Company Registration Number: 08790053 Charity Registration Number: 1161139
BLESSING IN DISGUISE
(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND A REGISTERED CHILDREN’S CHARITY)
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
5[TH] APRIL 2025
Blessing in Disguise
CONTENTS
| Reference and Administrative Information | 1 |
|---|---|
| Structure Governance and Management | 2 |
| Objectives and Activities | 2 |
| Achievements and Performance | 3+4 |
| Financial Review | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 5 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 6 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 7 |
| Independent Examiner’s Statement | 8 |
Blessing in Disguise
Reference and Administrative Information
The organisation is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, incorporated on the 26[th] November 2013. The company was also registered as a charity on 31[st] March 2015.
The company is established under a Memorandum of Association which set out the objects and powers of the company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
Registered Name Blessing in Disguise
Charity Registration Number 1161139 Company Registration Number 8790053 (England & Wales) Registered Office Lilford House St Helens Road Leigh WN7 4HG
Trustees / Directors
Catherine Holt Sharon Sargent Colette Scofield James Ellis Christopher Taylor
Bankers
Barclays Bank 1 Market Street Bolton BL1 1XA
Accountant Christopher Myers BA (Hons), CPFA
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Blessing in Disguise
Structure Governance and Management
Blessing in Disguise’s Trustees are also directors for the purposes of company law. Blessing in Disguise is a registered charitable company limited by guarantee, registered as a charity on 31[st] March 2015. Blessing in Disguise’s governing document is in the form of Memorandum and Articles of Association, as amended by special resolution and registered at Companies House on 10[th] February 2015.
Objectives and Activities
Blessing in Disguise’s Objectives are:
To relieve children and young people living in the UK who are disabled, have special needs or are terminally ill, and their parents and carers, by the provision of respite, recreational and leisure time activities and other services or support to address their need.
Blessing in Disguise aimed to:
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Raise enough funding through donations from businesses, to provide, free of charge, a range of life enhancing equipment and activities for children and young people with disabilities or life limiting illnesses.
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Provide much needed support for children and young people, their families/carers.
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Increase the number of children and families that we support each year.
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Provide exclusive and inclusive organised events and activities for children and young people to create treasured memories.
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Blessing in Disguise
Achievements and Performance
Blessing in Disguise has seen a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries that it has helped since the ‘Covid-19’ pandemic, the ‘Cost of Living’ crisis and the ‘Energy’ crisis. Millions of people across the UK are struggling to cover their essential household costs as we’re all paying a lot more for energy and food, and things like rent and fuel. We support children and young people with life-limiting illnesses and disabilities and provide special needs equipment and disability aids free of charge. In December 2022 we started to provide welfare packs to families registered with us that are really struggling to cope to cover their essential household costs. These packs include laundry items, personal hygiene items, cleaning products, towels, blankets and board games or something that will help them to promote happy family times and memories instead of all doom and gloom. During the past 2 years we have seen a huge increase in the number of families registered with us while funding has decreased and costs have increased.
Many of our families with disabled children have specialist equipment that is vital to their needs and their survival and spiralling energy costs have hit hard on these families and they are having to make the choice between eating and heating and are cutting back on how much they spend on food, or eating less, so they can pay for heating.
We have seen a huge decline in donations due to business closures and a trend in donators unable to make monetary donations due to their increase in running costs, with some willing to donate goods or equipment instead. We have had to re-prioritise and diversify how we support and help our families by providing care and hygiene and activity support packages and provide more online support for families in crisis whose mental health has been hugely impacted.
We have had many successful breakthrough experiences with some of the children and young people that have only been achieved with our support.
We have provided the following activities free of charge to families with children and young people with disabilities or life limiting conditions that have needed our support and that meet our criteria:
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Easter Egg and Toy Appeal - Deliver Easter Eggs, toys and equipment to Hospices, Local Hospital Children’s wards and Special Educational Needs Schools, Children’s Homes and Women’s Refuge.
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Provided emergency short break (3 day) for a family of four, with accommodation, food and days out included for a family with a child with severe autism, with the mother of that family having terminal cancer, who has since passed away. (R.I.P)
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Exclusive VIP Fun Fair Events - over 1900 children and young people with disabilities and their families now attend our bi-annual specially adapted fun fair
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‘Santa in July’ – Christmas Party and gifts for up to 40 children who may have been ill, battling life threatening conditions over the last festive period or for whom enjoying Christmas in December is just not an option.
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Welfare & Activity Packs for over 200 children and their families from December 2022 to April (5 months) with a value total value of £3.5K
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Santa’s Sensory Grotto and gifts for 41 children and their families
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Circus day out event for over 100 children
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Comic Con event for 32 children
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Educational Support for Parents/Carers of Children and Young People with Disabilities – provided communication aids and the tools to help parents/carers develop communication with children and young people.
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Sign-Posting and Referral - to assist in meeting client needs if we are unable to.
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Provision of Special Needs and Disability Equipment, welfare packs and events and days out
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Nominated charity to receive support from a leading global engineering and construction company, a global telecom equipment supplier, a high profile finance company, a local masonic lodge and a local rotary club.
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Created a contingency plan to enable us to fund activities and essential equipment without there being a time delay in awaiting income from pledged donations.
In January 2022, we received notification from our landlords that they had sold the building that we had called our home for over 7 years. We were given 5 weeks notice to carry on working, find new premises, pack up and move and still carry on running the charity. We managed to negotiate new premises with a local business owner and officially opened at our new office on 1[st] March 2022. Our old premises have since been demolished to make way for more new houses.
Financial Review
The results for the year and the Charity's financial position at the end of the year are shown in the attached financial statements.
Further to explain the spend on equipment, we have received donated equipment into the charity that we have donated to families that have requested equipment and therefore the only costs and expenditure on those items is for collection and delivery and/or refurbishment of those items. We received several pieces of special needs equipment back that has gone on to help more families.
Our plans for the future are to continue to strive to enhance all of our achievements and involve and help many more children and young people and their families/carers, providing the much needed specialist equipment and support that they deserve and without our support would miss out on.
We realise the potential to further increase the number of beneficiaries that we support each year and increase the amount of accesible opportunuties that enable them to attend more social recreational activities.
We will sustain our contingency plan (policy on reserves) to ensure future viability.
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Blessing in Disguise
Financial Review
Reserves Policy
Blessing in Disguise recognise the need to develop its’ reserves for continual growth and development and to secure the future viability of the company and to efficiently continue to provide specialist equipment and support during periods of delay between a pledge of donation and receipt of the actual donation.
Balance Sheet
| Balance Sheet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviated Balance Sheet as at 5th April 2025 | 2023/2024 £ |
2024/2025 £ |
| Fixed Assets | 0 | 0 |
| Current Assets | ||
| Cash at Bank and in Hand | 138,038 | 137,451 |
| Creditors:amount falling due within one year | 0 | 0 |
| Net Current Assets | 138,038 | 137,451 |
| Net Assets | 138,038 | 137,451 |
| Capital and Reserves | ||
| Profit and Loss Account | 138,038 | 137,451 |
| Shareholders’ Funds | 138,038 | 137,451 |
The Directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with Section 476 of the Act.
The Directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of Accounts.
The Accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the Small Companies Regime.
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Blessing in Disguise
Financial Review
Profit and Loss Account
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£
Incoming Resources from Donors 88,069
Charitable Activities 23,100
Gross Profit 64,970
Cost of generating funds and administrative expenses 65,558
Net incoming (outgoing) resources - 588
Blessing in Disguise Ltd
Abbreviated Profit and Loss Account
for the period ended 5th April 2025
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31 [st] December 2025 31 [st] December 2025
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Blessing in Disguise
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Blessing in Disguise
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 05 April 2025, which are set out on pages 4 to 5.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 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:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
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follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act
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state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
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Blessing in Disguise
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Date: 31[st] December 2025
20 Coralin Way Bryn, Wigan. WN4 0ET.
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