ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2024/25
_Promoting wellbeing by reducing social isolation_ 1 _for care home residents in Bedford and the surrounding area_
General information ......................................................... 3 2024/25 at a glance .......................................................... 5 Foreword from our patrons ................................................. 6 Chair’s overview .............................................................. 7 Our activities ................................................................. 8 Our impact .................................................................. 11 Our organisation ............................................................ 13 Our partners ................................................................ 17 Our plans .................................................................... 19 Financial statements ...................................................... 21
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General information
**Name** Friends for Life Bedfordshire **Registered Charity Number** 1165730 **Registered Company** 7951058 **Number Registered Office** 43 Bromham Road, Bedford MK40 2AA **Directors (trustees)** Keyur Bhatt Stephen Bennett (appointed 22 October 2024) Dominic Carter (resigned 10 June 2024) Harjinder Singh Gosal (resigned 9 September 2024) Theresa Harrington (resigned 10 February 2025) Nafiz Hasnat Suneil Khandke Sangeetha Nanda Kumar (appointed 10 June 2024, resigned 10 February 2025) Lisa Lindfield (appointed 22 October 2024) Titilayo Majekodunmi (appointed 13 January 2025) Katalin Petenchi (appointed 22 October 2024) Michael Ridley Sarah Walker (resigned 9 September 2024) Helen Wheatley (resigned 11 November 2024)
Theresa Harrington served as Chair between 1 April and 20 November 2024. Suneil Khandke and Michael Ridley were Co-Chairs between 21 November 2024 and 12 May 2025. Michael Ridley was elected as Chair on 12 May 2025.
**Patrons**
**Independent Examiner Bank Constitution and governance**
**Charitable purposes**
Rt. Rev. Richard Atkinson, Bishop of Bedford Susan Lousada, HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Ian Farthing, 18 Embla Close, Bedford, MK41 0WR HSBC, 12 Allhallows, Bedford, MK40 1LJ
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and registered with the Charity Commission and Companies House. It is operated under the rules of its memorandum and articles of association dated 18th January 2012 (as amended on 14 October 2016). It has no share capital.
To relieve the needs of people in care homes and other similar establishments within the unitary boroughs of Bedford, central Bedfordshire and Luton or any area previously defined as being within the county of Bedfordshire by any or all of the following:
- Developing schemes for befriending residents.
- Assisting such homes in meeting the spiritual needs of residents, in particular to help them in meeting the statutory requirements in this field.
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## **Public benefit statement**
In carrying out their functions, the trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
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2024/25 at a glance
Friends for Life in 2024/25
74 befrienders
visited 96
residents
Our volunteers
spent 1,186
hours visiting
their friends
Wewere
present in 32
care homes
We held 7
training days
for new
volunteers
Activity
volunteers had Q
461 resident
contacts
We had 8 social
events for
volunteers
Foreword from our patrons
It is a privilege to serve as patron of Friends for Life Bedfordshire and to commend the remarkable work captured in this Annual Report.
At its heart, this charity embodies the values of compassion, dignity and inclusion - reminding us that friendship and human connection are not luxuries, but essentials for wellbeing. The volunteers who give their time to visit, listen and bring companionship to residents in our care homes offer something priceless: a sense of belonging.
In a world where loneliness is increasingly recognised as a challenge to public health, the work of Friends for Life stands as a source of inspiration. Its partnerships with schools, community groups and local organisations show what can be achieved when people come together with kindness and purpose.
My warmest thanks go to every volunteer, trustee and supporter whose generosity ensures that no one in Bedfordshire need feel forgotten or alone.
## **Susan Lousada**
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire
One of the hardest times for me was during Covid. It was challenging enough to regularly visit my mother suffering from severe dementia before then in her care home, but the lack of direct contact for several months was deeply painful. Even if hard to gauge my mother’s response, the one thing that did seem to make a difference was the presence of family and friends. A small reminder for me of the importance of Friends for Life as it connects befrienders with residents.
I am honoured to be a Patron of Friends for Life, Bedford and to champion this essential work. I trust you will read this inspiring record of the impact over the last twelve months, and the exciting plans going forward. Not only reaching more people, but extending partnerships, widening wellbeing activities and strengthening governance. It is a story of hope in a society where sadly all too often loneliness is people’s experience. Thank you to everyone connected to Friends for Life for your part in this important work.
## **Rt. Rev. Richard Atkinson**
Bishop of Bedford & Acting Bishop of St Albans
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Chair’s overview
On behalf of the Board, it is a great pleasure and privilege to introduce Friends for Life Bedfordshire’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/5.
I would like to start this overview with personal reflection. For me, this report coincides with the second anniversary of joining the charity’s Board as a trustee and six months since I was appointed as Chair of Trustees. Over that all time, I continue to be amazed, inspired and humbled by the dedicated work of our many volunteers who give up their time to make a difference in their community, helping to tackle loneliness and social isolation amongst residents in our local care homes. Their work exemplifies the recent statement from the World Health Organisation Commission on Social Connection that “social connection enhances life, giving us meaning and a sense of belonging.”
It is also pleasing to reflect on how the charity has developed and moved forward over the past few years. Many of those achievements are reflected elsewhere in this report, but I would highlight in particular:-
- the progress we have made in strengthening our governance and the Board
- the development of our small but extremely dedicated staff team under the leadership of Gillian Basnett, our manager
- the progress made in developing our intergenerational activities with schools and colleges, and
- our success in securing grant funding, including from the National Lottery Communities Fund.
Notwithstanding these successes and achievements, much work remains to be done. There is substantial unmet demand for our services, and we know that growing our volunteer numbers (through improving both recruitment and retention) is hard. We also know that to meet that challenge we will need to change the way we work. This will mean improving our systems, providing better support for our volunteers and our staff, and streamlining our processes.
Delivering against our plans, as set later in this report, remains a central focus for the Board. We have a strong foundation to build on, and are already making good progress. But there is still further to go.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with or has supported the charity over the past year. Particular thanks are due, as ever, to our treasurer Mike Elliott, for his commitment in managing our money and preparing the financial statements included with this report.
Finally, I must also thank Theresa Harrington and Suneil Khandke for their huge contributions to the leadership of the Board over the reporting year. As well as their guidance of the charity, I am personally very grateful for the support and advice they have given me.
## **Michael Ridley, Chair of Trustees**
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Our activities
## Befriending
At the core of our service is our one-to-one befriending activity.
- We select, recruit and train volunteers to offer friendship and company to residents who would otherwise have no or few visitors.
- We develop and maintain a close relationship with care home managers who identify residents at risk of loneliness and provide us with ongoing guidance, support and feedback on the friendships we provide.
- We carefully match volunteers to residents by considering their backgrounds, interests, health conditions and other factors – this is essential to encourage close friendships to develop.
- We monitor the impact of our befriending through regular surveys and using an impact tool which our volunteers use to record each visit to their resident.
- We support our volunteers with ongoing training, social interaction and by encouraging the development of a strong network. Our coffee mornings, Christmas and summer parties, and training events are all very well attended.
In 2024/5, our befriending service reached 96 residents, with 74 befriending volunteers spending a total of 1186 hours visiting.
## **Befriending case study: meet Gill and Barbara**
Barbara was referred to Friends for Life shortly after moving into care as she was feeling sad about no longer being able to live in her own home and her loss of independence. The care home staff felt some dedicated 1:1 companionship would help lift Barbara’s spirits.
Barbara was linked with Gill, who decided to become a befriender after her husband passed away. In the final year of his life he had lived in a care home and Gill had been shocked to find out that only 25% of the residents there had regular visitors.
Gill visits Barbara every 1-2 weeks, often in the afternoon when she prefers spending time in her room. Barbara loves to chat and both Gill and Barbara say they can always find plenty of things to talk about.
_“As well as spending time and talking with me, Gill helps me in lots of small ways too, such as picking up bits of shopping or helping me to care for and alter my clothes. I am really thankful for her friendship” (Gill)_
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## Wellbeing activities
Our wellbeing activities provide opportunities for care home residents to building social connections and have fun through a range of volunteer-led activities; they are strengthening links between local care homes in Bedford and schools and colleges, individuals and community groups, and businesses. These activities are usually delivered to groups of residents, rather than on the one-to-one basis of our befriending service.
Examples of the activities we have undertaken include using a variety of themed reminiscence boxes to spark memories and conversation with groups of residents, and musical activities including a saxophone player and singer/guitarist. In total, our wellbeing activities reached 461 residents in 2024/5.
Our last annual report talked about the development of our wellbeing activities as part of a pilot process. We have used the experience to from the pilots to develop a clear set of priorities and principles these activities which we are applying going forward.
## **Our principles and priorities for wellbeing activities**
1. Our wellbeing activities should be fully aligned with our core charitable purpose of reducing loneliness and social isolation amongst care home residents
2. We will deliver our wellbeing activities through a volunteer-based model
3. When working with partner organisations, we will focus on sustainable partnerships, with clear roles and responsibilities and commitment from both sides
4. We will focus our wellbeing activities on a limited number of models that we know work well
5. In all our wellbeing activities, it mist be clear how Friends for Life is adding value thoughout the whole of delivery
## Advocacy and partnership
Our stakeholders and supporters work with partners throughout Bedfordshire to highlight the issues of loneliness and social isolation in care homes in the county. We also publish helpful guidance on our website and in our social media content to support this work, which is critical to obtaining our funding and attracting our volunteers, enabling us to deliver our vital befriending services.
We regularly attend a range of local events to promote the charity’s activities, to raise awareness and build valuable connections with other community groups and charities. These events have helped increase our visibility and foster collaboration across the voluntary sector.
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Some of the highlights from this year include meetings with our local MP, Mohammed Yasin, and being highly commended in the 2024 Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Awards. We were also nominated by Bedfordshire Care Group as their charity of the year and have presented to the Bedford Borough Older Peoples Partnership Board, and the Enhanced Health in Care Homes group.
“It was a pleasure to hear about the incredible work that the charity does in promoting wellbeing and reducing social isolation for care home residents in Bedford. Loneliness can have a real impact on our wellbeing, so the kindness shown by Friends for Life in offering company and social activities to care home residents is very touching to see.” (Mohammed Yasin MP)
## **World Health Organisation Commission on Social Connection**
In June 2025 the World Health Organisation Commission on Social Connection published a landmark report, "From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies,"
The report identifies loneliness and social isolation as major public health issues that significantly impact health, well-being, and economic outcomes., estimating that around 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected.
Loneliness and social isolation are linked to an increased risk of various diseases, including cardiovascular problems and cognitive decline, and are associated with a higher risk of premature death.
The report calls for action across various sectors and provides a roadmap for governments, including embedding social connection into urban planning and health systems, addressing the stigma associated with loneliness, and investing in research and measurement.
“ _Social health is a vital but often overlooked pillar of health: It is just as essential as physical and mental health. Social connection can reduce the risk of disease, lengthen life expectancy and strengthen the fabric of communities and society. Social connection enhances life, giving us meaning and a sense of belonging.”_
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Our impact
To better understand how well we meet the need of residents, and how we support our volunteers, we undertake annual surveys of both our partner care homes, and our volunteers. The surveys also help us to identify how we can improve our services in future years and plan for the charity’s future. The surveys covering the reporting year (2024/5) were carried out in June 2025.
## Care home survey
Our care home survey was distributed to all the homes we currently partner with. We are very grateful to everyone that completed the survey. For this year’s survey, the majority of homes that responded had been working with us for more than 5 years. Most of these homes have more than one befriender visiting residents. All the homes that responded to the survey had also benefited from wellbeing activities, including school visits, and musical performances.
In response to our question about the impact of befriending on residents, 100% of care homes who responded reported that this was very positive. They also said that they would recommend our befriending service and our wellbeing activities to other care homes.
As with last year’s survey, we asked about the proportion of residents for whom English is not a first language. All the care homes have residents that fall into this category, including residents whose first language is Punjabi, Serbian, or Hindu. This information helps us to ensure that our services are suitable for a diverse population of residents in local care homes, including through targeting appropriate volunteers that can provide that support.
As expected, the survey confirmed the high incidence of residents with dementia or other significant cognitive impairment. This was estimated to be an issue for more than 50% of residents in four out of five homes. The survey also indicated that the majority of homes we work with have other residents who don’t receive visits from family or friends who might also benefit from our befriending service.
“Well done to all involved in FFL from the organisers to the volunteers. You make a difference to others lives! I would recommend your organisation to all care settings and have discussed the benefits of your services with a CMHT Consultant who was very interested in what you do and is likely to contact you with a view to supporting patients in their care.” (Care home survey response)
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## Volunteer survey
It would not be possible to provide any services to residents without our loyal, committed and hardworking volunteers. Our annual volunteer survey helps us understand how they find working with FFL and whether we are providing the right training and support in what can be an emotionally challenging role.
The majority of volunteers who responded to the survey have been with us for between one and five years. Most volunteer for FFL at least two times every month.
On the support that we provide, 96% of respondents found the initial application process either “easy” or “very easy”, with 100% finding our welcome day training helpful. 92% were happy with the level of support that they were provided in their role. Volunteers also provided suggestions for other topics they would like to be included as part of ongoing training.
A very high proportion of our volunteers (97%) again said they would recommend volunteering with FFL to others. 92% report an increase in their sense of purpose and self worth as a result of their volunteering activity.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
“I thoroughly enjoy being a
“FFL is a much needed
volunteer befriender with
lifeline for residents who are
FFL and thank you for giving
feeling isolated and
me the opportunity to do
sometimes friendless.”
so.” (Volunteer survey
(Volunteer survey response)
response)
“The team are there for you when
needed. They offer solid practical
advice and are highly supportive. One
member of the team even came with me
to visit my resident to give her a
refresher lesson on knitting. The team
at FFL are approachable, knowledgeable
and very friendly. It's a pleasure!”
(Volunteer survey response)
**----- End of picture text -----**
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Our organisation
## Our trustees
Our board of trustees oversees the running of the charity, working closely with our staff team to optimise the skills and experience across the charity.
In 2024/5 there were significant changes in the membership of the board, with the resignation of a number of long-serving trustees, including our previous Chair, Theresa Harrington. We are most grateful to her for her service to the charity, for her leadership, and support for the transfer of her responsibilities as Chair to Michael Ridley and Suneil Khandke, who were elected as Co-Chairs in November 2024. Following Suneil’s decision to step down from that role in May 2025 Michael was elected as Chair, with Stephen Bennett elected as Vice-Chair.
Although we did have to say goodbye to a number of valued colleagues, fortunately we have been able to fill the vacancies with some very strong appointments. These include trustees with backgrounds in communications and marketing, HR, small business, health and social care, and programme management, providing expertise and experience that can be accessed by our staff team. Some of our trustees also volunteer as befrienders, and others have experience of care homes through elderly relatives. All trustee vacancies are advertised with Reach Volunteering.
In our last report we set out a number of improvements to our governance arrangements that had been introduced. These included:
- updating and strengthening the induction process for newly appointed trustees;
- a focus on external training on trustee responsibilities; and
- a formal scheme of delegation; board committees focused on finance, people, quality, communications and marketing; and governance.
In 2024/5 we continued to embed these changes, whilst also making other improvements, including: -
- Introducing a formal trustees’ code of conduct;
- Updating our policy on conflicts of interest for board members;
- Reviewing the composition of the charity’s Members;
- Agreeing a risk management policy, including regular reviews by the board of the key risks affecting the charity;
- Establishing a clearer and more focused reporting framework through which the board is updated on operational performance;
- Introducing a formal three-month probationary period for prospective trustees, during which they complete their comprehensive induction training;
- Developing a new template for our policies, to support clarity and enable appropriate delegation of operational procedures; and
- Continuing to improve our annual business planning process.
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In July 2025, the Board carried out a further self-assessment of its effectiveness, based on the Charity Governance Code. This indicated that we had achieved improvements across all eight of the competencies measured, compared to the previous self-assessment in January 2024.
The full Board continues to meet on a monthly basis, with our treasurer and manager also attending. We also hold two strategy days every year, which provide an opportunity for an extended discussion focused on strategic development and associated themes. At these events in 2024/5 our discussions included business planning and priorities together with the associated risks and mitigations; our model for partnership working; wellbeing activity principles, and key performance indicators. We also had a very valuable opportunity to learn from the experience of Care Home Volunteers, a charity in Wiltshire that provides a similar service to our own.
_“Being a trustee for FFL has been a rewarding experience. I have been consistently impressed by the charity’s strong sense of purpose and commitment to delivering high-quality support. As chair of the Quality Committee, I focus on strengthening assurance and improvement processes, ensuring quality and accountability remain central to FFL’s work. I have also led a project to improve how the charity manages its information, aiming to make data more consistent and useful for decision making and oversight. This role has deepened my appreciation of what effective governance can achieve, creating the conditions for a charity to grow, adapt, and continue making a real difference.”_ (Titilayo Majekodunmi, Trustee)
_“Both of my grandmothers spent their later years in care homes. I remember visiting them regularly and was always saddened to see other residents who had few, if any, visitors. It left a lasting impression on me, highlighting how important companionship and connection are in our lives. When I learned about the wonderful work that Friends for Life does, I was inspired to get involved. Serving as a Trustee has been deeply rewarding. It is a privilege to be part of an organisation that makes such a tangible difference to people’s lives, and I am proud to help further its mission of friendship, care, and community”_ (Steve Bennett, Trustee)
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## Our staff
To deliver our charitable activities we rely on a small, dedicated part-time staff team who manage our volunteers, set up our group activities, carry out fundraising and undertake our administration.
Our team is led by our manager Gillian Basnett (appointed in July 2024), who has overall responsibility for its work. In 2024/5, she was supported by Beth Parkinson (activities lead), Pauline Carter (volunteer lead), Alison Flashman (administrator), and Kathryn Hughes (fundraising lead).
Our thanks are due to them for their diligence, enthusiasm, and loyalty throughout the year. We remain committed to the professional development of all our staff, ensuring all team members have access to relevant training opportunities. Internally, communication and collaboration have been strengthened through the introduction of weekly team meetings, focused on volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention.
## Our volunteers
FFL could not function without our volunteers. They are the foundation of the charity, and without their dedication and compassion, our work would not be possible. We provide ongoing support through regular phone calls, training and education opportunities, and sabbatical options for those who wish to take a break while remaining connected to the charity. To encourage connection and wellbeing, we host coffee mornings, social gettogethers, and a Christmas celebration to thank everyone for their hard work. We deeply value every volunteer’s contribution — their time, kindness, and commitment make a real difference to the lives of those we support.
We continue to work to grow the number of befriending volunteers, as well as recruiting activity volunteers to support our developing wellbeing activities.
Following a detailed review of our data on volunteer recruitment and retention in November 2024 and in response to feedback from our volunteer survey, we have looked into how we work with and support volunteers.
- We now have a new volunteer agreement to ensure that volunteers understand our commitment expectations which helps support volunteer retention
- We are exploring different options for speeding up the on-boarding process for new volunteers to enable the relevant clearances to be completed as quickly as possible, allowing volunteers to start their work
- We are continuing to improve the induction training provided on our welcome days and our refresher and more advanced training for experienced volunteers
- We have appointed a volunteer as a Trustee, to ensure that the Board appreciates the perspective of our volunteers in its discussions and decisions
- A volunteer focus group has been established to ensure that we can harness the experience and insight of volunteers when thinking about how to improve the support we provide
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- When volunteers leave us, we now ask for their feedback on reasons for leaving and ideas for improvement.
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Our partners
## Our funders
FFL can only provide services because of the income we receive from our generous funders and supporters. We are very grateful for all support we receive as this is fundamental in enabling us to provide our services to care home residents.
The income we received during the financial year 2024/25 allowed us to cover the costs of our dedicated part-time staff team, who are instrumental to the delivery of our service. It has also allowed us to pay for our associated service costs, including office accommodation and IT, publicity, website, volunteer training, DBS compliance checks for all our volunteers, resources and travel. These expenses are essential for the everyday running of our service.
In 2024/25, 91% of our income came from grants awarded by trusts and foundations (of which 64% restricted and 36% unrestricted). Donations, interest, and membership fees accounted for the remainder. We were also successful in achieving our target funding for the year at an earlier point in the year than previously.
Our funding in 2024/25 was donated by the following trusts and foundations:
Bedford and Luton Charitable Fund Redrow S. Midlands Community Fund The Harpur Trust Connolly Foundation House of Industry National Lottery Awards for All Masonic Charitable Foundation The Wixamtree Trust St John's Hospital Trust Postcode Places Trust Bedford Charitable Trust McCarthy Stone Foundation John Apthorp Charity
An important achievement in 2024/25 was securing a multi-year grant from the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund. Draw-down of this grant will start in 2025/26. We also received commitments of support, for 2025/26 and beyond, from the following:
William Butterfield Trust Allen Lane Foundation St Johns Hospital Trust
In 2024/5, we also received a one-off donation from the funds of Care Home Volunteers following their winding-up.
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## Our delivery partners
In 2024/25 we worked with 30 local care homes in delivering our befriending service.
Airedale Elcombe House Mantles Court Annandale Lodge Elstow Manor Manton Heights Baycroft Henrietta House Oasis House Brook House Highfield Parkside Bushmead Court Kimbolton Lodge Richmond Manor Charter House Ladyslaude Court Rivermead The Crescent Lansglade House Salvete Dame Alice Court Lillibet House Southway Danecroft Lillibet Lodge Waterloo House Dial House The Mallards Wixams Retirement Village
As well as working with care homes, in 2024/25 we were fortunate to work with a range of partners, including schools, colleges, businesses and other organisations. These included:
Bedford College Bedford School Great Denham Primary School Biddenham International School Autoglass The Higgins Art Gallery and Museum
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Our plans
## Our strategic framework
Our strategic framework was reviewed in January 2025 and reconfirmed. The framework brings together the activities and focus areas for our charity to deliver our vision and mission, and to define the priorities for the coming years. Further details of the framework are available on our website.
## Our priorities
For our 2025/26 business plan, we are focusing on 9 core priorities within our strategic framework. These are summarized in the table below.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Befriending Wellbeing Advocacy
Our Strategic Increase the Develop our wellbeing Drive advocacy
Pillars number of residents activities by through the
we can reach, by implementing our deployment of a
training and wellbeing principles, marketing and
recruiting more new increasing the number publicity programme
volunteers and of wellbeing to improve external
improving volunteer volunteers, and visibility,
retention. developing engagement and
standardised models social media
for intergenerational activities to recruit
work with schools. volunteers and
attract further
funding.
Our Impact Ensure our services deliver benefit to both residents and volunteers
by further developing and utilising data from surveys and impact
monitoring.
Our Partners Increase the reach across Bedfordshire, by growing the number of
care homes we interact with through both our befriending and
wellbeing activities.
Our Funding Develop personal (legacy) donations and secure matched funding,
whilst also strengthening our readiness for future multi-year grants.
Our Governance Develop the governance and board effectiveness, including building
the capability and contribution of all trustees
Our Staff Invest in our staff through appropriate induction, training, and
support, and build stronger links between the staff and the Board
Our Processes Improve our policies and processes, to increase our efficiency and
effectiveness, including bringing new volunteers on board more
quickly.
**----- End of picture text -----**
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## Our policies
The Board regularly reviews the key policies under which the charity delivers its activities. Our policies cover the following areas:-
- Safeguarding
- Management of volunteers
- Recruitment, employment, and conduct of staff
- Financial management (including financial controls, and reserves)
- Health and safety
- Complaints
- Whistleblowing
- Data protection
- Governance
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Information technology
## Risk management statement
The trustees are responsible for managing the risks faced by Friends for Life Bedfordshire and confirming that appropriate systems are in place to manage them effectively.
The objective of our risk management policy is to ensure that risks are managed effectively, enabling the charity to deliver its charitable purposes, achieve its strategic objectives, protect beneficiaries, staff and assets, and ensure business operations and financial sustainability.
We aim to achieve this by ensuring that we have a good understanding of the main areas of uncertainty facing the charity at any time and taking action to adequately mitigate those risks consistent with our risk appetite (i.e. our tolerance for different types of risks). This is built on clear roles and responsibilities in relation to risk management and is supported by a proportionate system for reporting and documentation.
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Financial statements
## Notes to the Accounts 2024/25
1. Friends for Life Bedfordshire (FFL) is, since April 2012, a Company Limited by Guarantee with a Board of Directors/Trustees and since 2016 also a Registered Charity.
2. March 31st is the agreed Year-End of this the thirteenth year of the Company’s operation. Assets from the Company’s forerunner (an Anglican/Methodist joint project) were transferred to the new Company on April 1st 2012.
3. The Accounts have been drawn up on an accruals basis. This is a requirement of Companies House and is applied regardless of turnover. SORP FRS 102 guidelines for charities have been applied where appropriate.
4. The accounts are examined at the end of each year by an Independent Examiner. Being classed as a ‘Small Company’ no audit is required (Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006) unless requested by the members. The accounts need to be filed with Companies House by 31st.Dec 2025. As our income exceeded £25,000 there is a requirement to also file the accounts with the Charity Commission by January 31st. 2026.
5. Accounts were not filed this year with HMRC due to our 3-year exemption. We may be required to file by March 2026 for this 2024/25 financial year.
6. The Company’s liquid assets are held in an HSBC Business style account at 12 Allhallows Bedford MK40 1LJ. Since 1st Jan 2022, this account has incurred a £5 monthly fee plus additional charges for handling cheques, cash and currency conversion. A Business Money Manager savings account is linked to the current account to separately hold the Reserves Fund and any short-term surplus. Interest (currently 1.56%) is paid on this latter account.
7. Major office equipment (e.g. furniture, software and computers) is declared as an asset on the balance sheet if the individual value of the item exceeds £250. Depreciation is linear. Smaller resource or training materials are written off in the year of purchase.
8. FFL insurance cover is provided by Q Underwriting Services Limited (Aviva Insurance Limited). Our broker is Howden UK Brothers Limited.
9. No contract staff were appointed during this financial year and thus all wage costs has gone to our salaried staff. The calculation of the monthly payroll remains in the hands of Haines Watts with National Employment and Savings Trust (NEST) providing employee pension provision. The actual payment of salaries to the staff, and that due to NEST and HMRC, remains the responsibility of FFL.
10. Since 2019 the charity has rented office space in the CVS building at 43 Bromham Road, Bedford, MK40 2AA. In January 2025 the team relocated to a larger office on the first floor. This is also our Registered Office. As a registered charity this rental is exempt from 80% of Non-Domestic Rates.
11. The Company Directors/Trustees and Treasurer receive no remuneration as result of their office.
12. All income was derived through Grants, Donations, Membership Fees and fundraising events.
Michael Elliott
Hon Treasurer – Friends for Life Bedfordshire
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FRIENDS FOR L5FE BEDFORDSHIRE IFFL)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FFL
For the 81 ended 31 March 2025
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tho fi"nanci818tstemenl8 do r1 COMyW1th the appllc8blo ffjquirem•nts coneemlngthe
lorrn 8nd eontont of tho lin¥n¢ial statements sel out in Charities (Accounts and Report$)
R•gul8tions 2008 other than any roquirement that the fi'n8n¢1818taiements gfve a Yrue and
lair, view which 18 not 8 matter considered as part of 8n Ind•p•ndent ex8mingtlon.
I no conc•m• and have corne acffjsj no other mottois in Connection with the ¢x•minatlon
to which •tt•niion $houLd be dro in ihls reportto en•bLe a prow under81andingol the
flnancial stetemonts io be roachad.
Name: lan Farthlng
18 Embl8 Clos4 8•dlord. MK41 IMR
Dated:
o-
22
## Balance sheet for the year ended 31st March 2025
## Note: Debit balances are shown in parentheses
|**Tangible Assets**
Office Equipment
**Non-Tangible Assets**
Cash in hand.
HSBC Business current a/c Mch.31st.
HSBC Bus.Money Manager a/c Mch. 31st.
Other Assets
Add debtors, loans and prepayments
Less: creditors and provisions
**Represented by:**
Brought forward from previous year.
Plus: excess of Income over Expenditure|**2024/25**
£
£
3,790.91
70.46
7,500.91
52,674.41
0.00
64,036.69
0.00
(39.40)
63,997.29
34,383.39
29,613.90
63,997.29|**2023/24**|**2023/24**|
|---|---|---|---|
||£
3,790.91
70.46
7,500.91
52,674.41
0.00|£
1200.06
53.31
5,719.79
31,870.89
0.00|£
|
||64,036.69
0.00
(39.40)
34,383.39
29,613.90|38,844.05
0.00
(4,460.66)
45,711.19
(11,327.80)||
||||34,383.39|
||||
34,383.39|
## **Audit Exemption Statement**
For the year ending 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies
## **Directors Responsibilities**
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provision for small companies under part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (e�ective April 2008) Signed on behalf of the Trustees
## Signed on behalf of the trustees
Michael Ridley, Chair 10 November 2025
23
## Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31st March 2025
|**Income**
Membership Fees (1)
Un-Restricted Grants (2)
Restricted Grants (2)
Donations (3)
Gift Aid & GASDS (10)
Fund Raising Events
Interest on Reserve Account
Other Income - (PayPal, Easy Giving etc.)
**Total Incoming Resources**
**Expenditure**
Contractor fees
Sta� salaries (Net) (6a)
Employee deductions (PAYE,NIC,Pensions)
Employer costs (Payroll,Pensions,etc.) (5)
DBS & trainer/welcome Day costs (6b)
Publicity / website / IT
Insurance, HSBC Fees & other (4)
Travel
Resources & misc. expenses (7)
O�ice rent & rates, phones, stationery, etc.
Development
Non-budget expenses (9)
Depreciation of assets (8)
Cash withdrawals
**Total Resources Expended**
**Income less Expenditure**|**2024/25**
**£**
Examined
(Accruals Acct.)
295.00
37,230.00
65,739.79
8,037.39
-
43.16
1,303.52
795.92
**113,444.78**
-
58,106.55
6,210.46
2,019.80
1,844.27
1,955.99
1,285.86
707.75
1,066.37
6,236.95
2,309.97
-
1,954.06
132.85
**83,830.88**
**29,613.90**|**2023/24**
**£**
Examined
(Accruals Acct.)
315.00
34,336.00
35,822.00
1,391.90
496.60
187.10
506.45
2,151.73|
|---|---|---|
|||**75,206.78**|
|||1,983.75
57,801.18
9,190.31
2,944.11
1,503.50
3,255.62
1,024.30
444.45
937.84
5,366.99
-
438.00
1,397.84
246.69|
|||**86,534.58**|
|||**(11,327.80)**|
24
## Notes
- 1 Comprised 12 Individual, 3 Church and 1 Corporate Memberships. 2 i.e.funds from a grant-making body following an application process
- 3 Usually from individuals, companies, churches, voluntary groups etc. 4 Includes NCVO membership and Companies House fees.
- 5 Also includes the payroll company and recruitment fees.
- 6a Less the Welcome Days training & costs.
- 6b Includes the Welcome Days training & costs.
- 7 Includes office equipment, badges, volunteer & trustee expenses.
- 8 There were eight capitalised items in this FY.
- 9 Unused grant repayment and BG funds reimbursement. 10 No claim made in this FY.
25
## BMM Account - balance and transfers for the year ended 31st March 2025
(This account is classed as Designated but Unrestricted)
|**Income**
Net Transfers from General Acct. (1)
Interest Added (2)
Other income.
**Total Incoming Resources**
**Expenditure**
Net Transfer to General Acct.
**Total Resources Expended**
**Income less Expenditure**
**Previous Balance Brought Forward**
**Total Funds**|**2024/25**
**2023/24**
**£**
**£**
Examined
Examined
(Accruals Acct.)
(Accruals Acct.)
79,000.00
5,000.00
1,303.52
506.45
0.00
0.00|
|---|---|
||**80,303.52**
**5,506.45**|
||59,500.00
0.00|
||**59,500.00**
**0.00**|
||**20,803.52**
**5,506.45**
**31,870.89**
**26,364.44**
**52,674.41**
**31,870.89**|
## Notes
- 1 Average balance over the year was £67.3k
- 2 Average of 1.94%
- 3 Includes the 2024/25 designated Reserves (£20,000)
26
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27