Sq THE
NETWOkK
The Network CIO
Charity Number: 1167775
Trustees. Annual Report
for the Period
1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Reference & Administration Detalls
Charity name: The Network CIO
Charity number: 1167775
Charity's operating City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln, LN11 DD
address:
Names of the Charit Trustees who man
e the Chari
Trustee Name
Office
ointed
Retired
Gall Dunn
Chair
June 2016
Ben Rollett
Treasurer
June 2016
Gavin Warhurst
July 2016
July 2016
October 2016
Mike Johnson
Amanda Bouttell
Diane Slapp
Tina Ramsay
Graham Metcalfe
August 2023
August 2023
August 2023
Names & Addresses of Advisors
e of advisor Name
Address & Postcode
Bank
The Co-operative PO Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale,
Bank
WN8 6wr
Independent
Examiner
Saul Fairholm
12 Tentercroft street, Lincoln,
LN5 7DB

Structure, Governance & Management
Descri
tion of the Chari
's Trusts
Type of Governing Document: Constitution
How the Charity is
Constituted:
Charitable Incorpcrated Organisation
Trustee Selection Methods:
Appointed by existing Trustees
Objectives & Activities
Summa
of the Ob'ects of the Chari
as set ut in its Governin
Document
The objects of the CIO are..
To act as a resource for young people aged 16-24 living in the City of Lincoln and the surrounding
area by providing advice and assistanGe and organising programmes of educational and other
activities as a means of.,
advancing in life and helping young people by developing their skills, capacities and
capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible
individuals.,
advancing education.
relieving unemployment.
b)
Summa
of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in Rel tion to tha
Chari
's Ob'ects
The Network CIO has undertaken the following activities:
Encouraged and supported young people with appropriate advice and guidance on training,
education andlor employment.
Developed the skills and knowledge amongst young people to enable them to participate in
training, education and employment.
Focused on researching and removing barriers to employment and training for young people,
where possible.
Developed employment opportunities for young people with employers.
Raised employer awareness of the positive impact of employing and investing in young
people.
Provided facilities by which volunteer members can support young people.
Ensured that the activities, opportunities and services that The Network may offer are open to
all young people.
Developed partnerships within The Network with local partners and providers and national
organisations that assist young people in achieving their aims.
Statuto
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidan￿ on
public benefit published by the comrnission in exercising their powers or duties.

Achievements & Performance
Summa
of the Main Achievements of the Chari
for the Year
Young people supported during the year: 243
Young people supported into employment.. 35
Confirmed to have engaged with trainingleducation: 24
Confirmed into volunteering: 27
Year in Review
We continue to see the fallout of the Covid pandemic, and continuing impact of the Cost of Living
Crisis. We continue to see increasing engagement and need for our service and an increasing
number of long termlreturning clients, which prompted our increase in age range to 29. Due to the
compounding effects of the Pandemic and Cost of Living Crisis, in essence we've seen almost a
developmental pause of 2-3 years at least for young people as they transition into adulthood. In
essence, the normal opportunities, milestones etc. that would be expected or available were put on
pause, and we're seeing the consequences of this. This prompted us to increase our age range, so
that those who need us can still receive our support.
We have been funded across various streams, wtth some being demographically focused e.g.
deprivation, lack of maths etc. We continue to work in close partnership with the DWP, with Youth
Employability Coaches still hosted in our offi￿. We have found this partnership to be highly effective
in supporting young people to navigate complex barriers and enable joint, holistic working between
ourselves and the work coaches.
Alongside our 1-1 support. we've also started delivering more group sessions. Social anxiety,
loneliness and isolation continue to be significant barriers for our young people, and there is a gap in
the community for 18-29 group spaces that are affordable and social anxiety friendly.
We have been establishing support in a variety of forms to frt with staff delivery strengths, and client
demographic interests. This includes Nerd Herd, Crafternoon and Hairy Violets.
Barriers and trends
Health condition
Health condition
No health condition
Undiagnosed but
suspected
Unknown
Percent
440
Barrier
Mental health
Social anxiety
Confidence
Percent
460
700
16%
270
Transport
Physical health
substan￿ misuse
Housing
Benefits
Debt
Lack of
mathslEn
lish
Convictions
AutismlASD
ADHD
Dyslexialdyscalculia
Other
8%
16%
140
15%
90

Barrier tracking is pulled from initial assessment data. As such, there may be some gaps as issues
unveil themselves further along a clients support journey. It asso fails to capture the complexity of
other things such as difficult home environments, previous emotionally based School avoidan
(EBSA), and the layering of issues for those experiencing multiple barriers.
Pro
SHINE Innovatlon-Hairy Violets
In response to our young people's increasing social anxiety, isolation and low aspirationslhope, we
test ran a creative writing project in collaboration with WiSdflower Storytelling's Tanya Akrofi. This
project focused on using creative writing to flip negative life-scripts, supporting young people to
develop toolkits to reframe their life experiences, and resilience. Alongside this, young people
received the 1-1 personoentred support that Is core to The Network.
This project was SUCGessful, with unexpected additional outcomes. We utilized various green spaces
across the city to host the Sessions, which led some of our young people to start volunteering in these
same spaces, such as Liquorice Park.
This project created a peer-shaped space that allowed young people to explore thèir creativity and
develop their resilien￿.
Nerd Herd and Crafternoon
Nerd Herd and Crafternoon's were formed in response to the increasing social anxiety and isolation of
our young people. Starting with small groups, we test-ran one shot Table Top Role Playing Games,
using boundaries and staff facilitation to create an inclusive space for young people to engage.
At first, these groups were very quiet and required intense facilitation to pull the young people out of
their shells. However, as time has gone by, the group has become a peer-led space with some of the
original members now volunteering to help run games, organize the lore of the sessions they're
running etc. The response and growth of our young people in this group has b&en beyond our wildest
expectations. The nature of table top games, with their clear structure, problem solving and elements
of chance and randomness, has really helped our young people to thrive.
ongside Nerd Herd, we also developed Crafternoon so that we could create options that cater to
different demographics, These were both funded under Awards4AII as the test run at first as part of a
Resocialisation Scheme.
Crafternoons create a space for'parallel play" where people can bn'ng their own crafts, or leam new
techniques alongside Georgia. This is a space to create and 'go wrong. whilst engaging in gentle
conversations. Again, seeing the connections forged in this group has been amazing to see, with the
importance of peer-to-peer facilitated spaces being undeniable.
Nerd Herd and Crafternoons has received various funding, depending on the eligibility criteria of the
participants. This has included Multiply, A4A, Winter Pressures and Community Action Fund.
Catalyst Counselllng
We continue to strive to provide non-clinical, integrative counselling via Georgina at Nurture Garden
Therapy to our marginalized clients who don't fit typical NHS Talking Therapy support (e.g. socially
anxious, bereaved, trauma-informed etc.)
Finding funding for this has been an ongoing challenge, not many funders will cover counselling
support despite what we see to be a clear gap in provision for integrative counselling locally,
especially for those who are financially disadvantaged.
Fortunately, we were able to find funding via Evan Cornish to fund Catalyst Counselling, and the 1-1
mentoring work The Network team do alongside to support young people to engage with this
counselling, and apply the transformative self-lessons they16arn as part of it.

Support
Our 1-18UPPQrt continues to be the heart and soul of our work. We continue to deliver in a person-
centred style, whilst adaptlng to increased needs for advocacy for our young people navigating health
S6rvices, housing etc. Our partnership work and networking has been integral to this, and
compliments our 1-1 work in the ways that our conneGtions can help untangle situations our clients
find themselves in.
We have received funding from various sources, but all aligned with the themes and barriers we see.
For example, many of our clients come from postcodes that fall into areas of high deprivation, as
evidenced by our time on Health Inequalities, a fund targeted on 8UPPOrting people from these
postcodes.
Our fund over the winter months was under Winter Pressures with the NHS, which we exceeded our
targeted numbers with minimal outreach required. The natural flow of young people from partnership
routes and word of mouth continues to be steadily inGreasing,
In January we were successful in re￿Iving WLDC funding, which 15 allowing us to explore and
increase capacity for delivery in the West Lindsey outskirts of Lincoln where there is an ongoing
support gap.
What is clear to us is that having an 'open door. service to anyone who falls in the socio economic
footprint of Lincoln, continues to be essential. Young people have also retumed to us, as they hit their
next life stage or come across new barriers and we have been honoured to be able to support them to
continue to thrive. For those who lack Social or familial support networks, it feels like The Network
forms a space for them to come and gain the advice and guidance they need as they move into and
through early adulthood.
This has all been funded In parts by.. Evan Cornish, ICB Winter Pressures, Multiply (budgeting
support), WLDC Community Action Fund and SHINE.
Client Feedback
°The Network are supportive and helpful with giving you the kno￿edge and resources you nead with
networking and job searching. They hav8 empathy and understanding with their clients."
°The Network gave me sornething to leave my house and SOGialise for. One of the things that really
pulled me through 2023."
"Gabby was - and is - absolutely wonderful. So welcoming, empathetic and kind. She could not do
enough for my son and Gontinues to do so. .Just keep going. the support Gabby and The Network
provides is incredible and has saved my son from his isolation and loneliness"
'Its good to know that you can talk to people about anything you want advice on"
"I hava been provided with a lot of useful links and info to support me. Gabby knows straight away
what will b& useful to me.
"The Nelwork allowed me to access senlices I wouldn't have know about othetwise also all working
me grow as a person which helped me overcome personal obstacles of getting into work"
'The network has gotten me to be mor8 sociable and it does make a differsnce"
"They helped me explore new opportunities and hobbies as well as giving me advice. A while after I
joined l explored some new options and they allowed me to speak to another member who knows
mor8 about the subject(s). They also show every stsp 117ave taken which makes me appreciate my
process even if it seems small."

Financial Review
Brief Statement of the Chari
on Reserves
The Trustees regularly review the reseNes of the charity. This review encompasses the
nature of the income and expenditure streams and the need to maintain adequate working
capital for all core costs and liabilities. The Trustees have established a policy whereby the
unrestricted funds held by the charity should Include between three and six months Core
costs.
's Polic
Details of An
Funds Materiall
in Deficit
NIA
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trusteès, Report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees
Signature(s):
Full Name(8):
Gail Dunn
Ben Rollett
P08ition(8)"
Chair
Treasurer
Date. SO - 01- zoir
50-01.701

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
I'.hdl'ily N¢llTI
The Network CIO
On accounts for the year
ended
31st March 2024
Charity no
(if any)
1167775
Set out on pages
9-11
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
Gharity ("the Trust") for the year ended 3110312024.
Responslblllties and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 ('the Act.).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with
the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respgct:
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
Independent
examiner's statement
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Please delete the words in the brackgts if they do not apply.
Date:
0910112025
Signed.
Name:
Roger M White
Relevant professional
qualificatlon(s) or body
(If any):
ICAEW
Address:
Saul Fairholrn Limited Chartered Accountants, 12 Tentercroft Street,
Lincoln, LN5 7DB

Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32,
Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for
examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examlner wishes to
disclose.

Recelpts and Payments
Accounts
Charity Name:
Charity Number:
Perlod from (start date):
The Networ1< CIO
1167775
01/0412023
to {end date):
31103/2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds
funds
funds
Total funds
Last year
Al Receipts
City of Lincoln Council Iln-kindl
DWP {FSF Grant Funding)
DWP (Kickstartl
Other {Miscl
The National Lottery Community Fund
CareerNet Project
Multiply Project
WLDC
Shine- Innovation Fund
NHS Winter Pres5ues
Evan Cornish Fund
LVET Health Ineq ualities Fund
Beyond Shame Fund
UK Community Renewal Fund
11,500
11,500
10,701
13,040
2,088
2,500
9,475
5,709
4,125
1,500
1,500
4,634
9,130
7,000
9,850
9,875
5,480
5,000
4,634
9,130
7,000
9,850
9,875
5,480
5,000
5,000
9,019
61,557
Sub totul
A2 Asset & Investment sales, etc
Total receipts
52,469
11,500
53,969
52,469
11,500
63,969
61,657
A3 Payments
Staff costs
Rent
ICT
Staff travel & expenses
Statlonery, prlnting & advertSslng
Professional fees & insurance
Resources & events
Participant Expenses
Training
Other (Counselling Support & worlcshopsl
Sub total
A4 Asset & investment purchases, etc
Total poyments
Net of receipts/(pttyments}
A5 Transfers between funds
51,936
51,936
11,500
490
200
104
1,481
78
140
67,096
10,701
11,500
490
200
104
1,481
78
140
267
135
1,204
711
io
300
5,000
85,424
7,536
61,965
7,536
73,465
11,500
61,965
9,496
11,500
73,465
9,496
85,424
23,767

Afj Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end
15,860
6,365
15,860
6,365
39,627
15,860
Unrestrlcted Restricted funds Endowment
funds
funds
Details
Current account
Bl Cash funds
6,365
Total coshfunds
6,365
Unrestrlcted Restrlcted funds Endowment
funds
funds
B2 Other monetary assets
Details
Fund to
which asset
belongs
Cost loptlonal) Current value
(optlonal)
B3 Investment assets
Details
Fund to
which asset
belong5
Cost (optional) Current value
(optional)
B4 Assets retalned for the charities own
use
Detalls
Fund to
which
liability
relates
Amount due
(optlonal)
When due
(optionall
85 Liabllltles
Details
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Slgnature
Name
Date of approval
Ben Rollett
Gail Dunn
io

Notes
accounts
The Network CIO has nolhlng lo dl8clo8e with regard lo followlng..
al partl¢ulars of any guarant86 glven by the CIO, where any polonllal liablllly under guaranloe 1$ out5tandlng al the dale of Ihe
slalemenl of assets and Ilabllllles.. and
b} partlcular8 of nay debt oulslandlng al the dale of the 8lalem8nl of as8￿$ and liablllli88 whi¢h is owed by the CIO and which 18
secured by an expr8S8 charge on any assets of the CIO.
li