2024-03-31-accounts - Bluespark Foundation

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Supporting the education and development of children and young people vivl IS LBLUESPARK FOUNDATION

Annual Report and Accounts 2023/2024

Contents Legal and Administrative Details 2 Structure 3 Governance 3 Management 3 Objectives 4 Grant Policy 4 Activities 5 Financial Report 15 Plans for the Future 16 Appendix 1 : Trustees 17 Appendix 2 : Ambassadors 18 Appendix 3 : Grants 19 Appendix 4 : Accounts 25 Appendix 5 : Independent Examiner’s Report 27

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Legal and Administrative Details

Registered Charity

BlueSpark Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered charity number 1167172

Principal Office

84A Upland Road Sutton Surrey SM2 5JB

Trustees

Tim Davies Robert Bartlett Sarah Budnik

Ambassadors

Helen Bartlett Steve Clarke Huw Leslie Jack Leslie Greg Nussbaum Rachel Nussbaum Lisa Singleton

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Structure

BlueSpark Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The founding Trustees, namely Tim Davies, Robert Bartlett and Sarah Budnik, are the only members. The constitution of the Foundation was adopted by the Trustees on 15th May 2016. The Charities Commission registered the Foundation as a charity on 17th May 2016.

Governance

The governance procedures of the Foundation are set out in its constitution which is in the form recommended by The Charity Commission for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

The Trustees meet at least six times a year. The constitution provides that no decision of the Trustees shall be taken at a meeting of the Trustees unless at least two of the Trustees are present.

Tim Davies has been appointed to hold the office of Chairman and Robert Bartlett has been appointed to the office of Finance Director.

Collectively, the Trustees have extensive legal, accounting, business and risk management experience as well as knowledge of the charity and education sectors. The Trustees are satisfied that their experience and training make them well qualified to carry out the activities of BlueSpark and to achieve its objectives.

Management

All the management activities of the Foundation are undertaken by the Trustees. As the Foundation is a grant making body, the principal decisions of the Trustees concern the approval of grants. The Grant Applications Committee of the Trustees meets at regular intervals to discuss grant applications and decide which ones to approve for receipt of a grant from the Foundation. Our grant making policies are outlined in this report in the section headed "Grant Policy”.

We have a network of Ambassadors to help identify projects suitable for the receipt of grants and to promote awareness of BlueSpark and its activities but our Ambassadors do not have a management role in the Foundation.

All the Trustees and Ambassadors give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the Foundation. Short biographical details of our Trustees and Ambassadors are set out in Appendices 1 and 2.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Objectives

BlueSpark Foundation supports the education and development of children and young people for the public benefit. We do this by providing grants for academic education, drama, sport, music, dance and singing and other educational activities and excursions that have one or more of the following objectives:

Encouraging independence Developing team working skills Developing self confidence Promoting creativity & individuality Encouraging aspiration Enhancing educational achievement Widening educational horizons

We provide funds for projects which might not happen at all or would only happen on a lesser scale without our support. Teachers and people in the community at large are often prepared to give their time to potential projects but they may not have access to the funding which will turn those projects into reality. BlueSpark’s objective is to help bridge that gap by funding or part funding some of these projects.

Grant Policy

Funding provided by BlueSpark for any particular project must be crucial to that project rather than marginally incremental to its funding. In most cases, grants are made on a relatively small scale. Many grants are under £2,000 and none exceed £5,000. Applications for grants must be from organisations or individuals resident in England.

Most projects which we support are initiated or undertaken by schools, colleges or community groups. However, individuals may also apply for a grant and BlueSpark may undertake or initiate projects in its own right.

We provide funds for physical assets such as sports equipment, for services such as music or dance tuition, for outdoor activities, and for excursions and experiences such as theatre visits.

In selecting projects to receive a grant we aim to maintain a balance of different types of project from across the whole of England and from a wide range of schools, community organisations, sports clubs, drama groups and music and dance organisations.

There are no preconditions for the making of a grant regarding the number of children or young people who may benefit from a particular project. A project may be particularly deserving of a grant on the basis of the number of children or young people that it will benefit. Equally, a grant may be appropriate for the benefit of a single child or young person, especially if the impact of the project concerned is likely to be particularly significant for that individual.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Activities

Overview

As at 31st March 2024, we had distributed a total of 488 grants since we made our first grant in November 2017. These grants have been given to a broad cross section of schools and educational institutions, drama organisations, sports clubs, music and dance groups, youth development organisations, community development organisations, and individuals for a wide range of educational, cultural, sporting and other projects.

In the year to 31st March 2024, we made 71 grants.

We prioritise projects which we believe :

will enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of the children and young people taking part in them; and which
would not happen at all or would only happen on a lesser scale without the support of BlueSpark.

Categories of Project

We support projects in six broad categories namely :

Academic Drama Sport Music, Dance and Singing Outdoor activities Educational excursions

The split between these categories varies from year to year. We do not aim to achieve any particular split in any individual year. Our objective is to support what we consider to be the best projects for which we receive grant applications in each year. However, over any five year period we hope that each of our five main grant categories (namely Drama; Sport; Outdoor Activities; Music, Dance and Singing; and Academic) will account for not less than 15% and not more than 25% of our grants.

The first table shown below gives a breakdown as at 31st March 2024 of the projects we have supported by type since we made our first grant in November 2017. The second table gives a breakdown of the projects we supported by type in the year ending 31st March 2024.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Grants by Type – cumulative to 31[st] March 2024

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5%
Academic
29%
21%
Drama
Sport
Music,Dance,Singing
Outdoor Activities
15%
16% Educational Excursions
14%
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Grants by Type – for the year ended 31[st] March 2024

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7%
Academic
31%
18% Drama
Sport
Music,Dance,Singing
14% Outdoor Activities
Educational Excursions
17%
13%
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Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Geographical Distribution of Projects

The first map below shows the geographical distribution of the grants we have made since we made our first grant in November 2017 up to 31st March 2024. The second map shows the geographical distribution of the grants we made during the year ending 31st March 2024. The maps show that we have supported projects across the whole of England, in cities, towns and suburbs and in the country.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Our grant selection process does not limit the number of grants which we make by reference to geographical areas in England. However, since we started making grants, we have achieved a spread of grants which, in broad terms, is balanced across all areas in England, judged by density of population.

We do not specifically target grants towards projects where the participants are from less well-off backgrounds but that factor is one of many which we consider in awarding grants. Our aim is to achieve the maximum impact from the use of the funds which we distribute. Our judgement on the impact of a project is affected by many factors, including its relative significance to the participants, the number of children or young people involved, and our perception of the contribution that the project is likely to have in enhancing the selfconfidence and team working skills of the participants.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Grant recipients

We have made grants to schools and education institutions, sports clubs, drama and music organisations, youth organisations and to individuals. The first table shown below gives a breakdown of grant recipients by type of organisation since we made our first grant in November 2017. The second table gives a breakdown of grant recipients by type of organisation in the year to 31st March 2024.

Grants by Type of Organisation - Cumulative to 31[st] March 2024

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5%
6%
Schools / education institutions
6%
Youth organisations
11%
Drama and music organisations
Individuals
72%
Sports clubs
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Grants by Type of Organisation - Year to 31[st] March 2024

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4% [4%]
4%
Schools / education institutions
13% Youth organisations
Individuals
Drama and music organisations
Sports clubs
75%
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Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Specific Projects

A full list of all the projects for which we have made grants during the year is set out in Appendix 3. The following projects constitute an illustrative cross-section of projects we have supported and for which we have received recent feedback.

BlueSpark provided funding to help West Exmoor Primary School Federation in Devon to stage a production of “Oliver Jnr” at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe. The Headteacher said that the production had many benefits for the participants. In particular, improved self-confidence; learning to sing, dance and perform to a high standard; working effectively as part of a team; enhancing friendships; and experiencing the thrill of performing on stage in a real theatre. The Headteacher also said that the project had

had an incredibly positive impact on all those children who took part and many of them are now actively engaged in musical theatre outside school as a direct consequence of their performance in “Oliver Jnr”.

BlueSpark helped The Bristol Ensemble in Bristol to fund a new project to bring live orchestral music and interactive learning experiences to children in Bristol and the West of England. BlueSpark’s funding contributed towards sessions supporting 2,730 children from 10 schools across Bristol, North Somerset and Wiltshire. The visits increased the children’s cultural capital by exposing them to live orchestral music and professional musicians. They learnt about orchestras, instruments, music genres, how music conveys emotion, conducting and

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music terminology. The sessions broadened their horizons and encouraged them to engage with music. One 8 year old SEN child who is rarely able to stay in class for more than a few minutes and was daunted by the prospect of what could be a loud and scary experience for him stayed in the hall for the whole hour-long session, commenting “That was my favourite morning ever, I loved all the different sounds I could hear!”. Teachers said that it was really beneficial for the children to be able to see and hear different instruments in real life and that the visits created “a real buzz”. The organisers said that the project exceeded all expectations and created a new way of reaching children and partnering with schools.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

BlueSpark provided support for 10 young people to participate in a residential youth development voyage with Tall Ships Youth Trust. The voyage gave the participants a unique, physically and mentally challenging experience. Activities included setting sales, helming, rope work, navigation and domestic duties. Working together at sea as a small community is an intense social experience during which participants must learn to manage their emotions, behaviours and feelings and to pull together to overcome challenges such as adverse weather or seasickness. This improves their understanding of the need for patience,

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respect and tolerance of others. The benefits of the trip included improved confidence and selfesteem as well as improved time management skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills and emotional coping skills.

BlueSpark helped to provide funding for all children in years 5 and 6 at Howard Primary School in Croydon to work in small groups with Agudo Dance Company and Theatre Rites on interactive dance workshops and then to visit Stanley Arts to watch an immersive dance show that followed the “Journey of a Refugee” from their home country, through the perils of various forms of transport across the continent, until they arrived at the UK border office. The children then all experienced this for themselves with their own immigration form, fingerprinting and

photo taking simulation. They walked alongside actors representing people who had travelled to the UK from towns and cities far beyond London seeking a place of safety and security. There was puppetry, performance, dance and live music as well as a creative activity at the end in which the children were all invited to create their own message of welcome to be given to a refugee coming to the UK. The school said that the experience “went far beyond what we expected” and really helped the children to understand some of what the immigration process might be like for refugees or, in some cases, might have been like for some of their own family members. Interpretive dance was threaded through the entire performance. The children themselves, said that the experience was “intense but really excellent”; “fun, sad and amazing all at the same time”; “Phenomenal! We got to act it out ourselves and it was a lot of fun.”

BlueSpark supported Teignmouth Youth Choir in Devon to put on a public performance. The children not only had the chance to sing as a whole choir to an audience but also to sing solos and in small ensembles. The choir administrator said that “their confidence grew and their enjoyment shone through. The children were buzzing and excited.” The feedback from those attending the concert was fantastic with comments including “Inspiring to see a group of young people engage in music, the love of it will stay in their lives forever.”

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

BlueSpark provided funding for The North School in Ashford, Kent to set up a Vex Robotics Club for the purpose of fostering an interest in robotics and engineering among students and encouraging them to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills. The Vex Robotics competition is the largest and fastest-growing secondary school robotics program globally with more than 20,000 teams from 50 countries playing in over 1700 competitions worldwide. Each year, an exciting engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game.

With guidance from their teachers and mentors, students build innovative robots and compete throughout the year. BlueSpark’s funding enabled the school to purchase robots and the students learnt how to build and write code for the robots to perform different tasks. They also learnt soft skills such as working together as a team, recognising areas of excellence in their team mates, problem-solving and perhaps most importantly, the value of trying, failing and trying again, each time documenting the step in an engineering notebook. The school took part in three regional tournaments during the year and intends to continue competing.

BlueSpark supported the 1[st] Denton Company of The Boys Brigade in Manchester to attend an outdoor one week “canvas” camp in Warcombe, North Devon to give the boys the opportunity to participate in and learn new skills in several physical and sporting activities. The activities chosen by the young people included the Tarka Trail cycle ride; surfing lessons at the Woolacombe Surf Centre; and a sea fishing trip at Ilfracombe. The objective of the camp was to “live and operate under canvas for seven nights with good food, good

friends and an action packed activities programme.” An important aspect of the camp was to instil a sense of self-discipline and the importance of teamwork. The boys returned from the camp “more willing to participate in physical activities and exercise and seeing the benefit of an active lifestyle away from their games consoles.”

BlueSpark provided support for 35 Year 6 children from Stanhope Barrington Primary School in Bishops Auckland, County Durham to go on a two night residential visit to Edinburgh where they visited the National Museum of Scotland, Camera Obscura, Dynamic Earth and Edinburgh Zoo. Apart from giving the children the opportunity to visit a major city away from the rural area where they live, the trip also helped them to build their resilience and self-confidence when away from their parents.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

BlueSpark provided funding to hire professional grade sound equipment to help Hathershaw College in Oldham, Lancashire to put on a whole school production of “Bugsy Malone”. This equipment gave students a taste of what it is like to work in a real theatre production and enhanced the overall production quality of the show. The equipment also boosted the confidence of the students by enabling all students, regardless of their natural vocal projection abilities, to be heard. The production proved to be a memorable theatrical experience with packed audiences and positive reviews The success of the production increased the school’s reputation for high quality productions.

BlueSpark provided support to Inglehurst Junior School in Leicester to visit Hunstanton Sea Life Centre and the beach. The trip set out to immerse pupils in the natural world and to deepen their understanding of marine ecosystems, coastal geography and the importance of environmental stewardship. This “hands-on” experience inspired curiosity, supported science education and nurtured a connection with the environment. Pupils returned with a heightened interest in the natural world. Their shared experience fostered a strong sense of cohesion and community both within individual classes and across the year group as pupils bonded over their discoveries.

BlueSpark provided funding to help Ormiston SWB Academy in Bilston, Wolverhampton stage a school production of “High School Musical Junior”. As well as involving a large cast on stage, the show also allowed the school’s diverse learner backstage crew to have positions of responsibility and trust in organising, directing and arranging the lighting, sound and microphones. This gave them the opportunity to strive in a high-pressure environment even when suffering with social anxiety. The show was a huge success and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, who came to watch the show, praised the production.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

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BlueSpark provided the funding for Willesden & Brent Chess Club in the London Borough of Brent to purchase additional chess sets and equipment to support increasing junior membership. The availability of more sets enabled the Club to increase junior participation and has given juniors the opportunity to play both social and competitive chess. Up to 60 junior members can now be accommodated at each Club session. The extra equipment has also allowed the Club to accommodate different strengths of player and given coaches the opportunity to deliver one-toone coaching sessions.

BlueSpark provided the funding for the Gardening Club at Ridgeway Primary Academy in Market Harborough, Leicestershire to acquire a greenhouse. This increased pupils’ enthusiasm for taking part in the Club’s activities and allowed the Club to produce quicker results and to extend its growing season. The Club is now producing more and the appearance of the greenhouse has generated increased support from both pupils and parents because it is easy to see what is being achieved.

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BlueSpark provided funding to support Ivybridge Primary School in Isleworth, Middlesex to undertake a three-day history, geography and outdoor activity field trip to Dorset. The trip embraced Bovington Tank Museum, geography fieldwork at Lulworth Cove and outdoor activities at the Go Ape adventure centre. For many of the pupils this was their first opportunity to spend time away from home developing their self-confidence and independence. It gave them exposure to unfamiliar coastal and countryside environments and the chance to take part in

new outdoor adventure activities which could not be provided at school. Taking part in these latter activities provided the opportunity for the pupils to develop their resilience and team working skills.

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Financial Report

Accounts for the year ending 31st March 2024 have been completed on a receipts and payments basis and are included on pages 25 and 26 of this report. An independent examiner’s report on the Accounts is set out on page 27 of this report. The Trustees believe a receipts and payments basis is appropriate for the Foundation as it has a cash based business model comprising receiving donations and endowments, managing investments and making grants.

The Accounts cover the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. All functions are carried out by the Trustees who give their time without charge. During the year the Foundation awarded grants to the value of £103,174. Website and software costs of £486, bank and investment fees of £1,399 and investment purchases of £193 complete the total payments of £105,252 included in the Accounts.

The Foundation did not undertake any fundraising activities during the year but received donations amounting to £67,995 and investment and other income totaling £875. During the year investments to the value of £28,000 were sold to fund grant making activities. Total cash receipts for the year amounted to £96,870 leaving net payments of £8,382 for the year.

As at 31st March 2024, the total value of investments and cash held by the Foundation was £581,687 represented by investment assets held in a broad range of equity funds having a market value as at that date of £562,235 and cash of £19,452. All of the investment assets and the £18,081 cash held with Hargreaves Lansdown constituted endowment funds. The remaining £1,371 cash held with Barclays Bank constituted unrestricted funds

The value of investments at 31st March 2023 was £547,391. No material additions have been made to the investments during the year and an overall capital gain of £42,651 was made. After investment sales of £28,000 the value of investments at 31[st] March 2024 was £562,235.

Policy on Reserves

The Foundation’s funds have been donated to provide base funding for the Foundation for the long term. The general agreement with the donor is to allow the Trustees to transfer to unrestricted funds a maximum of 10 per cent of the value of the endowment funds in any given financial year.

All donations received as unrestricted funds plus transfers from endowment funds less operating costs are available to provide grants. The Trustees ensure that at all times the Foundation has sufficient resources to meet its obligations and commitments. The policy on reserves is reviewed by the Trustees on an on going basis in the light of the receipt of further endowment funding and unrestricted donations.

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Policies on Investments and Cash

BlueSpark has an account with Hargreaves Lansdown investment managers which holds all endowment investments and cash separately from unrestricted funds. In order to diversify and spread risk, our investments are held in managed equity funds which in turn hold investments in companies operating in the major markets in the world. These investments are held with the aim of providing income and growth to fund our grant awards in the long term.

Cash reserves sufficient to meet our grant awards in the short-term and other obligations will be maintained at all times.

Plans for the Future

The Trustees intend to continue making grants on the same basis as they have done up to the date of this report. In particular, they intend to continue making grants to a wide range of different types of project from across the whole of England and from a broad range of schools, community organisations, sports clubs, drama groups and music and dance organisations.

The Trustees are confident that BlueSpark has existing funds sufficient to continue its activities on at least the same scale for a number of years. Furthermore, they have assurances of significant endowment funding in the future.

In setting our objectives and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered The Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit, including the guidance "Public benefit : running a charity (PB2)". It is our opinion that, in setting our objectives, we have complied with our duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

……………………………………… ………………………………………… Tim Davies Robert Bartlett Chairman Finance Director

27th January 2025

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Appendix 1 Trustees

Tim Davies is our Chairman. He graduated in Law from the University of Southampton and then qualified as a solicitor. He practised for over 30 years as a corporate lawyer at Fieldfisher, an international firm of lawyers where he was a Partner, Head of the Corporate Department and a member of the Management Board. He is now a Trustee of The Children’s Trust for Children with acquired brain injury, a Business Adviser for the Young Enterprise UK Programme, a school governor and a judge for the ESU Churchill Public Speaking competition for schools.

Robert Bartlett is our Finance Director. He graduated in Economics from the University of Southampton and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. During a 25 year career with Racal Electronics plc, a large UK quoted multi-national group, he progressed to hold the position of Finance Director with Racal’s Telecoms, IT Security and Corporate Finance divisions. After the acquisition of Racal Electronics plc by Thales SA, a €10bn per annum turnover French Group, he was responsible for integrating the Racal subsidiaries into Thales accounting and budgeting processes. He then resumed operational finance director roles for Thales within Thales’ Transportation and UK Services divisions.

Sarah Budnik is our third Trustee. She graduated in Geography from Royal Holloway College, University of London in 2010. After graduating, she worked at Royal Holloway as their Community Action Volunteer Manager before joining BEN, the automotive industry charity as their National Volunteer Coordinator. She then trained as a teacher and for seven years taught geography at Sutton Grammar School in the London Borough of Sutton where she was also Deputy Head of the Upper School. She now teaches geography at Highworth Grammar School in Ashford, Kent.

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Appendix 2 Ambassadors

Helen Bartlett is a drama teacher, actress, musician and singer. She graduated in Acting from the University of Central Lancashire and subsequently taught drama at Woldgate School, Pocklington, York. She has been involved for many years with youth theatres and drama festivals.

Steve Clarke is a technology entrepreneur and investor with business experience in both the private and public sectors. He has built successful start-up businesses from the ground up. He founded the online property portal Property Jungle, co-founded Mobile Five Media and set up and currently runs WithU an audio fitness platform that makes training accessible to anyone anywhere in the world.

Huw Leslie graduated from Cambridge University and joined the Civil Service in 2012, initially working as a policy adviser at the Department for Education and subsequently as a policy adviser at H.M. Treasury. He then became Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Schools before returning to H.M. Treasury as Head of Education Strategy and Schools Policy and subsequently becoming head of H.M.T. Scorecard Branch. He moved to 10 Downing Street as senior policy advisor to the Prime Minister in March 2021 and became Private Secretary to the Prime Minister for Economic affairs in April 2022.

Jack Leslie is Economics Advisor at the Bank of England. Prior to taking up his present position, he was a senior economist at The Resolution Foundation where his work focussed on macroeconomics and wealth inequality. Before he joined The Resolution Foundation he worked as an economist at the Bank of England in roles covering banking regulation, inflation and labour markets. Jack has an MSc in Economics from Warwick University.

Greg Nussbaum is an NHS hospital doctor. He graduated as a doctor from King's College, London in 2014. He is now an anaesthetic and intensive care registrar at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Rachel Nussbaum is the founder and artistic director of Pull the Other Speech and Drama Education which undertakes drama programmes and workshops for young people. She is also an actress and singer. She graduated in Theatre and Performance from Warwick University in 2007 and subsequently undertook an MA in Acting at East 15 Acting School.

Lisa Singleton is a science teacher at Oxted School in Surrey. She graduated from Exeter University in Biological Sciences in 2006 before going on to qualify as a teacher.

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Appendix 3 Grants

The following is a full list of the 71 grants we made in the year to 31st March 2024. The list gives brief details of each project, the organisation which initiated the project and the geographical location of the organisation:

Participation of two teams in the Washington DC final of the “Battle of the Books” reading competition for deaf students

Heathlands School for the Deaf, St. Albans, Hertfordshire

Equipment for allotment style garden to produce food to sell to the local community Cherry Tree Academy, Colchester, Essex

Trip to the Globe Theatre and participation in dramatic workshop

Montem Primary School, Islington, London

15 Steel pan drums to kickstart foundational music knowledge

Ninelands Primary School, Garforth, West Yorkshire

Outdoor residential trip to the Lake District for 12 disadvantaged pupils

Witton Middle School, Droitwich, Worcestershire

Cooking equipment for provision of cookery classes to upper primary school children

St John’s Church, Lanchester, County Durham

Reading Festival event to bring books to life by recreating them in different rooms of a “castle” in the school using videos, 3-D designed backdrops, props and the original texts Stratton C of E Primary School, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Support for children from low income families to take part in Year 6 residential trip to Fairplay House Outdoor and Education Centre

Tollgate Primary School, London E 13

Choral Performance by four school choirs at Mansfield Palace Theatre, Mansfield, Notts Asquith Primary School and three other schools, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Residential personal development and team building canal trip

Harmood Special School, Camden, London

6 week educational course with the RSPCA

Ellie Martinhull, St Columb, Cornwall

Putting on a “professional” theatre production of “Oliver” at the Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe

West Exmoor Primary School Federation, North Devon

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Musical equipment (marimbas) to teach music notation to pupils of varying skill levels and to provide a foundation for playing any tuned instrument Co-op Academy, New Islington, Manchester

Open Sound Ensemble course to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities develop listening skills and musical confidence in an out of school group setting London Philharmonic Orchestra, London SE1

“Bringing the West End to Derbyshire Children”, a project to provide opportunities for 1020 disadvantaged children to work with West End stars over a 12 month period culminating in a visit to London for a selected group to take part in a workshop, watch a matinee performance, meet the cast backstage and perform a song on a West End stage Embark Federation, Derby, Derbyshire

“Speech Bubbles” drama intervention programme in partnership with Immediate Theatre. The programme supports children’s communication skills, confidence and well-being through sessions which focus on storytelling and communication and promote positive engagement

Sebright Primary School, Hackney, London

Kit for participation in Great Britain’s Elite Ladies team at the Underwater Hockey World Championships

Alyssa Tremlett, Ivybridge, Devon

Mental and emotional health therapy through the use of a therapy pony and trained counsellor

St John the Baptist C of E Primary School, Stockton on Tees

Riding helmets to enable disadvantaged young people to work with horses

Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm, Blagdon, North Somerset

Support for riders with a learning disability to take part in the Yorkshire and Humberside Special Olympic team for riders with a learning disability

Haworth Riding for the Disabled Group, Haworth, West Yorkshire

Support for financially disadvantaged students to participate in a residential adventure course at Bendrigg Lodge, Kendal, Cumbria

Gosforth Academy, Knightsbridge, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne

Theatre trip to Bristol Hippodrome

Thornford C of E Primary School, Thornford, Dorset

Residential visit to Cardfields school journey centre in the Essex countryside

St Andrews (Barnsbury) C of E Primary School, London N1

Equipment for interactive science lessons

Stanley Road Primary School, Worcester, Worcestershire

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Residential excursion to Normandy including visits to Mont St. Michel and the Bayeux

Tapestry

Headlands School, Bridlington, Yorkshire

Participation in First Tech Challenge, a robotics design and build competition

Tavistock College, Tavistock, Devon

Sensory theatre experience delivered in school by a theatre company to 36 severely disabled pupils who would be unable to visit a conventional theatre Percy Hedley Foundation, Killingworth, Newcastle

Visit to West Yorkshire Playhouse for 150 students to see Oliver Twist

St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School, Armley, Leeds

Participation in Debatemate programme for 40 students involved in after-school debating club

Mulberry Stepney Green, Maths, Computing and Science College, London E1

Scanning pens to enable pupils to scan and hear aloud any text

The Collett School, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

Three-day educational visit to part of the Western Front Way in Belgium and France

Margate Sea and Royal Marine Cadets, Margate, Kent

Training for students to become reading mentors through the Coram Beanstalk organisation

Eltham High School, Eltham Hill, London SE9

4 day drama and music workshop for 25 children with complex disabilities

Sussex Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Horam, East Sussex

Trip to the pantomime for 210 children

Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, Southport, Merseyside

Purchase of VEX competition robot kits and payment of competition fees for the VEX Robotics Competition which has more than 20,000 teams from 50 countries playing in over 1700 competitions worldwide

The North School, Ashford, Kent

Excursion to the Eureka Science and Discovery Museum for 30 disadvantaged young people

Chell Area Family Action Group, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Chess sets and digital chess clocks to cater for increasing numbers of young members Willesden and Brent Chess Club, Harlesden, London NW 10

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Games equipment for community hub in area of multiple deprivation and disadvantage

The Park Community Centre, Bristol

Visits to live performances for arts award course for 56 students with MLD and autism Southlands School, Tynemouth, North Tyneside

Residential visit to Edinburgh for 40 children including visits to the National Museum of Scotland, Dynamic Earth, Camera Obscura and Edinburgh Zoo

Stanhope Barrington C of E Primary School, Westcroft, Stanhope,Bishop Auckland, County Durham

Public speaking skills workshop for 30 girls to be delivered by The Speakers Trust

Leeds Girls Club, Beeston, Leeds

National Cipher Challenge code breaking competition

The University of Southampton, Hampshire

Equipment for introduction of fencing as a small group intervention and after-school club targeting children with social, emotional and mental health needs

Glade Hill primary school, Nottingham

Musical storytelling event staged at the school by visiting theatre company

St Margaret’s Primary School, Horsforth, Leeds

Financial support to enable 10 disadvantaged students to receive free places on Year 8 camping trip involving wild swimming, raft building, campfire building, outdoor cooking, shelter building, a night hike and more Eltham Hill School, London SE9

Trip to Berlin to support A-level German and history students’ studies and offer a wider educational experience in travel and independence opportunities

The Royal National College for the Blind, Hereford

Robotics kit and SPIKE prime kit for participation in the First Tech Challenge and Lego League

Weavers Academy, Wellingborough, Northampton

Scripting, promoting and performing a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon

Project with the Young People’s Puppet Theatre for 30 Year 6 children to design their own marionette puppet, make scenery and together present their own show to the rest of the school with opportunities to take on roles including stage manager, lighting operator, puppeteer and voice actor

Bourne Primary School, South Ruislip, Middlesex

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Residential holiday with challenges such as high ropes, canoeing, archery, orienteering, problem-solving and team working

Chalk Hill AP Academy, Sudbury, Suffolk

Set up costs (maps and boots) for “Wolds Walking Club”

Cleethorpes Academy, North-east Lincolnshire

Junior-sized sports chair for under 16 disabled young person to play wheelchair rugby league

Halifax Wheelchair Tag Rugby League Club, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Participation in Wembley Choir Event at Wembley Stadium

Margaret Wix Primary School, St Albans, Hertfordshire

9 bikes and helmets to give more students access to Level 3 Bikeability cycling course at school

North Huddersfield Trust school, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

Representing Great Britain in the under 18 European Indoor Archery Championships in Croatia

Patience Wood, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside

10 scanning pens for use as part of plan to utilise assistive technology to support students

Millgate School, Leicester

4 night voyage of exploration on an oceangoing yacht for 10 young people

Tall Ships Youth Trust, Portsmouth, Hampshire

2 night residential trip to Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales for 40 young people to undertake caving, gorge scrambling and hiking

Byron Primary School, Bradford, West Yorkshire

8 scanning pens to support confidence and self-esteem

Holbrook Primary School, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

One night residential trip to London for 10 vulnerable young people to visit the Tate, National History Museum and other landmarks

Willow Bank School, Leicester

Introduction of new multi-skill sports module to promote confidence and love of sport

Hampton Dean Primary School, Hereford

Creation of playground safe space for children with additional sensory needs

Markeaton Primary School, Derby

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Spring Concert performance

Teignmouth Youth Choir, Teignmouth, Devon

BE Inspired project to bring live orchestral music and interactive learning experiences to 1000 children in 5 schools in the most deprived parts of Bristol and the West of England Preludes Music, the education arm of The Bristol Ensemble, Bristol

Establishing a dedicated Youth Podcasting Service to empower and amplify the voices of Disabled Youth within the Bolton community

Believe Achieve CIC, Bolton

Weekend outdoor educational trip for KS3 students to undertake water-based activities and teambuilding exercises at Coniston Waterpark

Our Lady’s Roman Catholic High School, Blackley, Manchester

Year 6 visit to the Lyceum Theatre London to see The Lion King

St Alban and St Stephen Catholic Primary School, St Albans

On-site visit of Pop-up planetarium

Ashburton Primary School, Ashburton, Devon

Participation in Young Voices Concert for schools across the Midlands

Mareham-Le-Fen Church of England Primary School, Boston, Lincolnshire

Purchase of Greenpower Goblin series car kit for STEM project

Wistaston Academy, Crewe, Cheshire

Enabling Year 5 & 6 pupils to take part in an immersive theatre workshop and attend a live performance

Howard Primary School, Croydon

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Appendix 4 Receipts and Payments Accounts For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2024

Receipts and Payments

Receipts Donations Received Investment Income Interest Income Sub-Total Sale of Investments Total Receipts Payments Grants Awarded Investment Fees & Bank Charges Website & Software Costs Sub-Total Investment Purchases Total Payments Net Receipts / (Payments) Transfers between Funds Cash Funds : brought forward Cash Funds : carried forward	Unrestricted Funds £ 67,995 193 682 68,870 - 68,870 103,174 102 486 103,762 - 103,762 (34,892) 24,305 11,958 1,371	Endowment Funds £ - - - - 28,000 28,000 - 1,297 - 1,297 193 1,490 26,510 (24,305) 15,876 18,081	Total Last Funds Year £ £ 67,995 420 193 2,348 682 128 68,870 2,896 28,000 56,578 96,870 59,474 103,174 100,513 1,399 1,450 486 530 105,059 102,493 193 1,360 105,252 103,853 (8,382) (44,379) - - 27,834 72,213 19,452 27,834

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Receipts and Payments Accounts For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2024

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31[st] March 2024

			Unrestricted	Endowment
			Funds	Funds
			£	£
Cash Funds		Barclays Current a/c	1,301	-
		Barclays Deposit a/c	70	-
		Hargreaves Lansdown Inv. a/c	-	18,081
		Total Cash Funds	1,371	18,081
				Current Value
				£
Investment Assets		Endowment Funds		562,235
BlueSpark Foundation has no Other Assets or Liabilities
		Supporting Analysis and Notes
				Endowment
				Funds
				£
Movement on Investments		Opening Valuation		547,391
		Endowment-Transfer of Investments		-
		Plus: Additions		193
		Less: Disposals		28,000
		Plus: Capital gain including accumulation		42,651
		Closing Balance (see note 3)		562,235
Notes:
1)	BlueSpark Foundation has given no guarantee with a potential liability		BlueSpark Foundation has given no guarantee with a potential liability
	outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
2)	Bluespark Foundation has no debt outstanding at the date of the statement of		Bluespark Foundation has no debt outstanding at the date of the statement of
	assets and liabilities which is secured by an express charge on any of the assets of
	BlueSpark.
3)	The closing balance of investments is valued using market prices at 31/03/2024.
4)	At 31/03/2024 there were Grants offered but not yet paid to the value of £9,922.		At 31/03/2024 there were Grants offered but not yet paid to the value of £9,922.

Signed on behalf of all the trustees

Signed ~~[bone ~~ ~~A~~	Tim Davies Printed Name Robert Bartlett ~~[~~	Date of Approval 27/01/2025 27/01/2025

Supporting the education and development of children and young people

Appendix 5 Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees of BlueSpark Foundation

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of BlueSpark Foundation (BlueSpark) for the year ended 31st March 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity Trustees of BlueSpark, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of BlueSpark’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by The Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect :

accounting records were not kept in respect of BlueSpark as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Signed

ae …………………………… ~~ae~~ s

S. Roberts B.Sc., ACMA

3 Conygree Close, Lower Earley, Reading, RG6 4XE

27th January 2025

Supporting the education and development of children and young people