was restricted and £228,860 (2023: £252,236) was unrestricted, including £10,100 of designated reserves (2023: £21,500).

Our financial position was buoyed in 2022 by the receipt of a significant legacy donation. The Trustees took the decision in 2022 to invest funds of £32,000 in order to improve and develop the organisation’s fundraising capabilities, and ultimately the benefit of Balloons our service users, by employing a designated Fundraising Officer on a trial basis. We had a challenging year in 2023 where we had to use £61,119 of our reserves to meet our costs. This was due to the impact of inflation coupled with a challenging fundraising environment and cost of living crisis. This last year, however, we have seen the benefit of the decision to invest in fundraising and have covered all our costs in year and made a small surplus. We have won some new grants, most significantly a four year grant from the National Lottery, as well as lots local fundraising activity taking place – including a staff team sky dive raising over £3,000. The final £10,100 of designated funds will be spent in the coming year, and we have now made our Fundraising Officer position permanent (and indeed have extended the working hours of the role).

Direct work:

In terms of support to our beneficiaries, 2024 has been positive year for Balloons; delivering one-to-one work, running a programme of well-received activity days, responding to parents, carers and schools through our telephone helpline and email support, and sending out care packages.

Our work with bereaved children, young people and their families has continued to be crucial in the local community. Balloons is well placed to play a vital role in the prioritisation of bereaved children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The demand for our services is extremely high as parents, carers, social workers and schools have been reaching out to us to provide our specialist grief support. We respond to all calls and emails providing advice and information, sending resources, and offering coaching or one to one grief support, as appropriate.

Our volunteer Grief Support Workers are out in the community, providing vital Grief Support Work and have reached 159 children and young people directly over the year through one-to-one and group work.

This year Balloons was featured on the BBC as part of its Comic Relief coverage, with Mollie King, Radio 1 DJ, coming to visit and meet one of our young people. This featured on Morning Live and BBC South West radio. This was a great opportunity to share about what we do and raise our profile locally. A huge thanks to Abby who bravely shared her story.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

2024 Service Statistics:

• Directly supported 129 children and young people through 424 one-to-one bereavement support sessions;

• Supported 30 children through our new programme of group work;

• Indirectly supported 220 children through offering advice, information and phone calls to parents/carers and professionals;

• Delivered support in 54 local schools and colleges;

• Responded to 680 enquiry calls from families, schools and other professionals;

• Sent 194 care packages and resources to families who have been bereaved;

• Trained 83 people in bereavement support;

• Ran 5 activity days attended by 212 children, parents and carers, including a driving day, trip to the panto and creative workshops;

• Supported 33 local individuals volunteering as Grief Support Workers, giving their time to support bereaved children and young people; and

• Trained 19 new volunteer Grief Support Workers, taking our team to 45.

Overall, over 2000 hours of volunteering time given to Balloons

For the children and young people that we provided one to one support to:

• The majority has been providing post-bereavement support (74%), with the rest pre bereavement support (26%);

• The ages of our children and young people ranged from 5 – 25 this year, with the majority of work being with 7 – 15 year olds. We have worked with those who identify as female 56% and male 41%, the majority are White British (this is a function of our local demographic), and 24% identify as having additional needs;

• 51% of our work related to when a parent or primary carer had died, 31% where a grandparent had died and the rest where a sibling, friend, or other relative had died; and

• Illness remained the main cause of death for 65% of our work, followed by sudden death, 21%, and a small number of cases where there has been suicide, accident or infant death.

We receive feedback and constantly monitor our services to see how we can improve and best respond to the needs of those we work with. We provide additional training, team meetings and peer support for our Grief Support Workers to ensure we continue to develop and improve.

I found it difficult at times to be open but it has been very helpful to understand my emotions and mange my anger. (Young Person)

‘They were really easy to talk to and the things she gave me were really great. I loved the blanket’ (Child)

"I enjoyed the sessions because I spoke about daddy. I will miss P because I liked the things we spoke about and I liked to be able to talk about things without crying and getting upset". (Child)

‘I really liked it. I want to see my worker again and I really enjoyed the sessions.’ (Child)

‘A said he really liked L and looked forward to seeing her. He loved all the little gifts and will use the techniques she taught him’ (Child)

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Both my children really enjoyed their sessions and would loved them to continue, showing how easy they found them and how much they liked their workers. I thought the sessions sounded lovely and were so child centered. I genuinely couldn't believe how much thought and time must have gone into each and every session. They have really helped them process their grief and talking about those we have lost has become more frequent and more easy as a result. A huge Thank you to J and Balloons overall’ (Parent/Carer)

‘Thank you so much for all your help. A went through a traumatic loss and balloons has really helped him deal with it.’ (Parent/Carer)

‘Really helped both boys to become more confident in sharing their experiences and worries. D was fantastic at working with the children.’ (School)

‘Balloons has been fantastic at helping X process her dad’s suicide. For a long time, she has been holding it in and trying to be brave as that’s what she felt she needed to do. With the help and support of M, it has allowed her to know it’s okay to talk about Daddy and to also be sad about it too.’ (School)

‘Y really loved the sessions. She was really engaged in the art and craft work. Y struggled to attend school but would come in just for these sessions as benefited so much. Thank you J.’ (School)

Balloons Trustees:

Balloons is supported by a Trustee Board of 12 volunteers who bring a wide range of skills, expertise and knowledge to govern our work. The Board has continued to work hard and govern the charity appropriately, with regular board and committee meetings, including an annual strategy day.

This year we said goodbye to Steve Bright who has been our Chair for the last 5 years. Steve brought a wealth of experience and supported Balloons through the pandemic, through changes to the board membership and the transition to a new CEO and was a fantastic support to the whole staff team.

The Board recruited to the vacancy, and I was very proud to have been invited to become the new Chair, having met CEO Nicky Clarke, outgoing Chair Steve Bright and the other extremely dedicated and hard-working staff and Trustees.

I am very proud to say that all our Trustees have indicated that they would wish to be re-appointed at the expiry of their current terms of office

I am very grateful to my fellow Board members for rising to the challenges of the last year. We have never lost sight of the role of governance in delivering the values and cultures across the charity.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Balloons Staff:

As ever I want to thank the small, dedicated staff team for everything they have done during the year. They never waver from their commitment to delivering a quality service to grieving children and young people.

Nicola Clarke has now completed three years in post as our CEO, taking forward the work of the charity. Nicola has worked well with the Trustee Board and has continued to make changes to modernise the way Balloons works. The charity is still enjoying its base in Pynes Hill. The location has been great for the team and has meant that we are now able to run most of our meetings and training on site and provide some 1-2-1 grief support. Home working continues for staff for part of their weeks, and this works well with Sharepoint, Teams and an online phone system. Nicola has also led the delivery of the second year of our strategy – key successes have been winning some significant grants for Balloons, including 4 years of support towards our direct work, embedding the new fundraising role, as well as commencing a group work pilot. The strategy has recently been reviewed with clear priorities and plans for the coming year.

Donna James, Clare Hammond and Liz Cook are our Clinical Managers who manage our direct work, supporting many families and carers over the phone, running activity days, and providing training, supervision and support to the volunteer team to in turn support our children and young people.

Our Office Manager, Tristan Billing, continues to play a key role supporting across the whole staff and volunteer team, and working with the CEO on improvement projects to make the most of (amd ensure the security of) digital and online working. Tristan also brings a creative flair to the team and has helped us to professionalise our brand through designing resources for the team, including our first ever Impact Report released in January 2024.

Nasim Hartmann has successfully completed her first 18 months as our first Fundraising Officer, and we have seen the extremely positive impact of having our first ever dedicated fundraising post. Nasim works part time to focus on growing fundraising across individuals, corporates and community organisations; she has made many new connections for Balloons, run new fundraising events, and done talks and presentations. Her profile-raising work has led directly to donations being made to us from a wide range of new sources. The post has also had the added benefit of making connections to people who want to volunteer for us, and has been key in growing our volunteer numbers this year. The Board have now both made this post permanent, and increased the hours to half time, as this additional support is critical to Balloons with our priority on fundraising.

Grief Support Worker Volunteers:

We are extremely lucky to have a wonderful team of volunteer Grief Support Workers, who are trained and supported by the Clinical Team. We often receive very positive feedback on the quality of our volunteer training programme and know that the calibre of volunteers who are picked is at the highest level.

Over the year 33 volunteer Grief Support Workers have supported 129 children and young people through oneto-one support, and we are extremely grateful for their time, commitment and dedication. Our Grief Support Workers are at the heart of our service, and we continue to provide them with excellent support, supervision and CPD opportunities. This year we had funding again from Devon Community Foundation (DCF) which we were able to use to provide volunteer team meetings and run our annual conference (including sourcing external training and speakers).

It has been a really positive year for growing our team of Grief Support Workers. We trained 19 new people, and our total number is now up to 45.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Our focus on 2025 is to embed our new Grief Support Workers, and work again on promoting our volunteer opportunities and seeking new individuals to train – we will run another training programme in September. The more Grief Support Workers we have, the more children and young people we can support, and therefore we will continue in our focus to find ways to promote and deliver our training to reach as many people as we can.

Balloons Funding:

Full details of all those who financially supported us during this year can be found in our accounts. We are incredibly grateful to them all. In many ways we ‘punch above our weight’ and deliver so much on quite modest amounts.

We continue to fundraise on a regular basis and have had a range of grants which have enabled us to deliver our services in 2024. In particular we benefited from a new grant from the National Lottery. This started in April 2024 and represents approximately 33% of our total costs.

We also received generous one-off funds from Trusts and Foundations including Comic Relief, Children in Need, Devon Community Foundation, Sedel Collings, True Colours Trust, Northbrook, Albert Hunt, Bloss Family, Clare Milne Trust, and Jamieson Bystock. Thank you to them all.

A huge thank you to those corporates and organisations that have supported us this year including: WSP, Armada Asset Finance, Buckerell Community Association, Cathedral Appointments, Clockwise Exeter, Courtyard Hotels, Cranbrook Arrows, Cranbrook Running Club, Devona and Cormwall Concrete Society, Devon Dynamites, Exeter Chiefs, Exeter Choral Society, Exeter Northcott, Exeter Road Primary School, Exmouth Rotary, Hays Travel, Jet Set Concrete, Lions Club Sidmouth, Little Lens Baby Photography, Moose International, National Grid, Primark, Seaton PCC, WI, Stephens Scown, SUEZ, Tesco, Norman, The Works, and Bargain Buys.

We are also extremely grateful for all the individuals who donate and raise money for us through fundraising.

Structure, governance and management

a. Constitution

Balloons (Devon) is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up by a Trust deed.

b. Methods of appointment or election of Trustees

The management of the Company is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Trust deed.

c. Pay policy for key management personnel

The Trustees are responsible for recruiting and appointing staff with the relevant skills and experience to deliver executive roles as required. Key management personnel receive regular appraisals.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Plans for future periods

In 2025 we will build on the great work from the last year, continuing to strengthen and grow the staff team and Trustee Board in order to effectively and safely support more bereaved children and young people who need our support.

Our key priority is to grow our fundraising capability, and we have set up a new Fundraising Committee to support this, led by Vice Chair Hannah Roberts, who is an experienced professional fundraiser.

We are passionate about supporting as many children and young people as we can, and will continue to ensure we support our current Grief Support Worker team as well as recruit new people – our aim is to be able to reduce waiting times and work with more people. We will also be reviewing our group work pilot and reviewing plans for how we make this part of our core service.

Behind the scenes we will continue to modernise and further improve processes for the future.

As ever I am incredibly grateful to the staff team, my fellow Trustees, and the Balloons Grief Support Workers and other volunteers, who worked throughout the year to ensure that we were able to support so many grieving children, young people and their families.

Page 10

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Statement of Trustees' responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also the directors of the Company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial . Under company law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles of the Charities SORP (FRS 102);

• make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards (FRS 102) have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by order of the members of the board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

C Pallot (Chair of Trustees) Date: 07/04/2025

J Bearman (Treasurer)

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Independent examiner's report to the Trustees of Balloons (Devon) ('the Company')

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 30 November 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of the Company (and its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Company's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 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:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 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

4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].

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.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

This report is made solely to the Company's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Company's Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company's Trustees as a body, for my work or for this report.

28/4/25 Signed: Dated:

Laura Waycott FCA

Griffin Chartered Accountants Courtenay House Pynes Hill Exeter EX2 5AZ

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Note Income from: Donations and legacies 4 Investments 5 Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 6 Charitable activities 7 Total expenditure Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Net movement in funds Total funds carried forward	Restricted funds 2024 £ 146,223 - 146,223 - 111,316 111,316 34,907 17,431 34,907 52,338	Unrestricted funds 2024 £ 87,526 4,958 92,484 13,289 102,571 115,860 (23,376) 252,236 (23,376) 228,860	Total funds 2024 £ 233,749 4,958 238,707 13,289 213,887 227,176 11,531 269,667 11,531 281,198	Total funds 2023 £ 152,501 2,888 155,389 - 217,606 217,606 (62,217) 331,884 (62,217) 269,667

The Statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

The notes on pages 17 to 32 form part of these financial statements.

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BALLOONS (DEVON)

(A company limited by guarantee) REGISTERED NUMBER: 07849857

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2024

Note Fixed assets Tangible assets 11 Current assets Debtors 12 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 13 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Net assets excluding pension asset Total net assets Charity funds Restricted funds 14 Unrestricted funds 14 Total funds	5,376 277,301 282,677 (1,731)	2024 £ 252 252 280,946 281,198 281,198 281,198 52,338 228,860 281,198	842 269,660 270,502 (1,649)	2023 £ 814
				814 268,853
				269,667
				269,667
				269,667
				17,431 252,236
				269,667

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BALLOONS (DEVON)

(A company limited by guarantee) REGISTERED NUMBER: 07849857

BALANCE SHEET (CONTINUED) AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2024

The Company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to entities subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

C Pallot (Chair of Trustees) Date: 07/04/2025

J Bearman (Treasurer)

The notes on pages 17 to 32 form part of these financial statements.

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BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

1. General information

Balloons (Devon) is a charity, limited by gurantee, incorporated in England and Wales. It does not have share capital and each of the Trustees in liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation. The registered office address is First Floor, 6 Providence Court, Pynes Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5JL.

2. Accounting policies

2.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Balloons (Devon) meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.

2.2 Going concern

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern and that there is sufficient working capital for the next twelve months.

2.3 Income

All income is recognised once the Company has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

Grants are included in the Statement of financial activities on a receivable basis. The balance of income received for specific purposes but not expended during the period is shown in the relevant funds on the Balance sheet. Where income is received in advance of entitlement of receipt, its recognition is deferred and included in creditors as deferred income. Where entitlement occurs before income is received, the income is accrued.

Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the investment income is receivable.

2.4 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.

Page 17

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

2. Accounting policies (continued)

2.4 Expenditure (continued)

Expenditure on raising funds includes all expenditure incurred by the Company to raise funds for its charitable purposes and includes costs of all fundraising activities events and non-charitable trading.

Expenditure on charitable activities is incurred on directly undertaking the activities which further the Company's objectives, as well as any associated support costs.

All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

2.5 Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Company; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the institution with whom the funds are deposited.

2.6 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets costing £250 or more are capitalised and recognised when future economic benefits are probable and the cost or value of the asset can be measured reliably.

Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost. After recognition, under the cost model, tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. All costs incurred to bring a tangible fixed asset into its intended working condition should be included in the measurement of cost.

Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of tangible fixed assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives, using the straight-line method.

Depreciation is provided on the following basis:

Office equipment - 25% Straight-line

2.7 Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

2.8 Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and 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.

Page 18

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

2. Accounting policies (continued)

2.9 Liabilities and provisions

Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably.

Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the Company anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.

Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the provision is based on the present value of those amounts, discounted at the pre-tax discount rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised in the Statement of financial activities as a finance cost.

2.10 Financial instruments

The Company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

2.11 Pensions

The Company operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the Company to the fund in respect of the year.

2.12 Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Company and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Company for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

Page 19

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

3. Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgment

Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Critical accounting estimates and assumptions:

The Charity makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. No estimates or assumptions were considered to be significant.

Page 20

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

4. Income from donations and legacies

Donations and legacies Grants Donations and legacies Grants	Restricted funds 2024 £ - 146,223 146,223 Restricted funds 2023 £ - 87,599 87,599	Unrestricted funds 2024 Total funds 2024 £ £ 87,526 87,526 - 146,223 87,526 233,749 Unrestricted funds 2023 Total funds 2023 £ £ 61,902 61,902 3,000 90,599 64,902 152,501

5. Investment income

Interest receivable on bank deposits Interest receivable on bank deposits	Unrestricted funds 2024 £ 4,958 Unrestricted funds 2023 £ 2,888	Total funds 2024 £ 4,958 Total funds 2023 £ 2,888

Page 21

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

6. Expenditure on raising funds

Fundraising trading expenses

Genreal fundraising costs Salaries Employers NI costs Employers pension costs	Unrestricted funds 2024 £ 2,427 10,200 152 510 13,289	Total funds 2024 £ 2,427 10,200 152 510 13,289	Total funds 2023 £ - - - -
			-

7. Analysis of expenditure by activities

Bereavement support Bereavement support	Activities undertaken directly 2024 £ 170,644 Activities undertaken directly 2023 £ 174,552	Support costs 2024 £ 43,243 Support costs 2023 £ 43,054	Total funds 2024 £ 213,887
			Total funds 2023 £ 217,606

Page 22

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

7. Analysis of expenditure by activities (continued)

Analysis of direct costs

Staff costs Direct delivery costs Supervision and other staff costs Travel Staff costs Direct delivery costs Supervision and other staff costs Travel	Bereavement support 2024 £ 156,183 4,832 4,516 5,113 170,644 Bereavement support 2023 £ 159,358 5,544 2,968 6,682 174,552	Total funds 2024 £ 156,183 4,832 4,516 5,113
		170,644
		Total funds 2023 £ 159,358 5,544 2,968 6,682
		174,552

Page 23

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

7. Analysis of expenditure by activities (continued)

Analysis of support costs

Depreciation Rent Light, heat and power Insurance Administration Subscriptions Governance costs Depreciation Rent Light, heat and power Insurance Administration Subscriptions Governance costs 8. Independent examiner's remuneration Fees payable to the Company's independent examiner for the independent examination of the Company's annual accounts	Bereavement support 2024 £ 562 19,559 1,110 1,882 14,580 375 5,175 43,243 Bereavement support 2023 £ 1,745 18,971 557 1,531 13,485 840 5,925 43,054 2024 £ 1,731	Total funds 2024 £ 562 19,559 1,110 1,882 14,580 375 5,175
		43,243
		Total funds 2023 £ 1,745 18,971 557 1,531 13,485 840 5,925
		43,054
		2023 £ 1,649

Page 24

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

9. Staff costs

Wages and salaries Social security costs Contribution to defined contribution pension schemes	2024 £ 151,182 8,318 7,545 167,045	2023 £ 144,576 7,663 7,119
		159,358

The average number of persons employed by the Company during the year was as follows:

	2024	2023
	No.	No.
Employees	6	5

No employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 in either year.

The key management personnel of the charity comprises the Trustees and the Chief Executive Officer. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel is £48,995 (2023 - £50,715).

10. Trustees' remuneration and expenses

During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2023 - £NIL) .

During the year ended 30 November 2024, no Trustee expenses have been incurred (2023 - £NIL) .

Page 25

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

11. Tangible fixed assets Cost or valuation At 1 December 2023 At 30 November 2024 Depreciation At 1 December 2023 Charge for the year At 30 November 2024 Net book value At 30 November 2024 At 30 November 2023 12. Debtors Due within one year Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income 13. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Accruals and deferred income	2024 £ - 5,376 5,376 2024 £ 1,731	Office equipment £ 9,292
		9,292
		8,478 562
		9,040
		252
		814
		2023 £ 50 792 842 2023 £ 1,649

Page 26

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

14. Statement of funds

Statement of funds - current year

Statement of funds - current year
Balance at 1 December 2023 £ Unrestricted funds Designated funds Improvement and development fund 21,500 General funds General funds 230,736 Total Unrestricted funds 252,236 Restricted funds Sedel - Collings - Other grants 5,377 Northbrook Community Trust - Comic Relief - National Lottery - True Colours - Children In Need 10,179 Tesco 1,875 Hendy Foundation - Albert Hunt Trust - Clare Milne Trust - 17,431 Total of funds 269,667	Income £ - 92,484 92,484 10,000 7,000 8,660 6,000 73,053 6,000 13,950 3,375 3,500 4,000 10,685 146,223 238,707	Expenditure £ (11,400) (104,460) (115,860) (8,323) (11,477) (8,660) (5,000) (46,848) (1,979) (18,464) (3,012) (1,628) (1,473) (4,452) (111,316) (227,176)	Balance at 30 November 2024 £ 10,100
			218,760
			228,860
			1,677 900 - 1,000 26,205 4,021 5,665 2,238 1,872 2,527 6,233
			52,338
			281,198

Page 27

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

14. Statement of funds (continued)

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

National Lottery - £73,053 of was received in year to provide bereavement support for children and young people.

Children in Need - £13,950 was received in year for rent.

Tesco - £3,375 was received in year to support bereaved children.

Sedel - Collings - £10,000 was received in year for core costs.

Northbrook Community Trust - £8,660 was received in year to support the activity day programme.

Comic Relief - £6,000 was received in year to provide pre-bereavement support.

True Colours Trust - £6,000 was received in year to provide bereavement suport.

Hendy Foundation - £3,500 was received in year for travel and grief support sessions.

Albert Hunt Trust - £4,000 was received in year for the facilitation of grief support sessions.

Clare Milne Trust - £10,685 was received in year to provide bereavement support to children with additional needs.

Other restricted grants included - The Gibbons Trust, The Norman Family Trust, Devon Community Doundation Supporting the Supporters, The Bloss Family Foundation and Jamieson Bystock Trust.

Page 28

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

14. Statement of funds (continued)

Statement of funds - prior year

Unrestricted funds Designated funds Improvement and development fund General funds General funds Total Unrestricted funds Restricted funds National Lottery Other grants Children In Need Tesco Beacon Lodge Hendy Foundation Albert Hunt Trust Total of funds	Balance at 1 December 2022 £ 32,000 246,175 278,175 32,864 20,845 - - - - - 53,709 331,884	Income £ - 67,790 67,790 57,994 1,500 13,950 3,375 3,280 5,000 2,500 87,599 155,389	Expenditure £ (10,500) (83,229) (93,729) (90,858) (16,968) (3,771) (1,500) (3,280) (5,000) (2,500) (123,877) (217,606)	Balance at 30 November 2023 £ 21,500
				230,736
				252,236
				- 5,377 10,179 1,875 - - -
				17,431
				269,667

Page 29

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

15. Summary of funds

Summary of funds - current year

Balance at 1 December 2023 £ Designated funds 21,500 General funds 230,736 Restricted funds 17,431 269,667 Summary of funds - prior year Balance at 1 December 2022 £ Designated funds 32,000 General funds 246,175 Restricted funds 53,709 331,884	Income £ - 92,484 146,223 238,707 Income £ - 67,790 87,599 155,389	Expenditure £ (11,400) (104,460) (111,316) (227,176) Expenditure £ (10,500) (83,229) (123,877) (217,606)	Balance at 30 November 2024 £ 10,100 218,760 52,338
			281,198
			Balance at 30 November 2023 £ 21,500 230,736 17,431
			269,667

Page 30

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

16. Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds - current period

Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors due within one year Total Analysis of net assets between funds - prior period Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors due within one year Total	Restricted funds 2024 £ - 52,338 - 52,338 Restricted funds 2023 £ - 17,431 - 17,431	Unrestricte d funds 2024 £ 252 230,339 (1,731) 228,860 Unrestricted funds 2023 £ 814 253,071 (1,649) 252,236	Total funds 2024 £ 252 282,677 (1,731) 281,198 Total funds 2023 £ 814 270,502 (1,649) 269,667

17. Pension commitments

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to the fund and amounted to £7,545 (2022 - £7,119). £Nil (2023 - £Nil) is payable to the fund at the balance sheet date and is included within creditors.

18. Related party transactions

No related party transactions took place in the period.

Page 31

BALLOONS (DEVON) (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2024

19. Operating lease commitments

At 30 November 2024 the Company had commitments to make future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:

non-cancellable operating leases as follows:
Not later than 1 year Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years	2024 £ 15,000 25,000 40,000	2023 £ 15,000 40,000
		55,000

Page 32

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