## Matrix Neurological Trustee Annual Report 2024/25
**Copyright © Matrix Neurological 2025 Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
## **THIS PAGE IS LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK**
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
## **Contents**
|**ntents**||
|---|---|
||**Page**|
|**Trustees Annual Report**|**1 - 22**|
|**Independent Examiner’s Report**|**23**|
|**Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) 24**||
|**Balance Sheet**|**25**|
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|**26 - 37**|
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
## **Introduction**
The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 31 March 2024.
The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)
|The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association,
and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities
preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and
Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)|The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association,
and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities
preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and
Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)|The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association,
and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities
preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and
Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)|
|---|---|---|
|**Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisors**|||
|**Charity Name**|MATRIX Neurological CIO||
|**Registered Charity Number**|1159973||
|**Operational Address**|TAD Centre||
||Ormesby Road||
||Middlesbrough||
||TS3 7SF||
||From 30.1.25||
||Block B||
||Sopwith Park||
||Boeing way||
||Stockton-on-Tees||
||TS18 3TT||
|**Trustees**|Jan Rock|Founder Trustee & CEO|
||Sara Tweddle|Chair|
||Abimbola Amina||
||Sarah Jones||
||Andrew Buchanan||
||Paul Wright|Resigned August 2024|
|**Independent Examiner**|Connected Voice Business||
||Services||
||One Strawberry Lane||
||Newcastle upon Tyne||
||NE1 4BX||
|**Bankers**|The Co-operative Bank p.l.c.||
||P.O. Box 101||
||1 Balloon Street||
||Manchester||
||M60 4EP||
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
1
## **Structure, Governance & Management**
## **How the Charity is Constituted**
Matrix Neurological is a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) adopting the Charity Commissions Foundation Model whereby the only voting members are the charity Trustees. We have adopted this model to ensure we comply with the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and the General Regulations. As part of this it helps us to ensure we:
- Reflect recommended best practice; and
- Are legally compliant
## **Appointment of Trustees**
Trustees are appointed for their individual knowledge, experience and skills that are considered essential to ensure the charity’s effective administration and its continued sustainability, growth and development. Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees in a properly convened meeting.
There are no connected persons. There are no persons carrying out business in partnership with the charity trustees. Trustees are also screened using a needs and skillsets assessment. This approach enables us to:
- a) Ensure we have the right skills mix on the Board to meet the administrative needs of the charity
- b) Ensure we do have a range of Trustees from diverse professional backgrounds to build knowledge and skills
- c) Mitigate any potential risks or threats to the charity, as far as possible; and
- d) Reduce, as far as is possible, the potential for any conflicts of interest with each Trustee and their existing professional occupations.
## **Additional Governance Information**
The first Trustees created a Trustee Agreement which also states our Quality Standards and our Code of Conduct. This ensures that all Trustees are aware of our expectations of them.
There are a number of quality standards that we feel are applicable to Matrix Neurological as an organisation as well as to its Trustees and Staff. These are:
- The Essential Trustee Guide
- The Charity Governance Code
- The Nolan Principles of Public Life
- Codes of conduct for Trustees (based on the Nolan Principles)
- Trustees and Management Committee – National Occupational Standards
All the above have been taken into consideration in:
- Structuring the Governance model
- Stating the responsibilities of Trustees
- Setting out a ‘Statement of Intent’ pertaining to Governance and setting priorities for the Board
- Stating our behavioural expectations of Trustees, staff volunteers and partners
- Establishing a framework and role descriptions to enable Trustees to perform their duties competently, confidently, and professionally
- Telling Trustees what they need to know to do their job well
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Objects and Activities**
Our Charitable Objects are the advancement of education and the advancement of health (or saving of lives).
## **The Advancement of Education By:**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Case
Management
Family
Support
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Providing knowledgeable and experiential support, assessment, supervision, advocacy, and educational advice**
## **Peer Mentoring Emotional Support**
**Educating parents on the complex effects of acquired brain injury**
## **Providing targeted non-clinical**
**Children & Young People Awareness Raising**
**therapeutic and SEND interventions for children and young people living with an acquired brain injury**
**Raising public awareness of real-life issues related to acquired brain injury**
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **The Advancement of Health (or saving of lives) by:**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Neuro
Rehabilitation
Additional
Support
Awareness
Raising
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Providing community-based neurorehabilitation interventions, assessment, management, advocacy and practical support for children and young people recovering from acquired brain injuries**
**Established research shows the benefits these restorative interventions bring, yet it is not provided by the NHS for our client group who need 1-1 intensive support.**
**Without us, the hidden complex needs of brain injured children and young people remain misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and untreated. In turn this leads to mental health issues in children and young people.**
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
4
## **Our Achievements**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Increased Our
Funding &
Resources
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Raised our
profile &
recognised as
'gold standard'
service provider
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Supported more
people affected
by childhood
acquired brain
injury
**----- End of picture text -----**
Like many charities, Matrix Neurological has faced some very real financial challenges, during the first six months of this year, as a result of some of our established grant funders scaling back and closing their funding streams to new applications. It became very clear that this threatened the viability of the organisation and our reliance on grant funding was unsustainable. In response to this, we revisited our strategy and ambition for growth, focussing on developing a business plan to secure investment and deliver a sustainable future for Matrix.
This rapid strategic response to the challenge we faced, resulted in us being invited to successfully bid for Postcode Innovation Trust Investment funding. We would like to thank the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust and The Postcode Innovation Trust for their continued support and enthusiasm for our work. Their investment and our associated business plan, ensures our financial stability and has enabled us to relocate to more suitable premises and begin the process of realising our ambition to establish an alternative education provision, based on ten years of learning and meet an identified need.
At the same time, we have continued to deliver our face-to-face support in schools, colleges and in our dedicated classroom facilities. This has been key to continuing our much-needed support to children, young people and their families with the immediate problems they face, as well as working with them to bring about lasting improvements.
During the year we have attended and presented at a number of key events including:
- A key-note speaker presentation to the CAMHS Children and Young Peoples Mental Health: Improving Access to Effective Support Conference, in London.
- A poster presentation to the International Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury Society conference, in Glasgow.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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• Raising awareness of ABI following Cancer Treatments to CANCERN at their sub regional conference.
We have also presented to local authority Mental Health Partnerships, Health and Wellbeing Boards, Safeguarding Adults Boards and Parity of Esteem Working Groups across our area of operation, as well as to our local MIND Charity, who hosted a Society of Prescribers Forum.
Through our connection with Coulthurts, specialist brain injury solicitors, our founder and CEO Jan Rock was invited to film an interview with their ambassador, James Cracknell OBE. Commenting on his experience of interviewing Jan for the latest in his series of films for Coulthursts, James Cracknell said: “One of the things I’ve learned about being affected by TBI is that it can be a long road to recovery. But as I’ve hopefully proved, recovery is possible. Jan and Callum are living proof that achieving recovery can be possible in even the most extreme circumstances, offering tangible hope to anyone affected by TBI”.
In August, our Treasurer Paul Wright stepped down after serving six years as a Trustee. We are extremely grateful to Paul for his contribution to Matrix both as a parent of a young person affected by brain injury and as our Treasurer. We also welcomed Andrew Buchanan as a new Trustee and are grateful for the significant impact he has had in relation to our bid for Postcode Innovation Trust Funding and our office relocation. I would like to take the opportunity to thank my fellow trustees and the senior leadership team for their relentless focus on, and commitment to, delivering the Charity’s vision and ambition.
It has been a privilege to witness first-hand the incredible difference the Charity continues to make to improving the lives of vulnerable children and young people and their families. Throughout the year and during significant periods of change, the unwavering dedication and loyalty of staff and volunteers has ensured the children and families who rely on our support, have continued to be their first priority. Their response throughout has been exemplary and we would like to express our appreciation for their commitment and resilience.
While we have continued to ensure effective oversight of the key risks, challenges and responses throughout the year, we know that what we do for the children and young people we support is unique and innovative and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure we continue to be here for them now and in the future.
We continue to maintain our focus on reaching and supporting more children and families living with acquired brain injury and striving for excellence in everything we do. We are looking to the future with optimism as we continue to follow our strategy of growth.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team, we would like to thank you for your support and interest in our work.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
6
## **Statement on Public Benefit**
While the risks and challenges that we faced during 2024/25 have kept us busy, the focus of our work has been for public benefit. ABI continues to be an unrecognised, unsupported disability, leaving many children and young people misunderstood.
The people that we help face discrimination on a regular basis. Many are misdiagnosed, referred to inappropriate services and end up being treated for the wrong condition. However, our work is raising awareness of ABIs as a complex neurological condition, within the mental health field and is helping to influence professionals working in this area.
## **Charitable Objects**
## **Advancement of Education**
We can state that these have been met as follows:
Our website continues to be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its relevance, quality, accessibility, and clarity. Our Welcome and Information Packs are greatly appreciated by parents, together with our DVD entitled ‘Me and my brain injury’. We continue to promote our support services in a range of community venues, from schools, GP practices, to libraries, community hubs and youth groups. We provide advice and consultancy to schools and colleges and have delivered Brain Injury Awareness Training to schools, colleges and youth projects.
In January we moved to more suitable premises, where we have sole occupancy of the building, to enable us to establish our alternative education provision. The need for this new development has arisen from what we have learned over the last 10 years of our existence and to try to alleviate the number of school exclusions for young people living with an acquired brain injury. During February and March 2025 we were able to install robust IT infrastructure, security systems and install additional furnishings, with the intention of receiving our first students later in 2025.
We are members of key partnerships and leadership groups across the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire, raising awareness of acquired brain injury. We also had an extensive article about our work, published in Neuro Rehab Times, a quarterly publication aimed at sharing best practice amongst professionals.
## **Advancement of Health (or saving of lives)**
We can state that these have been achieved by:
The continued provision of our innovative community-based neurorehabilitation services and therapeutic interventions for children and young people, recovering from or living with acquired brain injuries. We have been able to continue our specialist ABI Support Service, including ABI Support Workers and two specially trained SEN Staff, as a result of multi-year funding from BBC Children in Need and the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. We also received grants from a range of other funders.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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We have also expanded our partnerships and relationships with local schools, colleges and other alternative education providers, as we advocate for the needs of the children we support and provide direct support in school/college premises where this is needed.
Our Brain Injury Assessment Tools continue to highlight a range of other complex needs, which are often missed by professionals.
We consistently receive excellent feedback from funders and professionals in relation to our innovative support services, particularly how they are personalised to individual need. Much of the important information we highlight has previously been unrecognised and unsupported, which has had a huge negative impact on the individual. We are recognised as a high-quality service and many funders and professionals have personally thanked us for the information we have provided.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Our Services**
## **Case Management**
## **We continue to support families with our Case Management Service, ensuring we provide coordinated, practical assistance that is tailored to individual needs.**
The service assesses and co-ordinates the needs of both the brain injured individual and their family because the wellbeing of both is key to a positive outcome.
This year our Case Management Service has assisted 60 people affected by childhood acquired brain injury, which has ensured that everybody’s needs are assessed, recognised, and provided for.
Our Case Manager uses a variety of assessment tools that explore and investigate a range of potential difficulties, building a detailed needs profile of the child or young person. This information is shared with parents and provides valuable information to help families to communicate with both medical and nonmedical professionals. This is vital in ensuring clinicians understand the effects and life impact the brain injury is having on the individual in a world that sits well outside of the clinical environment.
We continue to find that standard education psychological testing and school SEN services fail children and young people living with acquired brain injuries and have little or no long-term impact on their ongoing recovery. In turn this negatively impacts their future psychological, social, and economic wellbeing.
Our detailed cognitive reports identify the individuals hidden complex needs that are often missed in standard neuropsychological assessments. Our reports provide schools with a clearer understanding of a child’s needs and inform EHC Plans to help deliver better long-term outcomes.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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Our Case Manager advocates for the unmet needs of brain injured children and young people and works with SENCO’s, Social Workers and Social Care Departments. The needs of these kids are frequently misunderstood, ignored or misinterpreted leaving their needs unmet and their families struggling to cope. Importantly the service continues to highlight the vulnerability and risks facing our client group and challenge poor decision making.
The in-depth investigative and analysis work we do is essential to understanding the individual needs of children and young people; and involves gathering and collating a range of reports and information across multi-disciplinary areas. We also complete baseline assessments from which to measure progress on the recovery journey.
Our Case Manager is often brought into professional multi-agency meetings in an advisory and/or consultancy role in complex cases, particularly where they lack knowledge and expertise of acquired brain injuries. This has included the impact an ABI is having on a child’s still developing brain and where child development milestones are being missed.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Case Study – Daniel (not his real name)**
Daniel was referred to us by Mum after she was struggling to find any appropriate help and support for her son following surgery to remove a benign growth. Mum was also struggling to understand what was going on with her son and onset of the changes that had occurred to his cognitive functions, personality and declining mental well-being.
Following his surgery, he became poorly with a severe headache, and he was treated for an infection. A week later Daniel was declared fit and well by his doctors and he was discharged to home. Relieved and thinking everything was over, the family tried to resume a normal life, and Daniel returned to school. However, over the course of the next few years, Daniel was experiencing a range of problems that he didn’t understand and couldn’t explain. He started to struggle with his education, which hadn’t been the case previously.
Daniel was struggling to keep up with his studies and the successive failures that he was experiencing led to his declining mental health and low self-esteem, until he finally dropped out of education. He had also lost touch with his friends, because he couldn’t do what they did, and he was experiencing a high level of loneliness and social exclusion. He was referred to mental health services for treatment, but Mum was still concerned that something wasn’t right, because he had now started to self-harm and have suicidal thoughts.
Following referral to us, our Case manager gathered a range of documentation from parents, including his medical discharge letter. From these documents and others, we learned that there had been complications during the surgery which, led to Daniel developing suspected meningitis post operatively. The blood work results indicated he had a serious infection hence Daniel being treated with very strong intravenous antibiotics whilst in hospital.
Despite this being stated in the medical discharge letter, sadly the family appeared to be unaware of the implications of such a serious brain infection. Daniel was still very anxious about his surgery because he knew that something was wrong. The family GP was also unaware and hadn’t realised that his that his patient has been so poorly.
To try to understand what Daniel was experiencing we completed a Cognitive Assessment with him. The assessment showed that whilst Daniel ‘appeared’ to be okay, he was now performing below his peers in the following domains which comprise many neurological skills:
- Planning
- Memory
- Attention
- Coordination
- Perception
Finding there were significant impairments in these five areas, indicated why Daniel was struggling with his education. None of the above issues had been identified by any of the professionals involved in his care. What he was experiencing It was simply attributed to his declining mental health and suicidal thoughts – for which he was receiving counselling.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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It is fair to assume that if Daniel was now experiencing problems with these skills, which he did not experience prior to his surgery and being treated for Meningitis, that there was a connection. As such we commenced a tailored programme of support for Daniel that focused on the redevelopment of impaired skills.
Since his referral Daniel has attended our centre almost every week for two hours per week. It that time we have seen significant improvements to his cognitive skills, mental wellbeing, social activities and his selfesteem.
We also informed his GP of our findings so that he better understood the complex needs of his patient and suggest a review of the medication he was taking, five of which had significant side effects of suicide ideation. There were also contra indications for another medication he was taking that were not recommended if he had had meningitis.
## **Impacts**
The GP welcomed the information and has supported the family with a range of issues pertaining the Daniel. A medication review has also been completed.
Daniel now understands what the medical terms stated in the medical discharge letter meant, which meant he was less anxious about his surgery and medical condition. Emotionally he is still very fragile, but he is no longer self-harming or having suicidal thoughts.
He now understands how the complications of his surgery have impacted on his cognitive abilities, and he is making good progress on his recovery journey, to the extent that he is now volunteering for a few hours per week and is feeling less socially excluded.
He has also successfully completed some training, which has really boosted his self-confidence and sense of achievement. He was so pleased with himself to have passed the training course and said:
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Family Support Service**
With many parents struggling to understand their child’s hidden disabilities and how to advocate effectively for their needs in the creation of Education, Health, and Care Plans, the overarching aims of our Family Support Service is to improve parent/carer mental health and wellbeing and build family knowledge and understanding of acquired brain injury and build family resilience.
In many cases both the child and/or the parents are blamed for unacceptable behaviours or learning difficulties that are related to hidden disabilities. Whilst many parents are told that their child has had a stroke or a concussion, many are not given clear information about the long-term effects this may have, , particularly on important communication and cognitive skills. Education professionals then struggle to understand what that means for a child’s developing brain and think of it as a mental health issue or Autism, and the child falls further, and further behind at school. In turn, they are referred to inappropriate services and receive treatment for misdiagnosed mental health conditions and/or are mis-diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
Our Family Support Worker continues to support parents and carers, many of whom are at different stages of their acquired brain injury journey. She supports the parents and carers of children and young people aged from 2 up to age 25.
Additionally being fairly new in post, she has spent a lot of time out and about in the community talking to community professionals in a range of organisations, across health, education, social care and job Centre Plus staff to help raise awareness of the significance of acquired brain injuries and the long-term impacts they have on the developing brains of children, young people and young adults and how they may be affecting them during early adulthood.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Conclusion**
This has led to increased awareness of acquired brain injuries, their causes, and the impacts they have on children and young people across a range of community professionals. For service providers it has led to a deeper understanding of their clients’ complex needs and support needs. It has also facilitated new partnerships and referral sources being formed.
We have received the following feedback from a family:
_**“Thanks for everything today. I have been batted around from one service to another and talking to people who don’t understand. I have wasted 6 months, when my child should have been helped. It’s like a weight has been lifted due to finally meeting somebody who understands what is going on”**_
And the following comment from a professional:
_**“Matrix Neurological’s vision for recovery is truly pioneering. It promises a diverse curriculum, tailored activities and a significantly reduced teacher to student ratio, facilitating the focused specialist support crucial for these children. This initiative serves as a vital transitional phase, offering a supportive environment before mainstream schooling, bridging the gap where traditional education falls short in understanding the optimal learning environment and techniques for children grappling with acquired brain injuries ”**_
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Children and Young People Support Service**
The lack of knowledge and understanding of childhood acquired brain injury across a range of medical and community professionals is astonishing. We believe this is the cause of most of the poor long-term outcome’s brain injured children and young people experience.
## **Case Study – Lucas (not his real name)**
Lucas was referred to us for support by a statutory body. Sadly, this was 22 years after his initial brain injury. Whilst the Case Workers were aware their client had a brain injury, they were struggling to understand how the brain injury was affecting Lucas and if he was receiving the right level of benefits. With agreement from the family, they referred their client to us.
After gathering a range of reports, assessments and medical letters, we learned that Lucas had experienced a fall onto concrete at an early age, after which severe seizures had become prevalent for most of his young life. It appears however, that the fall was not linked to the seizures by his family or his doctors. During his mid-teens a growth was found on his brain and Lucas underwent surgery to remove it.
Lucas was identified has having special education needs (SEN) and attended an SEN unit at secondary school. Despite this, Lucas had left school with very low-level qualifications. It didn’t help that he had been diagnosed with a low IQ and low academic ability by professionals. The impact of this was that provided a green light for his teachers to simply give up on him. They wrongly assumed that he was permanently brain damaged – so nothing could be done. As such he was failed by both the school and the SEN system, and this was continuing to have a significant negative impact on his young adult life.
**When we asked Lucas how this diagnosis made him feel, he said ‘pretty rubbish really’.**
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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When we completed our cognitive assessment on Lucas, we learned that he did have significant cognitive impairments. He also struggled to communicate his needs and feelings because he had a form of Aphasia – for which he had received no help or support from Speech and Language Services.
However, what was shocking to us, was that he still had the same level of disability as identified in his original cognitive assessment. The education and the SEN system and the ‘strategy’ approach given by professionals had done nothing to aid his recovery journey – something that we know is paramount to any child having a positive long-term outcome following an acquired brain injury (ABI).
Through research it is now known that following an ABI, the brain has the potential to rewire around damaged parts and facilitate new connections. This ability is called neuroplasticity. However, we know that the rewiring process does not happen in isolation – it requires targeted interventions to provide the necessary stimulation to make it work. We know this from our own lived-experience.
It transpired that the neurocognitive assessment that we did, highlighted the same impairments that Lucas was originally diagnosed with at age XXXX!
It is also evident from Lucas’s journey, and all the other children and young people that we work with, that the ‘strategy approach’ is not an effect tool to aid recovery following an ABI. Simply put – it leaves the person disabled!
## **Impacts**
We knew that Lucas has been left without any cognitive neurorehabilitation for over 20 years and this had had a significant negative impact on his still developing brain; however, we still created a targeted plan to try to help him. He attended our hub almost every week for two hours per week. During the first year, we made very little progress but in year two has started to show some skills improvements from his baseline assessment.
## **When we told him he said:**
## **‘I am so proud of how much I have improved and how far I have come’.**
However, what is equally important to note, is that Lucas has:
- grown in self-confidence
- his ability to express himself has improved
- he can now hold a conversation with another person
- he is now on the correct level of disability benefit
We will continue to work with Lucas until he reaches our age limit of 25.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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At Matrix Neurological, as well as the children and families we support, we want our volunteers to achieve their own goals, so although each of them has chosen to give up their time to help others, it's important to us that we offer them the opportunity to develop skills and experience and support them on their own journey throughout their time with us.
During the past year our volunteers have been invaluable in supporting our fundraising activities and contributing to developing and improving our management processes.
It is testament to the commitment of our Volunteers that Matrix Neurological continues to develop and grow as an organisation.
Our Volunteers play a key role in supporting our incredibly valuable and life-changing activities and projects and we wouldn’t be in the position we are now, without them.
The Trustees wish to thank our volunteers for generously giving their time, dedication and skills. We cannot do this without you.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Staff – Continuous Professional Development**
During 2024/25 we continued to invest in staff training and development to facilitate organisational growth and CPD. Courses completed were:
- Information Governance
- Introduction to Child Protection
- Keeping Children Safe Online
- Phishing
- Protecting children from county lines
- Radicalisation and child protection Training
- Safer recruitment for those in non-education settings
- SCSC – Cyber Security
- Policy Reading
## **Finance and Fundraising**
## **Ethical Fundraising**
Matrix Neurological do not use any private sector fundraising agencies and aim to use only ethical fundraising practices as stated in our Fundraising Policy.
In 2022 we registered with Big Give, a third-party fundraising organisation that runs match funding campaigns for charities and special causes at key moments across the year. We did not receive any funding via this organisation during the financial year.
## **International Funding**
We do not knowingly obtain any income from international sources and the source of any donations we receive in our bank accounts are traced back to its source.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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## **Funding Sources**
|**TYPE**|**SOURCE**|**2024/25**|
**2023/24**|**2022/23**|
**2021/22**|**2020/21**|
**2019/20**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|RESTRICTED|GRANTS|69%|
83%|77%|
91%|94.84%|
78.2%|
|UNRESTRICTED|DONATIONS|3%|
10%|21%|
6.63%|3.77%|
10.76%|
|UNRESTRICTED|
PAYMENT FOR|4%|
7%|2%|
1.77%|1.00%|
11.40%|
||SERVICES|||||||
|UNRESTRICTED|INVESTMENT|24%||||||
||LOAN|||||||
|UNRESTRICTED|GIFT AID|0%|
0%|0%|
0.6%|||
## **Grants Awarded**
During 2024/25 we were pleased to have received support from the following funders:
|**Funder**|||**Balances**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**B/F**|**Amount**|
||||||
|Nat LotteryAwards for All 2023|||£ 2,458.00||
|Postcode Neighbourhood Trust 2023|||£ 5,122.00||
|BBC Children in Need 23|||£ 2,329.00||
|Co-opBank 23|||£ 539.00||
|Hylton House|||£ 270.00||
|Foyle Foundation|||£ 3,478.00||
|J Brunton 2024|||£ 2,000.00||
|Willans Charitable Trust 2023|||£ 1,060.00||
|Coulthursts|||£2,374.00||
|BBC Children in Need||||£ 40,000.00|
|Cooperative Bank||||£ 1,000.00|
|Willans Charitable Trust||||£ 10,000.00|
|Community Fund Awards for All||||£ 20,000.00|
|Warburtons CommunityGrants||||£ 400.00|
|Catalyst Inequalities Fund||||£ 1,000.00|
|The Postcode Neighbourhood Trust||||£ 25,000.00|
|William Leech||||£ 5,000,00|
|Postcode Innovation Trust||||£63,240.00|
||**TOTAL**||**£ 19,630.00**|**£165,640.00**|
In many cases, funding has been allocated on a multi-year basis, ensuring continuity in the delivery of our support services. All the funding provided has been used to:
- Provide 1-1 non-clinical restorative interventions to children and young people that have been affected by childhood acquired brain injury
- Provide emotional and practical support to their families
- Contribute towards case management work
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
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During 2024/25 we were pleased to have received the following payments for the specialist services we delivered:
|delivered:|||
|---|---|---|
|**Funder**||**Amount**|
|Continuing Health Care||£2,000.00|
|Alternative Education Provision||£3,640.00|
|Case Management Work||£3,690.00|
|FamilySupport Work||£ 540.00|
||**TOTAL**|
**£9,870.00**|
During 2024/25 we were delighted to have received the following unrestricted donations:
|**Funder**||**Amount**|
|---|---|---|
|Collection Box Donations||£169.90|
|Guisborough Rotary Club||£500.00|
|Hopefields School||£500.00|
|Chemoxy||£300.00|
|Coulthursts Solictors||£3,540.00|
|CoopFood Group||£500.00|
|PayPal||£55.62|
|Givey||£100.00|
|Middlesbrough Lottery||£97.00|
|Individual Personal Donations||£1800.00|
||**TOTAL**|
**£7,562.52**|
## **Serious Incidents**
We are pleased to state that that have been no serious incidents to report this year. In March 2024, we completed a review of our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures using the NSPCC Safeguarding in Voluntary and Community Groups self-assessment tool, which provided reassurance of our robust protocols and confirmed a small number of areas for improvement, against the standard.
## **Financial Review of Procedures**
During 2024/25 the Trustees undertook a full Financial Review of our written Financial Management Procedures and operational practices to ensure they met recommended best practice as stated by the Charity Commission. We are pleased to report that our procedures were both robust and comprehensive and were compliant with the Guidance provided by the Charity Commission.
## **Accreditations**
During 2024/25 the Trustees felt it was important to demonstrate our commitment to ethical fundraising. We are delighted to announce we are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and have signed up to the Fundraising Code of Practice.
We also assessed the organisation against the Charity Excellence Framework and were delighted to have regained their Quality Assurance Mark.
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
20
## **Reserves Policy**
MATRIX Neurological CIO has maintained a small level of free reserves (unrestricted funds not invested in fixed assets) aimed at meeting the working capital requirements of the charity in the event of a significant drop in funding.
It has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not invested in fixed assets held by the charity should be between 3 and 6 months of annual expenditure. Whilst this stands as a healthy figure the organisation has also increased its staffing levels. As at 31st March 2025 the free reserves fell short of this target. However, the trustees are aware of this and will be building up reserves with planned operating surpluses and fundraising activities where possible.
## **Own Fundraising Activities**
The Trustees acknowledge that we cannot rely on grant funding to support the work of the charity and that we have a responsibility to undertake fundraising activities ourselves. However, the charity does not have a dedicated Fundraiser, so the staff and Trustees currently do this in their own time and on a voluntary basis.
We undertake the majority of our own fundraising activities through Donations Boxes, or local people doing fundraising challenges for us, and an Annual Fundraising Event which is well supported by local people.
## **Fundraising Events**
We were able to host a Christmas fundraising stall in a local shopping centre.
## **Support from Local Businesses and Charities**
This year we were delighted to have been given donations from the following organisations for our invaluable services provided to local children and young people who are living with significant challenges that affect their day-to-day life:
- Guisborough Rotary Club
- Hopefields Education
- Chemoxy
- Coulthursts Solicitors
Thank you so much for your support and generosity.
## **Direct Donations**
People can also make donations via a number of portals; as shown below:
- Our website (via Givey using a donate button)
- Givey – by donating to our charity or creating a fundraising event for us.
- PayPal Giving – whereby purchasers are asked to make a small donation
- Charity Car – whereby companies and individuals can donate the value of their car
- GoRaise – an online shopping donor scheme
- Give As You Live – an online shopping donor scheme
- Give As You Earn – a payroll giving scheme run by large employers
- Donations boxes – in various locations
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
21
We wish to thank every individual who took the time to make a financial contribution towards our valuable work through one of our donation portals. We are grateful for your support and generosity.
## **Statement of Trustee Responsibilities**
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The charity trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of incoming resources and application of resources. In preparing financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable accounting standards 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 charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the Trustees on 2 December 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Sara Tweddle
Position: Chair of the Board of Trustees
**Matrix Neurological**
**Trustee Annual Report 2024/25**
22
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
I report on the financial statements of MATRIX Neuorogical CIO for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 24 to 37.
## **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 year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2022 ("the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act), and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner's statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with 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 the 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 statement below.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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.
I 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.
Lilian Hetherington FCA Connected Voice Business Services One Strawberry Lane Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4BX
Date: 8 January 2026
23
Charity Number 1159973
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
|6
7
Other trading activities
8
**Expenditure on:**
9
Charitable activities
Notes
**_Total income_**
Donations and legacies
**Income from:**
Charitable activities
Grants and contracts
Operation of the charity
**_Total expenditure_**
**_Total funds carried forward_**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
**_Net income/(expenditure)_**
Transfers between funds
**_Net income/(expenditure) and net_**
**_movement of funds_**|Unrestricted
Funds
£
18,248
-
4,457
22,705
21,891
21,891
814
5,437
6,251
8,556
14,807|Restricted
Funds
£
-
164,889
750
165,639
139,581
139,581
26,058
( 5,437 )
20,621
19,630
40,251|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**18,248**
**164,889**
**5,207**
**188,344**
**161,472**
**161,472**
**26,872**
**-**
**26,872**
**28,186**
**55,058**|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||29,359
94,165
4,117|
|||||127,641|
|||||125,058|
|||||125,058|
|||||2,583
-|
|||||2,583
25,603|
|||||28,186|
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities
The notes on pages 26 to 37 form an integral part of these financial statements.
24
Charity Number 1159973
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
As at 31 March 2025
|**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
16
**_Total fixed assets_**
**Current assets**
Stock
Debtors
17
Cash at bank and in hand
18
**_Total current assets_**
**Creditors:**amounts falling due within
one year
19
**_Net current assets_**
**_Total assets less current liabilities_**
**Creditors:**amounts falling due after
more than one year
20
**_Total net assets or liabilities_**
**Funds of the charity**
Unrestricted income funds
Restricted income funds
**_Total funds_**
Notes|**£**
900
4,322
112,607
**117,829**
( 52,390 )
**( 304,167 )**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
293,786
**293,786**
**65,439**
**359,225**
**( 304,167)**
**55,058**
14,807
40,251
**55,058**|**£**
900
880
23,795
**25,575**
**( 4,074 )**
**( 1,332 )**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||8,017|
|||||**8,017**
**21,501**|
|||||**29,518**
**( 1,332)**|
|||||**28,186**|
|||||8,556
19,630|
|||||**28,186**|
The notes on pages 26 to 37 form an integral part of these financial statements.
These financial statements were approved by the Board on: 12 December 2025
and are signed on its behalf by:
J Rock Trustee and CEO
25
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 1 **Accounting Policies**
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
## 2 **Basis of accounting**
## 2.1 **Basis of preparation**
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with 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) – Charities SORP (FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2022.
MATRIX Neuorogical CIO meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
## 2.2 **Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
The charity reported total unrestricted funds at the year end of £14,807 and has already secured a significant amount of funding for the current year. The trustees are of the view that the immediate future of the charity for the next 12 to 18 months is secure and that on this basis the charity is a going concern.
## 3 **Income**
## 3.1 **Recognition of income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the resources, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is more likely than not that the resources will be received and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## 3.2 **Offsetting**
There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by FRS102 SORP or FRS102.
## 3.3 **Grants and donations**
Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria of income recognition are met.
## 3.4 **Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
26
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 3.6 **Volunteer help**
The value of volunteer help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees' annual report.
## 3.5 **Donated goods and services**
Donated goods are measured at fair value (the amount for which the asset could be exchanged) unless impractical to do so.
Donated services and facilities are included in the SoFA when received at the value of the gift to the charity provided that the value of the gift can be measured reliably. Donated services and facilities that are consumed immediately are recognised as income with the equivalent amount recognised as an expense under the appropriate heading in the SoFA.
## 3.7 **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## 4 **Expenditure and liabilities**
## 4.1 **Liability recognition**
Liabilities are recognised when it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
## 4.2 **Charitable activities**
Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of providing practical help and support to children, young people and their families who are living with the effects of childhood acquired brain injury and other activities
## 4.3 **Governance and support costs**
Support costs have been allocated between governance cost and other support. Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## 4.4 **Irrecoverable VAT**
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## 4.5 **Creditors**
The charity has creditors which are measured at settlement amounts less any trade discounts.
27
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## 4.6 **Leasing**
The charity has adopted IFRS16 Leases from 31 March 2019 and recognises a right-of-use asset and corresponding liability at the date at which a leased asset is made available for use by the entity, except for shortterm leases (defined as leases with a lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low-value assets. For these leases, the entity recognises the lease payments as an operating expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
Lease liabilities are measured at the present value of the future lease payments, excluding any payments relating to non-lease components. Future lease payments include fixed payments, in-substance fixed payments, and variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate, less any lease incentives receivable. Lease liabilities also take into account amounts payable under residual value guarantees and payments to exercise options to the extent that it is reasonably certain that
such payments will be made. The payments are discounted at the rate implicit in the lease or, where that cannot be readily determined, at an incremental borrowing rate.
Right-of-use assets are measured initially at cost based on the value of the associated lease liability, adjusted for any payments made before inception, initial direct costs and an estimate of the dismantling, removal and restoration costs required in the terms of the lease. The entity presents right-of-use assets in ‘Tangible assets’ in the balance sheet.
Subsequent to initial recognition, the lease liability is reduced for payments made and increased to reflect interest on the lease liability (using the effective interest method). The related right-ofuse asset is depreciated over the term of the lease or, if shorter, the useful economic life of the leased asset. The lease term shall include the period of an extension option where it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. Where the lease contains a purchase option the asset is written off over the useful life of the asset when it is reasonably certain that the purchase option will be exercised.
The entity remeasures the lease liability (and makes a corresponding adjustment to the related right-of-use asset) whenever:
– The lease term has changed or there is a change in the assessment of exercise of a purchase option, in which case the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using a revised discount rate. – The lease payments change due to changes in an index or rate or a change in expected payment under a guaranteed residual value, in which cases the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using the initial discount rate (unless the lease payments change is due to a change in a floating interest rate, in which case a revised discount rate is used).
– A lease contract is modified and the lease modification is not accounted for as a separate lease, in which case the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using a revised discount rate.
## 5 **Assets**
## 5.1 **Tangible fixed assets for use by the charity**
Individual fixed assets costing £250 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:
Right of use Depreciated over the lease term Office and computer equipment 33.3% Straight line
28
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Analysis of income**
6
**Donations and legacies**
Jack Brunton Charity
Donated goods and services received
7
**Charitable activities**
Income from grants
Postcode Innovation Trust
8
**Other trading activities**
Other income
Awards for All
Catalyst Reducing Inequalities Fund
Donations and gifts (GASDS)
Donations and gifts
Services provided
The Foyle Foundation
The William Leech Charity
Gift Aid
Coop Bank
BBC Children in Need
Employer allowance
Warburtons Community Grants
Fundraising
Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Hylton House
Hospital of God
The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust|Unrestricted
Funds
£
-
5,323
2,185
-
8,990
1,750
18,248
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,890
-
567
4,457|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
39,989
1,000
-
-
10,000
20,000
25,000
-
400
1,000
62,500
5,000
164,889
-
-
750
750|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**-**
**5,323**
**2,185**
**-**
**8,990**
**1,750**
**18,248**
**39,989**
**1,000**
**-**
**-**
**10,000**
**20,000**
**25,000**
**-**
**400**
**1,000**
**62,500**
**5,000**
**164,889**
**3,890**
**-**
**1,317**
**5,207**|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||7,100
7,133
588
2,000
9,000
3,538|
|||||29,359|
|||||39,989
-
10,000
1,000
7,906
10,000
25,000
270
-
-
-
-|
|||||94,165|
|||||3,207
590
320|
|||||4,117|
Income was £188,344 (2024: £127,641) of which £22,705 was unrestricted or designated (2024: £27,667) and £165,639 was restricted (2024: £99,974).
29
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities**
|9|**_Charitable activities_**
Direct costs
Support costs
Governance costs
Project salaries
Other staff costs
Volunteer expenses
Donated goods and services
Insurance
Legal and professional fees
Office costs
Premises costs
IT
Project activities
Other
Depreciation
Independent examiner's fees for reporting on
the accounts
Trustee expenditure
Training project
Advertising and PR
Travel and subsistence
CEO salary
Gain on disposal of fixed asset|Unrestricted
Funds
£
2,810
160
-
104
166
-
-
1,750
-
3,186
1,491
8,407
790
-
938
-
967
726
396
21,891|Restricted
Funds
£
60,380
471
610
282
61
-
-
-
919
8,377
18,563
12,094
23,585
120
470
-
13,264
-
385
139,581|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**63,190**
**631**
**610**
**386**
**227**
**-**
**-**
**1,750**
**919**
**11,563**
**20,054**
**20,501**
**24,375**
**120**
**1,408**
**-**
**14,231**
**726**
**781**
**161,472**|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||71,172
303
646
995
972
1,894
138
3,500
-
8,860
1,805
24,409
1,228
1,033
496
( 413 )
7,119
858
43|
||||||125,058|
Expenditure on charitable activities was £161,472 (2024: £125,058) of which £21,891 was unrestricted or designated (2024: £17,136) and £139,581 was restricted (2024: £107,922).
## 10 **Fees for examination of the accounts**
|Independent examiner's fees for reporting on the accounts
Other accountancy services paid to the examiner|**2025**
**£**
**726**
**690**
**1,416**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|||858
424|
|||1,282
|
30
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 11 **Analysis of staff costs, and the cost of key management personnel**
|**nalysis of staff costs, and the cost of key management personnel**|||
|---|---|---|
|Salaries and wages
Pension costs (defined contribution pension plan)|**2025**
**£**
**73,095**
**1,658**
**74,753**|2024
£|
|||78,334
1,698|
|||80,032|
No employee received remuneration above £60,000 (2024: nil).
The key management personnel of the charity, comprise the trustees and the charity manager. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £11,425. (2024: £8,860).
## 12 **Staff Numbers**
The average monthly head count was 5 staff (2024: 5 staff) and the average monthly number of full-time equivalent employees during the year were as follows:
|Charitable activities
The parts of the charity in which the employees work|**2025**
**Number**
**5.0**
**5.0**|2024
Number|
|---|---|---|
|||5.0|
|||5.0|
## 13 **Transactions with trustees**
None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from an employment with their charity or a related entity.
## **Trustees' expenses**
The following detail the expenses incurred by the trustees.
|J Rock - salary
J Rock - travel
Travel|**2025**
**£**
**11,425**
**756**
**25**
**12,206**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|||8,860
43
-|
|||8,903|
A trustee has taken up the position of MATRIX Neurological CIO CEO. The salary paid to the CEO is based on the going rate for the roles undertaken and they have declared an interest and thus removed themselves from any discussions designated to trustees. This has been agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and approval from the Charity Commission. The salary paid is detailed in note 11 for key management personnel.
## **Transactions with related parties**
There has been no related party transactions in the reporting period.
31
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 14 **Defined contribution pension scheme**
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 employer's pension costs represent contributions payable by the charity to the fund and amount to £1,520 (2024: £1,698). There was £332 outstanding as at 31 March 2025 (2024: £216).
## 15 **Corporation Taxation**
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objectives.
|16 **Tangible fixed assets**
**Cost**
Balance brought forward
Additions
Disposals
**Balance carried forward**
**Depreciation**
Basis
Rate
Balance brought forward
Depreciation charge for year
Disposals
**Balance carried forward**
**Net book value**
**Brought forward**
**Carried forward**|**Leasehold**
**Property**
**£**
-
300,000
-
300,000
SL
16.7%
-
8,333
-
8,333
-
291,667|**Right of**
**Use**
**£**
8,281
-
-
8,281
SL
33%
5,520
2,761
-
8,281
2,761
-|**Office**
**Equipment**
**£**
17,437
-
17,437
SL
33%
12,181
3,137
-
15,318
5,256
2,119|**Total**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**25,718**
**300,000**
**-**|
|||||**325,718**|
|||||**17,701**
**14,231**
**-**|
|||||**31,932**|
||||||
|||||**8,017**|
||||||
|||||**293,786**|
MATRIX Neurological CIO adopted IFRS 16 Leases from 31 March 2019. Refer to note 4 for the accounting policy. The charity signed a six year lease on the building it operates from during the year. The building and the corresponding lease liability have been recognised in these financial statements.
## 17 **Debtors and prepayments (receivable within 1 year)**
|Trade debtors
Prepayments|**2025**
**£**
**-**
**4,322**
**4,322**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|||880
-|
|||880|
32
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 18 **Cash at bank and in hand**
|18
**Cash at bank and in hand**|||
|---|---|---|
|Cash at bank
Cash in hand
19
Accruals
Independent examination of accounts
20
Lease payments - right of use assets
**Creditors and accruals (payable within 1 year)**
**Creditors and accruals (payable after more than 1 year)**
Lease payments - right of use assets
Postcode Innovation Trust loan|**2025**
**£**
**112,607**
**-**
**112,607**
**2025**
**£**
**332**
**726**
**51,332**
**52,390**
**2025**
**£**
**241,667**
**62,500**
**304,167**|2024
£|
|||23,747
48|
|||23,795|
|||2024
£|
|||552
858
2,664|
|||4,074|
|||2024
£|
|||1,332
-|
|||1,332|
The loan from Postcode Innovation Trust, is unsecured and is repayable over 60 months commencing on 1 April 2027. The second instalment of the loan of £62,500 was received in the first quarter of 2025-26. Interest at 3% will accrue for the first twelve months and will be added to the principal amount due. Commencing 1 April 2027 the capital and interest will be repaid over 60 months.
33
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 21 **Events after the end of the reporting period**
No events that require adjustment to the accounts have occurred after the end of the reporting period, but before the accounts are authorised.
## 22 **Analysis of charitable funds**
## **Analysis of movements in unrestricted funds**
## **Year Ending 31 March 2025**
|**Year Ending 31 March 2025**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Unrestricted funds**
General unrestricted fund
**_Totals_**
**Unrestricted funds**
General unrestricted fund
**_Totals_**
**Year Ending 31 March 2024**|**Fund**
**balances**
**brought**
**forward**
£
8,556
8,556
**Fund**
**balances**
**brought**
**forward**
£
1,716
1,716|**Incoming**
**resources**
£
22,705
22,705
**Incoming**
**resources**
£
27,667
27,667|**Resources**
**expended**
£
( 21,891 )
(21,891)
**Resources**
**expended**
£
( 17,136 )
(17,136)|**Transfers**
£
5,437
5,437
**Transfers**
£
( 3,691 )
(3,691)|**Fund**
**balances**
**carried**
**forward**
**£**|
||||||**14,807**
|
||||||**14,807**|
||||||**Fund**
**balances**
**carried**
**forward**
**£**|
||||||**8,556**
|
||||||**8,556**|
## **Purpose of unrestricted funds**
General unrestricted fund The 'free reserves' of the charity
## **Analysis of movement in restricted funds**
## **Year Ending 31 March 2025**
|**Year Ending 31 March 2025**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Restricted funds**
Co-op Bank
BBC Children in Need
The Foyle Foundation
Warburtons Community Grants
The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust
The National Lottery Community
Fund
Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Hylton House
Jack Brunton Charity
Coulthursts
Catalyst Reducing Inequalities
Postcode Innovation Trust
The William Leech Charity
**_Totals_**|**Fund**
**balances**
**brought**
**forward**
£
539
2,329
3,478
-
1,060
2,458
5,122
270
2,000
2,374
-
-
-
19,630|**Incoming**
**resources**
£
1,000
39,997
-
400
10,000
20,000
25,000
-
-
-
1,000
63,242
5,000
165,639|**Resources**
**expended**
£
( 934 )
( 32,483 )
( 3,478 )
( 17 )
( 8,968 )
( 12,637 )
( 13,720 )
( 166 )
( 1,950 )
( 5,272 )
-
( 59,831 )
( 125 )
(139,581)|**Transfers**
£
-
( 3,481 )
-
-
( 1,415 )
( 528 )
( 1,963 )
-
( 50 )
3,000
( 1,000 )
-
-
(5,437)|**Fund**
**balances**
**carried**
**forward**
**£**|
||||||**605**
**6,362**
**-**
**383**
**677**
**9,293**
**14,439**
**104**
**-**
**102**
**-**
**3,411**
**4,875**|
||||||40,251|
34
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 22 **Analysis of charitable funds** _(continued)_
## **Year Ending 31 March 2024**
|**Year Ending 31 March 2024**
**Analysis of charitable funds**_(contin_|_ued)_|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Restricted funds**
MBC Carers
Government Grant - TV Combined
Authority
Co-op Bank
BBC Children in Need
The Foyle Foundation
Hospital of God
Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Hylton House
Jack Brunton Charity
Coulthursts
**_Totals_**
The National Lottery Community
Fund
The Brelms Trust
Edward Gostling Foundation
The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust|**Fund**
**balances**
**brought**
**forward**
£
2,673
4,926
11,650
3,961
677
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
23,887|**Incoming**
**resources**
£
-
-
-
-
-
40,198
10,000
1,000
7,906
10,000
25,000
270
2,000
3,600
99,974|**Resources**
**expended**
£
( 3,108 )
( 2,362 )
( 11,857 )
( 3,649 )
( 138 )
( 36,216 )
( 6,522 )
( 176 )
( 9,249 )
( 7,542 )
( 25,877 )
-
-
(1,226)
(107,922)|**Transfers**
£
435
( 2,564 )
207
( 312 )
-
( 1,653 )
-
( 824 )
2,403
-
5,999
-
-
-
3,691|**Fund**
**balances**
**carried**
**forward**
**£**|
||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**539**
**2,329**
**3,478**
**-**
**1,060**
**2,458**
**5,122**
**270**
**2,000**
**2,374**|
||||||**19,630**|
## **Purpose of restricted funds**
Restricted main funds represent income resources used for a specific purpose within the charity as identified by the donor
Co-op Bank BBC Children in Need The Foyle Foundation Warburtons Community Grants The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust The National Lottery Community Fund Postcode Neighbourhood Trust Jack Brunton Charity Coulthursts Catalyst Reducing Inequalities Fund Postcode Innovation Trust
The William Leech Charity
Travel expenses: Volunteers/Client Hardship Fund. To fund a coach, admin and support costs To cover core costs CYP resources To cover core costs to support additional children. Case manager salary costs
Classroom and Classroom Assistant costs. SEN resource worker post. Salary costs for family support worker Family support
To fund the start-up costs of a recovery school for children who have a brain injury. To cover core costs
35
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 22 **Analysis of charitable funds** _(continued)_
## **Transfers between funds**
## **Year Ending 31 March 2025**
|Between unrestricted and
restricted funds
Between unrestricted and
restricted funds
**Year Ending 31 March 2024**
**Reason for transfer**
To cover cost of overheads and general running of the
charity.
**Reason for transfer**
To cover cost of overheads and general running of the
charity.|**Amount**
**£**|
|---|---|
||**5,437**
**Amount**
**£**|
||**( 3,691 )**|
## 23 **Capital commitments**
As at 31 March 2025, the charity had no capital commitments (2024 - £nil).
## 24 **Analysis of net assets between funds Year Ending 31 March 2025**
|**ar Ending 31 March 2025**
**nalysis of net assets between funds**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**ar Ending 31 March 2024**
Cash at bank and in hand
Other net current assets/(liabilities)
Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Other net current assets/(liabilities)
Long term assets/(liabilities)
Long term assets/(liabilities)|Unrestricted
Funds
£
293,786
72,356
( 47,168 )
( 304,167 )
14,807
Unrestricted
Funds
£
8,017
4,165
( 2,295 )
( 1,332 )
8,555|Restricted
Funds
£
-
40,251
-
-
40,251
Restricted
Funds
£
-
19,630
-
-
19,630|**Total**
**2025**
**£**|
||||**293,786**
**112,607**
**( 47,168 )**
**( 304,167 )**|
||||**55,058**|
||||**Total**
**2024**
**£**|
||||**8,017**
**23,795**
**( 2,295 )**
**( 1,332 )**|
||||**28,186**|
## **Year Ending 31 March 2024**
36
## **MATRIX Neurological CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
For the year ended 31 March 2025
## 25 **Guarantee**
There have been no guarantees given by the charity at 31 March 2025.
## 26 **Debt**
There is no debt outstanding which is owed by the charity and which is secured by an excess charge on any of the assets of the charity at 31 March 2025.
## 27 **Governing document**
The organisation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Foundation registered on 16 January 2015 as a body corporate under part 11 of the Charities Act 2011.
37