Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**Registered number: 09734369 Charity number: 1165847**
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS**
**(A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
|**CONTENTS**||
|---|---|
||Page|
|**Reference and Administrative Details of the Company, its Trustees and Advisers**|1|
|**Trustees' Report**|2 - 10|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|11|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|12|
|**Balance Sheet**|13 - 14|
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|15 - 35|
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE COMPANY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
|**Trustees**|Alison A Hall|
|---|---|
||Christopher Farman|
||Diane Morton|
||Douglas R Morton|
||Sean Churchill|
||Sophie Carvin|
|**Company registered**
**number**
09734369
**Charity registered**
**number**
1165847
**Registered office**
C/o Northumbrian Water
Northumbria House
French Garden Industrial Estate
Hexham
NE46 4DL
**Principal operating**
**office**
Northumbria House
French Garden Industrial Estate
Hexham
Northumberland
NE46 4DL
**Company secretary**
Alison A Hall
**Accountants**
Kinnair Associates Limited
Chartered Accountants
Aston House
Redburn Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE5 1NB||
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Objectives and Activities**
Wag and Company North East Friendship Dogs (Wag & Company) was incorporated on 15 August 2015 and became a registered charity on 3 March 2016.
The Charity's object is to promote social inclusion for the public benefit by relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded by reason of old age and assisting them to integrate into society by the provision of a befriending service in the North East of England.
Wag & Company is the only visiting dog charity befriending older dog lovers alone in their own homes and in care homes, hospitals, and hospices across the North East. Our mission is to end loneliness for older dog lovers so that no-one misses human friendship and the company of a dog.
The North East has significant social challenges, the highest population over 55 in England after London, the highest proportion of English Indices of Multiple Deprivation households deprived in at least one dimension and 9 of the 12 North East unitary authorities are in the top 15%. Social isolation in people with physical and mental health challenges is very prevalent, many are unable to get out independently or at all, excluded from their communities, including the dog community and marginalised as a consequence.
There is a shortage of physical befriending services in the region; only three of the seven Age UK's offer physical befriending services - paid or unpaid - and there are only two other befriending agencies for older people. There are no other charities who offer befriending with dogs.
Before 2016 visiting dogs were only available in care or medical establishments and Wag & Company was created to fill this gap.
From a small donated office in Hexham, relying on digital technology, Wag’s small paid team recruit and support hundreds of volunteers and placements across 12 unitary authorities of the North East and parts of North Yorkshire.
## **Visiting activities**
The people we visit at home are mostly in failing health, bereaved, have lost friends, family, and their muchloved pets. Some have no-one in their lives either at all or locally, they are unable to go out independently or at all, are profoundly lonely, socially isolated, and desperately miss the friends they have lost, two and fourlegged; with Wag & Company they get both.
Care and medical establishments ask us to visit their residents and patients. We also follow our older friends - originally in their own homes - into care, hospitals and hospices. Whilst these residents and patients are less socially isolated than the people alone in their own homes, their need for contact with a dog again is no less important.
Wag volunteers are often called upon to provide support and comfort during treatment or palliative and end of life care, benefitting individuals and also their families too during very difficult times. Increasingly since the pandemic, we have also supported NHS staff in critical care and stressful situations.
We never charge for our visits or our volunteers for their assessment and deployment costs. Instead, we rely completely on our fundraising and the support of people, organisations, trusts and foundations who are able to help, to raise the more than £300,000 a year necessary to support hundreds of placements, benefitting thousands of people.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
Demand for our unique Wag friendships generally and particularly for people alone in their own home continues to be significant and growing.
The majority of the people we befriend at home are referred by social care and medical organisations - eg Social Services, British Red Cross, Age UK, GPs, NHS Trusts, Mind etc - with smaller numbers referred by family members or even by themselves - something we have made possible since the pandemic.
With an hour or two most weeks, professionally assessed volunteer befrienders and their special dogs (Visiting Wag Teams/VWTs) provide older people, dog lovers who can't have their own dogs anymore, often bereaved, lonely and in failing health, with something to look forward to, some company and a cuddle with that much missed furry friend.
These people have typically lost their loved ones, partners, family members including their four-legged family members. They are often living with multiple health challenges which impact their ability to go out independently or at all and consequentially they spend much more time on their own than they’d like.
Some have family members to visit and support them, some have loved ones who live away and visit as often as they can, others have no family or friends to visit at all and are entirely supported by carers, with their Wag friends as their main source of companionship.
Carefully matched to VWTs from their own communities, they have a lifetime of dog owning locally in common so there is an immediate connection and most often forming important friendships for life.
These local Wag friends visit regularly, they also take people out if it’s safe to do so, they help to reconnect people with their communities as well as with the Wag community, helping them to feel included again and giving them a sense of belonging. They can also be the people, supported by the whole team at Wag, who can raise the alarm if things aren’t going well from many perspectives, just as friends would.
It makes such a difference to people’s health:- As David Dawson, Older Person's Fellow from Northumbria NHS Trust tells us:- " _what you do in Wag is as important as medical treatments, because when you're lonely and socially isolated, it's almost impossible to stay well_ ''.
It also makes such a difference to how they feel about the quality of their lives:- 88 year old Mr John Robson told us:- " _I had nothing and now I have a wonderful relationship with these lovely friends and my life has completely changed. I do get lonely living on my own and I couldn't manage to have a dog of my own now. This is the best· of both worlds though. It's fantastic, like winning the Pools!_ ".
## **Achievements and Performance**
2024/25 has been another excellent year for Wag & Company.
We supported 505 Visiting Wag Teams (VWTs) during the year and we finished with 406 VWTs on the 31st of March and another 41 applicants still in the pipeline waiting to don their red bandanas; turnover is sadly inevitable.
We also supported 327 people in their own homes throughout the year, our most ever, with 220 of these people still receiving visits at year end.
The average age of the people we visit at home is 83, they received visits for on average 30 weeks of the year and new referrals are typically only waiting 5.6 weeks for their new Wag friends.
We have completed a staggering 168,676 friend visits since we started in May 2016, 40,795 in the year to the end of March 2025 - and 2,421 older people across our North East region are regularly benefiting.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
At the year end, we were also visiting 211 care and medical organisations across the region - with another 206 waiting.
Volunteer turnover has continued slowly to reduce, so far this year it is 26.2% (rolling 12-months). Although not back to the pre-pandemic norm of c15%, it gives us increased confidence in our ability to reach our target of 600 VWTs by March 2028.
## **Progress continued to be made in all other areas:**
In September 2024, we appointed Charlotte Pearson as COO, from her position as Deputy CEO at Tynedale Hospice at Home.
Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust and Stockton Borough Council have been supporters of our service with SLA based agreements for a number of years, and this year, we were delighted that the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust joined them. This meant, for the first time, that as part of this partnership only, Wag volunteers and their dogs will be visiting children on wards and, as out-patients, for instance in dialysis.
Our Senior Dog Training & Behaviour Advisor, Vicky Welsh, designed a new assessment for dogs visiting children to add-on to our existing dog assessment protocols and this now forms part of our assessments for visitors to Newcastle NHS. We will also be enabling visits to their patients in the community.
Donors, e-shoppers, Lottery players or our Friends of Wag, giving regularly through our Supporters Scheme for individual Friends, Companies who become Corporate Friends and care or nursing homes who guarantee their Wag visits by becoming Community Friends, were all very important.
Corporate Friend, the Apartment Group, helped us to create our annual fundraising afternoon tea by donating their premises at As You Like It in Newcastle upon Tyne and also 120 teas with a glass of prosecco enabling 100% of ticket sales to benefit the charity.
Walk for Wag was moved from Kielder Waterside in North Northumberland to the new easier to access venue at Derwent Reservoir in September 2024. It proved to be very successful both in terms of numbers of walkers, fundraising and feedback from attendees; it was a lovely event, with the associated Waggy Tails Fun Dog Show sponsored by local artist Alex Clark adding to the fun. 130 walkers with 98 dogs raised over £13,000 and everyone enjoyed the new venue.
Our new volunteer recruitment campaign was launched on social media in January 2025. The costs were mostly donated by local marketing agency The Works with photography commissioned from Chris Owens and advertising costs on a paid basis. So far we’ve been very pleased with the results, and 41 new applications have been received at year end in the 9 weeks since launch on 21 January.
Our Christmas tea and biscuit hampers for our friends in their own homes were fully funded again this year including the time taken to arrange the logistics, through the generosity of local philanthropist Mrs Helen McArdle. 200 Ringtons tea and biscuit hampers, along with 200 handwritten Christmas cards designed and produced by local artist Alex Clark, were delivered throughout December. Some were shared and others were carefully placed under their Christmas trees to give them something to open on Christmas Day.
## **The Future**
The demand for our unique befrienders is substantial and we must continue to grow to reconnect and enrich the lives of older dog lovers right across our region.
Our three-year plan assumes we’re returning to nearer pre-pandemic levels of volunteer turnover meaning we aim to achieve volunteer numbers of 600 in 2028.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
We are now looking to review the structure and skills in place at all levels - including the Trustee Board - to support the achievement of our three-year plan and to enable the growth and expansion in the region and the supporting plan for income generation. We will also enable expansion into North Yorkshire and North Cumbria subject to formal financial support from the local NHS Trusts and/or unitary authorities.
Wag will not expand geographically beyond N Yorks and N Cumbria, so instead, on a case-by-case basis, we will advise existing reputable befriending agencies on how to expand their service to accommodate safe visiting with dogs. This year, we have been advising Friendship at Home - a North East Lincolnshire befriending agency for the elderly, with 20 years experience, to add dogs into their offering for elderly dog lovers at home in their region. Due diligence completed and we were happy to share the details of our approach for them to use in the development of their new service. On their first day of operation, they recruited six new dogs. We will continue to support and collaborate as necessary. They also work on commissioned services with their local NHS Trusts so there is knowledge sharing potential which can benefit both organisations.
We are delighted with the numbers of people we’re supporting and the quality of our impact and the feedback we continuously receive.
Income generation to meet our costs is the main challenge and we are confident in our ability to deliver an ambitious three-year plan which will help to protect Wag & Company for older and vulnerable dog lovers in the North East in perpetuity.
## **Financial Review**
Wag & Company never charges anyone - home visitors, establishments, volunteers - for visits or for assessment and deployment costs - instead we rely completely on our fundraising and the support of people, organisations, trusts and foundations who can help, to raise the more than £300,000 a year necessary to support hundreds of placements benefitting thousands of people.
## **Income**
2024/25 was another fantastic year for income generation.
For the first time in our history we raised over £300,000, ending the year having raised £322,831, thanks to some extraordinary support from some key Trusts & Foundations, the Edna Sutton Trust whose Trustees chose us to benefit with a Legacy in her special memory and an important new SLA-based social prescribing income stream.
Important support also came from our donors, e:shoppers, Lottery players and our Friends of Wag, giving regularly through our Supporters Scheme for individual Friends, Companies who become Corporate Friends and care or nursing homes who guarantee their Wag visits by becoming Community Friends.
Corporate Friend, the Apartment Group, helped us to create our annual fundraising afternoon tea by donating their premises at As You Like It in Newcastle upon Tyne and 120 teas with a glass of prosecco. An amazing gift for Wag which raised almost £6,000 from ticket sales and raffle tickets.
Walk for Wag at the new easier to access venue at Derwent Reservoir was very successful this year both in terms of numbers of walkers, fundraising and feedback from attendees; it was a lovely event, with the associated Waggy Tails Fun Dog Show sponsored by local artist Alex Clark adding to the fun. 130 walkers with 98 dogs raised over £13,000 and everyone enjoyed the new, easier to access, venue at Derwent Reservoir. It meant a great deal to us that the family and friends of North East PR legend, Wayne Halton, walked and donated to Wag in his honour. Wayne was an important Wag supporter, donating his time to help Wag whenever he could. He was due to attend his first walk for Wag, but he suddenly, tragically passed away 6 weeks before.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
# **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
Further fundraising events were supported including runners at the iconic Great North Run in our region. These will continue to be a feature of our approach to generating income.
Overall Income was 56% above the previous year and 36% above budget, an exceptional outcome.
## **Expenditure**
Total expenditure at £248,996 was 13% higher than last year, an increase of £29,070. That is principally due to increased Staff Costs and costs of maintaining the Volunteer Recruitment and Referral Management System (VRRMS).
**Staff Costs** increased by £38,330 which is partly due to the investment in a COO to strengthen the operational management of the Charity and enable the Chair to focus on its strategic development. Also, staff time was invested in a number of developmental projects, the most significant of which is the Volunteer Recruitment Campaign.
**The VRRMS** manages all Wag’s operational activity, across the whole of the North East and some of North Yorkshire. The development of this bespoke system was funded by the National Lottery in 2019 and completed in 2023, the original developer hadn’t been able to complete the system and so part-way through the project we had had to change development support. This meant additional costs for the new company to become familiar with thousands of lines of bespoke code and increased cost for addressing issues/defects with the system. The core system is now stable and all personal data is totally secure. However, there are residual problems which we now have to fix for the system’s safe operation currently and in the future. Maintenance of the system has cost an additional £13,326 in 2025 over the previous year, which includes a provision of £10,000 to address known issues.
These two items more than account for the increase in expenditure over the previous year. Cost control remains a core competence for the Charity. Expenditure for the current year is 5% below budget.
We have also this year committed to be a Real Living Wage employer in part as a response to our difficulty to recruit in Hexham.
## **Donated Services**
A notional cost of £6,000 has been added to Support costs for donated services. As this is not a cash cost an equal amount has been added to Income as a notional Donation.
## **Movement of Funds**
Overall, a surplus of income over expenditure of £73,835 was generated. Total reserves were £225,459 of which £30,394 are Restricted and £90,262 are Designated Reserves. This leaves £104,803 as available Reserves.
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## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Reserves Policy**
We have reviewed our Reserves policy. Previously our Trustees had agreed the requirement to hold three months operational expenditure in reserves. At our March Trustee Board Meeting, a review was carried out and the decision taken to increase the amount of expenditure required from three months to four months. This reflected the omission from our policy of the time required by paid staff to support and try to reassign all our befrienders in the event of insufficient income generation. The new policy wording is below.
Our reserves policy requires the Charity to hold four months operational expenditure as a reserve in case of volatility in revenue, the time required by paid staff to support and try to reassign all our befrienders in the event of insufficient income generation, loss of key personnel or catastrophic failure of IT/systems.
At the end of 2024/25, the four months reserves amount was £118,098. As available Reserves are £104,803, the Charity was slightly non-compliant (£13,295) with the Reserves Policy at year end. The Trustees considered this and are satisfied that it is a technical calculation breach based on the full year costs as opposed to a phased approach and in fact the Charity will become compliant again by the end of Quarter 1 2025/26.
The Budget for 2025/26 forecasts that the Charity will remain compliant with the policy in the year.
## **Designated Reserves**
Designated Reserves of £90,262 comprise the following items:
**Volunteer Recruitment Campaign** - due to the significant turnover in volunteers during the pandemic and in the three years afterwards, and at the same time the very high demand for our volunteers, the Trustees agreed to allocate some funding for a marketing and communications company to devise a new recruitment campaign to create the necessary step change in volunteer numbers.
The campaign, badged _Your friendship changes lives_ and led by our Chair, required the creation and then marketing of photo and video assets for a representative group of Wag volunteers and their special dogs. The project began in October 2024 and the campaign started in mid January 2025 - North East based marketing company The Works, fell in love with our work and decided to support us free of charge until the end of February 2024/25. The asset creation costs of the social media advertising, plus the photography, copywriting and studio costs have been paid this year and are £7,923.
By the year end the campaign had generated more than 41 new applicants and at the same time generated a greater degree of awareness of Wag’s activities across the region.
In 2025/26 and 2026/27 we will continue to market these assets and create more across the North East using social media advertising and PR to recruit the additional c400 new volunteers (including turnover) we need to meet the continuous and growing demand for our special befrienders. The remaining campaign costs are from a designated reserve of £12,000.
The project is subject to continuous review.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
**New Reporting Software - Power BI.** In order to develop a sustainable income stream from more and more benefitting organisations such as NHS Trusts, local authorities etc and to allow us to continue to expand our service and benefit more and more people across our existing region and beyond, we have to be able to easily report on our activity and our impact.
A review has concluded that rather than developing a reporting system within the VRRMS - it will be more cost effective and easier to maintain if proprietary software is used - Power BI was selected as the most appropriate solution.
Power BI is a powerful reporting tool which will be connected to both the VRRMS and Xero. It will reduce manpower time to produce significant reports for beneficiary organisations and the monthly trustee pack - ensuring accuracy, simple administration, best in class customer service. Costs include web form changes in the VRRMS, data cleansing and additional data input, report development and training of two key individuals in our team.
Newcastle based developer Synergy have provided a significant charity discount. The entire project cost including the enabling work in the VRRMS will be £20,000 from a Wag & Company designated reserve, and work will begin in early May and will be completed in phases by the end of October.
**IT Hardware Replacement** - our policy is that all computers will be replaced at 5 years old or if a PC or laptop is problematic it will be replaced at 4 years old. A Designated Reserve of £4,250 has been created to replace all workstations, laptops, printers and tablets in the next two years.
**Succession, Growth and Sustainability.** Founder/CEO/Chair Diane Morton has carried out both Chair and CEO roles in Wag as a volunteer since 2015. As Wag’s operation has grown it is no longer sustainable and in 2024/25 we created a Designated Reserve to support firstly interim support costs and then in September 2024 the recruitment and employment costs of a new Senior Manager and structure.
Wag’s service delivery environment continues to develop with the agreement of a new SLA based service with Local Authorities and NHS Trusts and the need for it to develop further to ensure the sustainability of Wag’s free service for elderly isolated people and to enable the operation in Hexham to expand to the limit of it’s capacity to potentially also benefit the people of North Yorkshire and North Cumbria
Following our progress to date with our succession project, we have identified the need for some professional advice to ensure we have the right organisational structure - Trustees, Trustee Board including some volunteer representation - resourcing etc - required to support the operation.
Taking into account the staff costs during 2024/25 the designated reserve for Succession, Growth and Sustainability has £40,000 remaining and we are increasing that balance by £10,000 to finance the professional advice necessary for the review; the designated reserve is £50,000.
The remit is to review our three-year plan and to provide advice and support to the Trustee Board on the whole structure of an expanded Wag and Company North East Friendship Dogs and highlight any omissions from the current plans.
A Designated Reserve has been established to fund the procurement of an Acoustic Pod which costs £11,000. The current accommodation is shared and there is no capacity to support video conversations without impacting all staff. These video conversations are necessary to support the routine DBS checks and ID verification sessions as well as the lengthy induction training sessions for new volunteers as well as other interactions with volunteers and partners. We were very fortunate in March 2025 to be awarded a grant from Northumberland Council in the sum of £6,988 towards the total cost of £11,000 of installing the Pod, the balance of the cost at £4,012 is included in Designated Reserves.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
Wag & Company North East Friendship Dogs was incorporated on 15 August 2015 and became a registered charity on 3 March 2016.
The Directors are the Trustees of the charity and along with one appointed Member form the governing body which has ultimate responsibility for the proper administration of the charity and acts in its interests. Nominations for Trustee appointments are presented to the Trustee Board and appointed by invitation of existing Trustees who assess candidates on the basis of the skills they contribute to the future direction of the organisation. New appointees are apprised of their obligations as Trustees of the charity and as Directors of a company limited by guarantee and they receive an induction into the organisation, its current position and significant issues.
The Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation giving consideration to resources and the risks and opportunities in the operational environment. The Board ensures compliance and has overall financial control, approving budgets and monitoring expenditure and revenues. The Board has overall approval of the programme of activity, ensuring it is consistent with objects and maximises public benefit. The Board meets at least quarterly and on other occasions as required to consider issues of particular significance.
While the Board retains the ultimate responsibility for running the charity, the management and day-to-day functions of implementing the Board's decisions are, at this time, devolved to the Chair who is also a Trustee Director. The Chair presents a full operational report to the Board at all quarterly Board meetings highlighting any areas of risk that require consideration.
Other operational delivery functions are carried out by paid charity staff, a specialist contracted accountant, a volunteer Walk Project Team, volunteer expert advisors and a number of professionally qualified dog trainers and behaviouralists who operate as dog assessors also on a volunteer basis.
## **Risk Management Statement**
Wag and Company aims to take all reasonable steps to avoid any harm to our staff or volunteers, their dogs, those we visit and the general public as a result of our activities. We also want to ensure that Wag and Company continues to develop to its full potential guided by its Vision.
For these reasons, we operate a Risk Management System. It comprises a Risk Management Policy and a number of Risk Registers, which are designed to assess risks, manage an appropriate response and allocate responsibility for action.
The Charity's Trustees are collectively responsible for ensuring that an adequate system of risk management is implemented and maintained and have appointed a Trustee Director responsible for Risk to lead and oversee this process.
The Risk Management System was developed during a detailed review of the Charity's Plan and programme of activities which were designed to efficiently deliver its services.
Since the Charity was in its early stages of development great care was taken to assess each programme of activity in order to anticipate the major risks associated with our Charity's activities. It was also desirable to test the effectiveness of the system as the operations were being bedded in. The Charity Chair has deliberately engaged in detail operationally from the outset to ensure that the risk management approach was continuously reviewed and developed, properly briefed to all new volunteers during induction and that its scope was comprehensive.
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## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
Everyone is encouraged to review the Risk Management System before commencing visits and to pay particular attention where specific further action is required by them, for example prior to visiting. One of the major benefits of operating such a system is the opportunity it presents for continuous improvement based upon the actual experience of our volunteers. So everyone is encouraged to feedback any issues from actual visits and discuss any new responses which may be necessary. In this way, risk registers can be updated and shared with others.
Major risks include:
- Safeguarding of lone-visiting of vulnerable adults
- Failure to secure adequate funding
- Failure to attract and maintain adequate, suitable visiting resources
- Injury to elderly Friend/ Volunteer/ member of public as a result of dog scratch/bite
Wag & Company has developed a Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy and ensures that volunteers are adequately trained in Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults best practice and lone-working where relevant. Monitoring of placements is conducted at prescribed intervals with recording and reporting protocols. Volunteers submit a visit report after each visit enabling routine understanding of all activity and these reports, together with our incident reporting protocols, enable proactive management of issues or potential issues.
Wag & Company's fundraising strategy has secured a range of funding sources and types such that the risk of failure due to single funder loss is eliminated. It has also minimised operating costs as a result of the ongoing support of its corporate partners. It operates a reserve policy which retains a surplus equivalent to three month's operating costs.
In order to address suitable person and injury from dog risks, Wag & Company appointed an expert adviser in dog behaviour to design a customised dog assessment. This assessment is carried out on potential Visiting Wag Teams (volunteer and dog) by one of a number of professionally qualified volunteer assessors and simulates real hazards so that the dog and handler response can be judged. If in the assessor's opinion the risks are under control, the Charity is notified that they are qualified to visit subject to the successful completion of an Enhanced DBS check for the volunteer, an appropriate reference and the Wag induction.
For some of the major risks identified it is possible to transfer the consequences to insurers as part of a basket of responses. The Charity maintains an appropriate level of Public Liability Insurance. The Risk Management System was reviewed by the Charity Trustees before its first implementation and has been accepted for ongoing use each year after an annual review.
## **Public Benefit**
All our activities are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit. The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit through the year when deciding on the activities of the charity and its future plans.
## **Small Company Provisions**
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.
Approved by order of the members of the board of Trustees on 9 June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
## **Diane Morton**
Trustee, Chair and CEO
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**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Wag and Company North East Friendship Dogs ('the company')**
I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Responsibilities and Basis of Report**
As the Trustees of the company (and its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the company's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
Since the company's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
This report is made solely to the company's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the company's Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner's Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's Trustees as a body, for my work or for this report.
Signed: Dated: 17 June 2025 Detlev Anderson FCA Kinnair Associates Limited Aston House Redburn Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE5 1NB
Page 11
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS**
## **(A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
|**Note**
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Other trading activities
5
Investments
6
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
7
Charitable activities
8
**Total expenditure**
**Net income/(expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
15
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
Net movement in funds
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**186,797**
**36,492**
**31,386**
**3,798**
**258,473**
**53,397**
**135,935**
**189,332**
**69,141**
**-**
**69,141**
**125,924**
**69,141**
**195,065**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**64,358**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**64,358**
**-**
**59,664**
**59,664**
**4,694**
**-**
**4,694**
**25,700**
**4,694**
**30,394**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**251,155**
**36,492**
**31,386**
**3,798**
**322,831**
**53,397**
**195,599**
**248,996**
**73,835**
**-**
**73,835**
**151,624**
**73,835**
**225,459**|_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_158,237_
_19,926_
_26,786_
_1,624_
_206,573_
_46,238_
_173,688_
_219,926_
_(13,353)_
_-_
_(13,353)_
_164,977_
_(13,353)_
_151,624_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
The notes on pages 15 to 35 form part of these financial statements.
Page 12
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee) REGISTERED NUMBER: 09734369**
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025**
|**Note**
**Current assets**
Debtors
13
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year
14
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Net assets excluding pension asset**
**Total net assets**
**Charity funds**
Restricted funds
15
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
15
General funds
15
Total unrestricted funds
15
**Total funds**|**2,287**
**244,784**
**247,071**
**(21,612)**
**90,262**
**104,803**|**2025**
**£**
**225,459**
**225,459**
**225,459**
**225,459**
**30,394**
**195,065**
**225,459**|_3,783_
_159,041_
_162,824_
_(11,200)_
_49,500_
_76,424_|_2024_
_£_
_151,624_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||_151,624_|
|||||_151,624_|
||||||
|||||_151,624_|
|||||_25,700_
_125,924_|
||||||
|||||_151,624_|
Page 13
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
# **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee) REGISTERED NUMBER: 09734369**
# **BALANCE SHEET (CONTINUED) AS AT 31 MARCH 2025**
The company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to entities subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
**Christopher Farman**
Trustee and Finance Director Date: 9 June 2025
The notes on pages 15 to 35 form part of these financial statements.
Page 14
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
# **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **1. General information**
The charity is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales and a charity registered in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is C/O Northumbrian Water, Northumbria House, French Garden Estate, Hexham, NE46 4DL.
## **2. Accounting policies**
## **2.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Wag and Company North East Friendship Dogs meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
The Financial Statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investments measured at fair value through income or expenditure.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity, and amounts rounded to the nearest £.
## **2.2 Judgements and Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty**
The preparation of the Financial Statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Trustees do not consider that there are any significant estimates or judgements affecting these Financial Statements.
## **2.3 Going concern**
There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.
## **2.4 Income**
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the Charity is entitled to the income, any performance related conditions attached have been met or are fully within the control of the charity, the income is considered probable and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Donations and legacy income received by way of donations, legacies, grants and gifts is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Where legacies have been notified to the Charity but the criteria for income recognition have not been met, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.
Page 15
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **2.4 Income (continued)**
Donated services and facilities are included at the value to the Charity, being the amount the Charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market.
Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Investment income is included when receivable.
Income from charitable trading activity is accounted for when earned.
## **2.5 Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:
Costs of raising funds comprise the costs associated with attracting donations, grants and legacies and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the Charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the SOFA on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an appropriate basis, as set out in the notes to the accounts.
## **2.6 Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the company; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the institution with whom the funds are deposited.
## **2.7 Taxation**
The company is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
Page 16
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **2.8 Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Accrued income and tax recoverable is included at the best estimate of the amounts receivable at the balance sheet date.
## **2.9 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.
## **2.10 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.
Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the Charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.
Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the provision is based on the present value of those amounts, discounted at the pre-tax discount rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities as a finance cost.
## **2.11 Financial instruments**
A financial asset or a financial liability is recognised only when the entity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the amount receivable or payable including any related transaction costs, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where it is recognised at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.
Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.
Page 17
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **2.12 Pensions**
Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund.
When contributions are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting date in which the employees render the related service, the liability is measured on a discounted present value basis. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as an expense in the period in which it arises.
## **2.13 Fund accounting**
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the company and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the company for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Page 18
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **3. Income from donations and legacies**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**Donations**
Corporate partners, supporters and donors
65,075
Donated services
6,000
**Grants**
Ballinger Charitable Trust
12,500
County Durham Community Foundation - John T
Shuttleworth Ropner Memorial Trust
-
David & Ruth Lewis Family Charitable Trust
35,000
Frazer Trust
2,500
Garfield Weston Foundation
25,000
Joseph Levy Foundation
5,250
LGA Foundation
5,000
LNER
-
Masonic Charitable Foundation - Province of
Northumberland
4,812
Northumberland County Council
-
Pease Charitable Trust
5,000
Prime via The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and
Northumberland
-
The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust at The Community
Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland
-
The Barbour Foundation
5,000
The Pargiter Trust via The Community Foundation Tyne &
Wear and Northumberland
-
The Pets at Home Foundation
4,800
The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Ann Rylands Small
Donation
3,500
The Souter Charitable Trust
3,760
The Woodsmith Foundation
-
Other smaller grants
2,000
Parish and town council grants
1,600
**Subtotal detailed disclosure**
186,797
186,797|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
5,000
-
-
4,700
-
-
-
-
-
16,000
-
6,988
-
4,700
10,000
-
9,870
-
-
-
5,000
2,100
-
64,358
64,358|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**70,075**
**6,000**
**12,500**
**4,700**
**35,000**
**2,500**
**25,000**
**5,250**
**5,000**
**16,000**
**4,812**
**6,988**
**5,000**
**4,700**
**10,000**
**5,000**
**9,870**
**4,800**
**3,500**
**3,760**
**5,000**
**4,100**
**1,600**|
|---|---|---|
|||**251,155**|
||||
|||**251,155**|
Page 19
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **3. Income from donations and legacies (continued)**
|**Donations**
Corporate partners, supporters and donors
Donated Services
**Grants**
Co-op Local Community Fund
County Durham Community Foundation - Darlington
Building
Society
Frazer Trust
Masonic Charitable Foundation - Province of
Northumberland
McCarthy Stone Foundation
PPL - Postcode Neighbourhood Trust
Schroder Charity Trust
Sir James Knott Trust
Tees Valley Foundation
The Barbour Foundation
The Charles Hayward Foundation
The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
The National Lottery Awards for All Fund
The Pets at Home Foundation
The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust
The Souter Charitable Trust
The St James Place Charitable Foundation
Other smaller grants
_Total 2024_|_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_40,347_
_6,000_
_2,778_
_-_
_2,500_
_4,812_
_-_
_25,000_
_5,000_
_5,000_
_-_
_5,000_
_5,000_
_4,800_
_-_
_4,800_
_3,000_
_3,200_
_2,500_
_5,350_
_125,087_|_Restricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_2,400_
_-_
_-_
_7,200_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_2,400_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_20,000_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_1,150_
_33,150_|_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_40,347_
_6,000_
_2,778_
_2,400_
_2,500_
_4,812_
_7,200_
_25,000_
_5,000_
_5,000_
_2,400_
_5,000_
_5,000_
_4,800_
_20,000_
_4,800_
_3,000_
_3,200_
_2,500_
_6,500_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_158,237_|
Page 20
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **4. Income from charitable activities**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Beneficiaries
34,436
Sale of goods
2,056
36,492
_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
Beneficiaries
_18,807_
Sale of goods
_1,119_
_19,926_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**34,436**
**2,056**|
|---|---|
||**36,492**|
||_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_18,807_
_1,119_|
||_19,926_|
|**5.**|**Income from other trading activities**|
|---|---|
||**Income from fundraising events**|
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Fund raising events
26,794
Gift aid
4,592
31,386|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**26,794**
**4,592**|
|---|---|
||**31,386**|
Page 21
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **5. Income from other trading activities (continued)**
## **Income from fundraising events (continued)**
|_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
Fund raising events
_22,604_
Gift aid
_4,182_
_26,786_
**Investment income**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Bank interest receivable
3,798
_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
Bank interest receivable
_1,624_|_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_22,604_
_4,182_|
|---|---|
||_26,786_|
||**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**3,798**|
||_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_1,624_|
## **6. Investment income**
Page 22
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **7. Expenditure on raising funds**
## **Fundraising expenses**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Staff costs
38,565
Fundraising and marketing materials
5,812
Processing fees, postage and packaging
1,420
Subcontractor costs
7,600
53,397
_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
Staff costs
_21,851_
Fundraising and marketing materials
_5,986_
Processing fees, postage and packaging
_929_
Other costs
_104_
Subcontractor costs
_17,368_
_46,238_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**38,565**
**5,812**
**1,420**
**7,600**|
|---|---|
||**53,397**|
||_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_21,851_
_5,986_
_929_
_104_
_17,368_|
||_46,238_|
## **8. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities**
## **Summary by fund type**
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**||
|---|---|---|---|
||**funds**|**funds**|**Total**|
||**2025**|**2025**|**2025**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Ongoing costs|135,935|59,664|**195,599**|
Page 23
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **8. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities (continued)**
## **Summary by fund type (continued)**
|Ongoing costs
One off project costs|_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_128,087_
_-_
_128,087_|_Restricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_17,603_
_27,998_
_45,601_|_Total_
_2024_
_£_
_145,690_
_27,998_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_173,688_|
## **9. Analysis of expenditure by activities**
|Ongoing costs
Ongoing costs
One off project costs|**Activities**
**undertaken**
**directly**
**2025**
**£**
161,200
_As restated_
_Activities_
_undertaken_
_directly_
_2024_
_£_
_118,994_
_27,998_
_146,992_|**Support**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
34,399
_As restated_
_Support_
_costs_
_2024_
_£_
_26,696_
_-_
_26,696_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**195,599**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_145,690_
_27,998_|
||||_173,688_|
The comparative split of costs has been restated to reflect the reallocation of the Wag Management System from support costs to direct costs, being core to the Charity's direct operations.
Page 24
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **9. Analysis of expenditure by activities (continued)**
## **Analysis of direct costs**
|Staff costs
Computer software, licences and consumables
Gifts for our elderly at home friends
Volunteer recruitment, insurance and starter kits
Other direct costs
Subcontractor costs
WAG management system
Staff costs
Computer software, licences and consumables
Gifts for our elderly at home friends
Volunteer recruitment, insurance and starter kits
Other direct costs
Subcontractor costs
WAG management system
Volunteer recruitment and management system|**Ongoing**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
104,839
2,516
3,967
15,133
6,305
1,143
27,297
161,200
_As restated_
_Ongoing_
_costs_
_2024_
_£_
_93,397_
_1,314_
_3,075_
_4,888_
_1,961_
_988_
_13,371_
_-_
_118,994_|**One off**
**project**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
_One off_
_project costs_
_2024_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_27,998_
_27,998_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**104,839**
**2,516**
**3,967**
**15,133**
**6,305**
**1,143**
**27,297**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**161,200**|
||||_As restated_
_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_93,397_
_1,314_
_3,075_
_4,888_
_1,961_
_988_
_13,371_
_27,998_|
||||_146,992_|
The prior year comparative for direct costs now includes WAG management system costs, reallocated from support costs.
Page 25
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **9. Analysis of expenditure by activities (continued)**
## **Analysis of support costs**
|Staff costs
Computer software, licences and consumables
Subcontractor costs
Professional fees, accounts and general office costs
Staff costs
Computer software, licences and consumables
Subcontractor costs
Professional fees, accounts and general office costs|**Ongoing**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
14,254
4,135
6,766
9,244
34,399
_As restated_
_Ongoing_
_costs_
_2024_
_£_
_4,080_
_5,756_
_6,034_
_10,826_
_26,696_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**14,254**
**4,135**
**6,766**
**9,244**|
|---|---|---|
|||**34,399**|
|||_As restated_
_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_4,080_
_5,756_
_6,034_
_10,826_|
|||_26,696_|
The prior year comparative for support costs has been restated to reflect the WAG management system costs being reallocated to direct costs.
|**10.**|**Independent examiner's remuneration**|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|_2024_|
|||**£**|_£_|
||Fees payable to the company's independent examiner for the independent|||
||examination of the company's annual accounts|**735**|_700_|
||Fees payable to the company's independent examiner in respect of:|||
||All other services not included above|**840**|_800_|
Page 26
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **11. Staff costs**
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Contribution to defined contribution pension schemes|**2025**
**£**
**146,610**
**8,193**
**2,855**
**157,658**|_2024_
_£_
_113,331_
_3,800_
_2,197_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_119,328_|
The average number of persons employed by the company during the year was as follows:
|Operational staff
Fundraising and support staff|**2025**
**No.**
**4**
**2**
**6**|_2024_
_No._
_4_
_2_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_6_|
The average headcount expressed as full-time equivalents was: 5 (2024: 5).
No employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 in either year.
## **12. Trustees' remuneration and expenses**
During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits _(2024 - £NIL)_ .
During the year ended 31 March 2025, expenses totalling _£_ 481 were reimbursed or paid directly to 1 Trustee _(2024 - £667 to 2 Trustees)_ . The expenses were incidental costs incurred for fundraising.
## **13. Debtors**
|**Due within one year**
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income|**2025**
**£**
**30**
**2,257**
**2,287**|_2024_
_£_
_-_
_3,783_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_3,783_|
Page 27
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **14. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
|Trade creditors
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income|**2025**
**£**
**4,230**
**4,315**
**787**
**12,280**
**21,612**|_2024_
_£_
_6,925_
_2,075_
_400_
_1,800_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_11,200_|
## **15. Statement of funds**
## **Statement of funds - current year**
|**Balance at 1**
**April 2024**
**£**
**Unrestricted funds**
**Designated funds**
Succession project
**49,500**
Volunteer Recruitment
Campaign
**-**
Reporting Project (Power BI)
**-**
IT hardware upgrade /
replacement
**-**
Acoustic Pod capital purchase
**-**
**49,500**
**General funds**
General Funds
**76,424**
**Total Unrestricted funds**
**125,924**|**Income**
**£**
**Expenditure**
**£**
**-**
**(9,500)**
**-**
**(7,923)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**(17,423)**
**258,473**
**(171,909)**
**258,473**
**(189,332)**|**Transfers**
**in/out**
**£**
**10,000**
**19,923**
**20,000**
**4,250**
**4,012**
**58,185**
**(58,185)**
**-**|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2025**
**£**
**50,000**
**12,000**
**20,000**
**4,250**
**4,012**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**90,262**|
||||**104,803**|
||||**195,065**|
Page 28
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **15. Statement of funds (continued)**
## **Restricted funds**
|**Restricted funds**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|The Smith (Haltwhistle &
District) Charitable Trust
The Joicy Trust
The Rothley Trust
County Durham Community
Foundation - Darlington
Building Society
McCarthy Stone Foundation
Tees Valley Foundation
The National Lottery Awards
for All Fund
The Community Foundation -
1989 Willan charitable Trust
The Woodsmith Foundation
LNER
The Community Foundation -
Pargiter Trust
Point North Community
Foundation
Community Foundation - Prime
Fund
Northumberland County
Council - Community Chest
Scheme
Eldery Gift Appeal
**Total of funds**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**1,400**
**4,200**
**1,800**
**18,300**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**25,700**
**151,624**|**300**
**1,000**
**800**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**10,000**
**5,000**
**16,000**
**9,870**
**4,700**
**4,700**
**6,988**
**5,000**
**64,358**
**322,831**|**(300)**
**(1,000)**
**(800)**
**(1,400)**
**(4,200)**
**(1,800)**
**(10,000)**
**(9,091)**
**(4,170)**
**(16,000)**
**(4,230)**
**(1,281)**
**(392)**
**-**
**(5,000)**
**(59,664)**
**(248,996)**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**8,300**
**909**
**830**
**-**
**5,640**
**3,419**
**4,308**
**6,988**
**-**|
||||||**30,394**|
||||||**225,459**|
Page 29
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **15. Statement of funds (continued)**
## **Statement of funds - prior year**
|**Unrestricted funds**
**Designated funds**
Succession project
**General funds**
General Funds
**Total Unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds**
The National Lottery Reaching
Communities Fund
Digital Transformation Project
National Lottery Digital Fund 2
Remote Working
The Smith (Haltwhistle &
District) Charitable Trust
The Joicy Trust
The Rothley Trust
County Durham Community
Foundation - Darlington
Building Society
McCarthy Stone Foundation
Tees Valley Foundation
The National Lottery Awards
for All Fund
**Total of funds**|_Balance at_
_1 April 2023_
_£_
_-_
_126,826_
_126,826_
_6,439_
_27,998_
_2,614_
_300_
_800_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_38,151_
_164,977_|_Income_
_£_
_-_
_173,423_
_173,423_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_300_
_-_
_850_
_2,400_
_7,200_
_2,400_
_20,000_
_33,150_
_206,573_|_Expenditure_
_£_
_(10,500)_
_(163,825)_
_(174,325)_
_(6,439)_
_(27,998)_
_(2,614)_
_(600)_
_(800)_
_(850)_
_(1,000)_
_(3,000)_
_(600)_
_(1,700)_
_(45,601)_
_(219,926)_|_Transfers_
_in/out_
_£_
_60,000_
_(60,000)_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_|_Balance at_
_31 March_
_2024_
_£_
_49,500_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||_76,424_|
||||||_125,924_|
||||||_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_1,400_
_4,200_
_1,800_
_18,300_|
||||||_25,700_|
||||||_151,624_|
Page 30
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
# **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **16. Nature of funds**
The restricted funds are for the following purposes:
**The Smith (Haltwhistle & District) Charitable Trust** provided a grant of £300 in September 2024 towards supporting our activities in the Haltwhistle area; the grant was fully utilised in the year.
**The Joicey Trust** awarded us a grant of £1,000 in August 2024 to fund the costs associated with recruiting, deploying and supporting volunteers and their special dogs (Visiting Wag Teams); the grant was fully utilised during the year.
## **The Rothley Trust**
The Rothley Trust awarded us £800, restricted to the purchase of a laptop which was obtained and allocated to a member of staff during the year.
## **County Durham Community Foundation - Darlington Building Society**
The County Durham Community Foundation awarded us £2,400 in late October 2023 restricted to recruiting, deploying and supporting 6 Visiting Wag Teams in Darlington, Teesside, County Durham and Sunderland for a year. All 6 teams were in place by 31 March 2024 and continuously supported throughout the full period of the grant to October 2024.
## **McCarthy Stone Foundation**
The McCarthy Stone Foundation awarded us £7,200 in late October 2023 restricted to recruiting, deploying and supporting 18 Visiting Wag Teams for a year right across our North East region creating important, life changing friendships which improve the health and wellbeing of our older dog lovers. All 18 teams were in place by 31 March 2024 and continuously supported throughout the grant period to October 2024.
## **Tees Valley Foundation**
The Tees Valley Foundation awarded us £2,400 in late December 2023 restricted to recruiting, deploying and supporting 6 befriending Wag teams in Darlington, Stockton on Tees, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool or Redcar and Cleveland for a year. All 6 teams were in place by 31 March 2024 and continuously supported throughout the grant period to December 2024.
## **The National Lottery Awards for All Fund**
The National Lottery Awards for All, awarded us £20,000 in February 2024, a two year grant to end March 2026, to help us replace the volunteer befrienders we’ve lost during the pandemic years and to sustain our current volunteer headcount and their important impact on loneliness for elderly dog lovers in our region.
So far this has enabled us to support 505 volunteer befrienders during 2024-25 and at the end of the year (31 March 2025) 406 were in place.
The final funds remaining within this project (£8,300) will support the ongoing work to help us reach our target of 500 volunteer befrienders by March 2026.
## **The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - 1989 Willan Charitable Trust**
In May 2024, we were awarded a grant of £10,000 to recruit and deploy 25 Visiting Wag Teams by December 2024 and to have made 450 visits to people in their own homes and 3,000 friend visits to people in care and medical establishments by the end of April 2025. All Visiting Wag Teams were in place by June 2024 and the remaining balance of £909 supports the completion of the project to the end of April 2025.
Page 31
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **The Woodsmith Foundation**
The Woodsmith Foundation awarded us £5,000 in June 2024 restricted to benefiting isolated older people who live in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland. We are continuing to support the volunteer befrienders who visit home placements in these areas and the full year impact of this grant ends in May 2025.
## **LNER**
Restricted to fund the costs associated with recruiting, deploying and supporting 40 volunteers and their special dogs (Visiting Wag Teams) for the 24/25 Financial year, befriending older dog lovers in the North East around the east coast mainline.
## **The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - The Pargiter Trust**
The Community Foundation awarded us £9,870 in December 2024 to recruit, assess, equip, insure, deploy and support 21 Visiting Wag Teams in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, creating important, life changing friendships which improve the health and wellbeing of our older dog lovers. The funding covered salaries, volunteer recruitment, marketing and overheads. All 21 teams are in place and being continuously supported to make a difference to their elderly friends in their placements. £4,230 had been used to date and £5,640 covers the final months of the funding period ending in July 2025.
## **Point North Community Foundation - John T Shuttleworth Ropner Memorial Trust**
Point North Community Foundation (previously County Durham Community Foundation) awarded us £4,700 in December 2024 to support 10 Visiting Wag Teams in the Teesside area. All 10 teams are in place and the full year period of their impact ends in November 2025.
## **Community Foundation, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland - Prime Fund**
The Community Foundation awarded us £4,700 in February 2025 to provide 10 Visiting Wag Teams across Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. At the end of March 2025, 9 teams are in place, and we are currently taking the remaining team through the volunteer application process. The full year period of their impact ends in February 2026
## **Northumberland County Council - Community Chest Scheme**
We were awarded £6,988 from the NCC Community Chest Scheme in February 2025 towards the purchase and installation of an acoustic pod. This capital grant must be utilised by 18 February 2026. The pod has been selected, the Trustees have agreed to the use of general funds for the remaining balance and in April 2025, the order is about to be placed.
## **Designated Funds**
## **Succession Project**
The trustees agreed to set aside a designated reserve to be used in the two financial years 23/24 and 24/25 of £60,000 to allow for succession planning. The senior leadership role in Wag has been done on a voluntary basis for seven years but isn't sustainable, so there is a need to recruit a senior manager with the ability to lead Wag & Company into the future. Without this recruitment, the future development of Wag and income growth could be compromised. The balance remaining at the year end is £40,000 plus an additional £10,000 added to cover a business review.
Page 32
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Volunteer Recruitment Campaign**
The trustees originally designated £25,000 to help with the recruitment of new volunteers but release £13,000 when some external costs were covered by a gifts in kind. The remaining balance will be utilised equally in 25/26 and 26/27.
## **Reporting Project (Power BI)**
The trustees have designated £20,000 towards fund raising marketing and advertising costs, to be spent in 25/26.
## **IT hardware upgrade / replacement**
To cover costs of upgrading or replacing outdated IT equipment the trustees have designated £4,250 to spend in 25/26 (£2,250) and 26/27 (£2,000).
## **Acoustic Pod procurement**
The trustees have designated £4,012 towards the cost of purchasing an acoustic office pod in 25/26.
## **17. Summary of funds**
## **Summary of funds - current year**
|**Balance at 1**
**April 2024**
**£**
Designated funds
**49,500**
General funds
**76,424**
Restricted funds
**25,700**
**151,624**
**Summary of funds - prior year**
_Balance at_
_1 April 2023_
_£_
Designated funds
_-_
General funds
_126,826_
Restricted funds
_38,151_
_164,977_|**Income**
**£**
**Expenditure**
**£**
**-**
**(17,423)**
**258,473**
**(171,909)**
**64,358**
**(59,664)**
**322,831**
**(248,996)**
_Income_
_£_
_Expenditure_
_£_
_-_
_(10,500)_
_173,423_
_(163,825)_
_33,150_
_(45,601)_
_206,573_
_(219,926)_|**Transfers**
**in/out**
**£**
**58,185**
**(58,185)**
**-**
**-**
_Transfers_
_in/out_
_£_
_60,000_
_(60,000)_
_-_
_-_|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2025**
**£**
**90,262**
**104,803**
**30,394**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**225,459**|
||||_Balance at_
_31 March_
_2024_
_£_
_49,500_
_76,424_
_25,700_|
|**Summary of funds - prior year**||||
|Designated funds
General funds
Restricted funds||||
||||_151,624_|
Page 33
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
## **WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **18. Analysis of net assets between funds**
## **Analysis of net assets between funds - current year**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Current assets
216,677
Creditors due within one year
(21,612)
**Total**
195,065
**Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year**
_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
Current assets
_137,124_
Creditors due within one year
_(11,200)_
**Total**
_125,924_|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
30,394
-
30,394
_Restricted_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_25,700_
_-_
_25,700_|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**247,071**
**(21,612)**
**225,459**
_Total_
_funds_
_2024_
_£_
_162,824_
_(11,200)_
_151,624_|
|---|---|---|
## **19. Pension commitments**
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charitable company to the fund and amounted to £2,855 (2024 - £2,197). There were £787 (2024 - £400) contributions payable to the fund at the balance sheet date and are included in creditors.
## **20. Members' liability**
The charity is limited by guarantee. At 31 March 2025 there were six members each of whom had undertaken to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 in the event of a winding up.
## **21. Donated services**
Total expenditure includes £6,000 for donated services relating to the provision of office space (2024 - donated services £6,000). As this is a notional cost an equal amount has been added to income in Donations so that there is no impact on Funds.
Page 34
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
**WAG AND COMPANY NORTH EAST FRIENDSHIP DOGS (A Company Limited by Guarantee)**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **22. Related party transactions**
During the year £2,636 (2024 - £3,504) in total was received from five Trustees (2024 - 5 Trustees) as donations and fundraising income under normal operating activities.
During the year £481 (2024 - £667) was paid to one Trustee (2024 - 2 Trustees) for reimbursement of fundraising expenses incurred.
Page 35
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
17 June 2025
## Detlev Anderson
Kinnair Associates Limited Aston House Redburn Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE5 1NB
## Dear Sir
The following representations are made on the basis of enquiries of management and staff with relevant knowledge and experience such as we consider necessary in connection with your independent examination of the financial statements of Wag and Company North East Friendship Dogs for the year ended 31 March 2025. These enquiries have included inspection of supporting documentation where appropriate and are sufficient to satisfy ourselves that we can make each of the following representations. All representations are made to the best of our knowledge and belief.
General
- 1 We acknowledge that the work performed by you is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) and that you do not express an audit opinion.
- 2 We confirm that the charitable company was entitled to exemption under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 the requirement to have its financial statements for the financial year ended 31 March 2025 audited. We also confirm that the members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the financial year in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
- 3 We have fulfilled our responsibilities as directors / trustees as set out in the Charities Act 2011 for preparing financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view and for making accurate representations to you.
- 4 All the transactions undertaken by the charitable company have been properly reflected and recorded in the accounting records.
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
- 5 All the accounting records have been made available to you for the purpose of your independent examination. We have provided you with unrestricted access to all appropriate persons within the charitable company, and with all other records and related information requested, including minutes of all management and trustee meetings and correspondence with The Charity Commission.
- 6 The financial statements are free of material misstatements, including omissions.
- Assets and liabilities
- 7 The charitable company has satisfactory title to all assets and there are no liens or encumbrances on the charitable company assets, except for those that are disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.
- 8 All actual liabilities, contingent liabilities and guarantees given to third parties have been recorded or disclosed as appropriate.
- 9 We have no plans or intentions that may materially alter the carrying value and where relevant the fair value measurements or classification of assets and liabilities reflected in the financial statements.
Accounting estimates
- 10 The methods, data and significant assumptions used by us in making accounting estimates, and their related disclosures, are appropriate to achieve recognition, measurement and disclosure that is reasonable in the context of the applicable financial reporting framework.
Loans and arrangements
- 11 The charitable company has not granted any advances or credits to, or made guarantees on behalf of, directors other than those disclosed in the financial statements.
Legal claims
- 12 We have disclosed to you all claims in connection with litigation that have been, or are expected to be, received and such matters, as appropriate, have been properly accounted for, and disclosed in, the financial statements.
- Laws and regulations
- 13 We have disclosed to you all known instances of non-compliance or suspected noncompliance with laws and regulations whose effects should be considered when preparing the financial statements.
## Related parties
- 14 Related party relationships and transactions have been appropriately accounted for and disclosed in the financial statements. We have disclosed to you all relevant information concerning such relationships and transactions and are not aware of any other matters which require disclosure in order to comply with legislative and accounting standards requirements.
- Subsequent events
- 15 All events subsequent to the date of the financial statements which require adjustment or disclosure have been properly accounted for and disclosed.
Going concern
Docusign Envelope ID: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA
- 16 We believe that the charitable company’s financial statements should be prepared on a going concern basis on the grounds that current and future sources of funding or supportwill be more than adequate for the charitable company’s needs. We have considered a period of twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements. We believe that no further disclosures relating to the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern need to be made in the financial statements.
Grants and donations
- 17 All grants, donations and other income, the receipt of which is subject to specific terms or conditions, have been notified to you. There have been no breaches of terms or conditions in the application of such income.
Yours faithfully,
………………….
Diane Morton
Signed on behalf of the board.
## **Certificate Of Completion**
Envelope Id: 5FBFE2EA-7007-4485-BA80-8710916E2DCA Subject: Complete with Docusign: Wag and Co. 31-3-2025.pdf, Signed LOR.pdf Source Envelope: Document Pages: 40 Signatures: 4 Certificate Pages: 5 Initials: 0 AutoNav: Enabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Status: Completed
Envelope Originator: Detlev Anderson detlev-anderson@kinnair.co.uk IP Address: 185.16.152.169
## **Record Tracking**
Status: Original Holder: Detlev Anderson Location: DocuSign 6/17/2025 5:55:35 AM detlev-anderson@kinnair.co.uk
**Signer Events Signature Timestamp** Diane Morton Sent: 6/17/2025 6:03:07 AM diane@wagandcompany.co.uk Viewed: 6/17/2025 6:18:26 AM CEO Signed: 6/17/2025 6:18:44 AM Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 2a09:bac3:3779:26a0::3d9:33 Signed using mobile **Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure:** Accepted: 1/29/2024 6:16:13 AM ID: d876b427-fe12-4276-b848-1e34a084a741 Chris Farman Sent: 6/17/2025 6:18:46 AM cfarman29@gmail.com Viewed: 6/17/2025 6:27:45 AM Security Level: Email, Account Authentication Signed: 6/17/2025 6:28:01 AM (None) Signature Adoption: Drawn on Device Using IP Address: 2a09:8044:7f14:0:e439:51f6:45dd:118 Signed using mobile
## **Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure:**
Accepted: 6/17/2025 6:27:45 AM ID: d5ed70c0-63bf-4d88-bb85-e104ffa73472
Detlev Anderson Sent: 6/17/2025 6:28:03 AM detlev-anderson@kinnair.co.uk Viewed: 6/17/2025 7:12:33 AM Director Signed: 6/17/2025 7:13:32 AM Kinnair Associates Limited Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Using IP Address: 185.16.152.169
**Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure:** Not Offered via Docusign
|**In Person Signer Events**|**Signature**|**Timestamp**|
|---|---|---|
|**Editor Delivery Events**|**Status**|**Timestamp**|
|**Agent Delivery Events**|**Status**|**Timestamp**|
|**Intermediary Delivery Events**|**Status**|**Timestamp**|
|**Certified Delivery Events**|**Status**|**Timestamp**|
|**Carbon Copy Events**|**Status**|**Timestamp**|
|---|---|---|
|**Witness Events**|**Signature**|**Timestamp**|
|**Notary Events**|**Signature**|**Timestamp**|
|**Envelope Summary Events**|**Status**|**Timestamps**|
|Envelope Sent|Hashed/Encrypted|6/17/2025 6:03:07 AM|
|Certified Delivered|Security Checked|6/17/2025 7:12:33 AM|
|Signing Complete|Security Checked|6/17/2025 7:13:32 AM|
|Completed|Security Checked|6/17/2025 7:13:32 AM|
|**Payment Events**|**Status**|**Timestamps**|
|**Electronic Record and Signature**|**Disclosure**||
Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure created on: 2/28/2022 10:29:55 AM Parties agreed to: Diane Morton, Chris Farman
## **ELECTRONIC RECORD AND SIGNATURE DISCLOSURE**
From time to time, Kinnair Associates (we, us or Company) may be required by law to provide to you certain written notices or disclosures. Described below are the terms and conditions for providing to you such notices and disclosures electronically through the DocuSign system. Please read the information below carefully and thoroughly, and if you can access this information electronically to your satisfaction and agree to this Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure (ERSD), please confirm your agreement by selecting the check-box next to ‘I agree to use electronic records and signatures’ before clicking ‘CONTINUE’ within the DocuSign system.
## **Getting paper copies**
At any time, you may request from us a paper copy of any record provided or made available electronically to you by us. You will have the ability to download and print documents we send to you through the DocuSign system during and immediately after the signing session and, if you elect to create a DocuSign account, you may access the documents for a limited period of time (usually 30 days) after such documents are first sent to you. After such time, if you wish for us to send you paper copies of any such documents from our office to you, you will be charged a $0.00 per-page fee. You may request delivery of such paper copies from us by following the procedure described below.
## **Withdrawing your consent**
If you decide to receive notices and disclosures from us electronically, you may at any time change your mind and tell us that thereafter you want to receive required notices and disclosures only in paper format. How you must inform us of your decision to receive future notices and disclosure in paper format and withdraw your consent to receive notices and disclosures electronically is described below.
## **Consequences of changing your mind**
If you elect to receive required notices and disclosures only in paper format, it will slow the speed at which we can complete certain steps in transactions with you and delivering services to you because we will need first to send the required notices or disclosures to you in paper format, and then wait until we receive back from you your acknowledgment of your receipt of such paper notices or disclosures. Further, you will no longer be able to use the DocuSign system to receive required notices and consents electronically from us or to sign electronically documents from us.
## **All notices and disclosures will be sent to you electronically**
Unless you tell us otherwise in accordance with the procedures described herein, we will provide electronically to you through the DocuSign system all required notices, disclosures, authorizations, acknowledgements, and other documents that are required to be provided or made available to you during the course of our relationship with you. To reduce the chance of you inadvertently not receiving any notice or disclosure, we prefer to provide all of the required notices and disclosures to you by the same method and to the same address that you have given us. Thus, you can receive all the disclosures and notices electronically or in paper format through the paper mail delivery system. If you do not agree with this process, please let us know as described below. Please also see the paragraph immediately above that describes the consequences of your electing not to receive delivery of the notices and disclosures electronically from us.
## **How to contact Kinnair Associates:**
You may contact us to let us know of your changes as to how we may contact you electronically, to request paper copies of certain information from us, and to withdraw your prior consent to receive notices and disclosures electronically as follows:
To contact us by email send messages to: graham-murray@kinnair.co.uk
## **To advise Kinnair Associates of your new email address**
To let us know of a change in your email address where we should send notices and disclosures electronically to you, you must send an email message to us at graham-murray@kinnair.co.uk and in the body of such request you must state: your previous email address, your new email address. We do not require any other information from you to change your email address.
If you created a DocuSign account, you may update it with your new email address through your account preferences.
## **To request paper copies from Kinnair Associates**
To request delivery from us of paper copies of the notices and disclosures previously provided by us to you electronically, you must send us an email to graham-murray@kinnair.co.uk and in the body of such request you must state your email address, full name, mailing address, and telephone number. We will bill you for any fees at that time, if any.
## **To withdraw your consent with Kinnair Associates**
To inform us that you no longer wish to receive future notices and disclosures in electronic format you may:
i. decline to sign a document from within your signing session, and on the subsequent page, select the check-box indicating you wish to withdraw your consent, or you may;
ii. send us an email to graham-murray@kinnair.co.uk and in the body of such request you must state your email, full name, mailing address, and telephone number. We do not need any other information from you to withdraw consent.. The consequences of your withdrawing consent for online documents will be that transactions may take a longer time to process..
## **Required hardware and software**
The minimum system requirements for using the DocuSign system may change over time. The - - current system requirements are found here: https://support.docusign.com/guides/signer guide signing-system-requirements.
## **Acknowledging your access and consent to receive and sign documents electronically**
To confirm to us that you can access this information electronically, which will be similar to other electronic notices and disclosures that we will provide to you, please confirm that you have read this ERSD, and (i) that you are able to print on paper or electronically save this ERSD for your future reference and access; or (ii) that you are able to email this ERSD to an email address where you will be able to print on paper or save it for your future reference and access. Further, if you consent to receiving notices and disclosures exclusively in electronic format as described herein, then select the check-box next to ‘I agree to use electronic records and signatures’ before clicking ‘CONTINUE’ within the DocuSign system.
By selecting the check-box next to ‘I agree to use electronic records and signatures’, you confirm that:
- You can access and read this Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure; and
- You can print on paper this Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure, or save or send this Electronic Record and Disclosure to a location where you can print it, for future reference and access; and
- Until or unless you notify Kinnair Associates as described above, you consent to receive exclusively through electronic means all notices, disclosures, authorizations, acknowledgements, and other documents that are required to be provided or made available to you by Kinnair Associates during the course of your relationship with Kinnair Associates.