Registered Charity No: 1164429
CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
CONTENTS
| CONTENTS | |
|---|---|
| PAGE | |
| REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS | 3 |
| REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022 | |
| INTRODUCTION | 4 |
| Statement of compliance | |
| Objects and activities | |
| Public benefit | |
| PROGRESS AND PLANS | 5 |
| Progress and achievements | |
| Plans | |
| FINANCIAL REVIEW | 8 |
| Commentary on statement of financial activities and balance sheet | |
| Fundraising | |
| Reserves policy | |
| Going concern | |
| GOVERNANCE | 9 |
| Trustees | |
| Trustee appointment, induction and training | |
| The Charity’s mentors | |
| Risk management | |
| Provision of information to the independent examiner | |
| Trustees’ responsibilities | |
| FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | |
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES | 11 |
| BALANCE SHEET | 12 |
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 13 |
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH
2023
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
TRUSTEES
Alison Hill Robert Kirtland (resigned on 03.03.22) Annette Mountford (Chair) Julie Pink Kevin Senior John Taylor (resigned on 07.11.22) Anne Lloyd (appointed on 10.01.22) Thomas Webster (appointed on 10.01.22) Tina Elder (appointed on 23.01.23) Tim Stevenson (appointed on 17>04.23)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Roz Warren (until 31 05.21) Laura Howdill (from 04.05.21 to 31.05.23)
BANKERS
Lloyds Bank plc Commercial Banking P. O. Box 1000 BX1 1LT
REGISTRATION AS A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION
16 November 2015 (no. 1164429)
WEBSITE
www.charitymentors.co.uk
REGISTERED ADDRESS
c/o Critchleys Beaver House 23 – 38 Hythe Bridge Street Oxford OX1 2EP
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
INTRODUCTION
The Trustees of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire (“the Charity”) present their Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Statement of compliance
This report complies with the requirements of the Charity’s constitution (based on the ‘foundation’ model CIO constitution authorised by the Charity Commission), which is the Charity’s governing document, and of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (“SORP”) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard (“FRS”) applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) , issued by the Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator in their role as the joint SORP-making body, recognised by the Financial Reporting Council.
Objects and activities
The objects of the Charity are set out in its constitution as being:
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to support the capacity and sustainability of the voluntary and non-profit sector in Oxfordshire, including charities and community and social enterprises, through the provision of high-quality mentoring and other services to their leaders, with the aim of enabling and encouraging clear strategic thinking, planning and action, for the benefit of the whole organisation; and
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to encourage and support the replication or adaptation of the Charity’s model in other counties of the UK.
The Charity addresses its objects by bringing together the expertise, skill, good will and resources of experienced leaders to support charities, voluntary organisations and community enterprises in Oxfordshire in defining and achieving their strategic goals. This support currently takes the form of pro bono short-term mentoring.
A fifth strategic aim, fundraising, was implemented in 2022.
In addition, the Charity has developed and maintains a template for its service model which it offers to other mentoring organisations throughout the UK.
Public benefit
In setting the Charity’s goals and in its planning activities the Trustees have given due consideration to the published Charity Commission guidance on the operation of the public benefit requirement of the Charities Act 2011.
The public benefits through the improved performance of the non-profit organisations who are the sole recipients of the Charity’s pro bono mentoring service. The Charity does not target any particular body and it responds to any applicant.
Most of these organisations are registered charities, but the Charity has also worked with social enterprises, community groups, youth groups and individuals hoping to start a charitable organisation and who want to talk through strategic issues.
For these reasons the Trustees consider that the Charity meets the public benefit requirement.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 PROGRESS AND PLANS
Progress and achievements
The Charity has its origins in a mentoring service (“the service”) launched in 2013 and operated by a steering group under the auspices of the Oxfordshire Community Foundation (registered charity no. 1151621), with the service’s first projects beginning in the same year. The catalyst for the initiative was the co-founders’ experience of, and reflection on, two prevailing factors: firstly, the burden of responsibility carried by voluntary sector managers in often precarious conditions; secondly, the level of good will that exists towards voluntary sector services amongst senior leaders in the commercial and public sectors.
Once we had refined our model and established that there was demand for a good quality mentoring service, we became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2015, with our own board of Trustees. Our core service is short-term (usually 4 to 5 months) mentoring for charity leaders (chairs and/or CEOs/managers) on specific, challenges that require strategic thinking.
Some of the challenges brought forward in the mentoring projects are issues around organisational resilience and sustainability, organisation and team structures, trustee relationships, leadership, feelings of isolation or loss of focus, developing long-term plans and business plans, alternative service and income models, stakeholder relationships, growth and next stages, change management, and sometimes, an external view on a particular issue or a sense check on strategic thinking.
Our operating model is underpinned by our vision, mission and our five strategic aims. These were revisited and modified in 2020. Vision: Charity Mentor's vision is for a resilient voluntary sector in Oxfordshire led by confident leaders with clear strategic purpose.
Mission: To provide leaders of Oxfordshire voluntary sector with effective mentoring and support to facilitate strategic thinking and skilful leadership
Strategic Aims:
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Strive for continuous improvement in service quality and impact.
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Gain enough understanding of market potential to make us confident that we are aware of all voluntary organisations in Oxfordshire who might benefit from a mentor.
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Position Charity Mentors Oxfordshire so that all organisations in Oxfordshire who might benefit from a mentor understand our offering.
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Continue to closely collaborate with the leaders of Oxfordshire’s voluntary organisations.
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Strengthen our Fundraising approach, continuing to develop positive relationships with donors and funders (added in 2022).
The quality of our mentoring is fundamental to our success. Our mentors are people who have had overall responsibility for organisational strategy and implementation and who have some experience of the voluntary sector. Many of them have had some mentoring experience but, most importantly, they have an aptitude for listening, encouraging openness and trust and helping people to identify their own solutions. At the end of FYE 2023, we had 16 mentors working with us. Our mentors join with us in quarterly meetings to discuss our approach and to learn from feedback. We are constantly trying to improve our service so that we can work towards our vision.
The updated website has produced useful additional network opportunities and attracted several projects. Charities that have been mentored have been invited to add our logo to their own websites which both aids our marketing and also gives them a mark of quality..
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
A major focus continues to be on improving the diversity of both our mentors and our trustees. We want Charity Mentors to be relevant to the community it serves and we recognise that diversity brings with it major benefits in terms of creativity, openness and critical thinking as well as relevance. We are now actively seeking mentors and trustees who can help make Charity Mentors a more inclusive organisation to help us to maintain our high standards of mentoring and governance.
Another initiative has been the formation of a Mentoring Review Group at Board level. The terms of reference are to review current mentoring projects and to look for learnings and opportunities for continuous improvement, to discuss mentor succession planning and recruitment and to provide feedback to the trustees’ board.
Charity Mentors delivered 23 projects from 1 April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023. The core motivation for engaging with a mentor was little changed from previous years. COVID has changed the landscape but the need for a well-considered and coherent strategy remains the same. Charities are also reviewing their longer-term plans and direction in response not only to the changed external environment but also because of insights gained because of innovations and new ways of working introduced in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Collaboration, the increasing use of technology and a new pool of younger volunteers are just three examples that have the potential to radically change the direction and offering of many organisations. But the pandemic has also exposed major rifts in society and the effects of this are expected to be felt for years to come, particularly in terms of poverty; debt; relationship breakdown; abuse and neglect; access to technology; the ability to work effectively from home, and disparities in access to education for children with long term academic and emotional and mental health implications. Charities are exploring different challenges and possibilities and we are seeing many new structures, such as social enterprises. A mentor can help them hold onto what is important whilst keeping true to their mission.
Our website provides an overview of our service and the impact of our mentoring. There is no other source of free-of-charge, one-to-one strategic support for Oxfordshire charity leaders. Each project has its own unique perspectives and challenges.
The feedback we get continues to emphasise how important our service is in supporting them in their roles. We ask all mentees to share the most significant changes that have taken place as a result of working with their mentor. A small selection of responses is listed below.
My mentor’s empathy, kindness and ability to listen and make sense of some of the challenges I was facing in a straightforward and supportive manner was incredibly valuable as I navigated Riverside on only a limited number of hours a week. Pat helped me to focus on what was important and enabled me to refine my thinking to the point that, I have a development plan and strategic objectives which I will be able to share with the new CEO. –Christine Gregory, CEO, Riverside Counselling Service Mentor: Pat O’Shea
Following the mentoring I am much more liable to share responsibility for operational matters with my team and to encourage them to do same with their teams. We continue to challenge each other to build trust, to be accountable and to commit to our organisational objectives. Following discussions with Mark we have instigated a system of target setting for the whole organisation with monthly reviews and reporting. This has had the effect of galvanising the wider team-Richard Snow, CEO, Oxford Wood Recycling, Mentor: Mark Hallam
I was keen to find support regarding a strategy for Know Your Worth. I wasn’t sure of the direction so got in touch for further support. I now have a much clearer plan. I have a strategy as to how to take the charity forward beyond the next year. For example, a goal is to employ someone in the next academic year and to begin a training wing once that is established-Debs Peake, Founder, Know Your Worth Mentor: Peter Wrigglesworth
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Plans
Laura Howdill developed the website and support documents and policies. She strengthened network contacts with other charities. However it proved difficult to maintain the sense of team work amongst the mentors because of the need to use zoom through the pandemic. Despite that the individual projects that were carried out produced excellent feedback from mentees. It will be a priority to reinstate good attendance at the quarterly mentor meetings where learning and exchange of good practice takes place
Our strategic aims will continue to drive our plans. We want to ensure that anyone who might benefit from a Charity Mentor in Oxfordshire knows who we are, what we offer and how to find us. Nichola Heer, who had supported us in a freelance capacity with this stepped down in October 2021 and was replaced by two freelance consultants, one to focus on our admin and one on our marketing.
Many of our referrals now come from word-of-mouth but we are taking active steps to try to reach beyond our usual networks to find other organisations (new and existing) who might not have heard of us. Part of this is a drive to reach into more diverse geographies (perhaps not surprisingly, Oxford City is a major source of our current mentees but we want to ensure that we reach well beyond it).
Collaboration with the leaders of Oxfordshire’s voluntary sector is another major part of our planning. OCVA, Oxfordshire Community Foundation and Community First Oxfordshire are important partners in our work. We share ideas and actively look for ways to collaborate. For example Charity Mentors and OCVA have developed together a First Stop fast rack consultation opportunity for charities to have an assessment of their needs and where best to seek support. Our mentoring brings us many insights into the challenges faced by Oxfordshire’s voluntary sector and we are continually reviewing our service to ensure that the support it provides to its leaders is relevant and useful.
The use of our template – allowing other counties to set up their own mentoring service – continues to grow. East Sussex extended its service to West Sussex in 2020 (https://charitymentors-sussex.org.uk/), Kent has its own Charity Mentors (https://charitymentorskent.org/about-us/ ), Berkshire has started some mentoring projects with a view to setting up its own CIO and there are conversations with other counties and cities who are interested in adopting the model.
The Charity’s only costs are expected to remain its core costs: coordination (matching up a charity and a mentor and then, importantly, assessing the outcome); support and training of mentors; promotion of the service so that it is known and used; administration and governance. All mentoring will continue to be delivered pro bono . The trustees estimate that its value, based on 525 mentoring hours at £125 per hour, is £65,625. The charity is dedicated to providing this free service to charities in Oxfordshire, and all funds continue to be focussed on underpinning this work.
Coronavirus
COVID made its presence felt throughout this accounting period. As reported in our 2019/20 report, the initial response of Charity Mentors, at the onset of the outbreak, was to offer “one-off” support through one-on-one phone calls to help leaders talk through their options. Eleven organisations contacted us within the week and six of these subsequently moved from “one-offs” to mentoring projects helping the charities to navigate through the longer term.
COVID’s impact will be felt for many years to come; some of the most damaging consequences are yet to be felt. Local government finances have been severely affected by the emergency response and loss of income. Looking across the costs of delivering additional services, spend on emergency suppliers and the significant impact on normal income streams. Although central government has provided extra funding, the voluntary sector is going to find itself further squeezed between increased need and reduced funding. Charity Mentors provides invaluable support to the voluntary sector by enhancing their efficiency and effectiveness. Since the voluntary sector fills many of the needs gaps that central and local government cannot meet. Charity Mentor’s pro bono service is a huge asset.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Commentary on statement of financial activities and balance sheet
This report and financial statements are for the year ended 31 March 2023. At 31 March 2023 the Charity held a bank balance of £22,928 (31 March 2022 - £37,378) and reserves of £22,286 (31 March 2022 - £34,343) of which £nil (2022 - £1,467) was classified as restricted income funds. The decrease in bank balance is due to a higher level of expenditure, combined with a lower level of donations. This was anticipated in our budget for the year.
Income from donations in the year ended 31 March 2023 totalled £14,500 (year to 31 March 2022 - £31,841).
Total communications and publicity (including website set-up and maintenance costs) amounted to £5,394 (year to 31 March 2022 - £7,269).
Charitable activities costs totalled £21,063 (year to 31 March 2022 - £16,634). The Charity’s principal expense is fees for the services of the Executive Director and supporting consultants amounted to £25,251 in the year to 31 March 2023 (year to 31 March 2022 - £16,634). The basis for allocating those fees to expense categories is described in note 4 to the financial statements.
Fundraising
The Charity’s income from donations is shown in note 3 to the financial statements, which also describes the restricted purposes where applicable. The Trustees are extremely grateful to the donors who have shown such confidence in the Charity’s work. Their generosity has put the Charity’s work on a firm footing and enabled it to position itself not only to mentor charities and the voluntary sector in Oxfordshire, but also to help similar organisations throughout the UK to establish a similarly effective model.
Reserves policy
The Trustees regularly review the Charity’s financial position, cash flow and spending against the background of its budget and plan which are reviewed annually, as is the Charity’s reserves policy.
The Trustees do not intend to accumulate and maintain a substantial unrestricted reserve. Our overhead costs are low – we do not have premises’ costs or full-time staff. Our reserves should reflect the costs of closing and some allowances for bridging cash flow between funding rounds. A reserve of £15,000 should be adequate to cover these eventualities. This level of reserves will be reviewed to ensure adequate cover of operating costs is maintained as the activities of the Charity expand, since the Trustees believe that there will be sustained demand for mentoring to charities and the voluntary sector.
Going concern
Having reviewed the funding available to the Charity together with its requirements for the next two years, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they have adopted the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Whilst the long term impact of Coronavirus is likely to make fundraising more challenging and competitive for all charities, we believe that the proven need for good quality mentoring, coupled with our low cost of operations will mean that we can continue to fund this very important service to the Oxfordshire charity sector.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
GOVERNANCE
Trustees
The Trustees determine the general policy of the Charity. The current trustees are shown on page 3.
Trustees serve for a term of three years from the date of appointment. A term of office may be renewed for a further 3 years; subsequently the trustee in question is required to resign but may apply for re-appointment after at least one year.
The Charity is administered by the Board of Trustees, which must have a minimum of five and a maximum of eight members, at least two of whom must themselves be mentors and two of whom must not be mentors. The Board meets approximately quarterly, its meetings normally being followed by a meeting of the Charity’s mentors for an exchange of information and to provide training and feedback. The Executive Director is responsible to the Trustees for overseeing the Charity’s operations.
Trustee appointment, induction and training
The proposal to appoint a new trustee is made at a trustee meeting for consideration and approval by the existing trustees. This normally follows a series of discussions between the candidate and the Chair, other trustees and the Executive Director, allowing the candidate to be briefed on legal obligations under charity law, on the Charity’s constitution, business plan, operations and recent financial performance.
Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role. Trustees who are also mentors take part in regular training offered to the Charity’s mentors.
The Charity’s mentors
Fundamental to the success of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire is the quality of the mentors it appoints. This was a key finding in a formal Impact Assessment which was completed towards the end of 2014 and endorsed by the subsequent Assessments in 2017 and 2019, as well as of a client focus group conducted in 2014 and 2020 and through frequent interactions and feedback after each project. Appreciative reference is frequently made to the mentor quality in the feedback reports the Charity asks clients to complete after individual projects. Mentor quality is fundamental because without good mentors, the Charity cannot fulfil its mission. It is also important because the marketing of the service relies a great deal on client endorsement.
At 31 March 2023 there were 16 mentors available to Charity Mentors in Oxfordshire.
The Charity’s trustees take this opportunity to thank the mentors for their commitment and contribution to the Charity’s success.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
Risk management
The Trustees recognise their responsibilities in the management of risk and have a documented risk management strategy and assessment which is reviewed at quarterly Board meetings: The Trustees consider that the Charity has two principal risks:
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being seen as giving clients advice which may cause damage to their organisation. To mitigate this, mentors are required not to hold themselves out as advisors. Quarterly mentor meetings are held to share best practice and to provide a forum for training. In addition, mentor and mentee feedback is gathered after each project and regular reviews for the mentors are held. The Charity has a formal complaints procedure of which clients are advised on embarking on a project. Mentees are asked to sign a disclaimer before commencement of the project;
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the loss of key operational personnel. This has been mitigated by:
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the compilation during the year of a virtual compendium of all policies, forms and marketing collateral which is now included on the Charity’s website; and
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creating a part-time role to support the Coordinator with communications;
Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions, disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the provisions of the Charity’s constitution. 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.
Charity Governance Code
The Charity Governance Code (“the Code”) for smaller charities was published in July 2017 by an independently chaired cross-sector collaboration, the Charity Governance Code Steering Group (“the Code Steering Group”), of which the Charity Commission is an observer. The Charity has taken steps to follow the Code as the Steering Group intended, viz. as a tool for continuous improvement towards the highest standards of governance.
The Trustees’ Report was approved by order of, and on behalf of, the Trustees on 31st July 2023.
Annette Mountford Chair of Trustees
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Year to 31 | Year to 31 | Year to 31 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | funds | funds | March | 2023 | March 2022 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Income from donations | 3 | 14,500 | - | 14,500 |
31,841 | ||
| Expenditure: | 4 | ||||||
| Communications & publicity costs: | |||||||
| Website costs | 1,253 | 1,467 | 2,720 | 600 | |||
| Newsletter Production | - | 956 | |||||
| Social Media Platform Management | 1,074 | - | 1,074 | 532 | |||
| Marketing and Database | 1,600 | - | 1,600 | 5,181 | |||
| - | |||||||
| Total communications & publicity | 3,927 | 1,467 | 5,394 | 7,259 | |||
| costs | |||||||
| Charitable activities: | |||||||
| Stakeholder engagement | 3,875 | - | 3,875 | 5,137 | |||
| Case coordination & monitoring | |||||||
| costs | 3,213 | - | 3,213 | 2,605 | |||
| Impact assessment, feedback & | |||||||
| quality control costs | 2,412 | - | 2,412 | 1,920 | |||
| Governance costs | 1,663 | - | 1,663 | 3,623 | |||
| Administration and Expenses | 9,825 | - | 9,825 | 3,099 | |||
| Fundraising | 75 | - | 75 | 250 | |||
| Total charitable activities costs | 21,063 | - | 21,603 | 16,634 | |||
| Total expenditure | 24,990 | 1,467 | 26,457 | 23,903 | |||
| Net incoming resources | |||||||
| and movement in funds | 5 | (10,490) | (1,467) | (11,957) | 7,938 | ||
| Transfer of Funds | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total funds brought forward | 32,876 | 1,467 | 34,343 | 26,405 | |||
| Total funds carried forward | 22,386 | - | 22,386 |
34,343 |
The notes on pages 13 to 15 form part of these financial statements.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
BALANCE SHEET
| Note Current assets Debtors - Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 3 Net current assets Creditors: Amounts falling due in more than one year Net assets The funds of the Charity Restricted income funds 5 Unrestricted income funds 5 |
2023 £ 22,298 22,298 542 22,386 - 22,386 - 22,386 22,386 |
2022 £ - 37,378 37,378 3,035 34,343 - 34,343 1,467 32,876 34,343 |
|---|---|---|
The notes on pages 13 to 15 form part of these financial statements. Approved by the trustees on 11July 2022 and signed on their behalf by
Kevin Senior Treasurer
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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 (FRS 102).
Under the recommendations made by The SORP Committee (an expert committee advising the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, in their role as the joint SORP-making body recognised by the Financial Reporting Council) the Charity considers itself to be a smaller entity allowing it to take advantage of the exemption from the FRS 102 requirement to publish a Statement of Cash Flows, which the trustees do not consider as providing additional information of value to the users of these financial statements.
The Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they have adopted the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and cash 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.
Creditors
Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
Restricted Funds
Restricted funds, whose use is specified by the donor, are credited to income in the period in which they are received. Where amounts are not specifically allocated against expenditure in that period, the balance is deferred and added to the balance brought forward on the restricted fund to be used in future periods.
Donated services and facilities
In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the general volunteer time given by mentors is not recognised ( please refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about the mentors’ contribution).
Donated professional services and donated facilities are currently immaterial and are not recognised in the financial statements.
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
2. STATUS OF THE CHARITY
Charity Mentors Oxfordshire is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It does not at present require an audit of its accounts. It is exempt from direct taxation on its surplus of income over expenditure and has no trading operations. It is not registered for value added tax.
3. INCOME FROM DONATIONS
| INCOME FROM DONATIONS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ended | Year to | 31 March | |
| 31 March 2023 | 2022 | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| income from donations consists of: | |||
| Unrestricted income from donations | 12,000 | 31,841 | |
| Gift Aid received | -2,500 | - | |
| Total income from donations | 14,500 | 31,841 |
- a) A donation of £5,000 received in April 2014 was restricted to funding promotion of the Charity’s services by developing its website and conducting a project to draw up a business model template, based on the Charity’s experience, which could be offered to other organisations as the basis for a replicable mentoring model. The balance of this donation included in restricted income funds (note 5 below) was nil at 31 March 2023 (at 31 March 2022 - £1,467).
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
4. EXPENDITURE
The Charity’s principal expense is for the fees paid for services of a part time Executive Director and supporting consultants, and amounted to £25,251 in the year to 31 March 2023 (year to 31 March 2022 - £21,486). Except where incurred on projects paid for by restricted funding, those services are allocated to the separate expenditure categories in the financial statements using analysis of time records. Approximate time allocations are as follows:
| Year to 31 March 2023 Communications and publicity 20% Stakeholder engagement 15% Case co-ordination and monitoring 12% Impact assessment, feedback and quality control 9% Governance Administration and Expenses Fundraising 6% 37% 1% Total100% The following is an analysis of total expenditure by cost component: Year to 31 March 2023 £ Fees for services Recruitment 25,251 - Travel 520 Training and subscriptions - Meeting costs 212 Insurance 129 Bank charges 86 Website 259 Total26,457 |
Year to 31 March 2022 28% 22% 11% 8% 15% 15% 1% 100% Year to 31 March 2022 £ 21,486 1,518 276 45 149 129 106 194 23,903 |
|---|---|
5. THE FUNDS OF THE CHARITY
Movements on the Charity’s funds are summarised as follows:
| Unrestricted income | Restricted income | Total funds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | ||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| At 1 April 2022 | 32,876 | 1,467 | 34,343 |
| Movement during the year | (10,490) | (1,467) |
(11,957) |
| At 31 March 2023 | 22,386 | - | 22,386 |
The purposes of the balances on restricted income funds at 1 April 2022 is described in note 3 above.
6. TRUSTEE REMUNERATION
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CHARITY MENTORS OXFORDSHIRE
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
The Trustees received no remuneration nor any reimbursement of expenses during the period.
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