2025-03-31-accounts

Annual Report

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity No: 1167515 Company No: CE007437

Reports & Accounts for the annual financial period

April 2024 – March 2025

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Belong in Plymouth team meets to celebrate the end of the project
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"POP gives me strength and confidence to continue moving towards my dream. You give me an incentive to develop professional skills, create my own workshops, unite people and simply make them happy.

-£250 a POP fund recipient

Table of Contents

– 1. OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS 24 25 4 2. CHAIR’S REPORT 5 3. POP’S AIMS & OBJECTIVES 7 4. OUR WORK TOGETHER: A QUICK REVIEW 9 5. LEARNING & EVALUATION 16 6. SUMMARIES OF ACTIVITY: 23 6.1 MEMBERSHIP 24 6.2 POP IDEAS 25 6.3 NETWORKS 32 6.4 EVENTS 41 6.5 POP FUNDING 45 6.6 STRATEGIC WORK 52 6.7 COMMUNICATIONS 56 7. FINANCIAL REVIEW 65 8. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE 68

9. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT 70 10. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES 74 11. ACCOUNTS 75

1. OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS 2024 – 2025

91 new 201 73 groups members support trained joined sessions 98% of our £332,500 of £174,408 clients have successful funding reported the POP funding deployed - to ideas service is ‘excellent’ or supported 62 groups ‘good’

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LIVE MAP OF PLYMOUTH NETWORKS

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2. CHAIR’S REPORT

Over ten years, the work of POP has developed, changed, extended and evolved but our core principles remain and our roles as a grassroots champion and system convener are as important as ever.

This year moved us into the second year of our second five-year funding cycle from Esmee Fairbairn. We were privileged to have a visit from representatives from the organisation and to have the opportunity to discuss the work that is taking place. The continued support from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation signifies its faith in POP's ability to create a thriving social sector in Plymouth.

This year has seen significant activity across our core areas. We continued our work supporting neighbourhood networks and thematic networks, providing grants to support the development of networks in Efford, Stoke, and Devonport, and remaining involved with many others across the city. A key focus has been the development of our Marginalised Voices work, aiming to ensure voices from marginalised communities are at the heart of redesigning systems and organisations. Funding opportunities have continued with our POP Collectives, £250 a POP, and, recently, the Suicide Prevention Fund. We successfully funded £133,000 to more than 90 separate organisations through these streams in 2024-25.

We experimented with new approaches to funding, such as involving applicants in the decision-making process for the Suicide Prevention Fund, and using a lottery system for the oversubscribed £250 a POP. Some projects, such as the High Street Heritage Action Zone have finished.

A major initiative this year has been the development of a shared narrative for Plymouth, working with our Learning Partner, Dark Matter Labs. This process led to the creation of #BeMorePlymouth, a participatory storymaking process aimed at building a just and regenerative future for the city. This narrative work is integral to our strategy, aiming to provide clarity on direction and potential for future investors and funders.

Our POP ideas capacity building service continues its vital work, providing advice, training, and support. This year, the service helped realise £332,500 in grant funding for the city and provided 1:1 advice to 104 organisations. We also introduced new training workshops, including within the Belong in Plymouth programme. We saw a surge in POP memberships, with 98 new members joining in 2024-25. We reviewed and updated our membership process and guidelines, making benefits more accessible via the website and offering various ways to engage with POP and other members through calls and networking events. We continued to refine our governance and operations, reviewing policies and introducing bye laws that strengthen members' voices.

We reviewed our roles and structure, created Role Cards, and started playing a more active role as a fiscal host using Open Collective. We also updated our website, branding, and social media presence, including the decision to delete our presence on Twitter (X).

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Learning and reflection remain central to our work, leading to tools like the Collaboration Handbook and Cards. We adapted our event schedule, reshaping Outreach days into monthly POP-IN Sessions and pausing POP Bites to focus on the Shared Narrative. We continued to represent the sector at key city meetings and hosted the Plymouth Partners & Funders Forum.

We’ve also said some goodbyes to staff, in particular Claire Law and Deborah Penprase who have made a massive contribution to POP in their time with the organisation. We would like to thank them sincerely for all they have done and wish them well for the future. We have also welcomed new members of staff who have replaced them, and look forward to seeing them find their place with POP, including Raphaelle Ahmad and Patrycja Loranc who joined the team this year. Paul Read also left his role as an Associate in November 2024 after 10 years.

As a board, we’d like to thank all staff and associates for their contribution over the last 12 months. Our trustee board has remained mostly consistent since the welcome election of six new trustees in November 2023, although we have seen the resignation of Jon Dingle and Martin Mills in this year. Alan Butler (our longest standing trustee) has also been required by the constitution to step down (as both a trustee and co-chair) having served three consecutive terms as trustee - although he will continue to support the board. We extend our sincere thanks to all the trustees who have offered their support over the last 12 months.

We have also been reflecting on our own position as a trustee board. The original vision for the board was twelve representatives from the sector to ensure the sector’s voice was at the heart of everything POP does. We still hold true to that idea but we have reflected on the fact that networks have always been at the heart of everything that POP does and we are exploring the idea of the trustee board being another network, made up of people who believe in the organisation and what it can achieve.

This year we have reviewed and revised our governance, introducing bye laws that strengthen our members' voice and marginalised voices. We have also worked towards a collaborative and radically transparent governance, creating a Decision Making Protocol that takes radical steps towards a fully open and collaborative way of working. We’re exploring different kinds of roles and more shared roles to see if we can test the

balance of ‘power’ and achieve something more suitable and supportive to the sector as a whole.

If you think you might be able to contribute to this process, we would like to encourage you to consider becoming a trustee and joining us on this journey.

Peter McGough Davey Chair of the Trustee Board

4th November 2025

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3. POP’S AIMS & OBJECTIVES

2024/25 has been an important year for reviewing the direction of POP. In September 2023 we started working with our Learning Partner, Dark Matter Labs and working with Skyspace CIC. In January 2024 we began creating a ‘shared narrative’ that would help us to explore and articulate the thinking behind what we advocate for and what we plan to do.

The narrative allowed us to develop #BeMorePlymouth - a participatory storymaking process leading towards building a just and regenerative future for Plymouth.

We published our revised statement of aims and objectives, along with ways in which we will strive to achieve them.

We support through:

• Advice and training - we help communities and groups to think about how they work and to find funding.

• Building relationships and connections - we organise meetings and events so communities and groups can meet one another and decision-makers.

• Changing the way we work to create a better future - the future is uncertain and we think we can be making changes that help everyone feel that they belong, so they can flourish in their lives and meet future challenges positively and equitably.

“POP is a group of people dedicated to supporting communities, citizen action and grassroots activity. Our work is rooted in our learning from more than a decade of building networks, offering capacity support, experimenting with grantmaking and being a voice of strategic change.

A lot of our effort is going into demonstrating different ways of working and reimagining the future. We believe that unless we make radical changes and redesign the way we work, we will continue to see increasing social division, environmental degradation and economic inequality. In order to bring about significant positive change in our society and communities, we must find alternative ways of funding projects, commissioning services and supporting citizens.

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We fulfil two critical roles:

Grassroots Champion

System Convener

We connect, support and amplify the voice of communities and the grassroots, so that people can shape and improve the places in which they live. We help to create a thriving and connected network of grassroots organisations, as well as contributing towards a just, fairer and greener future in Plymouth.

We bring together different sectors, opinions and perspectives into liminal space to find shared ways forward, with an aim for Plymouth to be able to demonstrate more just, fairer and greener approaches in the work we do.

Our core values define everything we do...

Trust & Relationships

Innovation

We believe in working in a relational way and building relationships based on trust.

Collaboration

We care deeply about what we do and strive to develop new and radical approaches to empower the network of grassroots organisations.

Learning

Collaborative practice is at the heart of what we do. We work with groups and organisations, and support growing collaborations around the city.

We are developing a reflective practice of continuous learning, in both our actions and the ways in which we think and communicate our work.

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NN co aS WR Belong In Plymouth team and participants at a co-creation workshop. Photo credit: Fotonow \ VAN OX >

4. OUR WORK TOGETHER a quick review of the year

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At the heart of POP is a strong focus on governance, people and finance that centres people and the planet. Over the last year we have:

Reviewed and revised our

governance , introducing bye laws that strengthen our members' voices and marginalised voices.

Played a pivotal role in the Belong in Plymouth programme, bringing it to a close in June 2025.

Reviewed our capacity building offer

• Reconsidered our roles within the team and structure by creating Role Cards, along with a system of regular reviews.

• Developed our work strategically. The narrative work was integral to the strategy, aiming to provide clarity on direction and potential for future investors and funders.

Explored how to fund through

• networks , developing internal and external strategic documents, planning for 2025, and working towards creating a better framework for funding.

Reviewed and developed various

• policies and agreements, such as a Collaborative Handbook and templates for networks, collectives, and organisations.

• supporting groups through consultations, developing training programmes, offering workshops (e.g., Micro-volunteering, Governance), and discussing capacity in relation to new initiatives like fiscal hosting.

Recruited a new POP Ideas associate.

• Maintained a focus on internal communication, noticing when it starts to fragment and including clarifying communication channels, adjusting team meetings to cover the conversations that were needed.

• Reviewed membership processes and pricing, and introduced new membership guidelines.

• Started to play a more active role as a fiscal host, using Open Collective.

• Updated the website, branding, and managing social media accounts as part of operational development.

To document our thinking, for the last two years, we have been working on the shared narrative. It has helped deepen our understanding and emotional connection to the challenges of the present and hopes for the future.

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PLANNING
THE STORIES
WE TELL
GOVERNANCE
LEARNING
PEOPLE
ASSETS &
RESOURCES
FINANCE
THE WORK
NETWORKS &
WE DO
PARTNERSHIPS
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POP’s model for reviewing Organisational Health

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The thinking from the narrative has spread into our work:

• In December 2024 we approached the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to request a collaboration.

• In July 2024 we revisited our own governance structure.

• In January 2025 we wrote an update for Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.

• In July 2024 we started to set up the Marginalised Voices group.

• In August 2024 we began to explore what a Stonehouse Demonstrator might look like and produced a draft invitation here.

• We created a simple reference guide for the narrative logic.

• In February 2025 we developed a more concise narrative to engage the grassroots sector in the conversation.

Since January 2025 we have been thinking about the year ahead and about the contribution POP makes to this picture; to build on everything we have done to date and make as big a contribution as we can.

We identified three areas on which to focus:

#BelongInPlymouth grassroots and community

#BeMorePlymouth city-wide conversations

Stonehouse

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4.1 EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

The need to ensure all voices can be heard, have an opportunity to influence, and to take on leadership, is a particularly strong drive for shifting decision making and governance towards more collaborative and equitable ways of working.

It is a moral imperative but, ultimately, it will also lead to creative processes likely to produce richer and more valuable outcomes. POP is working to ensure that diverse voices are central to policy - the real experiences, opinions and work of people who are (through one reason and another) excluded, or at the edges, of our current system.

POP’s role is to seek to ensure that, as citizen-led groups and action arise out of these communities, dedicated attention is given to increasing capacity and connection. One way of doing this is through Marginalised Voices.

POP’s approach to EDI can be summarised on two levels:

Our culture and ways of working

• True inclusion is completely reliant on how difference is seen. If difference is seen as ‘troublesome’; if disagreement is seen as insubordination; if diversity is seen as threatening, then anyone coming from a different background to the majority will struggle to be heard, and the advantage that diversity can bring will go untapped. POP, therefore, works hard to create a culture in which everyone can feel seen, heard and that they belong.

Practical action

Our practices and processes surrounding recruitment, event management, advice and support need to reach out to different groups within our communities.

Furthermore, we look beyond our organisational boundary into the surrounding system and, in doing so, we have identified the need for the Marginalised Voices Network to have a role in ensuring that this work cascades across the city.

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4.2 MARGINALISED VOICES

Marginalised Voices is a diverse group of people from local communities who have experienced marginalisation. The group meets regularly to reflect on how experiences of marginalisation affect one's views, opportunities, levels of available support and to discuss what kind of improvements could be introduced in the system to increase equity, inclusivity and accessibility across the city.

As part of POP's Governance Policy we aim to incorporate consultation with Marginalised Voices into decision-making. The group is currently developing a proposal for defining the participant’s roles and their work, with a potential to connect to the evolving pieces of POP’s work on the Shared Narrative and Flourishing Neighbourhoods.

You can read more about how the group introduces their work on PAGE 37

Thanks to a significant investment from the National Lottery Community Fund, we have learnt more about engagement, co-production, and co-design practices that place citizen voice at the very centre of the process. We have also explored deeply how we work, to ensure that power is more equitably held by all of us. We have written our learning up here: Belong in Plymouth.

Matt Bell (POP) & Jabo (Diversity Business Incubator) at POP Bites networking event October 2024

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4.3 SPINDL

SPINDL is POP’s trading arm with the Torbay Community Development Trust

Towards the end of 2021 we started exploring the potential of a partnership with Torbay Community Development Trust, which would aim to offer training, support, advice, coaching and mentoring. 2024-25 has seen good progress and growth.

4.4 GOVERNANCE & RADICAL TRANSPARENCY

This year we have reviewed all POP Policies & Procedures to enable a collaborative and radically transparent governance.

Our Governance Policy is available to view via a new section on our website, which also includes all other procedures, from HR to finance. In line with the POP constitution’s bye laws, we have created a Decision Making Protocol which takes radical steps towards a fully open and collaborative way of working.

Our new Reaching a Resolution Procedure solidifies our principle of putting relationships and trust at the heart of our work. We believe that creating policies that are clear, robust, and accessible to everyone increases inclusiveness of our systems, of working together and reflects practices we use in everyday work, in a way that can be shaped together and shared with others.

Within the POP Team, we have changed our approach to employment contracts to accurately reflect the ways we work together.

The format now includes ‘Role Cards’, which constitute coherent sets of tasks we each agree to commit to. This significant piece of collaborative work has been developed to recognise and make transparent each different individual’s gifts and strengths and their alignment with the needs of the group. The Role Cards have been drafted by the team and can evolve, allowing for better ways of working in a changing environment.

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1. LEARNING & EVALUATION 16

5.1 COLLABORATION

POP builds learning and reflection into all our work. Most important to this is the culture of collaboration, and the ways in which we work together.

The reflective practice, openness, and honesty we encourage throughout our work allow all voices and opinions to be shared and explored. This in turn enables our work to evolve. Our learning culture works effectively with the feedback we seek from partners and members, as well as other data and information sources to create an adaptable and responsive organisation.

Collaboration is a nonnegotiable part of achieving sustainable social change in Plymouth.

This year the team worked together to develop a Collaboration Handbook, a simple tool based on years of learning, which serves as a starting-point agreement for emerging collaborative groups. It contains a list of considerations regarding purpose & principles, legal frameworks, communication, money, and roles & responsibilities, providing a set of tools for starting a successful collaboration.

As a companion to the handbook, we created the Collaboration Cards which consist of a number of questions that serve as conversation starters on a variety of topics and different levels of working together. These concise prompts for reflective practice can be tailored in terms of language and follow-up discussions according to the unique needs of the group. The Handbook and Cards will be used within collaborative structures emerging from POP networks, and made available for the POP Members and the public via the POP website.

We are looking forward to the testing phase of these collaboration tools, in the hope that they will allow us to deepen our relationships, develop reflective approaches and support building stronger collaborations together.

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5.2 LEARNING PARTNER

The Learning Partner, Dark Matter Labs working with Skyspace CIC, was formally appointed and began working with POP in September 2023.

Their support has been focused on key areas such as the learning cycle and the shared narrative. Within this year, activities included:

• Throughout the period we engaged in ongoing work related to the learning framework and narrative.

• Team sessions were held to check in with the learning framework, focusing on what was being learnt about the work; the team's relationship with the work and their capacity to learn.

• Session plans for early 2025 outlined how the learning framework and narrative would be integrated, focusing on the extension of the narrative into strategy and developing variations of the narrative for different audiences.

• The ongoing narrative work aimed to develop different versions of the narrative that could be drawn upon for various contexts and actors to encourage thought and action. This narrative work was seen as integral to our strategy and the development of #BeMorePlymouth.

The Learning Framework was developed over the year starting from the sketch on the left and developing into the framework on the right.

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5.3 POP IDEAS

In October 2024 POP Ideas celebrated its tenth birthday. Conceived as a partnership project between Zebra Collective and Iridescent Ideas, POP Ideas was originally funded by Plymouth City Council and has since become one of the most successful advice programmes ever seen in the city.

Now run by POP and Iridescent, the original aim was:

“To serve more people, in more depth, provide mentoring support and an element of sustainability, on start-up and funding for CICs and Charities, provide advice on fundraising and build up the social and economic outcomes of the sector.” As this report shows, year-on-year, POP Ideas has not only fulfilled this ambition but exceeded the level of support first anticipated. The numbers are impressive, but what’s been as powerful are the outcomes we’ve achieved, evidenced through the annual surveys from our beneficiaries. What have we learnt about why POP Ideas has been so successful?

It is clear, practical and simple.

The concept is straightforward and it works. Pay for skilled, experienced people with a diverse range of expertise to give clear and concise advice on topics voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations want and need.

It is accessible.

It’s a fully-funded service, therefore free to clients. POP Ideas was initially supported by Plymouth City Council and is now funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. We receive a lot of feedback about accessibility and ease of use of the advice, be it one-to-one or in workshops.

It is impactful.

The statistics prove that POP Ideas works. It gives extremely useful advice and support that is effective and makes a difference. We’ve embraced proving the impact of the service. We’ve taken a lot of care and time to do this consistently and rigorously.

It is incredibly cost effective.

We estimate that the average return on investment to Plymouth is £20 for every £1 our funders have invested in the service.

It has been flexible, agile and innovative.

We have brokered new partnerships and broken down some of the barriers with funders. We have embraced digital delivery where appropriate. We have tried all sorts of different workshop topics. We have brought in experts where needed. We have established an online array of workshops and resources that people can access anywhere, at any time.

Everything that we do is subject to evaluation and feedback. We are constantly reflecting and looking for ways in which we might improve our provision. We know that it is important to our members, and we want to keep 199 it this way.

5.4 FUNDING

The main learning outcome of 2024-25 for the team was the POP Shared Narrative. The cumulation of several years’ of learning from our funding provision contributed significantly to this document.

Our delivery of funding was also framed by the context that POP was working with limited, fixed budgets, and that it is becoming increasingly hard for grassroots organisations to obtain sustainable financial resources. (‘ Understanding the funding crisis in the UK voluntary sector’ is a blog which paints a bleak nationwide picture) In this context, the POP learning-through-funding focussed on consolidating previous learning.

One example of this was the Suicide Prevention Fund. POP was invited to lead a process in collaboration with Plymouth City Council that would fund just under £45,000 worth of work with people deemed to be at risk from suicide and self-harm. POP tested a theory that it is possible to deliver a funding process where the organisations applying and collaborating are empowered to make decisions about which projects should be funded. We trialled a model we had developed through the Cost of Living Fund in Spring 2023.

Applicants to the Suicide Prevention Fund were treated as stakeholders and invited to a meeting at which organisations networked with each other and discussed what types of projects should be funded. The following preferences were expressed:

A slight preference for collaborative projects, new ideas, smaller organisations and for the fund to be spread among more organisations

A strong preference for projects that would work with clients for longer time periods

Children enjoying STEM activities at It Takes a Village's Village Swap (funded by £250 a POP)

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Of these factors, stakeholders cared most about collaboration and least about preferring smaller organisations. Stakeholders were then invited to reapply, with some questions specifically targeting how their project met the set priorities. Each project was scored by POP on how close the projects matched stakeholder preferences. After this, there was a closed vote among stakeholders where they voted for their favourite projects based solely on ideas. The combination of the scoring and voting decided which organisations were funded.

We continued the collaborative process with monitoring and reporting carried out at ‘learning meetings’ to which all funded organisations were invited. This allowed organisations to learn and gather encouragement from each other and ask each other questions. When we asked successful projects what difference it made running the process this way, they said they liked:

A transparent process where fund priorities were clear

An inclusive process where applicants were treated as ‘knowledgeable’

A networked process where organisations could explain to each other what they did and why it mattered

A generous process where organisations asked for less than they had originally intended to ask, thereby increasing the chance of other projects they liked to be successful

If POP had the chance to run this process again, there are things that could be reconsidered, for example, making the stakeholder meeting a mandatory part of the process might cause and/or increase anxiety in people from marginalised backgrounds, even though applicants reported the meeting itself was relaxed.

POP sees this process as a small step towards improving communitybased funding. We are working towards projects that empower and financially resource people from communities to make decisions that impact their community. This work is influenced by POP’s involvement in national level Many-to-Many Governance conversations.

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Launch of NPrint, funded by POP Collectives through the Ocean Publishing Partnership 2

Another important step towards this style of funding is exploring our role of ‘fiscal host’ on the Open Collective platform. This has enabled the effective use of Open Collective for several projects, including Belong In Plymouth which has been regarded as a good example of a network of participants making decisions about budgeting and paying expenses with POP providing legal and financial support. However, we still see the value, and recognise the need for our more established funding streams, namely, POP Collectives and £250 a POP. Both these funds operated at capacity in 2024-25 and we continue to learn from them.

Two key learning themes from the past year are:

Navigating a playing field that will never be level.

Some collectives receive an inbuilt advantage entering a process. That advantage is mostly due to nurtured virtues, such as, being highly networked and having a trusted track record. POP still believes that funding systems can be greatly improved for the benefit of grassroots organisations, but we have not found any ‘perfect’ systems.

The more appetite for funds, the more important rules become.

The POP team has spent time in the past year clarifying POP membership categories and criteria for funding applications. There is now a greater responsibility to get this right for everyone involved in the process.

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Belong in Plymouth team meets to celebrate the end of the project F 5= yg G + t of ~y -—#: be d A fueBel ~ =.

6. SUMMARIES OF ACTIVITY

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6.1 POP MEMBERSHIP

From April 2024 to March 2025, POP has been joined by 98 new members, 37 of whom have an annual turnover of under £1,000.

New members come to us in a variety of ways: through recommendations from their peers, web searches, social media and networking events, while some are long-term members returning from a period of inactivity.

We updated the membership process to clarify the three membership categories and their respective benefits. The membership prices remain unchanged.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Most member benefits can now be accessed easily through the POP website. This adapts to each user depending on their type of membership and is continuously updated based on feedback from members and the POP team. It allows users to: e See upcoming dates like POP events and funding deadlines at a glance. e Submit their own events, stories, jobs and content for the POP newsletter.

• Request POP Ideas support and access webinars, resources and discounted training.

We continue to send out a weekly members update. This serves as a way to draw our members’ attention to immediate opportunities with fast approaching deadlines.

WELCOME CALLS

Rowan Edwards (Comms & Digital Support) & Patrycja Loranc (Core Lead) have been offering 1:1 introductory calls to new members. Together with our monthly POPIN Sessions and online networking events, members have a variety of ways to engage with the POP team and other members.

PUBLIC MEMBERS LIST

There is now a public members list on our website which can be searched by keywords or designated tags. The hope is that this can encourage and enable collaboration by making it easier to find organisations with similar areas of interest.

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Elements Plymouth (Taiko - Japanese Drumming, and
movement collective) at an event
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6.2 POP IDEAS

POP Ideas is a service that provides advice for small, large, new or established voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Plymouth. It is a partnership service delivered by POP and Iridescent Ideas CIC.

We are proud to have maintained excellent quality of provision this year with 98% of survey respondents saying that the service is ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. This year has seen some significant changes for POP Ideas and we marked an important milestone – our tenth birthday! During the year, one of our long-standing advisers, Paul Read, left the programme. Paul has done a brilliant job providing practical and technical support with organisations and his input has gone a long way towards helping us achieve our purpose. Following Paul’s departure, we recruited a new adviser and we are delighted to welcome Tessa Webb to the team. Tessa has a wide range of skills and strong experience in the voluntary and community sector.

POP Ideas has continued its partnership this year with the Social Enterprise Advice and Support (SEAS) programme, particularly around workshop delivery. We’ve developed new strategic relationships with Active Devon, The Inclusivity Group and Safer Communities Partnership. We also brought in other collaborators to broaden our range of workshops such as NeuDice and Lend a Helping Hand. These additions empowered groups to develop critical skills and navigate the evolving landscape.

We’ve undertaken national research to look at similar capacity building services across the UK – this has helped us re-shape our training programme. Training has been part of the essence of POP Ideas from the beginning and our analysis shows us that our workshops have made a clear and measurable impact.

POP Ideas Team: Gareth Hart, Imogen Potter and Paul Read

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POP Ideas: Case Study

Lesley from Access Plymouth:

"When our income had fallen, we received support to look at diversifying our income. It's expertise that we just didn't have."

Click here to watch the Access Plymouth Case Study

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POP IDEAS IMPACT 2024-2025

• This year we have supported 104 organisations with 1:1 advice. This includes community groups, voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises, charities and community businesses

• We have helped secure £332,500 in grant funding (from other grant makers) from 26 successful funding applications supported by our team

• 98% of our clients have reported the POP ideas service is ‘excellent’ or ‘good’

• 59 community groups and organisations have attended 19 training sessions on topics such as, legal structures, funding, financial management, social impact, volunteering, marketing, digital skills, and winning contracts

OUTCOMES & FEEDBACK

Our survey produced many positive feedback comments from members:

“A non-judgemental, accessible, personalised service from people who genuinely care.”

“The personal support gave me confidence that I was getting it right and was much easier than trying to follow a set of written instructions"

“POP Ideas has done an incredible job, it’s provided the support required to make our community happier and safer.”

“We feel very lucky to have something like POP Ideas supporting start-ups, we would not be where we are today without their guidance.”

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POP Ideas service user

OUTCOMES & FEEDBACK

93% 89%

felt better informed about relevant developments in the VCSE sector

said they had improved connections with other organisations in the city

82% 82% felt more confident said their skills applying for funding had improved 76% 77%

said their skills had improved

had stronger foundations in place for their work (e.g., a legal structure)

felt better at proving the difference and impact they made

64%

felt that they had improved their project planning and management

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CUMULATIVE IMPACT SINCE 2014

• £10.1 million raised from 335 successful funding applications supported by POP ideas

• We have delivered one-to-one advice to 702 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the city

• More than 670 Plymouth-based community groups and organisations have attended more than 225 training workshops

• Workshop attendees consistently report significant improvements in their learning and understanding - participant confidence and skills increased and there is high satisfaction with content and facilitation.

FUTURE PLANS

Ten years on and the statistics speak for themselves. Yes, some of that could have happened anyway, but we strongly believe that we have significantly added capacity to the sector, helped multiple organisations to ‘start up’, and increased the funding the city’s VCSE organisations received.

So what next? People consistently report that they want more of the same and to keep doing what we do, but, of course, we cannot sit still. The top five issues organisations report needing support on are: funding, social impact, marketing, diversifying income and business planning. We need to make sure our offer responds to these needs. In addition:

• We need to make sure that theadvice and support from POP Ideas is accessible to all groups and organisations in the city who seek it

• We need to ensure we tackle the systemic root causes of the issues people and communities face in Plymouth, linking with the POP Shared Narrative.

• We need to embrace and increase our ‘digital’ provision – exploring AI, data, techsolutions for funding, governance, organisation development and more.

• We need to widen the diversity of the team.

• We will continue to develop collaborations and partnerships to broaden and deepen our impact.

• We need to remain true to the spirit of the original idea: ”To serve more people, in more depth and provide advice on fundraising and build up the 29

• social and economic outcomes of the sector.”

POP Ideas: Case Study

Mel from It Takes a Village CIC

"POP Ideas helped us to put a roof over our head and ensure that we're able to deliver our core activities for the next 12 months."

Click here to watch the It Takes a Village Case Study

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POP IDEAS & BELONG IN PLYMOUTH

POP Ideas has continued to support capacity building within the Belong in Plymouth programme.

Last year we had a series of review meetings of the delivery to date and codesigned conversations on how we would like to progress capacity-building regarding skills for collaboration.

The outcome? This year we produced eight draft workshop outlines with the commissioned trainers. However, the focus of Belong In Plymouth delivery was collectively changed to:

• 1) narrow delivery in one geographic area of the city and

• 2) working with two groups of young people.

The capacity-building budget was repurposed to support these two themes.

Stoke Village Hub Fun Day event

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6.3 NETWORK SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

POP continues to support existing networks and the development of new ones. There were efforts to map relationships with specific areas like Stoke, and explore connections within networks. A wider conversation was needed around the impact of, and the gathering of, data related to networks. POP aims to focus stories on people who are part of the networks as a way to gather data and demonstrate impact.

IMPACT AT A GLANCE

• Seven established Neighbourhood Networks in Stoke, Efford, Devonport, Ernesettle, Plympton, Hooe & Barne Barton/St Budeaux.

• ‘Super connectors’ have been trained & supported: four in Barne Barton; four in Efford; two in Stoke and one in Devonport. All local residents.

• Increased support has been given to four Neighbourhood Networks to spend finances as they see fit (to benefit connections).

• Funding to develop/expand/create a sustainable neighbourhood network and to enter a partnership arrangement with Plymouth Octopus. Funding has been taken up by Stoke, Efford, Devonport and Barne Barton/St Budeaux.

“Development of the community is most effective when driven by locals because they possess a deeper understanding of what makes their neighbourhood unique. Neighbourhood Networks are collaborative structures to help this happen in inclusive and open ways.”

POP website

• Increased collaborative working with health, statutory & business partners, connecting the grassroots and larger VCSE organisations and to support them to improve relationships with local people. Collaborations between, for example, Research (Mobile Research Team from UHP, Southwest Peninsula Regional Research Delivery Network); Livewell Wellbeing Champions and other Livewell departments; Improving Lives; Neighbourhood Policing; local Councillors; Healthwatch; Cancer Champions; Together for Childhood; Public Health; Schools; Libraries; OnCourse South West; The Outdoor Partnership; The National Marine Park; The Box; National Trust; Natural Grid; Barnadoes and Plymouth City Bus.

• Great working relationships between Community Builders and Neighbourhood Networks in Barne Barton, Efford and Devonport.

• Increased understanding of each other’s roles and less anxiety around “stepping on toes”. Neighbourhood Networking is best done in distributed networks that allow people to make connections naturally, and to be introduced to each other as collaborators rather than competitors. Many more people are needed than can be funded by just one or two organisations.

• Emergent Networks in Mutley/Greenbank, Southway and Plymstock supported by POP.

POP chooses to go where it’s wanted - and where there is an energy for us - with Stuart (our network ‘lead’) responding to requests for our help.

This work remains fluid based on the capacity of local people to develop connections and meet together. Stuart introduces individuals and groups to each other and often convenes and facilitates meetings. Stuart has also given support to other network leads working from Wellbeing Hubs – St Budeaux, Southway, Mannamead and PL2 (Wolseley Trust).

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POP Bites networking event October 2024

NETWORK FACILITATORS FORUM

The Network Facilitators Forum consists of professionals whose role is to connect people and services, as well as people, who are running and/or developing the different networks across the city. Each meeting has a theme and often there is an ‘expert’ on hand to help to discuss a particular topic, such as network mapping; defining the network’s purpose and using digital tools. This network now has 34 participants working across many different neighbourhood and thematic areas.

POP provides support to the Network Facilitator’s Forum with POP Ideas training & workshops.

NEIGHBOURHOOD NETWORKS

The number of Neighbourhood Networks organised by local people has increased this year. This has been supported by recognising that this is a long-term process and focusing on local people leading and finding the way that suits their neighbourhood best. We aim to find local leaders with passion and commitment, who see the value in creating a relationship with POP (and other equally committed participants). POP aims to create the spaces for people to discuss; to enable trust and to develop - often before even becoming a network - through sustained effort and collaboration.

Fairshares Funding has been supporting neighbourhood work to consider health inequalities across the city. We have found that the more connected people feel in the area in which they live, the more likely they are to be resilient against healthrelated, economic and social shocks.

POP supported four different networks across the city to develop this work in diverse ways. We feel it is necessary for the work to be owned and led by the network itself. It requires years to build up local knowledge of what is happening in neighbourhoods and individuals need to be ‘invited’ by those communities rather than “parachute in and out” as funding comes & goes.

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RELATIONSHIP MAPPING

Relationship mapping helps to show who is collaborating with whom, where the gaps are and how these connections change over time. As neighbourhoods become more confident about using mapping tools, POP believes that we can build better links between the grass roots and other actors to increase community power.

Children & Young People Network Maps of connections between organisations, showing growth from 2022 (left) to 2025 (right).

POP has spent many years building relationships and being invited into Facebook Neighbourhood Groups and Forums by being consistent, dependable and genuinely interested in the growth and development of others. The Facebook Profile ‘POP Plymouth’ is now a member of 125 local @neighbourhood groups and pages and has a regular supportive presence.

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Efford & Lipson Network Maps of connections between organisations, showing growth from 2022 (left) to 2025 (right).

Devonport Network Maps of connections between organisations, showing growth from 2022 (left) to 2025 (right).

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MARGINALISED VOICES

The Marginalised Voices network was set up in May 2024 by POP to enable people living on the margins of society to have a voice. We understand that many people, for so many reasons, feel ‘invisible’ and are largely ignored when it comes to any decision-making.

The group introduces their work in the following way:

As a group we have identified that marginalisation is a pattern that keeps repeating. We have been exploring and identifying what this pattern (and other patterns) could be, first within ourselves; then within society and, finally, within the system.

We are beginning to identify some of the patterns and to explore their causes and effects. So far, we have only been able to analyse the patterns that we have each experienced individually.

What comes next:

• We are beginning to identify and discuss how ‘marginalisation’ happens; how it is upheld across different ‘systems’, for example, ‘society’, the workplace and areas of government policy.

• Based on our own experiences, we are considering a vast network of factors, such as race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic position, class, cultural capital, ability/disability which excludes, enables and/or determines the extent to which an individual might participate and whether or not it might be ‘meaningful’.

• Also, perhaps most importantly, we are aiming for an acknowledgement and wider conversation around the intersectionality of factors such as these.

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MARGINALISED VOICES

We have established that we want to come up with a solution that targets the root of the problem. However, we understand that we operate in a system that likes quick and instant fixes, which are able to show fruits quickly and are generally cost effective.

Eventually, we want to create a toolkit which will support systems and people:

• To understand Marginalisation Patterns

• To identify how to deal with it at the root level

• To avoid repeating the patterns of Marginalisation

• To come up with effective ways to share our reflections more widely with others, so that we might explore, and then challenge, the often unconsidered patterns of behaviour, which maintain the status quo, and also the “power” of those who sit in the middle of those processes.”

Not Alone - POP members supporting transgender and non binary people in the city

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THEMATIC NETWORKS

Although there are several networks that we facilitate, it is our aim that all networks should be able to sustain themselves. POP is involved in the following networks:

The Children and Young People Network

POP is the coordinator of this network of approximately 150 individuals and organisations. This year, participants have been working towards opening a new Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme centre working with PCC, Routeways, Active Devon and Plymouth Schools Sports Partnership. The network meets in person every three months.

The Community Heritage Network

The network, led by Dr Alan Butler, has been active in:

LBGT+ History Month; the Community Archives & Heritage Group and the High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative.

The Plymouth Community Group Support Network

is a Facebook group facilitated by POP. It has more than 530 members. Its members are people who work/volunteer in groups across the city. POP uses this Facebook group to communicate and disseminate information to other community organisations active across the city. It averages two posts per day. It is a closed group and a useful method of communication for us. In the period between July 2023 and April 2024, we had 310 active members.

The Growing with Nature Network

is a collaboration between the PCC Green Minds programme; Food Plymouth and POP. It consists of more than 40 groups and holds four events a year in locations such as Central Park; Poole Farm and Keyham Green Places.

The Creatives Network

is a recent collaboration between Wonderzoo, Plymouth Culture and POP for creatives/artists across the city so that they might meet people of different practices, inviting new and interesting collaborations.

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POP Members: Plymouth Football Boot Bank

The Community Sports Network

was resuscitated in the Autumn of 2024 by POP and Active Devon who were keen to see if there was any enthusiasm for it. We began by holding a safeguarding learning event in Feb 2025 which attracted 15 organisations and enabled us to find out what it was that people/clubs wanted and needed from a (new) sports network.

A second larger event attracted more than 70 people from 45 groups along with local councillors, Sport England, Sported Charity and Outdoor Partnership. The plan now is to organise an Autumn event which would hope to inspire and encourage greater collaboration between the groups. The Sport Network FB group publishes, on average, two posts per week.

OTHER NETWORKS

in which POP is involved:

• Environment Plymouth (and Plastic Free Plymouth)

• The Plymouth Fundraisers’ Network

• The Refugee & Asylum Seekers’ Network The Plymouth Social Enterprise Network

• Food Plymouth

• Trauma Informed Network

• Food Access Network

• Anti-Racism Allyship Network Plymouth Mental Health Collective Volunteer Coordinators Network

POP Members: Ukrainian Space Plymouth

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6.4 EVENTS

POP provides a mixture of online and in-person events to offer our services to new groups as well as engaging with and educating our members. We are committed to both experiences, primarily, because we know how important it is to bring people together so that experiences and ideas can be shared and new relationships established. We find tea and biscuits help.

POP OUTREACH (POP-IN SESSIONS)

Since 2022 POP has been taking the team around the city for POP Outreach Days. These allowed new and existing members to come and meet us with or without an appointment. People could meet the team, learn about POP and hear about the different ways in which we may be able to support individuals and/or organisations.

Our monthly Outreach meetings have been recently reshaped into POP-IN Sessions, taking place on every third Tuesday of the month. For six months of the year we will host these in the City Centre at the accessible Plymouth Methodist Central Hall, for the other six, we will travel to neighbourhoods, such as Plymstock and St Budeaux. We hope this provides a balance between developing continuity in a (City Centre) venue familiar to many POP Members, with events in other areas of the city, which have previously been well-attended by residents. POP hopes that, by offering a choice, we reach more people, are more effective and accessible.

POP BITES

Until December 2024, POP held bi-monthly speaker events for members focused around a theme. Events generally had two speakers - members or experts on a topic - who presented for 20 minutes with time for Q&As, followed by networking.

In July we held a “Financing Your Project” event with Paul Read from Drift Business Advice & POP ideas, and Hayley Everett, Head of Fundraising at Trevi. They talked about sources of funding for charity organisations and offered fundraising tips and hints. We are aware that securing funding for charities and grassroots organisations can be a daunting task and, thus, we provide opportunities for discussions, where people can ask questions to experts - and each other - so that they might be betterequipped next time.

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The last Bites of the year, in December, celebrated Plymouth’s grassroots activity with an opportunity for members to come together in a festive atmosphere with POP and DBI Teams. We hosted an ‘open mic’ and heard updates on local organisations’ activity throughout 2024.

In the New Year we paused POP Bites, allowing for space to rethink and develop a series of meetings focused on the POP Shared Narrative under the #BeMorePlymouth slogan.

POP CONNECTIONS

Our online networking event - POP Connections - continues to grow with a steady increase in participants. At each session there are one or two invited ‘speakers’ - frequently POP Members - providing them the opportunity to promote their project, what they do and the difference they make to their participants.

The feedback we receive indicates that attendees have been able to meet potential new collaborators, make new connections and enjoy sharing their successes & ideas. Participants also welcome the chance to hear news from the VCS across the city.

POP AGM 2024

We began this year’s AGM with a presentation:

Being More Plymouth: Starting A Conversation About a Uniquely Plymouth Story.

POP CEO Matt Bell read a reflective poem he had written to express his thoughts and feelings in this time of transition. He also spoke about and the possibilities for Plymouth, highlighting the value we, as an organisation, place on the emotional content related to our work and our lives. He spoke of the need for us all - individuals, sector, city – to commit to really consider our stories; our individual and collective past and the harms caused in the past that are still being felt today. Matt highlighted the need to know each other; to see ourselves in each other so that – together – we can be the change.

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“Storymaking is participatory and this narrative is an invitation to join a conversation. What constitutes a just and regenerative transition for Plymouth? How do we get from a broken now to a better future? We have ideas to share and a wealth of learning, but we can’t answer these questions on our own.”

-Simon Travers, POP Funds Sensemaker

Nudge Co-Founder Hannah Slogget described the work they have been doing, a flagship example of community power in Stonehouse. Then, POP Funds Sensemaker Simon Travers spoke to the attendees about the Shared Narrative, an ambitious and evolving piece of work POP has been developing in the past year.

Simon explained the leading theme of the narrative, #BeMorePlymouth, by saying: “What we know to be true, is that there are many many expressions of Plymouth life: military; dockyard; university; marina; pirate; bohemian; African; Polish; Ukrainian. All these expressions - the richness and different values of life in this city - overlapping as the one true Plymouth.”

And it is necessary to step into these spaces, he explained - the ones that overlap; the ones on the edge; the spaces in between - from which we must rebuild and reimagine ourselves. It won’t be easy. It will require courage to face our differences; a need for greater empathy; a willingness to listen and to really hear the stories and experiences of ‘others’ along with a determination to hold them safely ‘in the space’. Furthermore, it will need all sectors across Plymouth willing to reach out beyond their own boundaries:

“We know that even if all the grassroots organisations come together, we can’t meet all the challenges that Plymouth faces. We need the statutory organisations and people working in sectors, such as, health, education and housing to step into these liminal spaces with a willingness to work together; share real power and collaborate.”

Read the full POP press release about the narrative launch at the AGM, written by Caroline Blackler, here, and watch a video version of Simon Traver’s introduction to #BeMorePlymouth here.

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We spoke of the need, in order to reach a just and regenerative future, for significant ‘emotional’ engagement. We know (through our work) that this may feel overwhelming, that ‘emotions’ will surface as a fundamental part of the transition, as we meet the challenges and the personal journeys necessary to ensure better ways of working together.

And so, at the AGM, we invited our Learning Partner, Jen Parkin from Skyspace, to lead an activity that would engage the POP Members and team in a conversation about the Shared Narrative’s topic, making space for questions and considerations that might be arising after the morning presentations, as well as allowing people to voice and bring together various points of view from the grassroots sector.

Jen designed and facilitated a Deep Democracy exercise, in which different voices are heard and people can see the diversity of perspective in the room without needing to reconcile that into a single perspective - or win an argument. As the exercise moved us through various topics there was a polarity that kept coming up: Do we take and make our own power OR Do we need power to be given to us?

We were then supported to have an exchange of perspectives between the two polarities.

The AGM event was full of vibrant conversations and an opportunity for the POP Team, Trustees, and Members to catch up, reflect, as well as laugh and eat together. It concluded with open-mic presentations from POP Members who shared updates and successes of their organisations from the past year, leaving the attendees with a heartwarming sense of community power.

“The spiritual and philosophical current of the presentation was unforgettable. It reaffirmed me in my public spirited efforts.”

“The atmosphere was warm, lively, welcoming, and inclusive. The speeches and the facilitated session felt highly impactful and relevant. ”

“The event was a way of upkeeping contacts and information and therefore very useful (as well as enjoyable).”

8 -POP AGM 2024 attendees

6.5 POP FUNDING

In 2024-25, POP was able to fund £133,000 to more than 90 organisations in Plymouth through POP Collectives; £250 a POP and the Suicide Prevention Fund.

Detailed information about the funding transactions that POP made between April - 2023 and March 2024 can be found at Plymouth Octopus (POP) Open Collective

Detailed information about how £250 a POP was used by our members can be found · - at Plymouth Octopus (POP) Expenses Open Collective

Detailed information about POP Collectives specifications and what projects have - been funded can be found at https://www.plymouthoctopus.org/funding details/pop_collectives/r/recHw9DYbYyGkiZvC

POP COLLECTIVES

POP Collectives paid £75,000 to fifteen collaborations in 2024-25 across five decision-making processes. The successful collectives consisted of forty six distinct organisations of which 48% were ‘micro’ sized (turnover below £10,000 per annum) and 39% were small (turnover between £10,001 and £100,000 per annum).

The percentage of organisations in successful collectives who are micro sized has risen 12% in the past year. Furthermore, more than half (26) of the 46 participating organisations were ‘first timers’, that is, had not previously been in a collective.

2024-25 was the first full year for the revised Collectives Fund. Fifteen collectives received funding out of the 22 that applied: a 68% success rate for applications. Four of the successful collectives were funded at their second attempt of applying. Three of these collectives were invited to reapply by POP as we did not receive any applications in Round 5.

Since the Autumn of 2024, we have noticed that more collectives are applying and it is likely the success rate for applicants will decrease in 2025-26.

POP also did some research into POP Collectives voting data from Round 6-8 (September 2024 - February 2025). In these three rounds, 93 different POP members voted on at least one occasion. It seems clear that voting turnout is influenced when there is enthusiasm and/or connection by (individual) POP members for a nominated project. Only four organisations have voted in every round.

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35% of organisations voting have a PL1 address registered with POP, while 18% of voters registered a PL4 address. POP is aware that some collectives enter the process with an inbuilt advantage and part of this ‘advantage’ appears to be location, particularly in the case of PL1, where there is a density of well-connected and highly-supportive grassroots organisations.

The Collectives Fund continues to deliver social and environmental benefits across the city. One example of this is the Tippy Park Community Orchard Project. This was a collaboration between Tulgey Woods Sanctuary, Wise Roots and Pollenize.

This project has worked to combine local environmental management with tackling social isolation. The collective worked at Trefusis Park, commonly known as Tippy Park, where a previously planted orchard had been allowed to overgrow. The team has repurposed this space and look to develop it as an example of community fruit growing. They have also installed seating space. This tackles social isolation as there is little to no seating in other areas of the park. This seating opens up the park to older users and creates an area where conversation can happen. This connects to the Tulgey Woods Sanctuary next door, which maintains a strong community presence. The team have made other improvements to the area, such as installing a bug hotel and a community noticeboard.

The area is now being used as a community focal point with, for example, a wassail being held in the winter. Having re-established access to the orchard, the collective is now looking to develop and maintain the space working with volunteers to reconnect people with nature and each other.

Tugley Woods Sanctuary

Improvements Made to Tippy Park Community Orchard from POP Collectives Funding

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£250 A POP

£250 a POP paid 52 grants worth £13,000 in 2024-2025. This was a reduction of £18,500 spent on the fund for budgetary reasons. The fund was over-subscribed and so POP tested a lottery-based decisionmaking process.

£250 a POP grants are allocated at a regular online meeting on the last Wednesday of the month. Meetings are held at either 1pm or 5:30pm to enable access for all. POP’s due diligence requirements mean that applicants must attend the meeting to receive a grant. The meeting always follows the same format.

After a short introduction, applicants are invited to introduce their organisation and how they hope to spend the grant in 1-2 minutes. Applicants interact through the chat function and are sometimes able to offer each other advice or practical support. Each applicant is given a number based on the order in which they introduce themselves. At the end of the meeting, we use a computerised number spinner to make grant decisions. POP takes every precaution to ensure the process is randomised. When the spinner stops, the number of the organisation that matches the number on the spinner is selected to receive a grant. POP allocates four grants at each meeting. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to re-apply as many times as they wish.

The 250 a POP number spinner decides who receives funding

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£250 a POP: FEEDBACK

We asked the recipients of £250 a POP for feedback on the process, and to evaluate the difference the small amount can make for grassroots organisations. Here are some examples of what we’ve heard back.

Plymouth Soroptimists have been volunteering in the community for 95 years, and we needed to build our network to access potential new members, business sponsors and charitable partners to collaborate on projects. The “£250 a POP” funded our membership of Devon Chamber of Commerce, opening up new avenues of communication for us. s a direct result, we have collaborated on a project to provide hygiene care supplies to families in temporary accommodation in Plymouth, and obtained a grant to do it. We are about to submit another collaborative grant application. The £250 has had a huge multiplier effect for us!

Plymouth Soroptimists Team

It Takes A Village CIC: Our clothes swaps have proved SO SUCCESSFUL that we have had to expand and open The Village Swap at the front of the Plot. The space we have moved into needed some TLC and repurposing magic, to transform it into a beautiful and welcoming shop, and that is exactly what our £250 a POP grant helped us to do. It paid for furnishings, essential new and second-hand equipment, materials, fabric, paint and various other bits n bobs to help us create the Village Swap (see attached video).

Janine (left) with a Hannah, Roots to Rise participant (right)

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It Takes a Village Team

Feedback from participants, and the number of applicants involved, suggest that most are comfortable with the way in which POP operates the £250 a POP fund. However, there have been a few critical voices, such as, from those who find lottery processes challenging and from others who perceive other organisations as being ‘more worthy’ or of having a greater need than their own and hence, find the on-line process somewhat ‘uncomfortable’. POP emphasises in every meeting that every organisation deserves funding but that we have limited budgets.

The specifications for £250 a POP have now changed so that only small and microsized organisations can apply. Organisations must wait 12 months before reapplying (if they were successful). During the year, the POP team further clarified application criteria by deciding that only full members of POP are entitled to apply.

During 2024-25, 84 separate organisations applied to £250 a POP a total of 124 times. That means that the average probability of an applicant being successful in any given draw is 42%. Thirty four organisations were successful in the lottery process on their first attempt. However, the evidence suggests that persistence is worthwhile in this process, as the overall success rate of applicants to £250 a POP is 62%. The element of luck involved in the process means there are some unfortunate anomalies: one organisation was unsuccessful five times.

Five years on, £250 a POP still makes a difference

Read the blog for a full description of what £250 a POP has contributed to in 2024-25.

SUICIDE PREVENTION FUND

POP worked in collaboration with Plymouth City Council to create a process that would distribute just under £45,000 for projects that worked with suicide prevention ‘at risk’ groups. The process used was an evolution of the Cost of Living Fund that was designed in 2023. The fund was able to resource seven projects that worked with neurodivergent communities; care leavers; chronic pain sufferers; new mothers & pregnant women and young people who experience mental health difficulties.

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£250 a POP: FEEDBACK

"The £250 allowed Give a Child a Chance to hire a bouncy castle for the Hamoaze House Wellbeing Family Fun Day. It was a lovely, happy day that allowed many local families to experience activities together and maybe consider some different hobbies. Your grant allowed us to give everyone free access to the bouncy castle. It was in constant use all day!"

St Jude's Community Received £250 last winter to support an initiative called 'Hugs from Hub' where we bought warm fleecy throws to give to elderly people to help keep them warm at home. We run a weekly warm/safe space initiative in St Jude's Church that is well-supported, but this project was to show we wanted to extend that warm welcome into people's homes during the cold winter months. [...]

Thanks to the £250 grant, we were able to give away more than a dozen throws to people we knew would appreciate the thought and benefit from the extra warmth, especially those who can't get out when it's very wet/cold. The response was a universal 'thank you for thinking of me'.

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Sharing Shed organisers
Sharing Shed construction volunteers
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Caritas Plymouth [...] has been inspired by one of our schools, Holy Cross in Plymouth who have set up a sharing shed scheme to help families and develop a reciprocal ethos to reuse items that families might not use any more but may be of use to others. This scheme sees parents donate good quality second hand uniform, clothing, books and toys as well as new food items and hygiene products. Thanks to POP we were able to use the £250 towards funding a brand-new sharing shed for Keyham Barton primary school. We bought a shed, boxes and shelving that were gratefully received by the school and that has been filled by kind donations from the parents. One staff member remarked, “This is going to make such a difference for our families in need and is such a good idea.”

GRANT-MAKING POLICIES

POP’s grant-making policies align with our core value: to strengthen grassroots organisations; voluntary organisations; charities and social enterprises through collaboration. We continue to test new approaches focusing on trust and collaboration and in creating - what we believe - is the necessary environment that allows trust and collaboration to flourish.

Our grant-making policies continue to be shaped by our beliefs and values:

• The biggest issues - environmentally and social - are complex.

• No single actor or set of actors can create the change we need.

• Networks and collaboration at a citizen and organisational level, and the behaviours required to be effective, are most likely to allow the changes to emerge.

• Traditional funding processes destroy - not foster - collaboration.

We sincerely hope that the examples we have set, and the impacts we have had, when seen by other funders, might lead to a greater change in how funding takes place in Plymouth and further afield.

As part of our commitment to experiment, POP is constantly investigating and questioning the methods we employ; seeking feedback from our members and our colleagues so that we continue to evolve.

Current POP Funding processes can be found here : - https://www.plymouthoctopus.org/pop funding

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Plymouth Devon Racial Equality Council event

6.6 STRATEGIC WORK

BELONG IN PLYMOUTH - HEALTHY COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

Belong in Plymouth was part of a National Lottery funded project, Healthy Communities Together, that ran from 2022 to 2025. It was intended to explore how better partnership working could happen across five geographical sites between health, statutory and VCSE sectors. Insights from the programme have been fed back to funders seeking to fund cross sector partnerships to address health inequalities.

There were several focus points to Belong in Plymouth in 2024/25. The collected stories were brought into the ‘Map of Belonging’, highlighting the key themes of social isolation and loneliness as understood by the people of Plymouth. This formed the basis of community engagement in Barne Barton and St Budeaux: working in a careful, thoughtful way in a congested neighbourhood, full of existing ‘small p’ politics; disappointments and multiple interventions that had led people to feel “consulted to death”.

The map of belonging

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The team created a piece of ‘entertainment’ based around solving problems and toured five Fun Days to connect with local people. This brought more residents into the work; helped community organisations relax into possibilities and gave an option for other services to create meaningful work with local people.

A 14-week ‘co-creation’ course was held, at which a smaller group of people identified a series of actions leading to solutions to reduce social isolation. They created, published and distributed the first of four quarterly magazines and held three outreach events to listen to other local residents. They are now constituted as a group, building bridges across previously alienated organisations, and continue to deliver inclusive drama sessions, play-and-stay activities, along with other ways of bringing people together.

YOUNG PEOPLE

Belong in Plymouth also supported 11 young people to design their own project to ‘get their voice heard’. The young people commissioned, directed and acted in a documentary which they premiered to an audience of key individuals in Plymouth. They then used the documentary to host three workshops in a community centre, the Council House and Plymouth City College to talk about issues most relevant to them: Special Educational Needs; (a lack of) places and spaces to meet; mental health; education and finance.

They used the hashtags #BelongInPlymouth and #BeMorePlymouth to help create a social media campaign encouraging others in the city to “pledge to fight for the voice of young people.” And they took their campaign to the Houses of Parliament.

Young People launch their campaign at The Plot. Photo credit: Fotonow

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Young People launch their campaign at the Council House. Photo credit: Fotonow

Since returning from Westminster, they have received several invitations to work with secondary schools; the local council; public health, and Active Devon, to ensure the experiences of young people are part of our citywide decision-making processes.

GOOD ENDING & LEGACY

As Belong in Plymouth reached the end of its life in June 2025, it felt important to consider how it might ‘end well’. We have seen how projects can often come to an abrupt stop leaving people ‘in limbo’ or - alternatively- keeping a project going, just for the sake of it.

We spent several months considering its legacy, and designed a number of ‘ending events’ to process emotion, think about the future, and hold the substantial connections that the programme has made across the city.

The voice of citizens is being brought to the fore across much work in Plymouth. Bringing emotion, humanity and relationships to the table is now seen as normal. However, the programme has not been able to address the gaps in capacity (such as time, priority, amount of people working on projects and money) to genuinely create frequent and valued meetings and partnerships across sectors, with both services and service users.

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The pace of work and high turnover of staff within the NHS, conflicting priorities and clashing meetings, all remain barriers to time spent building relationships and creating understanding between sectors and the people they support. There is much work still to be done to explore if these kinds of partnerships can be valued to protect ‘meeting time’. Too often our lack of understanding of each other leads to misconceptions and mistrust. And our systems are built on smaller organisations and teams working with the smallest budgets having to prove to those larger, and better funded, that their work is useful.

ATTENDANCE AT KEY MEETINGS

POP continues to represent the grassroots sector and wider VCSE sector at the Inclusive Growth Group, the Local Care Partnership Delivery Board and the Safer Communities Partnership. This year Imogen, our Capacity Building Manager, was a judge on the West Country Women Awards as part of a panel drawn from the Inclusive Growth Group.

PLYMOUTH PARTNERS & FUNDERS FORUM

POP has continued to host this forum which brings funding providers together in partnership to share strategic and creative dialogue.

We have also continued to be an active member of the South West Funders Forum and, following the October meeting, we hosted a visit in Plymouth for the West of England Impact Alliance in March.

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Sensemaking workshop participants from across Plymouth thinking about belonging in Barne Barton

6.7 COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS

POP PAGE

Our associate, Caroline Blackler, continued to write the monthly POP page.

There were pages dedicated to themes, such as, the climate crisis and the environment; PRIDE; community projects taking place in and around Stonehouse and ‘dance/performance features highlighting inclusive work by Far Flung and the Move to Nurture class (for women affected by cancer).

The regular POP Page also enabled POP to regularly promote, among other things, POP funds; events; the benefits and the service we provide to our members; the wonderful efforts of our members and the many ways in which we are all making a difference across the city.

The content was also included in the monthly mailings and across our social media channels.

Through our communication channels we have profiled the work of many POP members including, for example, Far Flung, Plymouth Dance, Ocean Publishing Library, Plymouth Pride and Nudge Community Builders and raised awareness of other initiatives, such as Plymouth City Council’s Climate Connections initiative and its OUTyouth groups.

£10m Press Release

A press release was sent in January this year to coincide with ten years of POP Ideas and recognise its significant achievement of helping to bring £10 million pounds worth of funding into, and across, the city.

56

Plymouth Hope Festival

Building strong grassroots organisations, charities and social enterprises in Plymouth oOco¢)o Building better by doing more of the same "What we know to be true,. says Simon, -15 that there are many many exprèsslons of Plymouth Ille: mllltary.. dockyard,. universlty,. marina; pirate: bohemian. Afriun. Polish; Ukrainian. All of these expre55ion5- the rlchness and dlfferent values of Ilfe In thls elty - o¥erlapplng as the orbe true Plymouth." Poetry in Motion It 15 the necess￿¥ w 5¢ep Into these ¢5. he e¥ptsitted. the ￿$ th OYeA¥p". the ￿5 the ¢diÈ.. the spaces In - IrLYn ¥Jhlth wp ￿51 relrnaglne r5ofvtt. tt ￿)n't be It wil requiie Ixe C￿r ditference5'. a need for Irealer ery￿￿.. a will1n￿EsS lo hslen and to reilly hear the 5tOriQ5 and eApcnenie5 of 'OlheN' aknii wrtb a deierrninaD￿ io h&d theffl 5alth ibe spatt. fvrth?rmOre. it ￿11 nced al acr055 Nyrnouth WI1￿1 leach ODI beyond theirown boufidaiie5.' le•hlonyTfoJulh wa5 (al to at . The SLVWI. bulb aDd within wr Lwn yew'5 POP c¢xroNnity (e￿￿<1￿10￿. The wctrrfto tsrye its4Wffl path and dthrent N(vrtrer Ihe Slh . IQWhet ro•rly h<￿ ihe eJdth¢ I￿1 sodjl that pner4¢es poys This. It was fÈh. wès lua •1 41 lo "IIBe More Ptyrnculb". Wt ￿4rd il For bptn 4eKnbEd trtVlhx￿￿￿￿￿0sto boshayd Ihe ¢r4syo(rtJ ￿ the rnorty ltyers ol 'yS': ol Ihwson05 ol Ve know that even if all tht grassroots or8anlsadons come to8￿her. we can't meet all the challenges that Plymouth faces. We need the slatulory organlsadons and p￿pIe worklng In sectors. such as, health, educ•don and housln8 to step Into these Ilmlnal spa¢e5 wlth a wlllln&ne55 to work tOKether,' Share real power and Collaborate." C(xbltsatbDn n¢twothIW IO ol bery a crfy 'on the e.. Mltt Odl. one ￿44¢¢. 11.5 4 rulpe lry It ￿p. W￿re hasavdct. * The IEll ol furth8 owjrdtd Io WOJQrts tho t "When we get it right as a city we look and feel more likè Plymouth. We don't look15ke somewhere else." Sta￿ ic welcornt Évewt. hls openlr remarks I￿% 'M¢e'. Sutyrfn#ly. to￿ the form ol 4 puom. hrs1 11 wbs Roadl spoke ol the need Ill. knd5%4dualx, soctor • tlty- t•¢¢)rnrt r¢¥lyconyderouf siryles." oui Indl%4thJal4Dd eolkLtfve ga5t.. thE harm5uused In the pmt yot I￿11 bein8 felt tod4y. Wtt ol the needfo know each othw.. to￿ Ourse￿1￿ ei(hothersol￿¢- Mether- wtcan betbe ehlnio. thtdty • ol te£tU5 Gcoya￿1ral1V(onhnee bvihe rnoor.. Ibcrivet5 h ai Thahh' to cdLibty• th¢ lrtde lor the to wlth thE ¥rse er¢¢ura8in8 8rty POW$ 1+4mSn8 th•arfsrrAnalywe'.th•%pK•in.b•t￿on. hwiweln p￿th ran ma￿that happen Is. 'Let'sexmlne whot's huppened AndnO11¢¢ th¢ pott¢mS th¢t we ml•ht hov¢fvryort¢n rhey 5wlrlondrepeutund pg .IrouDd ihr country. Pwt • (4mp4wc•llcd We're ￿8ht Heie. And lhose starkn DI rfik & Tr￿1￿￿(￿., k5ndnos5 & (￿lIb)ri￿on' Yls5Dn & v5t•llEy t￿￿+b11P1Il￿Ity5P1T1 Ih•¢ltV•Nd othrS IlknuS. And Itlthtrusonwlrywe should •ll •&•￿1•pI￿nc￿bth. we don't even nollce as we hon Dtherpeop US 4nd thp 16EMoiePlyrnouth on Social medla $0 we can %pioad and 8￿cho￿4e is hèppenlng ondltis in the mom now ebth One ihai at thL% b CL￿nny rt into Iwrfflal thai IIWV to the three sep I￿S&n￿)t(omMvnI￿htrrQ ITh Plym￿th rtskè this poem. rtofvtts No o7refvllyphnned rnessrye "As we create the chanKe Sn our platts. lay5ng down the loundadons to make ihai ¢hange last for generadons. we will be doin8 It- securln8 impstment- in a more collective way that bring5 people alOn￿lde us." Justohtmion Hke you, testthg somethlnq new Notsur¢ whot you thlnk. vulneroble ond bore Ilitb Landfxtharye Nu¢ee tharye. st￿." tothkntrtÈim k**trtO The 8ut I do knowsomething ey44alne& Nudgt ha5 We howe whot we need. we 5hurv andshurp." Free workshops & events from POP & POP ideas! Register at bit.ly/popevents POP Outreach: Mutley POP ideas: Taking a Paus• POP Bites: Christmas Social Tu•sd¢)ylO D•e•mb•r Comè to Quakgr Housg to m8et the POP t6om Frldoy13 D•e•mb•r Leorn tools & techniques Tu•sday 17 D0￿mber Come ond celebrate networking the POP way POP Poge - November 2024 57

Since February, Caroline has been focussing on a new project, ‘Grassroots Stories’, to complement our #BelongInPlymouth work and highlight the amazing work of Plymouth’s grassroots organisations.

Caroline has been interviewing founders and participants of projects:

Founders : to highlight the exceptional individuals behind the projects: exploring their life experiences & the circumstances and relationships that have led to the founding of ‘their’ project, attempting to answer questions, such as:

• How did they get where they are today?

• Where does their passion; determination & commitment come from? Why would they choose to set up and run a community project when the experience is often financially insecure, has an (often) unsustainable ‘business model’ relying almost entirely on external funding to keep it going, with little personal financial security?

The ‘stories’ from the individuals that Caroline has interviewed so far have been amazing, inspirational and extraordinary. Read all about: Emma co-founder of The Mindful Art Club, Haidee Dampnee founder of The Tree Project; Joy and Jane, cofounders of the Plymouth Scrapstore; Julia founder of The Chronic Pain Coaching and Jon Dingle founder of Connecting Youth.

: Participants Caroline has also interviewed a single participant from each of these projects to show what a significant and positive difference these projects have had on the health and wellbeing of that individual. Read all about: profound stories of change; of a sense of belonging; of finding a desire ‘to live’ and of finally being able to let go of the past.

POP is aiming to have between 50 and 100 stories. Through this - these many examples -, we intend to show the impact of the individual projects on participants; the collective power of the VCS and the unique qualities of these exceptional people who have established these valuable organisations.

At POP we believe in the power of grassroots stories. Gathering a bank of real, personal stories of change, renewal and belonging - no matter how big or small - helps us showcase and champion the vital role of community across the city.”

-#BelongInPlymouth 8 Grassroots Stories description

#BelongInPlymouth STORIES

NeuDICE CIC was founded by Stu, whose lifelong experience of being forced into rigid education systems, social conventions or even medical diagnoses inspired them to create a supportive space for neurodivergent individuals and entrepreneurs.

For people like Keith, discovering NeuDICE was life-changing in helping him to embrace his autism, rebuild his confidence, and become an advocate and emerging leader for Plymouth's neurodivergent community.

#BelongInPlymouth stories of Stu, founder of NeuDICE & Keith, participant

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Stu (left) and Keith (right)
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POP NEWSLETTER

POP continues to send out a monthly newsletter at the beginning of each month which contains news, events and opportunities from POP, its partners, members and local communities. The newsletter, curated by Rowan Edwards (Comms & Digital Support), is a mix of content from the POP team, POP members’ submissions and content collected over the course of the month via email and social media.

The mailing list consists of nearly 2,500 people.

We also send out a weekly members’ update highlighting and alerting members to immediate opportunities and events.

Furthermore, we send designated newsletters to the Children & Young People Network (compiled by Stuart Jones with Rowan Edwards) and Belong in Plymouth (compiled by Karen Pilkington). These are sent to 234 and 440 subscribers, respectively.

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----- Start of picture text -----
POP Members:
Mindful Art Club team
----- End of picture text -----

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#BelongInPlymouth STORIES

When Joy saw local children without materials to play or create, she teamed up with Jane to build Plymouth Scrapstore, a creative sanctuary offering an abundance of materials, built by decades of care & vision.

For people like Maki, once isolated and living in a van, Scrapstore became a turning point. Through volunteering, he found stability, a profound sense of worth, and a sense of belonging among the ‘funny, generous and kind’ people with whom he now works.

#BelongInPlymouth stories: Joy, founder of Plymouth Scrapstore & Maki, participant

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----- Start of picture text -----
rernie. |iia F —==e [==] :
; ———— 61
Joy (left) and Maki (right) =A ‘ j= a =
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SOCIAL MEDIA

POP continues to have a strong presence on social media for both the Plymouth Octopus and POP Ideas accounts. We no longer use Twitter and we are now on LinkedIn.

Following the rebranding of Twitter to X (July 2023) and a sense that the platform was ‘deteriorating’, the team agreed that maintaining POP’s presence on X was a political choice that did not align with POP’s values. The POP account was therefore deleted.

We reduced our accounts on Facebook and Instagram to one profile per platform to focus our posting and reduce confusion. Multiple profiles/groups such as “Community Guru” Instagrams and Facebook accounts were deleted. Currently maintained by Raphaelle Ahmad (Administrator & Social Media), our socials share information available in the POP newsletter and POP Ideas’s newsletter as well as the ‘stories’ highlighting the amazing work that our members do; their commitment to their participants and the positive social change of these grassroots organisations on individuals’s health and wellbeing.

We also share updates on POP Ideas workshops; POP funding, networking events and we promote members’ events. Our socials therefore aim to reflect an up-to-date, interactive and responsive online presence.

Consistency

Through consistent posting on all platforms, POP’s social media is gradually and efficiently gaining followers, with quality being prioritised over quantity. Currently, the capacity for posting across all platforms is 2-3 posts a week, scheduled in advance and spread evenly throughout the weeks.

Instagram seems to be the platform on which POP generates the most engagement, therefore, consistent story-sharing on Instagram remains the most effective way of reaching our audiences, even on days where posting is not possible (due to a lack of capacity, for example). It is also an effective way to reach out to non-followers and gain engagement.

Growth through collaboration

Through engaging, tagging, sharing and interacting with followers on social media, POP’s engagement has been steadily increasing.

Our posts consist of a balance between POP original content (such as events, funding opportunities, POP Ideas Workshops, blog posts, etc.), paired with resharing POP sponsored events, partners work, etc.

62

#BelongInPlymouth STORIES

Roots to Rise CIC was founded by Janine Boylin to provide compassionate wig care for patients experiencing hair loss, inspired by her cousin's cancer journey.

Partnering with wig specialist Hayley, the project offers a private, supportive space for patients. This year it has been awarded one of three (coveted) NHS wig specialist contracts in Devon as well as a collaborative grant from POP Collectives with Move to Nurture and The Primrose Foundation.

BelongInPlymouth stories: Janine & Hayley, organisers of Roots to Rise

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----- Start of picture text -----
Janine (left) with a Hannah, Roots to Rise participant (right)
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63 & ia

Our Reach

A total of LinkedIn 2,992 followers to 568 date across all platforms: Facebook 1,024

1,400

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Instagram

1. FINANCIAL REVIEW 65

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Income

• Esmee Fairbairn £312,000

• Core funds £68,949

• Belong in Plymouth £128,772

• Men's Mental Health Collective £26,000

• Suicide Prevention Grants £45,000

RESERVES POLICY

The reserves policy specifies that in the event of POP having to cease its activities, sufficient funds should be available to pay for the cost of two to three months of charitable operation to cover the wind-down period and the redundancy costs of any remaining staff. The financial position against the policy is reviewed every quarter.

For designated reserves on occasion of POP’s funding reducing and/or stopping:

The Trustees have established a level of free unrestricted reserves that the charity requires to bridge funding gaps to enable POP to continue activities for a period of at least six months. The Trustees consider that a contingency fund of £100,000 would be appropriate. The general fund currently stands at £123,338 (2023: £70,638)

For redundancy payments should the charity cease to trade:

To provide for the payment of redundancy in the event of our funding ceasing, trustees consider that a designated fund of £25,000 would be required. The fund currently stands at £25,000 (2024: £25,000).

Income £580,721

POP has had another positive year. Much of the surplus is held in restricted reserves.

Expenditure £630,719

We hold a Contingency fund of £25,000 to cover redundancy payments.

MONEY HELD ON ACCOUNT

The charity has held funds on account for:

Health Determinant Research Collaborative - £7,290 Ideas Space - £913

RISK MANAGEMENT

The trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that systems have been established that enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen the risks. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects.

Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers and clients. External risks, such as, over reliance on one funding source is a matter of significant focus with continued development of the rationale and description of POP’s work and, more generally, the role of infrastructure in ensuring strong and healthy communities.

Over the next year this will continue to develop and be used to secure greater diversity in income

Plymouth Devon Racial Equality Council event

67

Photo - www.danceforlifedevon.co.uk ees

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Photo credit: Fotonow
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8. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

68

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Our ‘learning’, reflections and POP’s current situation lead us to conclude that: We cannot spend the next year playing the ‘same old game’

We must dig deep and think about how we can be bold in that which we are aiming for.

Our aspiration which ties all of this together is to reimagine Plymouth as a city of flourishing neighbourhoods.

Our ambition is to see a city of flourishing neighbourhoods that connect to strong city governance systems and work in harmony with regenerative material and natural systems. This aspiration, which ties together all our learning and action, is rooted in the belief that systemic transformation must be grounded at the neighbourhood level.

We’ve chosen ‘flourishing’, but the reality is somewhere between these words:

Caring | Just | Equitable | Regenerative | Resilient | Healthy | Safe | Wealthy | Resourced | Prosperous | Thriving | Solidarity

with ‘Human’ and ‘Nature’ at the centre.

69

Photo - www.danceforlifedevon.co.uk

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9. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

70

GOVERNING DOCUMENTS & OBJECTS

Plymouth VCSE (POP) was approved by the Charity Commission on 7th June 2016 and is a registered charity No. 1167515, CIO Number CE007437. The objects of the charity are to promote the voluntary sector and to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of other charitable organisations for the benefit of the public in Plymouth and its environs.

GOVERNANCE & TRUSTEE APPOINTMENTS

New trustees are elected and appointed at POP’s Annual General Meetings. They are also co-opted during the year, as opportunities arise, to then be elected for a full term at the AGM. 10% of members are required to attend the AGM as are the new elected trustees.

Trustees meet every month avoiding the need for sub committees. .

The trustees who have served during the period under review are set out below.

TRUSTEE TRAINING & INDUCTION

All new trustees are welcomed onto the Board and an informal induction process starts. Trustees are given access to all organisational documentation and encouraged to integrate into the team.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS; TRUSTEES’ EXPENSES & REMUNERATION

Related party transactions; trustees’ expenses & remuneration

A number of trustees received a small amount of remuneration for work within a collaborative structure. This was noted and discussed at Trustees meetings. There were only small payments made to a minority of trustees. This is a well-managed tension for POP as the trustees are often members of the communities we seek to support.

71

STAFF

• Raphaelle Ahmad (joined October 2024) Matt Bell

• Rowan Edwards Stuart Jones Patrycja Loranc (joined May 2024)

• Karen Pilkington

• Imogen Potter Simon Travers Claire Law (left May 2024) Deborah Penprase (left May 2024)

ASSOCIATES

• Caroline Blackler

• Rebekah Coombes Juliette Jackson

• Stephane Kolinsky Martyn Lowesmith

• Susan Moores

• Paul Read (left November 2024)

• Gareth Hart

• Matilde Zadig

• Rebecca Muncey Kiven Emmanuel Simon Sherbersky

• Molly McCarthy (April 2024 - September 2024)

• Madina Ibrahim (September 2023 - April 2024)

TRUSTEES

The role of a trustee is vital for POP. They form the heart of the connection back into the grassroots sector as well as bringing much-valued skills and experience to the work. Over the last year we have said goodbye to some and welcomed others: .

• Alan Butler (resigned Feb 2025) Emma Handley Jon Dingle (resigned November 2024) Martin Mills (resigned November 2024) Sally Walker Slain McGough Davey Stu Watson

A very special thanks goes to Alan who has served as a POP Trustee since it started in 2017. He has brought such immense value to the work and will be missed as a Trustee. We are delighted that he will remain as an honorary member of the Board.

Chairperson Peter McGough Davey

• Tania Nana

72

LEGAL &

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Charity Name and Number

Plymouth VCSE (POP)

Registered charity number: 1167515.

PRINCIPAL OFFICE

Box No. 48 HQ Building 237 Union Street Plymouth Devon PL1 3HQ

Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered on 7th June 2016.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS

Wills Accountants Ltd 2 Endeavour House Parkway Court Longbridge Road Plymouth PL6 8LR

BANKERS

CAF Bank Ltd. 25 Kings Hill Avenue West Malling Kent

73

10. STATEMENT OF

TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS 102); make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy - at any time - the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the board of trustees on 4th Nov 2025

Trustee Name: Signature:

74

11. ACCOUNTS

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS102);

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

• state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed , subject to any material

• departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the board of trustees on 04 November 2025

………………………………………………..

Peter Davey Trustee

75

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Plymouth VCSE

Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees

on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 75 to 93

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

Asthecharity'strustees you areresponsibleforthepreparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the charity'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

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 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 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 that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. 2.the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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

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.

Mr Philip Wood Soutter FCCA

for and on behalf of

Wills Accountants Ltd

Chartered Certified Accountants

2 Endeavour House

Parkway Court Longbridge Road Plymouth PL6 8LR

The date upon which my opinion is expressed is :- 04 November 2025

76

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Statement of Financial Activities

for the year ended 31 March 2025

10 10 Notes Other Incoming Resources Total income and endowments Expenditure on Total expenditure (Net (expenditure)/net income before transfers between funds Gross transfers between funds (Net (expenditure))/net income before Other recognised gains and losses Other recognised gains and losses Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total Funds carried forward Income and endowments from: Incoming resources from generated funds Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment Income Charitable activities Costs ofcharitableactivities Other costs	65,228 3,010 711 - - Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds 2025 £ 2025 £ 511,772 - - - - Total Funds 2025 £ 577,000 3,010 711 - - Last Year Total Funds Restated 2024 £ 827,245 6,269 880 - -
	68,949 511,772 580,721 834,394
	30,682 3,489 596,548 - 627,230 3,489 694,025 3,262
	34,171 596,548 630,719 697,287
	34,778 - (84,776) - (49,998) - 137,107 -
	34,778 (84,776) (49,998) 137,107
	- - - -
	106,971 34,778 287,440 (84,776) 394,411 (49,998) 257,304 137,107
	141,749 202,664 344,413 394,411

The net movement in funds referred to above is the net incoming resources as defined in the Statement of Recommended Practice (The SORP) and is reconciled to the total funds as shown in the Balance Sheet on page 79 as required by the SORP.

All activities derive from continuing operations

The notes on pages 81 to 88 form an integral part of these accounts.

The notes on pages 81 to 88 form an integral part of these accounts.
Excess of Expenditure over income before realisation of assets Profit per Profit and Loss account Gains on revaluation of fixed assets for charity's own use Grants for the acquisition of fixed assets Net Movement in funds before taxation Statement of Total RecognisedGainsandLosses for the year ended 31 March 2025	2025 (49,998) Restated 2024 137,107
	(49,998) - - 137,107 - -
	(49,998) 137,107

77

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Movements in revenue and capital funds for the year ended 31 March 2025

Revenue accumulated funds	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Total	Last year
	Funds	Funds	Funds	Funds	Total Funds
	2025	2025	2025	2025	2024
					Restated
		£	£	£	£
Accumulated funds brought forward	28,772	78,199	287,440	394,411	257,304
Recognised gains and losses before transfers	(3,772)	38,550 (3,772)	(84,776)	(49,998)	137,107 (49,998)
Dividend payments made		-	-	-	-
	25,000	116,749	202,664	344,413	394,411
Transfers between restricted and unrestricted funds	-	-	-	-	-
Transfers (to)/from designated funds	-	-	-	-	-
Transfers (to)/from revaluation reserve	-	-	-	-		-
Transfers (to)/from fixed asset funds	-	-	-	-		-
Closing revenue accumulated funds	25,000	116,749	202,664	344,413	3 9	4 , 4 1 1
Designated revenue funds				Total	Last year

Designated revenue funds	Designated revenue funds	Designated revenue funds
Designated revenue funds		Designated revenue funds		Total	Last year
				Funds	Total Funds
					Restated
				2025	2024
				£	£
At 1 April Recognised gains and losses before		At 1 April Recognised gains and losses before		28,772	95,460
transfers	Transfer	(to)/from	revenue	(3,772)	(3,772) (50)
accumulated	accumulated funds	Transfers	(to)/from	-	(66,638)
revaluation	reserve	reserve Transfer	(to)/from	-	-
designated fixed asset funds At 31 March		designated fixed asset funds At 31 March		-	-
				25,000	2 8 , 7 7 2

The purposes for which the designated funds have been established are described in the notes to the accounts

Summary of funds	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Designated Unrestricted Restricted	Total	Last Year
	Funds	Funds	Funds	Funds	Total Funds
					Restated
	2025	2025	2025	2025	2024
Issued share capital	-	-	-	-	-
Revenue accumulated funds	-	116,749	202,664	319,413	365,639
Revenue designated funds	25,000	-	-	25,000	28,772
Total funds	25,000	116,749	202,664	344,413	394,411

The notes on pages 81 to 88 form an integral part of these accounts.

78

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025

	Notes	2025	2025	2024	2024
				Restated	Restated
Fixed assets
Intangible assets			-		-
Tangible assets			2,445		3,954
Investments :-
Total fixed assets			2,445		3,954
Current assets
Debtors		4,469		12,844
Cash at bank and in hand		366,465		400,933
Total current assets		370,934		413,777
Creditors:-
amounts due within one year		(28,966)		(23,320)
Net current assets			341,968		390,457
Total assets less current liabilities			344,413		394,411
Creditors:-
amounts due after more than one year			-		-
Net assets excluding pension asset / liability			344,413		394,411
Net assets including pension asset / liability			344,413		394,411
The funds of the charity :
Unrestricted income funds
Unrestricted revenue accumulated funds	10	116,749		78,199
Designated revenue funds	10	25,000		28,772
Total unrestricted funds			141,749		106,971
Restricted revenue funds
Restricted revenue accumulated funds	10	202,664		287,440
Total restricted funds			202,664		287,440
Total charity funds			344,413		394,411

Thefinancialstatementswereapproved and authorised for issue by the Board on 04 November 2025 Signed on behalf of the board of Trustees

Peter Davey Trustee The notes on pages 81 to 88 form an integral part of these accounts.

79

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Cash Flow Statement

for the year ended 31 March 2025

	Notes	2025	2024
			Restated
		£	£
Cash flow from operating activities	13	(35,227)	125,006
Interest paid		-	-
Net cash flow from operating activities		(35,227)	125,006
Cash flow from investing activities
Payments to acquire intangible fixed assets		-	-
Receipts from sales of intangible fixed assets		-	-
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets		-	(1,069)
Receipts from sales of tangible fixed assets		-	-
Payments to acquire investments		-	-
Receipts from sales of investments		-	-
Interest received		711	880.00
Net cash flow from investing activities		711	(189)
Cash flow from financing activities
Receipts from issue of new long term loans		-	-
Repayment of long term loans		-	-
Interest paid		-	-
Net cash flow from financing activities		-	-
Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(34,516)	124,817
Cash at bank and in hand less overdrafts at 1 April		400,933	276,116
Cash at bank and in hand less overdrafts at 31 March		366,417	400,933
Cash and cash equivalents consists of:
Cash at bank and in hand		366,465	400,933
Overdrafts		(48.00)	-
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March		366,417	400,933

80

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

• 1 Accounting policies The principle accounting policies are summarised below. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the year and the preceding year.

(a) General information and basis of preparation

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England / Wales . The address of the principle office is given in the charity information on page 74 of these financial statements.

The charity’s operations and principal activities are directed towards furthering charitable purposes for the public benefit in Plymouth and the surrounding area, in ways that are exclusively charitable under the laws of England and Wales. In particular, the charity focuses on supporting, developing, and representing the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical costconvention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

(b) Incoming Resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charityis legallyentitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fullymet or the fulfilment of those conditionsis within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

Donated facilities and donated professional services are recognised in income at their fair value when their economic benefit is probable, it can be measured reliablyand the charityhas control over the item. Fair value is determined on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity. For example, the amount the charity would be willing to pay in the open market for such facilities and services. A corresponding amount is recognised in expenditure.

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP. Further detail is given in the Trustees’ Annual Report.

Where practicable, gifts in kind donated for distribution to the beneficiaries of the charity are included in stock and donationsin the financial statementsupon receipt.If itis impracticable to assessthe fairvalue atreceipt orif the costs to undertake such a valuation outweigh anybenefits, then the fair value isrecognised asa componentof donationswhen it is distributed and an equivalent amount recognised as charitable expenditure.

Gifts in kind donated forresale are included atfair value,being the expected proceedsfrom sale less the expected costs of sale. Where estimating the fair value is practicable upon receipt it is recognised in stock and ‘Income from other trading activities’. Upon sale, the value of the stock is charged against ‘Income from other trading activities’ and the proceeds are recognised as ‘Income from other trading activities’. Where it is impracticable to fair value the items due to the volume of low value items they are not recognised in the financial statements until they are sold. This income is recognised within ‘Income from other trading activities’.

Fixed asset gifts in kind are recognised when receivable and are included at fair value. They are not deferred over the life of the asset.

For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the charity being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received. At this point income is recognised. On occasion legacies will be notified to the charity however it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed.

Other income includes the conversion of endowment funds into income which arises when capital funds are released to an income fund from expendable endowments or when a charity has authority to adopt a total return approach to its permanent endowment fund. It also includes other income such as gains on disposals of tangible fixed assets.

(c) Expenditure recognition

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties,itis probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:

• Costsofgeneratingfundswhichcomprisethecostsassociatedwithattractingvoluntaryincomeandthecostsof trading for fundraising purposes.

81

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

• Expenditure on charitable activities which comprises of costs incurred by the charity in delivering its activities and services to beneficiaries. This includes both costs that can be directlyattributed to these activities and indirect costs that are necessary to support them.

• Other expenditure represents those items not falling into the categories above.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as an expense against the activity for which expenditure arose

Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity.

Fundraising costs

Fundraising costs are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the cost of disseminating information in support of the charitable activities.

Governance costs

Governance costs shall include all expenditure directly related to the administration of the charity including expenditure incurred in the management of the charity's assets, organisational administration and compliance with charitable and statutory requirements.

Other Costs

Other costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity and those items not falling into the categories above.

All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the SoFA on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource.

Charitable giving:Asa charityPlymouth VCSE(POP+)are proud that,when fundsallow,theyblessothercharities. Such donations are shown under "Grant disbursements " within these accounts.

(d) Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

Recognition of liabilities

Liabilities are recognised on the accruals basis in accordance with normal accounting principles, modified where necessary in accordance with the guidance given in the SORP.

(e) Impairment

Assets not measured at fair value are reviewed for any indication that the asset maybe impaired at each balance sheet date. If such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, orthe asset’scash generating unit, isestimated and compared to the carrying amount. Where the carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss unless the asset is carried at a revalued amount where the impairment loss is a revaluation decrease.

(f) Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the charity has an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount can be reliably estimated.

(g) Taxation As a registered charity, the organisation is an exempt charitywithin the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.

(h) Fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Leasehold improvements	– Straight line over the life of the lease
ICT equipment	– 5 years straight line
Office Equipment	– 5 years straight line

(i) Funds structure policy

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity 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 charity for particular purposes. The cost 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.

There is no formal policy of transfer between funds or on the allocation of funds to designated funds, other than that described above.

Any other proposed transfer between funds would be considered on the particular circumstances.

82

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

• 2 Going Concern The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.

(Deficit)/surplus for the financial year

3

	2025	2024
	£	£
This is stated after crediting :-
Depreciation of owned fixed assets	1,509	1,462
Independent Examiner's Fees	1,980	1,800
	3,489	3,262
	2025	2024
	£	£
These deferrals are included in creditors	1,847	1,190

The deferrals included in creditors relate to those grants and donations specified by the donors as relating to specific periods and represent those parts of the grants or donations which relate to periods subsequent to the accounting year end and are treated as grants in advance, or alternatively where there are conditions which must be fulfilled prior to entitlement or use of the grant or donation by the charity.

4 Resources received and paid as intermediaries for third parties

Received as principals and included in the Statement of Financial Activities

	Opening	Received	Released	Closing
	Funds	in year	in year	Funds
	£	£	£	£
Health Determinate Research Collaborative	-	10,301	(5,031)	5,270
Local Studies Days for Heritage Network	-	213	-	213
40 Project	-	1,200	(237)	963
Total	-	11,714	(5,268)	6,446
The equivalent total last year was	1,699	-	(1,699)	-

The opening and closing funds above are represented by the assets and liabilities held by the charity as a intermediary.

5 Staff Costs and Emoluments

Staff Costs and Emoluments
Staff Costs and Emoluments	2025	2024
	£	£
Gross Salaries	165,631	201,021
Employer's National Insurance	7,691	10,959
Pension Contributions	3,446	3,994
Consultancy & Associates fees	232,244	176,889
	409,012	392,863

There was no remuneration or expenses paid to the Trustees in the year (2024 - £Nil) The average number of staff in the year totaled 8 (2024 : 10) There were no employees with emoluments in excess of £60,000 per annum

• 6 Tangible functional fixed assets

Tangible functional fixed assets
	Office
	Equipment
	£
Asset cost, valuation or revalued amount
At 1 April 2024	12,245
Additions	-
At 31 March 2025	12,245
Accumulated depreciation and impairment provisions
At 1 April 2024	8,291
Depreciation on revaluation	-
Charge for the year	1,509
At 31 March 2025	9,800
Net book value
At 31 March 2025	2,445
At 31 March 2024	3,954

83

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7	Debtors				2025	2024
					£	£
	Trade debtors				890	7,554
	Prepaid expenses				3,579	5,290
					4,469	12,844
8	Creditors: amounts falling due within one year				2025	2024
					£	£
	Bank loans and overdrafts				48	-
	Trade creditors				8,265	12,928
	Accrued expenses				12,360	9,202
	Funds held for third parties	See note 4			6,446	-
	Deferred income and grants in advance				1,847	1,190
					28,966	23,320
9	Analysis of the Net Movement in Funds				2025	2024
					£	£
	Net movement in funds from Statement of Financial Activities				(49,998)	137,107
	Net resources applied on functional fixed assets				-	(1,069)
	Net movement in funds available for future activities				(49,998)	136,038
10	Analysis of Individual Funds and of assets and liabilities representing funds
	At 31 March 2025	Unrestricted		Designated	Restricted	Total
		funds	funds	funds	funds	Funds
		£		£	£	£
	Tangible Fixed Assets		248	-	2,197	2,445
	Current Assets	132,870		25,000	213,064	370,934
	Current Liabilities	(16,369)		-	(12,597)	(28,966)
		116,749		25,000	202,664	344,413
	Restated
	At 1 April 2024	Unrestricted		Designated	Restricted	Total
		funds		funds	funds	Funds
		£		£	£	£
	Tangible Fixed Assets	500		-	3,454	3,954
	Current Assets	81,104		28,772	303,901	413,777
	Current Liabilities	(3,405)		-	(19,915)	(23,320)
		78,199		28,772	287,440	394,411

84

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

	Funds at	Movements	Transfers	Funds at
	2024	in	Between	2025
	Restated	Funds	funds
		as below
	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted:
Free Reserves (General Fund)	78,199	38,550	-	116,749
Designated Reserves:
Contingency Fund - Redundancy	25,000	-	-	25,000
Contingency Fund - Working Capital VCSEP	- 3,772	- (3,772)	- -	- -
Restricted funds
Esmee Fairbairn	183,082	(33,768)	-	149,314
HDRC	288	-	-	288
Mens MH Collective	-	25,996	-	25,996
Fair Shares	15,000	(15,000)	-	-
Suicide Prevention	4,900	(4,475)	-	425
Unify Plymouth (PCC CMF)	10,975	-	-	10,975
National Lottery Community Fund - (HCT)	73,195	(57,529)		15,666
	394,411	(49,998)	-	344,413
Analysis of movements in funds as shown in the table above
	Incoming	Outgoing	Gains &	Movement
	Resources	Resources	Losses	in funds
	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted:
Free Reserves (General Fund)	68,949	(30,399)	-	38,550
Designated Reserves:
Contingency Fund - Redundancy	-	-	-	-
Contingency Fund - Working Capital	-	-	-	-
VCSEP	-	(3,772)	-	(3,772)
Restricted funds
Esmee Fairbairn	312,000	(345,768)	-	(33,768)
HDRC	-	-	-	-
Mens MH Collective	26,000	(4)	-	25,996
Fair Shares	-	(15,000)	-	(15,000)
Suicide Prevention	45,000	(49,475)	-	(4,475)
Unify Plymouth (PCC CMF)	-	-	-	-
National Lottery Community Fund - (HCT)	128,772	(186,301)	-	(57,529)
	580,721	(630,719)	-	(49,998)

85

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

11 Grant Allocation

Grant Allocation
	Funding	Amount
Organisation	Source	£
Art & Energy CIC, Far Flung Dance Theatre CIC, Sewcial Guild	EFF	5,263.16
Aslan	EFF	250.00
Association MoveUp	EFF	250.00
Barne Barton Community Forum	HCT	247.82
Big Sis CIC	EFF	219.60
Big Sis CIC	EFF	30.40
Bikespace CIC	SP	7,200.00
Bikespace CIC, The Albion Workshop & Drift Advice	EFF	5,263.16
Caritas Plymouth	EFF	250.00
Cattedown Social Club	EFF	97.95
Cattedown Social Club	EFF	97.95
Cattedown Social Club	EFF	26.43
Cattedown Social Club	EFF	21.27
Cattedown Social Club	EFF	4.10
Chaddlewood Friends & Neighbours Society	EFF	250.00
Character Creation Roleplaying CIC	SP	6,130.00
Chronic Pain Coaching UK	SP	6,820.00
Clean Our Patch CIC	EFF	250.00
Climate Action Plymouth	EFF	155.88
Connecting Youth CIC, Plymouth Football Bootbank, St Aidan's Church	EFF	5,263.16
Creative Roots CIC	EFF	228.72
Developing Natural Arts	SP	5,263.16
Emotional Logic Centre	EFF	250.00
Food is Fun CIC, Plymouth Menopause Network, Aras Food Festivals Ltd, Jabulani	EFF	5,263.16
Fotonow CIC, Plymouth Arts Cinema, Red Velvet Cinema Freedom Community Festival	EFF EFF	5,263.16 250.00
Freedom community festival group, Freedom
Fields Community, Friends of Freedom Fields
Park, Onward community and wellbeing group	EFF	5,263.16
LTD, Old Plymouth Society
Fridays Crafternoon	EFF	136.00
Fridays Crafternoon Friends of Efford Marsh, High View School PTA, Efford Community Network	EFF EFF	114.00 5,263.16
Glad Rags	EFF	250.00
Grow4Good South West Ltd	EFF	250.00
Heal Your Confidence	EFF	250.00
Ivybridge Junior Netball Club	EFF	250.00
Karate in the Community CIC	EFF	250.00
Manifest UK	EFF	250.00
NeuDICE CIC, Queer Out Loud CIC, Disability Enabling Network	EFF	5,263.16
Nudge Community Builders Ltd	EFF	50,000.00
Obsidian Support Service	EFF	250.00
Old Plymouth Society	EFF	25.00
Old Plymouth Society	EFF	25.00
Pets and Picasso Pillars of Wellness & Wellbeing CIC	SP SP	5,000.00 6,170.00
Plymouth & Devon Racial Equality Council, All
Nations Ministries, Students and Refugees Together	EFF	5,263.16
Plymouth Adult Aspergers Group Plymouth Artists Together Plymouth Cycling Campaign Plymouth Football Bootbank Plymouth Hub for Climate Justice Plymouth Hub for Climate Justice, Climate Action	EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF	250.00 250.00 176.63 250.00 250.00
Plymouth, Climate Clarity	EFF	5,263.16
Plymouth Jollof Kitchen	EFF	250.00

86

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
Plymouth Methodist Central Hall	EFF	250.00
Plymouth Proprietary Library	EFF	250.00
Plymouth Proprietary Library	EFF	250.00
Plymouth Scrapstore CIC	EFF	250.00
Plymouth Soroptimists	EFF	250.00
Plymouth Woodcraft Folk	EFF	250.00
Precious Plastic Plymouth and Tavistock CIC, SKATEtotheMAX CIC, The Flax Project CIC	EFF	5,263.16
Puzzle Academy	EFF	250.00
Queen Bee Production	EFF	164.84
Queen Bee Production	EFF	85.16
Queer Out Loud CIC	SP	8,042.11
Roots to Rise CIC	EFF	250.00
Seadream Education CIC	EFF	250.00
SKATEtotheMAX CIC Snapdragons Plymouth CIC Soldo Soldo Soul Singers CIC St Chad's Church St Jude's Community Hub, Plymouth	EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF	250.00 250.00 (534.05) (57.60) 250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00
The Crafts Workshop CIC The Crafts Workshop CIC, Art, Craft & Laughter	EFF	5,263.16
CIC, Wellbeing Workshops Devon CIC	EFF	250.00
The Flax Project CIC The Greenhouse Hub CIC, Borrow Don't Buy,	EFF	5,263.16
Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support	EFF	250.00
The Habesha Community in Plymouth	EFF	250.00
The Megaphone Zine	EFF	250.00
The Photobook Project CIC	EFF	250.00
The Social Change Nest CIC (The Social Change Nest) The Social Change Nest CIC (The Social Change Nest) The Social Change Nest CIC (The Social Change Nest) The Tree Project CIC Timebank South West Ukrainian Culture Unity Through Volleyball Wellbeing Choir White Cross Training Wise Roots CIC,Pollenize,Tulgey Woods Sanctuary CIC WonderZoo Woolwell in Bloom Group	EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF Total	250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 5,263.16 800.00 250.00 182,374.61
	Rounded for Accounts	182,375.00

Funding Source key

EFF - Esmee Fairbairn

HCT - The National Lottery Community Fund

FS - Plymouth City Council Fair shares

PTC - Power to Change through the SIMPL project G - General Fund

UP - Unify Plymouth

SP - Suicide Prevention

87

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Notes tothe Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

12 Purpose of Restricted Funds Received

Esmee Fairbairn

SIMPL

Big Lottery - Building Better Opportunities

To contribute to the running of the organisation and the support it provides to the voluntary sector in Plymouth.

Social Investment Made Simple (SIMPL) project to bring together investors, commissioners and service providers to explore transformative impact of social investment across Devon - specifically focus on supporting people to age well, including supporting community businesses. This funding is to support and help people back to work project. The funding stream is over three years.

Keyham Community Sparks

Plymouth City Council - CMF

Grant making and support for grassroots groups and projects in the Keyham community in response to the Keyham shooting. This funding is to support the coming together of diverse communities

High Street Heritage Action Zone This funding is to support communities to learn about the city centre's historic post-war plan for Plymouth. Plymouth City Council Wellbeing Grants Grants to improve wellbeing and develop approaches to suicide prevention.

NHS Cost of Living Grants for local grassroots groups to support the impact of the cost of living.

NAVCA Cost of Living The National Lottery Community Fund - Healthy

Plymouth City Council Fair shares

small grants for grassroots groups to cover associated costs of increased cost of living. Healthy Communities Together: to improve collaboration between

For making grants to grassroots groups to improve health & wellbeing outcomes.

contribution to a 16 month programme of work that will support POP’s development as a VCSE infrastructure organisation, catalyst Power to Change of community initiatives and democratic small grant distributor. It is funding both for projects on the path to becoming community businesses and for local support infrastructure in Plymouth.

13Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities

	2025	2024
	£	£
		Restated
Net Income/Expenditure	(49,998)	137,107
Interest Receivable	(711)	(880)
Depreciation and Impairment of Tangible Fixed Assets	1,509	1,462
Amortisation of goodwill and intangible assets	-	-
Increase in debtors	8,375	(1,360)
Decrease in creditors	5,598	(11,323)
	(35,227)	125,006

88

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Appendices to the Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

The following appendices are attached to detail the activity analysis required by the 2019 Revision of the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting issued by the Charity Commissioners for England & Wales.

1. Analysis of Total Incoming & Outgoing Resources by Activity

2. Analysis of Total Support Costs by Activity

3. Analysis of charitable expenditure by activity

89

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts Appendix 1

Analysis of Total Incoming & Outgoing Resources by Activity for the year ended 31 March 2025

Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment Income Charitable activities Other Total Income Expenditure on: Charitable activities Other Total resources expended Net Incoming Resources by activity	Fund £ 65,228 3,010 711 - - £ Unrestricted Designated Fund Fund General VCSEP - - - - - Esmee Fairbairn £ 312,000 - - - - 26,000 Mens MH Collective - - £ Fair Shares - - - - - Restricted Funds National Lottery Community Fund - (HCT) £ Suicide Prevention £ 45,000 128,772 - - - - - - - - 2025 2024 Total Total £ Restated 827,245 6,269 880 - - £ 577,000 3,010 711 - -
	68,949 - 312,000 26,000 - 45,000 128,772 580,721 834,394
	26,910.00 3,489 3,772.00 - 345,768.00 - 4.00 - 15,000.00 - 49,475.00 - 186,301.00 627,230 3,489 - 694,025 3,262
	30,399 3,772 345,768 4 15,000 49,475 186,301 630,719 697,287
	38,550 (3,772) (33,768) 25,996 (15,000) (4,475) (57,529) (49,998) 137,107

90

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Appendix 2

Analysis of Total Support Costs by Activity for the year ended 31 March 2025

for the year ended 31 March 2025
	Unrestricted Designated Fund Fund			Restricted Funds
	General Fund	VCSEP	Esmee Fairbairn Mens MH Collective		Fair Shares	Suicide Prevention			National Lottery Community Fund - (HCT)	2025 Total	2024 Total
Nature of support costs										£	£
Sal ari es	(31,288)	3,649	139,821	-	15,000.00	4,800			33,649	165,631	201,021
Tax & NI	2,580	-	4,469	-	-			-	642	7,691	10,959
Pensi ons Associates & Sub-contractors Advertising & Marketing Grant disbursements Grant returned to funder	1,263 2 9,776.00 4 48.00 -	- - - - -	1,883 57,925.00 137,502.00 200.00	- - - - -	- - - - -	4 4,625.00 - - -			300 144,543.00 - 248.00	3,446 232,244 648 182,375 -	3,994 176,889 1,511 259,200 -
Bookkeeping/Financial Admin	- -	-	-	-	-	-			-	-	-
Staff Expenses Office Rent and Rates Events / venue hire Telephone/broadband/mobiles Insurance Professional fees Independent Examiners Fees Website/email hosting	3,621 432 4 ,109 2 ,522 2,950 674 1,980 -	- - - - - - - -	- 1 , 1 8 4 - 1 , 1 9 8 - - - -	4 - - - - - -	- - - - - - - -	- - - - - -	5	0	- 436 - 3,165 - - - -	5,245 432 8,522 2,522 2,950 674 1,980	4,983 2,215 16,397 2,311 1,847 983 1,800
Admin (Printing/Stationery/Postage) Membership & Subscriptions Training (Delivery & CPD) Travel/subsistence	1 29 3,432 -	- 123	- - 1 , 5 7 8 -	- - - -	- - - -	- - - -			- 917 480	- 1,046 5,613 -	- 630 2,424 325
IT Support/Software Bank charges Sundries/Misc/Equipment Bad debts	1,183 4,833 246	- - - -	8 - -	- - - -	- - - -	- - -			- 1,131 790 -	2,322 5,623 246 -	2,514 5,663 145 14
Depreci ati on	-	- -	-	-	-	- -			-	-	-
	-		-	-					-	1,509	1,462
	1 , 5	- 0 9	-			-			-
Total support costs analysed by activi	30,399	3,772	345,768	4	15,000	49,475			186,301	630,719	697,287
	-	-	-	-	-			-	-
		2025	2024
		£	£
The above amounts are shown in the accounts as
Support costs for charitable activities		444,855	434,825
Grantmaking to achieve the objects of the charity		182,375	259,200
Total Other costs		3,489	3,262
		630,719	697,287

The basis of allocation of costs and the methods used are described in note 1 to the accounts

91

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Schedule to the Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025 Status of this schedule to the Statement of Financial Activities

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Period
	Funds	Funds	Funds	Total Funds
	2025	2025	2025	2024
	£	£	£	£
				Restated
Incoming Resources
Incoming resources of a revenue nature - grants, donations and		legacies
Income fromDonations and Legacies
Training / Workshops	-	-		-
Donations	55,660	381,000	436,660	600,795
Training / Workshops	9,568	2,000	11,568	7,161
Lottery Funding	-	128,772	128,772	219,289
Total Donations & Legacies Received	65,228	511,772	577,000	827,245
Activities for generating funds
Other activities for generating funds	3,010	-	3,010	6,269
Total of Other Trading Activities	3,010	-	3,010	6,269
InvestmentIncome
Bank deposit interest received	711	-	711	880
Total Investment Income	711	-	711	880
Total Income	68,949	511,772	580,721	834,394
Charitable expenditure
Support costs of charitable activities
Directsupportcosts
Net wages and salaries - charitable activities	(27,640)	193,271	165,631	201,021
PAYE and NI	2,580	5,111	7,691	10,959
Pension contributions charitable employees	1,263	2,183	3,446	3,994
Consultancy & Associates fees	29,776	202,468	232,244	176,889
	5,979	403,033	409,012	392,863
Indirect employee costs
Training and welfare	-	-	-	325
Travel and subsistence	1,183	1,139	2,322	2,514
Staff Expenses	3,622	1,623	5,245	4,983
	4,805	2,762	7,567	7,822
Premises Costs
Rent & Rates	432	-	432	2,215
Event Costs and Venue Hire	4,109	4,413	8,522	16,397
	4,541	4,413	8,954	18,612

92

Plymouth VCSE (POP+) Accounts

Schedule to the Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025 Status of this schedule to the Statement of Financial Activities

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Period
	Funds	Funds	Funds	Total Funds
	2025	2025	2025	2024
	£	£	£	£
				Restated
General administrative expenses:
Telephone and Internet	2,522	-	2,522	2,311
Admin (Printing/Stationery/Postage)	129	917	1,046	630
Membership & Subscriptions	3,555	2,058	5,613	2,424
IT & Software Support	4,833	790	5,623	5,663
Bad debts	-	-	-	-
Insurance	2,950	-	2,950	1,847
Advertising & Marketing	448	200	648	1,511
Bank charges	246	-	246	145
Sundry expenses	-	-	-	14
	14,683	3,965	18,648	14,545
Professional fees in support of charitable	activities
Professional fees	674	-	674	983
	674	-	674	983
Total costs	30,682	414,173	444,855	434,825
Grantmaking to achieve the objects of the	charity
Grants paid including Gift Aid payments
Grant disbursements	-	182,375	182,375	259,200
Grant returned to funder	-	-	-	-
Total Expended on Charitable Activities	30,682	596,548	627,230	694,025
Other costs
Independent Examiner's Fees	1,980	-	1,980	1,800
Depreciation of fixed assets	1,509	-	1,509	1,462
Total Other costs	3,489	-	3,489	3,262

A detailed breakdown of the grants paid can be found in note 11 of these financial statements

Analysis oftransfers between funds - - - Transfer to/(from) unrestricted 66,483 Transfer to/(from) restricted to be analysed further - - - 155 - - Transfer to/(from) designated (66,638)

93

Issuer

Issuer Wills Accountants Limited Document generated Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:23:24 GMT

Document fingerprint fabe058068f2cbe2da2900e10737625d

Parties involved with this document

Document processed

Party + Fingerprint

Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:29:11 GMT Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:58:12 GMT

Peter Davey - Signer (de66050cbe4d36fc0fd8807129eb91a1) Phil - Signer (5cb1e1abf629c26c598ea53606b9517f)

Audit history log

Date

Action

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:23:24 GMT Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:23:24 GMT

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:23:25 GMT

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:23:25 GMT

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 14:24:11 GMT Wed, 19th Nov 2025 15:03:58 GMT

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 15:10:53 GMT

Wed, 19th Nov 2025 15:20:33 GMT Wed, 19th Nov 2025 15:20:34 GMT Wed, 19th Nov 2025 15:20:41 GMT Wed, 19th Nov 2025 23:58:49 GMT Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:27:07 GMT Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:27:16 GMT Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:29:11 GMT Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:29:12 GMT

Envelope generated by Kacey Chapman (62.232.17.186) Envelope duplicated from FINAL POP Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24(909d1e337596943833503ed77e169207) by Kacey Chapman (62.232.17.186) Document generated with fingerprint 5acd69b7e8bf813a2a08b9de5d4e635c (62.232.17.186) Document generated with fingerprint 17b496f5c87febff11fb66443e3fb489 (62.232.17.186) Document generated with fingerprint fabe058068f2cbe2da2900e10737625d (62.232.17.186) Document generated with fingerprint ccffbaddbd2cd4783612e2a940986f65 (62.232.17.186) Document generated with fingerprint 1c4e55eee560044e41a3e375c93864e2 (62.232.17.186) Sent the envelope to Peter Davey for signing (62.232.17.186) Document emailed to party email

Peter Davey opened the document email. (66.249.93.70) Peter Davey opened the document email. (66.249.93.68) Peter Davey opened the document email. (66.249.93.70) Peter Davey viewed the envelope (92.238.87.148) Peter Davey signed the envelope (92.238.87.148) Sent the envelope to Phil for signing (92.238.87.148)

Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:29:12 GMT Document emailed to party email Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:49:34 GMT Phil viewed the envelope (62.232.17.186) Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:58:12 GMT Phil signed the envelope (62.232.17.186) Fri, 21st Nov 2025 11:58:12 GMT This envelope has been signed by all parties (62.232.17.186)